Bobby Speed & The Bearcat
Robert E (Bobby) Speed--one of Texas’ great aviators--was born in Adrian, Texas in 1924. He fought bravely in WWII where he earned a Bronze Star and, for 50 years, he operated an agricultural aerial spraying service in Vega, Texas. For all of Bobby's adult years, he owned and flew numerous aircraft for business and pleasure. But that wasn't all . Bobby Speed also built an airplane called the Bearcat* and, for two years, raced his Reno Racer at the National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada.
The National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada! Wow! That's pylon racing at its best! What are the rules, you ask? That's easy:
fly low,
go fast,
turn left.
The National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada! Wow! That's pylon racing at its best! What are the rules, you ask? That's easy:
fly low,
go fast,
turn left.
Bobby Speed's "Bearcat" Reno Racer
Short story about the Bearcat
During the mid 1960s, Bobby Speed--avid pilot and owner of a crop dusting service located a few miles west of Amarillo, Texas--decided to build a biplane class airplane that he could race at the National Championship Air Races conducted annually in Reno, Nevada. Bobby decided to model his aircraft on a world famous biplane--the Beech Model 17 "Staggerwing." Bobby designed his mini-staggerwing biplane class racing plane and started construction.
Bobby's plane was different. In many ways! The plane would carry one person (Bobby) instead of four, would have a four-cylinder, inline-opposed engine instead of a nine-cylinder radial engine, and it would have fixed gear instead of retractable. And, it was a true staggerwing--the lower wing of the biplane was positioned almost twelve inches ahead of the upper wing.
In September of 1969, Bobby put his newly completed airplane plane on a trailer, towed it from Adrian, Texas to the former Stead Air Force Base in Reno, Nevada, reassembled his beautiful yellow Reno Racer and began making history. See below for Bobby's racing record.
During the mid 1960s, Bobby Speed--avid pilot and owner of a crop dusting service located a few miles west of Amarillo, Texas--decided to build a biplane class airplane that he could race at the National Championship Air Races conducted annually in Reno, Nevada. Bobby decided to model his aircraft on a world famous biplane--the Beech Model 17 "Staggerwing." Bobby designed his mini-staggerwing biplane class racing plane and started construction.
Bobby's plane was different. In many ways! The plane would carry one person (Bobby) instead of four, would have a four-cylinder, inline-opposed engine instead of a nine-cylinder radial engine, and it would have fixed gear instead of retractable. And, it was a true staggerwing--the lower wing of the biplane was positioned almost twelve inches ahead of the upper wing.
In September of 1969, Bobby put his newly completed airplane plane on a trailer, towed it from Adrian, Texas to the former Stead Air Force Base in Reno, Nevada, reassembled his beautiful yellow Reno Racer and began making history. See below for Bobby's racing record.
The Bearcat's flying days are over. It was delivered to the museum by truck in July of 2011. That's Bobby's helmet sitting on top of the instrument panel. And, the aircraft registration number--N1924F--Bobby asked the FAA for that registration number and, since no other aircraft had that number, the FAA gave the number to Bobby. Bobby was born in February 1924.
* Food for thought: This famous aircraft has at least three names--Bearcat, Beercat and Beer Cat.
1. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) calls the Speed Johnson Experimental Amateur Built Fixed Wing Single-Engine Aircraft an F4F Bearcat.
2. The data plate riveted to the inside of the aircraft (come see it, take a picture) reads: Experimental Beer Cat.
3. The official National Championship Air Races "Race results" always refer to Bob Speed's aircraft as the Beercat.
4. The Live Wire model specifications calls it the Beercat.
So, you'll probably see different names in different places, however, since the official FAA registration is "Bearcat," we'll probably call it the Bearcat too. What do you think? Send us an email. Why not open this topic to public discussion?
* Food for thought: This famous aircraft has at least three names--Bearcat, Beercat and Beer Cat.
1. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) calls the Speed Johnson Experimental Amateur Built Fixed Wing Single-Engine Aircraft an F4F Bearcat.
2. The data plate riveted to the inside of the aircraft (come see it, take a picture) reads: Experimental Beer Cat.
3. The official National Championship Air Races "Race results" always refer to Bob Speed's aircraft as the Beercat.
4. The Live Wire model specifications calls it the Beercat.
So, you'll probably see different names in different places, however, since the official FAA registration is "Bearcat," we'll probably call it the Bearcat too. What do you think? Send us an email. Why not open this topic to public discussion?
Additional military and civilian aircraft may be seen at the Texas Air & Space Museum.