Bent Throttles

Journal of the Racing & Record Aircraft Special Interest Group of IPMS-UK
No. 19, June 2001

Reviewed by Jim Schubert

Loving oddball airplanes as I do - I really like this 16 page quarterly journal.  It's very much of a one-man labor of love by this SIG's leader Anders Bruun of Stockholm.  Why, you may ask, is a Swede running an IPMS-UK SIG?  Beats me.  I've never asked him; but I hope he continues to do so as he does such a good job.  Issue No. 19 features:  Photos of Voodoo's cockpit; Lockheed's XP-80R -LO "Racey" - history, data, drawings, and modeling suggestions; Kit reviews; Book reviews and News & Rumours of current air racing.

The bulk of this issue is devoted to the XP-80R-LO.  On June 19, 1947 the XP-80R-LO, flown by Colonel Albert Boyd, took the World Air Speed Record from Britain at 623.738 MPH, exceeding the 615.8 MPH mark established by Group Captain E. M. Donaldson in a modified Gloster Meteor F.4 on September 7, 1946.  Boyd's mark stood not quite a year until Commander Turner Caldwell flying the Douglas D-558-1 at 640.663 MPH broke it.  From reading the article I've learned the modifications to XP-80B-LO, s/n 45-85200, to create the XP-80R -LO were far more extensive than I had imagined.  The author, Keith Davidson, and the editor have done an excellent job of presenting this very pretty airplane to us modelers.  I was so impressed that I got out my old P-80A, converted from the Airfix 1/72nd scale F-80C, to determine the degree of difficulty in converting the basic kit to a

P-80R.  The next day I ordered two of the Airfix kits from Emil Minerich's Skyway Model Shop in Seattle. 

Anders has just launched a SIG web site.  Anders' e-mail address is: anders.bruun@chello.se.  The quarterly journal and membership cost ten pounds Sterling, or equivalent in major convertible currencies paid in cash.  IPMS membership is recommended but not required.