Red Bull Air Race Magazine

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE
PERTH, APRIL 17&18 4 AUD
Dont waste time, go for it. Matthias Dolderer has come far, but wants to go further The French have upgraded their equipment, but is it form over function? Ken Tunnell is Ly-Con: the engine builder that can do what others cant
STRAIGHT LINE
FACELIFT
POWER GURU
WWW.REDBULLAIRRACE.COM
Matt Hall was the rookie with promise, now hes breathing down the leaders neck
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RED BULL AIR RACE MAGAZINE
THE ONE
VISIT THE SHOP ON THE EVENTGROUND OR GO TO REDBULLSHOP.COM
INSIGHT
SHOW YOUR
PASSION
CONTENT
18 PORTRAIT
WELCOME NOTE
n behalf of all Western Australians, it is my pleasure to welcome pilots, teams, organisers, sponsors, media, volunteers and spectators to the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in Perth. I would like to extend a special welcome to those visiting from interstate and overseas. I hope you enjoy our warm Western Australian hospitality. The Red Bull Air Race is truly an extraordinary event and the last time the race was held in Perth, more than 340,000 spectators lined the banks of the Swan River. There will be plenty of thrilling air race action again this year, with spectators also being able cheer for a local hero, Australian pilot Matt Hall. Matt will be competing in Perth for the very first time. Aside from the excitement and spectacle of this international air race, if you are a visitor to WA, then we hope you will plan some time to experience the extraordinary sights and atmosphere in Perth and around the State. The Economist magazine recently ranked Perth in the top 10 of the most liveable cities in the world, because of our citys close proximity to wine growing areas, beaches and natural bush land. A highlight of any trip to Perth is a visit to the largest inner-city park in the Southern Hemisphere. At over 400 hectares, Kings Park offers commanding views over the Swan River to the city skyline and is home to the largest range of wildflowers in the world. Im thrilled that Perth will be promoted to over 100 million prospective visitors in 130 countries through the television broadcast of this race set against the backdrop of the Perth city skyline and over the Swan River. I wish everyone involved in the Red Bull Air Race a very enjoyable and memorable experience. We look forward to welcoming you back next year.
Last year he was a rookie. This year Matt Hall is being hailed as a future champion
26 INTERVIEW
Cover Photography: Markus Kucera/Red Bulletin; Photography: Markus Kucera/Red Bulletin (3), Darla Tunnell (1)
YOUR
SUPPORT
Dolderer reveals strategies for the battle at the top
30 TECHNICS
Pretty and fast? More about Team 27s plane redesign
34 BACKGROUND
Ken Tunnell is Ly-Con and is said to be the power-master
PILOT
04 GALLERY A look at the crazy, hot race that was the season opener in Abu Dhabi 10 BULLEVARD The winners and losers of the first round, the likely men of Perth and a mental ride through the racetrack over Swan River. Are race numbers just numbers, or is there more to it? Plus the functions of the cowling and a close-up of Martin onkas body 18 PORTRAIT Matt Hall has shaken off the rookie label of last season. This year he's a podium and title contender, but in the meantime many others have also made it to this starting position. How is the Australian coping with expectations and whats he really like? 26 INTERVIEW Matthias Dolderer takes direct routes, mainly because he doesn't like wasting energy and time on detours. His motto: Full throttle, but fly safely. Safety always comes first.
30 TECHNICS Team Ivanoff have given their plane a facelift. After lots of dedication and lots of investment, Abu Dhabi was a battle, so, the question is, did all their efforts pay off? 34 BACKGROUND What is it, that one man can do, that others can't? Find out more about California-based engine builder Ken Tunnell, who apparently knows how to get lots of power out of the Lycoming engine 40 TRAVEL Eight cities are hosting the races this year. Read our pleasure guide and find out what to see and do 44 PROFILES Close-ups of all 15 race pilots and the two types of aircraft flown 46 THE RULES More about the regulations governing the race, and an explanation of the format 48 CALENDAR All the 2010 race stops 50 LOCATION All you need to know for your race weekend
Dr Elizabeth Constable MLA MINISTER FOR TOURISM
IMPRINT THE RED BULLETIN GMBH, Heinrich-Collin-Strae 1, 1140 Vienna, Austria e-mail: redbullairracemagazine@at.redbulletin.com Managing Directors Karl Abentheuer, Alexander Koppel Project Director Boro Petric Editor in Chief Nadja ele Editor Matt Youson Chief Sub-editor Nancy James Art Directors Erik Turek, Markus Kietreiber Designer Dominik Uhl Photo Editor/Photographer Markus Kucera Illustrator Dietmar Kainrath, Seso Media Group Producers Michael Bergmeister, Wolfgang Stecher Lithography Josef Mhlbacher, Clemens Ragotzky Printed by Offset 5020, Bayernstrae 27, A-5072 Siezenheim www.redbulletin.com
red bull air race magazine
Gallery
It was miserably hot, it felt like working in a wind-blown furnace. Our luck ran out in the Final 4. The engine got heat soaked, it simply kept vapour-locking and would not fire. We have fans to draw the air out after a flight, but there is only 15 minutes between the Super 8 and the Final 4. I knew our day was over.
Michael Goulian, 4th Place in abu Dhabi
Photography: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images for Red Bull Air Race
Although I hit two pylons during the race, I didnt make any big mistakes and was flying safely. That means a lot to me, I feel I am evolving. I really need to continue improving, step-bystep, and Ill work hard for it. I know I have a huge challenge ahead and Ill devote a lot to accomplish it.
Adilson KindlemAnn, 14th in his debut rAce
Keeping the earth green
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Photography: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images for Red Bull Air Race
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Im exhausted, but it has been a great day. Ive got off to a good start in 2010. The set-up on the plane was perfect, I put down two clean runs. Fifth place is great, but what is better is that we could have made a podium finish. I cant wait to be back in the track in Perth and build on this success. The top teams now have their eye on us!
Pete McLeod on the hardest and craziest race so far
Photography: Vladimir Rys/Getty Images for Red Bull Air Race
BULLEVARD
REVIEW
WINDS OF CHANGE
Photography: Julian Finney/Getty Images for Red Bull Air Race, Mike Hewitt/Getty Images for Red Bull Air Race, Marwan Naamani/AFP/Getty Images
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Pos
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Pilot
Paul Bonhomme Nigel Lamb Peter Besenyei Michael Goulian Pete McLeod Kirby Chambliss Matthias Dolderer Matt Hall Nicolas Ivano Yoshihide Muroya Hannes Arch Alejandro Maclean Martin Sonka Adilson Kindlemann Sergey Rakhmanin
Nationality
GBR GBR HUN USA CAN USA GER AUS FRA JPN AUT ESP CZE BRA RUS
Plane
Edge 540 MXSR MXSR Edge 540 Edge 540 Edge 540 Edge 540 MXSR Edge 540 Edge 540 Edge 540 MXSR Edge 540 MXSR MXSR
Points
12 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 2 0 0 0 0
The top men of Abu Dhabi. Nigel Lamb in second, Paul Bonhomme in rst and Peter Besenyei in third.
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
PREVIEW
PERTH
The Red Bull Air Race arrives in Perth with most of the crews still shaking their heads and trying to gure out what happened in Abu Dhabi. As a barometer of form it was useless: too many disqualications, technical problems and abnormal conditions to properly make any judgements. Instead, Perth will be where we really nd out who has it, and who doesnt assuming the Freemantle Doctor is a little more gentle than the Arabian Simoom. Perth was missing from the 2009 calendar, much to the dismay of the race teams and their supporters, and everyone is highly delighted to see the Swan River return to the itinerary for 2010. The three previous runnings of the race have produced three different winners, and all are back this week attempting to double up. Both Paul Bonhomme and Peter Besenyei
After the pre-season hype, the rst race of the year was supposed to provide clarity; instead the race in the United Arab Emirates only served to muddy the waters. If there is any such thing as a typical air race, this most certainly was not it. There were disqualications and technical retirements; those who did y the complete course were knocking over pylons left and right. The heat was vicious, but the real villain was the changeable wind. Scientic racing and preparation went out the window as proceedings degenerated into the air racing equivalent of barroom brawl. Instinct and quick hands came to the fore. Luck played its part as well, for good and ill. Hannes Arch, the rst to be disqualied, caused the biggest ripple of amazement back at the race airport. The Austrian, in his new aircraft, was a hot favourite to take back-to-back Abu Dhabi victories, but was ordered out of the course by race control, having dipped dangerously close to the water. Flying too high incurs a penalty;
too low and its an early bath. Matthias Dolderer and Kirby Chambliss followed for the same offence. Dolderer is a relative newcomer, but Chambliss and Arch are both World Champions. These werent rookie errors; conditions were treacherous. Some pilots didnt get to nd out. Each round of the nal had a non-starter. Alejandro Maclean failed to take to the air in the Top 12 with a fuel pump failure, Matt Hall missed out on the Super 8 with a at battery and, cruellest of all, Michael Goulian was pulled out of the grid stand with a malfunctioning engine when due to take to the sky to compete in the Final 4. It was the heat, said a phlegmatic Goulian. When the temperatures get that high, the fuel bubbles and it just wont go. Goulians retirement saw the Final 4 become the Final 3. Peter Besenyei ew rst, but two penalties effectively took him out of the running, leaving Paul Bonhomme and Nigel Lamb to ght it out. Ignoring the conditions, Bonhomme ew
in his usual calm manner. Lamb, the last man ying, did the same; it was close, less than a second separating them, but he never managed to get on level terms with the world champion. The win takes Bonhomme to an even dozen victories. His passage, he might allow, was made simpler this time by the absence of several rivals, but on the other hand, Bonhomme always seems to have enough time in the aircraft to cope with the vagaries of the weather. Bonhomme started 2010 where he left off in 2009, putting clear air between himself and the chasing pack: Its fascinating what weve seen in Abu Dhabi. The wind changed direction and sorted everyone out. Temperature was also a factor. To keep your concentration up in these conditions was quite a task. I dont think its a coincidence that the races most experienced pilots were on the podium. Experience helps on days like these. You have to keep an eye on what happens and play the tactics just right.
were on the podium in Abu Dhabi, while Nicolas Ivanoff has a fast plane and a point to prove at a venue he loves racing at. There are plenty of other contenders: Hannes Archs new Edge 540 V3 looked fast and we denitely havent seen the best of it yet and with only two points on the board, the Austrian has a lot of ground to make up on the Championship leaders. Nigel Lambs new winglets were a talking point in Abu Dhabi, though the jury is still out on whether they provide any real benet. More certain is that after consecutive second places, Lamb would dearly love to go one better and then theres Australias own Matt Hall. Will local support provide a little extra horsepower, or will the weight of expectation add extra pressure? As always, there is only the one way to nd out.
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BULLEVARD
logbook
Progress leads to sharp wing mods, new jockey-plane combinations and a high-tech scale that probably doesnt work the way it should.
1 fast sharks. The most striking new feature in the Abu Dhabi hangars was the winglets fitted to Nigel Lambs MXS-R. Dubbed shark fins, the extensions are intended to lessen induced drag and are an idea Team Breitling has been toying with for some time. I tested them before the 2009 Porto round, but it wasnt logical to introduce them before the start of this year because we wanted to do some more tests. Nigel is still unsure of whether the devices provide a demonstrable advantage, but having finished on the podium, dont expect the fins to disappear soon. 2 green and gold. Matt Hall has a new MXS-R, it has a slightly reduced roll-rate (thanks to smaller ailerons), but is a little bit quicker. Matts old plane, which was hardly a veteran, moved down to another hangar. Adilson Kindlemann professes himself very satisfied with it. Its fantastic, but also a bit
Pitlane news
nervous! But Im happy because it gives me a chance to really develop my skills. Adilson endured a bumpy opening to his race career in Abu Dhabi. The wind moved basically 180 on Race Day. Everything was totally different. 3 scale issues. Is high-tech always the best choice? The new plane scale was causing trouble in Abu Dhabi and its highlight was in Team Maclean's disqualification from Qualifying. To cut a long story short: when weighed in the evening before Qualifying, Macleans MXS-R was 2.5kg above the minimum race weight (592.5kg, including fuel, etc), weighed again on Quali Day it was 590kg! The scale probably alters around 2kg, thats nothing unusual, says Technical Director Adrian Judd. Should scales alter at all? Fact is that the teams have to reach the minimum race weight of 598.5kg and can go as light as 592.5kg, thanks to a one per cent margin. 1
Steve Jones, former Red Bull Air Race pilot and now race expert and co-commentator, takes us through the race in Perth. Think yourself into the position of a race pilot, get ready and start ying the track.
IN THE TRACK
INSIGHT
Untitled-1 1
29.03.2010 16:25:23 Uhr
A speed of 370kph is what you are looking for as the start gate flashes past the wing tips of your race plane, not more though, as a 2-second penalty will wreck your day! Careful now, the chicane needs to be taken smoothly and as straight as possible, but it is close to the crowd safety line, which must not be crossed, so stay tight to the pylons. Concentrate on a great exit to set up for Gate 3. This is a big turn, so start it early to avoid having to pull massive G. Get this right and you will arrive at Gate 3 with loads of airspeed and well aligned for Gate 4. Get it wrong, though, and much of the aircrafts energy will have been sapped by the hard-pulled turn. Tense those stomach muscles now to prepare
for the major G of the first vertical turn 11.9G would be perfect, but take care, 12.1G will have you disqualified for using too much! A slight twist right, as you pull, will produce a nice line through Gate 5. It is blue, so after half-rolling upright, get your race plane straight and level before entering it. Now for the tricky bit, how to handle 6 and 7! There are many different lines that can be taken here, only time, practice and data analysis will prove which ones are best. The stopwatch doesnt lie! Whichever line you take, make sure that you are in right knife flight while passing through the red Gates and fly the long 270 turn as tight as possible. Exit angle from the second knife is vital for the run
to Gate 8. Minimise any S-turning or line correction here, as each control movement will cause speed-reducing drag. Get ready for the next vertical turn, another big load of G! This time, bend left as you pull, to put the chequered Gate 9 in line with the start of the chicane, for lap two. Prepare to learn from lap one. Any mistakes must not be repeated! Your lines will be fractionally different this time around, because you will have less airspeed. Even with the best race engine, all the high-G turns of lap one will have dragged the speed down. Stay super-smooth and light on the stick to lessen any further speed loss. Keep focused, there is still time to be saved.
Photography: Hamish Blair/Getty Images for Red Bull Air Race (1), Markus Kucera/Red Bulletin (3); Illustration: Seso Media Group
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BULLEVARD
Its 1m long, weighs only 4.5kg and is all carbon bre. Seems as if its small and insignicant. Far from it!
THE COWLING
There is a story behind everything in life, and the same is true when it comes to race numbers. Some are well known, others are still to be told. What tales are there behind the lines and arcs that provide more than just decoration?
GRAND SUPPORT
Michael Goulian: When I was a kid I played ice hockey around the clock, even during summer. One of my heroes at that time was Wayne Gretzky, a Canadian hockey player who played in the NHL. His number was the 99. Gretzky, yes, they called him the great one. Alejandro Maclean: The marking on my MXS-R represents my two sons. My first kid, Alex, who is now 11, was born on the 26th and my second, Eduardo, eight, on the 10th. Their birth dates add up to in 36 in total. And not just that, I also turned 36 in 2005, when I had to choose a race number."
LUCKY NUMBERS
84
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Pete McLeod: I was born in 1984, but my race number derives from my passion for ice hockey. I wore 8 on my hockey jersey and my father wore 4.
Matt Hall: The number is a tribute to my fouryear-old son Mitchell, a fan of the movie Cars and the car character Lightning McQueen.
95 55
36
Paul Bonhomme: My stepson, Charlie, picked my number when he was 12. I said: Whats your favourite number? and he said I really like 55. So thats my number.
Adilson Kindlemann: I study numbers a bit and the number seven is a perfect number. It is the masters number and it can be found everywhere in arts. Also, just pay attention to the details around you. There are seven days in a week, for example. But my race number is also a homage to former race pilot Klaus Schrodt. He flew with the number 7 and he is my coach a master. Number 7 is back in the race! And it is very strong.
Photography: Markus Kucera/Red Bulletin; Illustration: Dietmar Kainrath
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Jason Resop, Team Chamblisss chief technician, explains the particulars of the cowling: Basically, you need to have somewhere for the air to come in. For the engine to breathe and generate horsepower, but also for cooling air. All engines here are air cooled. Youll see a hole in the front of the cowling, but every team has different shapes, sizes and locations for it. The smaller the intake the better, but if its smaller, the less cooling air you get. This leads to temperature problems, so you cant run the engine at its full limit, because it would overheat and damage stuff. Our cowling originally did both jobs out of the same hole breathing and letting cool air over the cylinders, but we found some issues with it, so we made two separate holes and put them where they cool and make the manifold pressure we want, so they deliver horsepower. The air comes in the front, goes up and over the cylinders and exits at the back. The unique thing about our cowling is that it has exits on the top and the sides. Most cowlings exit out of the bottom, which ours does a little bit, but since we are able to bring the air out of the sides, we can make the hole at the bottom a lot smaller. Airflow is really critical, because when the air slows down and creates drag, it slows you down. You want to be very efficient with the air. The two additional intakes at the top of the cowling normally stay closed, as we found the best configuration with these closed. The two holes on the sides of the cowling are adjustable. We have covers for them, we can make them smaller for the race, for when we run the engine only for about a minute and a half at full power. One other thing about our cowling is that the halves are 90 off, so most times you take off the top and the bottom and we take off the left and the right side its kind of like the doors of a Lamborghini. It has got its advantages, because we dont have screws sticking out of the side, its very clean. Also, it matches up with the spinner. The airflow is good all the way over. Any gap is drag, and thats all the way around the cowling.
15
BULLEVARD
Hes swapped bars and beams for engines and wings, but that doesnt mean the former gymnast has given up on strength and exibility. Check out how the Czech rookie has balanced his life to take part in the Red Bull Air Race.
WORKING OUT
MARTIN ONKA
I like it when my body has to work hard, and I like to be tired after I've done sport. In the military I practised aeronautical pentathlon, its like modern pentathlon, so five different disciplines. It consists of swimming, running, shooting, fencing and basket ball. I still swim and run a lot, its very good for me and for flying.
ME AND MY BODY
GYMNASTICS
I did classical gymnastics and apparatus gymnastics from the age of six until I was 17. I won many prizes in Czech region competitions. There was another g guy who was very good, too, so either he was winnin or me. But I stopped after school, because I went to the military academy. I was based in another town, on the other side of the country. I was already flying at that time, too, and I knew that flying was the one and only thing that I wanted to do.
I weigh about 87kg now, maybe 88kg. It depends on how much I've been eating. And I am 189cm tall. The minimum pilots weight in the Red Bull Air Race is 82kg, which means I need to lose at least 5kg. I am working on that, but the thing is I am quite slim already. Its hard for me to lose weight, because I must still be strong for the flying, so I will try to find the weight thats right for me.
MEASUREMENTS
INJURIES
So far I can say, knock on wood, that I didnt have any serious injuries. Of course, as a gymnast you sometimes fall, so my body used to be covered with blue, green and yellow marks. Oh, and once, during downhill skiing, I broke my clavicle. We made a ski-jump and I actually did a really nice jump, but the landing was too hard. But that was the only time I broke something. Thats my weak point. I like food too much its my passion. Sometimes its really difficult for me to just eat vegetables, becauseI love meat, but I like sweets as well. I think that I will start to readjust my system of losing weight towards a bit more physical activity and not reducing my food intake, because then I can just eat whatever I want and I wont gain weight.
NUTRITION
OUTDOOR ACTIVITY
I like running and cycling and I enjoy hiking. Its a little bit difficult to practise nowadays, because I also dedicate all my free time to flying.
IN THE COCKPIT
Weightlifting at the gym is what I do indoors. I used to fence and enjoyed it a lot, but now I am focusing on training the muscles around my spine. They have to be strong for the hard manoeuvres we are flying here.
INDOORS
After landing Im tired, but I am nicely tired. Thats what I like after flying. And the feeling is even better if you flew well. Also if its just a minute and a few seconds that we fly, it is a lot of work for the body.
TOUCH DOWN
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Photography: Hamish Blair/Getty Images for Red Bull Air Race
The good thing about my plane is that I can adjust the seat in many ways. I am quite tall, but fortunately I have no problem flying this plane. We had to adjust it slightly due to the parachute and the shape of my body. The feeling of sitting in the plane is something between hard and quite comfortable. We have to save weight, so there is no space for cushioning or things like that.
The feeling is just great. Thats exactly what excites me. Its so fast you can feel the power, the strength of the engine. Its probably comparable with driving really fast and constantly turning into corners, but this is just so much better.
FLYING IN THE TRACK
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ExpEriEncEd
One year ago this week, Matt Hall made his Red Bull Air Race debut. A lot has happened since then
Words: Matt Youson
portrait
All change at Matt Hall Racing. New TC David Lyall (left), Hall, new team technician Leonard Rulason and their new MSX-R racing plane.
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portrait
A
Photography: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images for Red Bull Air Race
Matt Halls first outing in his new MXS-R was curtailed by mechanical problems, which left him unable to start the Super 8 round in Abu Dhabi.
quirk of the Red Bull Air Race is the ability to see the order of things by looking at the layout of the hangars out at the race airport. The championship table is reflected in that order, with the leaders either side by side nearest the tower or, if the organisers are feeling the need for a little symbolism, facing one another. Two weeks ago in Abu Dhabi, Matt Halls hangar was next to that of Red Bull Air Race World Champion Paul Bonhomme and facing that of runner-up and former World Champion Hannes Arch. Bonhomme had won more races than Hall had started, but no one batted an eyelid at the man from New South Wales rubbing shoulders at the sharp end. Its a meritocracy at the front and he earned his place. Hall exploded a few myths about the rightful order of things during his rookie season namely that a rookie should simply learn to avoid the pylons while making up the numbers. He finished the year third in the championship, with two
world champions ahead, but perhaps more significantly, two world champions behind. The 2009 Red Bull Air Race field had more rookies than ever before. Four pilots, constituting just over a quarter of the field joined the series last year, but with the greatest respect to messrs Matthias Dolderer, Pete McLeod and Yoshihide Muroya, when people spoke of The Rookie, it was Matt Hall to whom they were referring. He was, in many respects, the definitive article. Its usually a rather condescending nickname, although in Halls case that could not be less true: from race one he looked like the real deal: quick; decisive; untroubled by the requirements of joining an elite group. Without the nickname as an aide-memoire, you could be forgiven for thinking that hed been around the series for many years. He had help. A potent and powerful MXS-R race plane did his championship charge no harm, nor did the guidance of championship-winning and race-savvy team technician Dennis Sawyer. But having the right tools is only useful if
you know what to do with them, and Hall proved time and time again that he had the ability to make the most of what he had at his disposal. A lot of that comes down to talent, but what goes on between the pylons is often governed by what goes on between the ears. Clarity of thought, realistic goals and the right attitude are worth more than any amount of horsepower. Having had a winter (or in his case a summer at home in Newcastle) to consider the events of 2009, the Matt Hall, who reflected on a stellar season with us when the 2010 championship kicked off in Abu Dhabi, seemed more relaxed than the one of a few months earlier: the posture a little less rigid, the grin a little easier. It hinted at an aviator more comfortable with his place in the world or it may have simply been the prospect of a return to competition. Its obvious 2009 was a pretty good year for me. I started off as a rookie with some fairly simple goals which I maintained all year which were to be safe and not scare anybody, and
then improve myself and my racing throughout the year. Im pretty happy that I went about it that way, and it just so happens that doing so, plus the factor of some other people having bad luck, resulted in me placing quite well in the championship. I set goals for every race, but typically they werent result-based goals. They were conduct goals. Id set up for a race focusing on what I wanted to achieve: for example something like, In this particular race I want to pick up no penalties at all on Race Day. That particular goal became my focus for one event, because I found I had started to get penalties because I was trying too hard and you just cant do that so I set the goal of having no penalties at all. It may not have resulted in my best finish of the year, but by achieving it, it enabled me to know that this was something I could do if I put my mind to it and from there I could move on, going to the next race and targeting something else. Not everything in Halls year was linked to a methodical and steady
learning curve. After discovering that he could perform without incurring penalties, the Australian used the next race to practise the polar opposite, seeing how hard he could push. I wanted to see how tight I could fly one particular section of a course, and if I got a penalty, so be it. I wasnt experienced enough and Im still not to be able to push the whole track, so the only way to figure out your limits is to push one particular area, learn from it, and move on to the next race. More often than not, Matt succeeded in meeting his goals, but failures in sport can sometimes prove the more valuable lesson. After good showings in both Abu Dhabi and San Diego, the wheels came off when the 2009 Championship moved to Windsor, Ontario. In treacherous conditions that caught out even the most experienced pilots, Hall picked up multiple penalties in the Super 8 round and eventually executed a safety climb out, leaving the track because, he explained later on, in something more than mockdisgust, I was flying like a wally. With a heavy attrition rate and other pilots being disqualified for infringements, Hall could have flown as slowly and carefully as he liked; instead he went in hot and heavy and knocked over pretty much everything. He was, as he says, trying too hard. Several pilots left the airport that evening growling with disappointment at their performances; Hall, after a couple of hours introspection decided to treat it as a positive. I think thats where you get the difference between the achieving pilots and the non-achieving pilots. I learned more from that Windsor race than I did from the rest of the year combined. I learned about my mental state; about my preparation techniques; about dealing with winds and strategy in the track. If youre scared of making mistakes, youll never push hard; and if you dont learn from mistakes youll never improve. You have to make mistakes to get better and its a matter of how big those mistakes are. My aim is to never have a mistake that affects my safety but youve got to be prepared to roll the dice and get something wrong, otherwise theres no point to what youre doing. Its been well documented elsewhere in these pages that Hall, a self-confessed people watcher, chalked his issues in Windsor down to a semi-conscious desire to emulate the routines of the pilots around him at the race airport. In Halls
If youre scared of making mistakes youll never push hard; and if you dont learn from mistakes youll never improve.
case it crowded out his natural instincts, replacing them with a melange of halfformed ideas copied from other pilots. Once over the initial annoyance, he set about repairing his technique in fairly methodical style. It was good to have two months off between the races because I was able to do some fairly deep soul-searching and research my own head. It helped me to understand what happened in Windsor and realise that Id started to deviate from my own direction and standards by observing too much. I got back to my old self by instilling a little mental discipline. By preparing for races at home, and ensuring I gave over enough time at the venue for mental preparation, I was able to be clear in my mind on exactly what I was trying to achieve. I stopped worrying about how other people were doing it, and began once again to simply focus on what worked for me. I did that consciously until it began happening naturally for me again at the airport. Now if I see people dancing through their cans or employing a new method
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21
portrait
You never have to conform to other peoples opinion of you, so long as youre content with your opinion of yourself.
of preparation or flying in a different way, I dont feel I have to worry about it at all. For those new to the Red Bull Air Race, the can dance will seem a strange ritual. Unlike circuit racers on the ground, pilots wont get several hundred laps practice to learn the course. They wont come back to precisely the same track year after year, and they wont have the luxury of following another pilot through the pylons to observe their lines in minute detail. Instead, they have a few laps worth of acclimatisation runs and an awful lot of time in their hangars, walking through a mock-up of the air gates, usually laid-out on the floor using the ubiquitous blue-and-silver Red Bull cans. Hall doesnt do it though, because if I have cans, I see cans; if I dont have cans, I can see gates. I can visualise the track and walk through it, with my eyes open, not seeing anything but the actual track. He explains it all very calmly, and seems perfectly confident in his methods and approach to race preparation. While he admits to still being an inexperienced
racer, more than anything Matt Hall is an experienced pilot. At 69kg, Hall is probably the most diminutive pilot on the roster and moves about the airport with a brisk spring in his stride. Added to his newcomer status, it confers the image of youthful exuberance, but Hall has been around the block a few more times than first impressions would suggest. Born in 1971, he came into the professional sports arena at an age when most sportsmen are considering retirement, following a long, decorated career as a fighter pilot in the RAAF. Before becoming Number 95 Matt Hall, it was Wing Commander Hall, decorated combat veteran. It must have been, one would expect, quite a change of pace. Its a question that elicits a wry grin. Yeah, it was a little bit challenging! I was a senior officer in the military and a very experienced fighter pilot and instructor. To go from that to being the kid in the game was interesting. The way I dealt with it was to simply accept that all of this was new to me and I would be the least experienced air race pilot, while still thinking of myself as an experienced aviator, and a person experienced in life. And I conducted myself accordingly, so if there was any information being offered about racing, I always soaked it up because I needed to absorb as much as I could, but if anybody started to give me advice on how to be a person, and doing so purely based on the fact I was a rookie in the Red Bull Air Race, then I tended to pay a little less attention. In that situation you have to look inwards. You never have to conform to other peoples opinion of you, so long as youre content with your opinion of yourself. Halls first experience of the championship was attending, with others from his squadron, the 2006 race here in Perth. At that point hed been flying aerobatic aircraft for only two years. One year later, when the Red Bull Air Race came back to Perth in 2007 he was enquiring about how to get in: 18 months after that, he was flying in his first race. I hadnt grown up aspiring to be a Red Bull Air Race pilot because neither it, nor anything like it, existed but once Id decided I wanted to do it, events moved quickly. Military aviation has always been well represented in the Red Bull Air Race, both on the pilots roster and also in the control tower. And while everyone racing
Matt Hall with new team mechanic Leonard Rulason. Len had a years sabbatical from the competition in 2009, during which time he acted as USA Unlimited Aerobatic Team Mechanic at the 2009 World Aerobatic Championships held at Silverstone in England.
needs to have met the same criteria in the world of competition aerobatics, there is a view often espoused that the pilots with military training adapt faster to the lowlevel demands of racing than those accustomed to commercial aviation. One of this years rookies, Adilson Kindlemann, is flying with Halls 2009 MXS-R. His results in Abu Dhabi suggest he found the transition from flying at 100m to flying at 10m harder to assimilate than Hall did a year earlier, but Matt is a fighter pilot, so maybe it wasnt so strange for him, said the Brazilian. Im used to flying an Airbus A320 where we tap numbers into the computer and away we go the air race has different requirements! Kindlemann is, of course, an experienced aerobatic pilot as well. Matt isnt sure it necessarily works that way, and argues his former skill set has its uses in management as much as in flying. There are definite similarities. Im used to dealing with complex situations, and Im accustomed to prioritising difficult problems in timecritical environments and thats
Photography: Markus Kucera/Red Bulletin
It did surprise a lot of people, shocked them even, but it wasnt an opportunity I wanted to walk away from.
definitely something you face in this championship. You have large strategic problems to solve with aircraft and teams and logistics, and you also have only a short time and a limited budget to achieve your goals. In those ways having experienced a military lifestyle is actually quite useful. At a more immediate level the similarities are difficult spot. It is, he concedes, a comprehensive change in lifestyle. The big difference is that in the military my identity was anonymous, and I had a reasonable amount of power and authority to get things done my way. The situation I find myself in now is entirely different. Far from anonymity, its my job to get my name out there. Ive got to wear colourful clothing, find sponsors, self-promote and, above all, not be anonymous. In that regard, it couldnt be a bigger change. Unlike most of his peers, for whom the Red Bull Air Race represents a natural progression from a career in aerobatics, Halls conversion smacks more of a leap of faith. He had the ultimate job security
of a permanent commission in the RAAF (the military equivalent of a job for life) and the comfortable standard of living that afforded. Running off to join the circus hadnt really been on the agenda. It did surprise a lot of people, shocked them even, but it wasnt an opportunity I wanted to walk away from. I decided to axe the military career, dress up in colourful flying suits and join this world tour. There were no guarantees attached, but myself and my family risk managed it. We looked at the risk of leaving the air force, but also looked at how much excitement and enjoyment our lives had in them, versus the potential for what we could have if this went really well. Its fair to say we based our decisions on lets assume it will all go really well, but we did build in some contingencies to give us some flexibility in case it didnt go quite as we were hoping but sitting here today, Im very glad we did it. Halls season did not start well two weeks ago in Abu Dhabi. He looked well placed to mount a serious challenge,
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PORTRAIT
Views from Abu Dhabi. Matt Halls new MXS-R aircraft is faster than its predecessor, but has a slightly reduced roll-rate which Matt says takes a little getting used to. Fortunately, the youngest member of the Matt Hall Racing technical team is on hand to offer advice.
when a flat battery on the grid stand ended his Race Day prematurely. Nevertheless, with a solid year in the bank, many people tip him to challenge the big guns; Halls 2009 plane was good; but he raced all season without much in the way of modification; flying what was in essence a stock aircraft. He starts 2010 with a faster plane, another MXS-R, but one straight out of the MX Aircraft factory in North Carolina, incorporating many of the minor modifications developed as a natural consequence of gathering feedback from their pilots after a season of competing with the original MXS-Rs. Hall has also tweaked his team: David Lyall, a vastly experienced sports marketing manager comes in as team co-ordinator, having previously worked as part of the Australian Olympic Teams media corps during the Beijing Games, and also as media manager for the Australian Swim Team. Holding the spanners this year is Len Rulason, the team technician who engineered Kirby Chambliss to a World Championship
in 2006 before forming a successful partnership with Steve Jones. It looks like a team designed to compete; so much so the dreaded future world champion prophesy is being rolled out with monotonous regularity. If it weighs heavily, Hall hides the burden well. I do feel a little bit of pressure because I hear people saying these things but in the end its only my second year, and there are guys around me who are spending a lot of money on their aircraft. Admittedly, Ive spent a lot of money too, but thats all been essential just to get the new aircraft airborne not to create the plane thats the fastest out there. Ive got to make sure I keep focused in the same way I was last year. Its really all about me improving myself. While the focus may remain and Hall has shown himself to have the uncanny ability to unclutter his mind when he needs to the freedom to experiment may not. Halls willingness to sacrifice strong competitive performances in favour of a further
developing his skills may be tempered by expectation this year. It requires a balancing act; one which Hall has considered over the off-season. If I dont push hard enough, then Im not going to achieve anything; but push too hard and Im not going to achieve anything either. The easiest path is for me to concentrate on myself, to improve myself, and if Ive got a plane thats fast enough, and Im consistent enough, then yeah, I might challenge these guys. That last he says lightly, gesturing to the hangars adjoining his. Competitive, yet at the same time modest, its exactly the right thing to say; exactly the sort of thing you might hear from Bonhomme or Arch. And it isnt believable when they say it either: the nonchalance is commendable but the desire to be the best lurks not far below the surface. Hall cheerfully admits to having an aggressive streak he can turn on when needed. With Abu Dhabi not providing any answers, well see above the Swan River whether hes got enough in the locker to make this season really interesting.
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fight club
The shortest route between two points is a straight line, says Matthias Dolderer. And thats the path hes taking. Having tasted podium glory in Barcelona 2009, he is now out for more much more.
Words: Nadja ele
interview
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trong, fast and supremely resilient, Matthias Dolderers rookie tag didnt last long; in fact, from the middle of his debut year he raced like a seasoned veteran. He moved up a step in Budapest finishing fifth, almost reaching the final four. He maintained the momentum in Porto, qualifying fifth and finishing sixth in the penultimate round, one pylon hit away from a visit to the final. But then came Barcelona. The rookie from Germany ended the season with bragging rights, finishing on the podium ahead of three World Champions. Everybody reacts to success differently, for Matthias it felt comfortable at the top. He embraced his achievement like an old friend, describing it as a moment he wants to relive over and over again. Today, starting out on his second year as an air race pilot, it seems as if hes been around forever; a fully paid-up member of the league of racing pilots, with every chance of tasting champagne again. How does a rookie get good so fast? Its the whole set-up that has to work. Its not just the pilot or just the machine. Budapest proved it: I got a new engine there, with a bit more power, comparable to what the guys in front had. I was suddenly able to compete in the top 10, rather than at the back. If you dont make any big mistakes, it works. Then again, maybe this is simply a sport that suits me. As a newcomer, is it easy to get used to this kind of flying? How do you find the best course through a race track? You acclimatise quickly. Sure, it depends on your previous flying background and
maybe how much you flew at low level. Matt Hall, for example, has got great low-level flying skills because of his background in F-18 and F-15s. Hannes Arch, on the other hand, doesnt have that experience but he is fast, regardless. He has the instincts and maybe also better equipment. And, Hannes has proved that one doesnt have to be 25 times World Champion to be good, and that maybe you can reach the top with a good flying instinct and the right attitude. Here, its also important that you dont let the others influence you, otherwise you impede yourself and your mind gets cluttered. Of course, it doesnt always work out that way; not even for those who are flying at the front. They lose their nerve from time to time, thats only human. But in those moments its where a champion can set himself apart from the second placed. Youve had a connection with the Red Bull Air Race ever since those first races in 2003. You were flying the Corsair in pre-shows for a long time, were piloting VIPs through the sky giving them a small taste of what a racing pilot experiences. What sort of an advantage do those years of observation give you now? None! Admittedly, I probably didnt have to get used to the whole set-up and some of the crew but this wasnt necessarily an advantage. As far as the flying goes... when flying VIPs in the two-seater plane, which was an Extra 300LP, I was flying through an Air Gate, yes, but the pylons were always placed wide apart from each other, so that didnt give me an advantage either. What are your words of wisdom for the 2010 rookies? Full throttle! But fly safely. Safety always comes first. And if they need advice, they should ask, because everybody here is willing to help. Otherwise full throttle and make sure your speed is fast! Youre a fierce competitor this year... I was already last year. Since when? Clearly after I got the new engine, so since Budapest. Thats when I was competitive from a material point of view. If Id had a stronger engine from the beginning, I would have collected more points and be at the top. You only had three races under your belt by then. We are talking about flying here. Shouldnt you be more cautious at the start and not push
When a boxer fights for his first world title he has already been in the ring several times. Race pilots arent raw recruits, weve all already proved our potential.
too hard. Isnt starting with a slightly underpowered machine a good thing? Starting cautious is never wrong. But, the more power you have, the better and safer it is in the track. Because you have got a power plant that just pulls you through certain situations better. But if the plane is too powerful, doesnt a rookie end up behind the aircraft? No, I dont think so. What can easily happen is that you are behind two, maybe three Gates in one or the other run but then, as a rookie, you tell yourself, OK, Ill get out of here and start anew, no problem. Whats the goal for this season? Difficult to say... on as many podiums as possible, obviously. The question is, will Hannes [Arch] be beatable at all, flying his new [Edge 540] V3 and what about Paul [Bonhomme]? With my current jalopy, I have to hope that the others make mistakes. There is a lot of competition, so its difficult to say. But, Im praying to be on the podium, to be up there, one of the top four.
Matthias Dolderer, aged 39. 7,000+ flying hours, a back catalogue filled with silverware and the burning ambition to be Red Bull Air Race World Champion. Probably several times over
And when youre not in the plane, are you a meticulous planner? It depends on the issue, if its to do with the Red Bull Air Race, then yes. Are you a good team boss? Im impulsive at times. If something doesnt go the way I want it to, then I can get really upset. I do expect everything to work perfectly in my team and want things to run the way I want them to. But I expect the same of myself, that I perform perfectly. The method is quite straightforward: you have a destination, you have to arrive there and so you have to learn the route. If you dont think about that beforehand, you take longer to arrive, and this is what I want to avoid. The shortest route between two points is a straight line. And what is the final destination? What is the ultimate you can achieve in the Red Bull Air Race? That is a never-ending story. On one hand this is a sport, but on the other for us as relatively small teams its also a communication and marketing challenge. From that side, things can
never be perfect enough. As far as sport is concerned, its about winning more championships than anyone else. There are sharp tongues in the paddock that say youre a good copy [of Hannes Arch], but youll never be as good as the original Whatever. I dont care. So long as theyre ranked behind me, thats OK. Is there any truth in it though can you emulate another pilot? First of all, I dont copy! But I do like to be inspired by certain things, and of course it can be that people from similar areas might have a similar character. But to say I copy Hannes not at all! I do things in my own way and why should I do anything differently? If I see a fast plane, I go and get it. If I see a good engine, I buy it. Given your other interests, how important is air racing to you? Quite important very, actually! If youd have to rank it... Family comes first, second would be the Red Bull Air Race and then third is the airfield I own at home. Though
I do dedicate my whole time to the sport. Its a full-time job and I live for it. Air racing can be very insular how much are you caught up in the bubble? Well, I mainly focus on what is going on in air racing, but of course, there is a life outside. It is good to see it occasionally, and not getting trapped in a cycle. There are plenty of people who could say that your job air racing is elitist and decadent... But only people who dont know what this is all about say that. And what is it all about? Its a sport highlighting technology, precision and professionalism. And what does it give back? Entertainment. And economy. If there wasnt the Red Bull Air Race, certain aerospace developments would never have happened. More durable pistons, for example. Also, small planes running certified Lycoming engines will benefit and, I believe the harder we work, and the more we develop, then the more the Red Bull Air Race will, in fact, advance common aviation.
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technics
The French revoluTion
A fundamental redesign sees Team Ivanoff competing with a race plane very different to the stock Edge 540 of 2009. Nicolass priorities over the winter were to make it quick and make it pretty though not necessarily in that order.
Words: MATT YoUsoN
very sport has them. The wild cards. The competitors who frustrate; the ones who stand on the periphery, threatening great things. They have their moments of brilliance, the days of when they become an unstoppable force of nature, but they have the other days too, where nothing works, driving their legion of admirers to abject despair. Tennis had Goran Ivanievi, Formula One had Jean Alesi; the Red Bull Air Race has Nicolas Ivanoff.
The theory frequently advanced is that, given the right aircraft, the Corsican aviator could be a real title contender. Arriving for 2009 with a new Zivko Edge 540, Ivanoff placed third in Abu Dhabi, with the net fastest time. Round Two in San Diego was better; the speed remained, the wobbles vanished and he won at a canter. And then nothing. While Paul Bonhomme and Hannes Arch ground out the podiums, mercurial Ivanoff
went off the boil. I made mistakes, he acknowledges, but maybe there were other factors as well. The others factors to which he alludes were a common cause of complaint. Like any motorsport, the Red Bull Air Race is a competition of machinery as much as it is a contest of human endeavour. We started well last year, but I think some of the other pilots improved their planes mid-season, particularly with new engine
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technics
1 A CNC milling tool is used to create new moulds on which to built the new body 2 Canopy experts and Team Ivanoff technical partner Mecaplex create the new canopy 3 6 9 the canopy was based on many days of development, with Nicolas enduring endless hours of inactivity while the bespoke unit was designed around him. 4 Ivanoffs requirement for speed and aesthetic brilliance saw the team hand over project management to Swiss design house DesignUnity 5 The first task of the winter was to use an optical scanner to create a digital mock-up of the aircraft 7 Only when this was completed could the design team get to work shaping the new fuselage 8 Team Ivanoff was not certain their new engine would arrive in time for the transfer to Abu Dhabi, so reassembled their aircraft with its 2009 engine installed and then, of course, their new engine turned up and the process had to begin again. 10 With time running out fast, the team finally competed their work. Nicolas had time for 10 minutes practice before the Edge needed to be dispatched to Abu Dhabi.
components. We stayed with the same engine right from the beginning of the year. In the final races of the season I got the feeling that maybe I did not have as much power as some other pilots. Once the racing concluded, Team Ivanoff went to work. While others could continue a process of technical evolution, for the French team, revolution was the order of the day. I had seen the modifications other pilots had made and of course I wanted some of that but I didnt want to catch up to 2009 for 2010, I wanted to jump directly to 2010, says Ivanoff. Team manager Jean-Paul Kieffer disagrees: Thats not quite true. Nicolas didnt want to come into the present, he wanted to go into the future. The team decamped to Switzerland for the winter. Their first task was to digitalise the aircraft using an optical scanner. That process took the best part of a month, but with an accurate computer model the process of designing and fabricating new parts could begin. We had decided to modify the skin of the fuselage, explains Ivanoff. We changed the canopy, the belly and the turtledeck. We also designed a new cowling, so essentially we rebuilt the plane from the propeller to the rudder. We used an aerodynamics engineer to refine the design and then we produced parts in Switzerland . Pointedly, Ivanoff hasnt sought to make modifications to the control surfaces of his Edge. While rivals are sporting redesigned wing tips, ailerons and rudders, he professes to be happy with the package he has. The plane felt good last year! I did not wish to change it by doing anything radical. We wanted more speed, which is why we have modified the fuselage, and also why we have a new engine that I hope will be as strong as the engines in other planes but the plane and the way it flew was very good. The knock-on effects of the new fuselage manifest themselves all over the plane. The smaller canopy has in turn led to a cut-down dashboard, half the size of the original, for example. Most striking, are the redesigned engine exhausts. Packaging constraints made the team and its partners employ a radical alternative to the traditional underslung outlet, instead routing the exhaust through the sides of the fuselage, rather in the manner of a Dodge Viper. While winter modifications have been the rule rather than the exception, the work done by Team Ivanoff is most
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definitely at the more extreme end of the scale. In a sense it had to be; pilots with slow planes had more slack to take up with conventional ideas, Ivanoffs desire, however, was to turn a racewinning aircraft into a title contender. Its a smaller step but a steeper one. Its really hard to gain a second, you have to spend a lot of money trying to go faster but that last second is the hardest to get, says Nicolas who, having gambled
in the past on aircraft which ultimately proved uncompetitive, is well aware of where gambling can get you. The new modifications, he says, required a massive collective effort, arguably as much as getting to grips with a new aircraft, but this time its a gamble with a hedge bet on the side Because everything we did, we can take back. The rudder, elevators and wings are the same; we only changed the fuselage and we still
have all of the old parts; with a few weeks work I could have my classic plane back but I dont think it will come to that. Over the last few seasons the Red Bull Air Race has become an overwhelmingly technical sport. Whereas in the past a pilot alone might make the difference between winning and losing, today even the most skilful aviator needs to have the right equipment as well but this doesnt imply that the sport has surrendered its reliance
on psychology. For all the good a fast plane does, often the confidence accrued from knowing you have a fast plane is equally important. Ivanoff is something of a maverick in this regard. He covets speed like anyone else, but also admits it can sometimes be a secondary consideration. I wanted a fast plane, but first I wanted a beautiful plane. I would not want to fly in anything ugly! I want to be happy when I walk into the hangar and
see it; I need to be happy when I strap in to fly. You can design a beautiful shape using a computer, but then spoil it by adding ugly parts that dont fit well, with big, uneven gaps between the panels. I wanted to make sure that everything in our construction joins together perfectly, like you might see on a beautiful car like an Audi. Its part of the reason I set up in Switzerland for the winter; attention to detail and quality are important there. Ivanoffs reputation for unpredictability was proved out once again in Abu Dhabi. Despite being quick in the practice sessions, he took an early fall, failing to reach the Super 8 after accumulating eight penalty points in the Top 12 round. His exit promoted shrugs and rolled eyeballs back at the race airport; it is, after all, a very Ivanoff thing to do; but it wont have any bearing on Perth, site of Nicolass first Red Bull Air Race victory. I like the city, I like the location because there is a sense of adventure in going so far, and for me flying off a grass strip is like going back to my roots. Its a very comfortable place to fly. A comfortable Nicolas Ivanoff in a very beautiful, very fast plane is something the other pilots should watch out for, because the thing about wild cards is that they have a habit of popping up and changing the game completely.
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Photography: Jean-Paul Kieffer
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background
Almost all the pilots have set course towards one man for their engines and that man is Ken Tunnell. The chief and mastermind of Ly-Con in California guarantees a heavy shot of power. But what is it that gives his equipment the edge?
tunnell visions
Words: Nadja ele
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Old and new. In 2010 Ly-Cons pistons are lighter (above, new piston on the left). We have a line of pistons and we have all the tooling for making the raw part and the program to machine the parts.
Now the engine builders have to use a certified crankshaft and connecting rod. You can balance the part, but they dont want you to make it lighter or to alter it in a way that it becomes unsafe.
is business is booming. Ever since figurehead Hannes Arch showed what a Ly-Con-tuned engine can do when conquering the world championships summit the title in 2008, other teams have been starting to line up at Kennys shop. A real power booster that can play all the notes and doesnt have any deficiencies is highly sought-after. This season, four engine tuners are providing material and expertise to the Red Bull Air Race teams. The big four players are: Barrett; Thunderbolt (part of engine supplier Lycoming); Unlimited Aero Engines (Michael Goulian and Kirby Chamblisss exclusive partner); and Ly-Con. The latter is, as he says, powering up 11 teams. Quite a number for a small company based in Visalia an agricultural city in California, 300km north of Los Angeles. Can Ken Tunnell satisfy the hunger for more horsepower under the cowling? Plenty say that he can and thats what he says, too. The family business of Ly-Con has been in operation for 30 years now. My brothers and I started our first business
with aircraft engines. Maybe we were just dumb and got stuck in it or maybe it was our destiny. We just love what we do, says Ken Tunnell. None of them fly, however. Although, its enough if some of the 17 employees do. So, what is it that makes Ly-Con engines so desirable? Maybe its the performance, airflow, the camshafts. With vague statements, its impossible to proceed further in pursuit of useful information. We take the slow route and try to eke out details on the core fields of this tuners modus operandi. How does one get more power? You have to do a lot of testing on the dynamometer, but you also have to spend time with engineers and try to figure out what the best technology is, to get performance while keeping it as safe as possible. We really are focusing on safety more than on performance. Some pilots got into trouble with the technical committee last season. Your engines compression ratio was higher than allowed...
Maybe the rules, the requirements, should have been a bit stricter. Is Part E not strict enough? The rules are stricter, safer and clearer now, so you know how to go about doing your job. Its more defined. Safety really should be the main consideration. In Budapest last year Rakhmanins engine blew up. That was yours, right? It can happen. If you do aerobatic-type manoeuvres with these things, they have what you call an aerobatic oil system. If you turn the engine upside down, then there is a ball and a device called a threeway, and it goes in one direction, so that it picks up oil from the engine when its upside down. When you turn upright, the ball goes the other way and it picks up oil from the bottom. When you go inverted, then theres a pickup in the back of the engine so that it can get oil, and if you get it in any kind of manoeuvre in between that, to where either the ball is not seated and its sucking air into the oil pump, or it just gets into a position where it loses oil pressure momentarily, then the engine can blow up. The teams have
a device they can put on called an accumulator that will hold oil pressure for the propeller, but only for a matter of seconds, so if you are in that manoeuvre for a long time, theres still the chance the engine could over-rev. Well, an engine failure while racing would be a big problem. Yeah, to me theres not too many places that its good for an engine to break, so that would be a big problem. Its like any motorsport, if a part breaks, if something happens to make the engine not want to run, thats going to be a problem. Would you say its the tuners or the race teams who tend to somehow forget about the safety aspect? Its probably the engine builder guys, like myself. You get talked into trying harder instead of stepping back a little and doing more development and testing before you put something out on the racetrack. How long is a part tested, before you put it into the plane? Part E has a specific thing where a part has to be run for a minimum of five hours in testing before going into a plane. When
Thanks to Part E, you cant just go and get something off a Volkswagen engine, bolt it on and say, Hey, I think its going to work.
they put it into the plane, then most of the guys will go and fly normally, just to make sure that all the systems work, that the bearings are polished and the rings are good and seated in and that everything works well. Thats before they start to do their manoeuvres. Im not sure how long they fly them, but I would say that a minimum they would fly them is an extra five hours, and that there are some of them who would fly them as much as 15 hours before they do the aerobatic manoeuvres, just to make sure that everything is good, temperatures and oil. And maybe not all full throttle. Are some teams still talking you into racing projects which are a bit risky? When you are a competitive person, remember this is a competitive sport, you always have this eagerness to do well and have something that the other teams dont. People push to get there first and sometimes you get caught up in the excitement. You want to help them, when you really should have just followed the guidelines and tried to remember the safety rules. How much do the pilots trust you, what do you think? Im sure they must trust us or they
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background
Ly-Con works on certified engines too. Half our business is regular, certified engines and the other is experimental high-performance engine stuff and thats where the fun comes in for us.
How much horsepower can Ly-Con draw out of an Lycoming AEIO 540 EXP? Some peoples dynamometers show more horsepower than the engine can make. Depending on the RPM, you run it and the fuel flows. About 350hp would be the minimum and there is probably capability of making as much as maybe 380hp.
If a team just come, buy stuff and fly it, well there is probably a very good chance that they are not going to be in the lead.
wouldnt hire us. I certainly wouldnt want to have anything happen as much as they wouldnt. How long does it take from ordering an engine to delivery? It depends on which pilot you are talking to. It might be a couple of months to as much as six or eight months. It depends on the project, and sometimes if we are doing development work that may be good for performance at the end, and then they dont have a great need for the engine for a certain amount of time, they will wait to see how that progression is, before they take the engine. And is that a golden motor in the end? Well, some cost more than others. Time pressure is one factor. How much would a standard racing engine cost at the moment? Depending on various options and ideas, an average engine would run between $55,000 to maybe $70,000. And what is its longevity? It should hold up 600 hours, but you might work on the cylinders every 100 hours, depending on what the compression and stuff were. But we dont have a really firm handle on that, because nobodys really running them that long yet. They usually
take them apart and look at them or trade them of or do something. What I think is, as far as the parts being installed, and the history of what weve run in other industries, that they are still very reliable engines. Would they change the cylinders after 100 hours? Maybe not change them, but they do what they call, freshening them up. Taking them apart and looking at them, and if you have valve guides that are worn, then youll put in new valve guides, if you have rings that are worn, youll install a new set of new rings and new gaskets, and then put it back together. But the major components, like valves and valve seats and pistons and that kind of stuff, would all go the whole duration. To what extent are the race team technicians involved with you? Well, probably out of all of the people I deal with, just in the first couple of seasons, I have worked mostly with Vito (Wyprchtiger, Archs chief technician). Hes a forward-thinking guy with lots of ideas that he likes to share with me. He may have ideas for something that they
want to try three races from now. And the next person Ive worked with closely is Bruno (Marlire, Ivanoffs chief technician). But, all the teams know that they have to constantly try to do their best in order to stay competitive. If you look at this whole thing in 10 years from now, its going to be different. There will be improved machines and better engines, and the technicians and pilots will be thinking in a different way. It will evolve into something else. Do you ever suggest different things to one team and not to the other? Maybe sometimes suggestions are brought up, but its not as if Im sitting here and thinking about doing something for only one team. The race teams approach me and bring up an area that they are thinking about or something they want to pursue and that may trigger some ideas or a past experience that we had on another project. Its in such cases as these that we would share our expertise with them and give them some avenues to try to figure out, if thats really where they want it to go. If it works for them, it becomes a project for that particular team.
Which would you say is the most innovative team at the moment? Im really not at liberty to say. I can tell you, though, that some of the pilots are pretty aware and innovative, while others may rely on their technicians to try to figure things out for them. Im working with the technicians mainly, but there are certain pilots who are involved. Its a team effort and they are the captain of the ship, so they probably should be involved in it pretty much, but Im not sure if all of them think the same. A lot of the guys say that the motor is the thing Absolutely, everybody thinks that. Its easy to say that if you put an engine in something and it goes better, its all horsepower in the engine, but I think its all in the detail. Maybe this engine goes better than the other engine, well then you have some advantage, but then you still may have 30 other things you need to be addressing. Does working for the Red Bull Air Race pay off at all? Its good business and, for us, its fun
stuff. Weve done Reno Air Racing and aerobatics ever since we started. For us, being in aviation, it has never been a money-making or glory type of business to be in. There isnt a lot of money in it. Usually racers and aerobatic guys want sponsorships. There is not like a $200 million budget per year to go racing, as there is in Formula One. But, with the Red Bull Air Race, people we know who arent even in aviation bring up our name and talk about us, and they seem really enthusiastic and excited. Its a new type of sport, you can watch it on TV and hundreds of thousands of people come to see the race live. There is no sport in the US that can attract a crowd like that. More and more people are getting interested in it. I think that as long as the safety aspect continues to be considered as of major importance, it could evolve into something like NASCAR, where theyve got local weekend guys doing races. This could generate activity for aviation and help the whole industry. Thats what I would like as a possible outcome for the future.
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Frequent Flyers
Spectacular racing is a huge part of the Red Bull Air Race, but there are other things to see, experience and enjoy when travelling to the races. Our guide features regular, brand-new and unusual things you can do on the ground at all eight race stops before and after watching what goes on in the air.
Words: Nadja ele
The Flying Scotsman
The United Arab Emirates hosted the opening round of the Red Bull Air Race for the sixth consecutive year. A place in the desert, but not a deserted place, Abu Dhabi offers endless opportunities, day and night. Here are a few of them. Emirates Balloon Adventures The desert safari is an enduring tradition, but the idea of seeing the UAE from the air is a new innovation. A balloon trip is the closest you can get to a magiccarpet ride: floating over giant sand dunes, green oases and seeing Abu Dhabi from an entirely different perspective. www.balloning.ae Phone: +971 4 285 4949
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Abu Dhabi: March 26-27
Speedboats Abu Dhabi is an archipelago, and often the best way to see it is from the water. The Yellow Boats speedboat service offers you just that view. You can visit local beauty spots and discover the areas marine life with a choice of tours. www.theyellowboats.com Phone: +971 800 4034 Etoiles Stylish and chic, Etoiles is a sophisticated club that offers perfect nighttime entertainment: the view is over the beautiful moonlit waters of the Arabian Sea and award-winning DJs and live acts provide the music. www.emiratespalace.com Phone: +971 2 690 9000
Leftbank Ultra-trendy, with a swish and minimalistic interior, Leftbank excels in imaginative cocktails against the backdrop of chilled beats laid down by the resident DJ. souk Qaryat al Beri (shangri la Hotel) Phone: +971 2 558 1680
Photography: FIFA via Getty Images, Llama Bar, Ricardo Moraes, Reuters, The Flying Scotsman, www.companhiadaescalada.com.br
Party on! Here it is, our guide to the crme de la crme of things you can do as the sun sets on the sunniest place in Australia. Subiaco Hotel Fancy an excellently balanced mix of historic charm and a contemporary style? The Subiaco Hotel, built in 1896 as a meeting place for locals, has been updated and gradually transformed over the years. Its still as popular today as it always was, and has a whole host of best hotel and restaurant awards. A favourite after-work haunt for those in the CBD, theres quality wine by the glass, beers on tap and a great range of cocktails and a delicious and varied menu. Cool live jazz radiates out from the restaurant on Wednesday and Saturday nights. Open seven days from 7am for breakfast until midnight Monday to Wednesday, 1am Thursday to Saturday and 10pm on Sunday. 465 Hay street subiaco www.subiacohotel.com.au
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Perth: April 17-18
Nestled on the corner of Walcott and Beaufort streets in the heart of Mt Lawley, The Flying Scotsman has been providing an unpretentious and laid-back atmosphere for drinkers, diners, revellers and music lovers for almost a decade. The Scotto, as it is affectionately known, showcases some of the best musical talent, both local and international. Previous standout performances include Shaun Ryder, James De La Cruz of the Avalanches, DJ Greyboy, DJ Qbert, Garbage (playing as the Dickle Brothers), Dorian Concept and The Panics. DJs Micah from RTR FM and Sharif Galal from JJJ are regular Friday-night performers. The Scotsman has a large main bar with stage and dining area, Velvet Lounge back bar and the Defectors cocktail bar upstairs with stunning views of the Perth city skyline. With 20 different beers on tap, a diverse menu and the famous $10 Pizza+Pint on Sunday Session, the Scotsman certainly has something for everyone. Its opened Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday from 11am to midnight. And on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 11am to 1am 639 Beaufort Street, Mount Lawley www.flyingscotsman.com.au Llama Bar
Botanica Bar & Bistro Occupying the old Nookenburra Hotel site, Botanica Bar and Bistro in Innaloo is a hotspot for stylish restaurant and courtyard dining. You enter through the tranquil courtyard, then come across the bistro area, which could be mistaken for a swanky Melbourne restaurant. Plush surroundings include a tropical aquarium and elevated booth seating, with an impressive feature wall of curved timber panelling, which combine to create an extremely sophisticated venue unlike anything else in this area. Open Monday to Sunday, daily from 12pm to 2pm, evenings from 6pm to 10pm. 401 Scarborough Beach Rd, Innaloo
starts at the Estrada das Canoas road in So Conrado beach. Pedra Bonita www.riohanggliding.com Hiking The Tijuca Forest is the largest urban forest in the world and a must-see for visitors to Rio. Latitude Sul offers English-speaking guides for hiking expeditions inside the Tijuca National Park, located on 850 Cascatinha Rd, borough Alto da Boa Vista. Tijuca National Park www.latitudesul.net Rock Climbing Rio is heaven for rock climbers and there are plenty of options. No other rock boasts more dramatic views than the Pedra da Gvea, though. Its 842m height makes it the tallest shoreline rock in the world. Companhia da Escalada offers English-speaking instructors. The trail at Gvea borough is only accessible in the company of a certified climbing instructor. Gvea www.companhiadaescalada.com.br
Oba! Thats what the locals say, when they are happy about something. Oba, we say about the return of the Red Bull Air Race to Rio de Janeiro. Theres an amazing selection of things to do in this exciting city. Heres our outdoor activity guide.
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Rio: 8-9 May
Billed as Perths edgiest late-night venue, Llama Bar makes an impression from the moment you walk in the door. Not your average cocktail bar, its light, airy and arty and the decor is neat, chic and relaxed. The music is inspired and the result is an eclectic crowd. Open from Tuesday to Saturday until 2am. 1/464 Hay St, Subiaco www.llamabar.com.au
Hang Gliding The 1980s may have come and gone, but in Rio the trend for hang gliding hasnt faded one bit, and its easy to see why: dramatic rocks near the sea provide perfect launch pads to enjoy the breathtaking scenery. Rio Hang Gliding offers tandem flights for tourists with English and Germanspeaking professionals at the very best spot, the Pedra Bonita, which means Beautiful Rock. The trail to the top
Bike riding
The Zona Sul or Southern Zone comprises Rios most iconic boroughs:
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Ipanema, Copacabana, Leblon, Flamengo and Botafogo. There are plenty of cycle paths, especially along the shoreline, and bikes can be rented at main metro stations. Zona Sul www.riodejaneiro-turismo.com.br Surfing
The Cook Shop 683 Ouellette Avenue, N9A 4J4 Il Gabbiano 875 Erie Street East, N9A 3Y7
London (distance: 2 hours by car) Cello Supper Club 99 King Street, N6A 1C1 Robinson Hall 398 Talbot Street, N6A 2R9 Braise Food & Wine 125 Dundas Street, N6A 2R9
Its great to be returning to Portugal, although this time the Red Bull Air Race visits Lisbon rather than Porto. Short on time? Here are the places you really should check out.
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Lisbon: 4-5 September
Nero Steakhouse 377 Riverside Drive East, N9A 7H7 For a long time, Prainha was Rios secret surfing spot. Nowadays the secret is out, but it remains the best spot in town to catch a wave. Boards can be rented onsite from sand huts. From the Barra da Tijuca borough take the coastal road towards Recreio. In Recreio, follow the signs to Macumba beach, Prainha is just to the west of Macumba. Prainha www.riodejaneiro-turismo.com.br How to get to Rio
Photography: Caesars Windsor, David Karaiskos Photography, Deryne Bisztro, Il Gabbiano, P95, Shutterstock, SplashdownDirect/Rex Features, Symbol Complex, The Detroit News/David Guralnick, Veronika Pohle
This year, for the first time, theres going to be a Red Bull Air Race in New York. It may be the city that never sleeps, but you might want somewhere to rest your head after an exciting Race Day, so book a room in one of the hotels below.
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New York: 19-20 June
F 95 Frankfurter Allee 95 www.f95store.com KaDeWe Tauentzienstrae 21-24 www.kadewe.de Veronika Pohle
The Westin Jersey City Newport www.starwoodhotels.com/westin Hyatt Regency Jersey City www.jerseycity.hyatt.com Doubletree Hotel Jersey City www.jerseycity.doubletree.com Marriott Courtyard Jersey City www.marriott.com Niagara Falls (distance: 4 hours by car) The Spicy Olive 5026 Centre Street, Niagara Falls, ON, L2G3N7 Copacabana Brazilian Steak House 6671 Fallsview Boulevard, Niagara Falls, ON, L2G7G1 Ponte Vecchio in the Fallsview Casino 6380 Fallsview Boulevard, Niagara Falls , ON, L2G 7X5 Waterloo (distance: 3 hours by car) The Flying Dog 341 Marsland Drive, N2J 3Z9 Caesar Martinis 140 University Avenue West, N2L 6L3
Hungarian opera singer and actress, who was popular for her performances in the strolling plays of the first half 19th century. The bistro is a perfect choice to dine with friends, business partners, kids or alone. And at any time of day, from breakfast, through lunch to evening cocktails. The bars atmosphere is friendly, peaceful, elegant and relaxed. I. Krisztina sqr 3 www.cafederyne.hu Symbol Complex
Restaurant: BICA DO SAPATO The best of nouvelle cuisine trendy as you can get. Av. Infante Dom Henrique, Cais da Pedra a Santa Apolnia, Armazm B www.luxfragil.com/bicasapato CASTELO DE SO JORGE Having been in the hands of Romans, Suevians, Visigoths and Muslims, the castle is a permanent record of various events that marked the history of Portugal. It was rebuilt in the 1940s and has recently been renovated. From the castle you can get a 360 view of the city through the periscope on the Torre de Ulisses and the Centro de Interpretao da Cidade in the Sala Ogival. Castelo de So Jorge - 1100129 Lisboa www.castelosaojorge.egeac.pt CAF A BRASILEIRA Rua Garret 120-122 www.abrasileira.pt Club: LUX FRGIL Open Thursday to Saturday from 11pm-6am Av. Infante D.Henrique, Armazm A, Cais da Pedra a Sta Apolnia www.luxfragl.com blog: blog.luxfragil.com MUSEU NACIONAL DOS COCHES A unique collection of royal coaches. P. Afonso de Albuquerque www.museudoscoches-ipmuseus.pt More info about Lisbon at www.visitlisboa.com
Check out the best opportunities at www.firstbusinesstravel.at For tickets and hospitality packages for the race visit: www.redbullairrace.com
Small towns often have interesting places for the pleasure-hungry and those with ambitious palates. Windsor and its surrounding area offer a huge list of gourmet temples and venues with plenty of charm. Windsor Mezzo Ristorante 804 Erie Street East, N9A 3Y4
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Windsor: 5-6 June
The Red Bull Air Race makes its one visit to dry land with a debut race at Eastern Germanys famed EuroSpeedway Lausitz racing complex. Situated in the heart of Northern Europe, EuroSpeedway is just a short drive from Berlin (one and a half hours by car). So, grab your wallet and set off for a little retail therapy. Berlins shops The Corner Berlin East Am Gendarmenmarkt Franzsische Strae 40 www.thecornerberlin.de Department Store Quartier 206 Friedrichstrae 71 www.quartier206.com
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Lausitz: 7-8 August
Krfrstendamm 64 www.veronicapohle.de La Fayette Franzsische Strae 23 www.galerieslafayette.de
The stop in Budapest is the Red Bull Air Races equivalent of the F1 Monaco Grand Prix. Heres a taste of the citys glamorous nightlife Dryn Bisztr
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Budapest: 19-20 August
Tyrone Resto Lounge 56 King Street North, N2J 2X1
Berlinomat Frankfurter Allee 89 www.berlinomat.com
Located close to the Caste district, Dryn was named after the first female
This building dates back more than 200 years. The first record of it was when it was bought in 1782 by Semastian Remete, from town of Buda, for the exact sum of 118 forint and 39 pennies (about 0.4 euros). The house is a national monument and theres history etched into the very fabric of the building. Each corner of the house has its own story, and these stories, are constantly being enriched with totally new and unforgettable (gastronomic) experiences of the people who visit today. Symbol, located on the Buda side of the Danube, is known as a culinary, cultural and entertainment centre. There are seven different sections within the house, so theres something to suit every taste: youll find a sports pub, a caf, an Italian restaurant, another restaurant in the 220-year-old cellar, a gallery and event hall, a live music club and a beautiful garden. III. Bcsi str. 56 www.symbolbudapest.hu
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PILOTS & PLANES

AUSTRIA, EDGE 540
PROFILES
EDGE 540
The small one-seater plane (a two-seater version is also available) is as precise and controllable as it is aggressive. The Edge is a Shoulder Wing plane with extremely sti f wings. The use of a steel-tube frame with composite fairings results in an extremely light, durable and stable fuselage.
MANUFACTURER: Zivko Aeronautics, USA LENGTH: 6.30m (20.7ft) WINGSPAN: 7.43m (24.4ft) WEIGHT: 540kg (1190lb) POWER: 340hp TOP SPEED: 426kph (265mph) ROLL RATE: 420/sec MAX G: +/-12G ENGINE: AEIO 540 EXP WING DESIGN: Symmetric, carbon- ibre PROPELLER: Hartzell PILOTS FLYING IT: Arch, Bonhomme, Chambliss, Dolderer, Goulian, Ivano f, McLeod, Muroya, onka
Experience, precision, skill and speed are the attributes required by every race pilot. Here they are, the 15 heroes of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship.
HANNES ARCH
HUNGARY, MXS-R
PETER BESENYEI
ENGLAND, EDGE 540
PAUL BONHOMME
USA, EDGE 540
KIRBY CHAMBLISS
GERMANY, EDGE 540
MATTHIAS DOLDERER
DATE OF BIRTH: September 22, 1967 BIRTHPLACE: Leoben, Styria, Austria HOME: Salzburg, Austria TEAM MEMBERS: Vito Wyprchtiger (chief technician), Claudia Maur (team co-ordinator) WEBSITE: hannesarch.com RED BULL AIR RACE RESULTS: 2010: currently 11th, 2009: 2nd, 2008: World Champion, 2007: 10th
DATE OF BIRTH: June 8, 1956 BIRTHPLACE: Krmend, Hungary HOME: Herceghalom, Hungary TEAM MEMBERS: Tibor Nagy (chief technician), Jim Reed (technician), Sandor Kordas (team co-ordinator) WEBSITE: besenyeipeter.hu RED BULL AIR RACE RESULTS: 2010: currently 3rd, 2009: 8th, 2008: 5th, 2007: 3rd, 2006: 2nd, 2005: 2nd
DATE OF BIRTH: September 22, 1964 BIRTHPLACE: Buckinghamshire, England HOME: Cambridgeshire, England TEAM MEMBERS: Wade Hammond (chief technician), Nigel Warren (team co-ordinator) WEBSITE: teambonhomme.com RED BULL AIR RACE RESULTS: 2010: currently 1st, 2009: World Champion, 2008: 2nd, 2007: 2nd, 2006: 4th, 2005: 5th
DATE OF BIRTH: October 18, 1959 BIRTHPLACE: Corpus Christi, TX, USA HOME: Flying Crown Ranch, AZ, USA TEAM MEMBERS: Jason Resop (chief technician), Jocelyn Buras (team co-ordinator) WEBSITE: kirbychambliss.com RED BULL AIR RACE RESULTS: 2010: currently 6th, 2009: 4th, 2008: 3rd, 2007: 4th, 2006: World Champion, 2005: 3rd
DATE OF BIRTH: September 15, 1970 BIRTHPLACE: Ochsenhausen, Germany HOME: Tannheim, Germany TEAM MEMBERS: Kelley Brow (chief technician), Marco Grbner (team co-ordinator) WEBSITE: matthiasdolderer.com RED BULL AIR RACE RESULTS: 2010: currently 7th, 2009: 9th
MXS R
The MXS R is a new breed of aircraft representing the latest in state-of-the-art design and technology. The plane was designed using advanced computer solid modelling with emphasis on aerodynamic e iciency. It stands alone in that it is constructed entirely of Aerospace-grade carbon- ibre which provides superior strength and durability never before seen in an aircraft of this type.
USA, EDGE 540
MICHAEL GOULIAN
AUSTRALIA, MXS-R
MATT HALL
FRANCE, EDGE 540
NICOLAS IVANOFF
BRAZIL, MXS-R
ADILSON KINDLEMANN
ENGLAND, MXS-R
NIGEL LAMB
DATE OF BIRTH: September 4, 1968 BIRTHPLACE: Winthrop, MA, USA HOME: Maynard, MA, USA TEAM MEMBERS: Dennis Sawyer (chief technician), Jennifer Staretorp (team co-ordinator) WEBSITE: mikegoulian.com RED BULL AIR RACE RESULTS: 2010: currently 4th, 2009: 10th, 2008: 10th, 2007: 8th, 2006: 5th
DATE OF BIRTH: September 16, 1971 BIRTHPLACE: Scone, NSW, Australia HOME: Merewether, NSW, Australia TEAM MEMBERS: Len Rulason (chief technician), David Lyall (team co-ordinator) WEBSITE: matthallracing.com RED BULL AIR RACE RESULTS: 2010: currently 8th, 2009: 3rd
DATE OF BIRTH: July 4, 1967 BIRTHPLACE: Ajaccio, Corsica HOME: London, England TEAM MEMBERS: Bruno Marlire (chief technician), Jean-Paul Kie fer (team co-ordinator) WEBSITE: nicolasivano f.com RED BULL AIR RACE RESULTS: 2010: currently 9th, 2009: 5th, 2008: 9th, 2007: 7th, 2006: 8th, 2005: 7th
DATE OF BIRTH: May 4, 1973 BIRTHPLACE: Registro, SP, Brazil HOME: Curitiba, PR, Brazil TEAM MEMBERS: Lance Winter (chief technician), Janaina Marinho (team co-ordinator) WEBSITE: adilsonkindlemann.com RED BULL AIR RACE RESULTS: 2010: currently 14th
DATE OF BIRTH: August 17, 1956 BIRTHPLACE: Zimbabwe, Africa HOME: Oxfordshire, England TEAM MEMBERS: Craig Andrews (chief technician), Rebecca Allen (team co-ordinator) WEBSITE: nigellamb.com RED BULL AIR RACE RESULTS: 2010: currently 2nd, 2009: 6th, 2008: 7th, 2007: 9th, 2006: 10th, 2005: 10th
SPAIN, MXS-R
ALEJANDRO MACLEAN
CANADA, EDGE 540
PETE McLEOD
JAPAN, EDGE 540
YOSHIHIDE MUROYA
RUSSIA, MXS-R
SERGEY RAKHMANIN
CZECH REPUBLIC, EDGE 540
MARTIN ONKA
MANUFACTURER: MX Aircraft, USA LENGTH: 6.28m (20.6ft) WINGSPAN: 7.31m (23.9ft) WEIGHT: 540kg (1190lb) POWER: 350hp TOP SPEED: 426kph (265mph) ROLL RATE: 450/sec MAX G: +/-12G ENGINE: AEIO 540 EXP WING DESIGN: Symmetric, carbon- ibre PROPELLER: Hartzell PILOTS FLYING IT: Besenyei, Hall, Kindlemann, Lamb, Maclean, Rakhmanin
DATE OF BIRTH: August 6, 1969 BIRTHPLACE: Madrid, Spain HOME: Pozuelo de Alarcon, Spain TEAM MEMBERS: Jess Caadilla (chief technician), Carola Bisci (team co-ordinator), Eneko Larumbe (team coach) WEBSITE: teammaclean.com RED BULL AIR RACE RESULTS: 2010: currently 12th, 2009: 12th, 2008: 8th, 2007: 6th, 2006: 5th, 2005: 5th
DATE OF BIRTH: February 23, 1984 BIRTHPLACE: Red Lake, ON, Canada HOME: London, ON, Canada TEAM MEMBERS: Ted Reynolds (chief technician), Rob Hogan (team co-ordinator) WEBSITE: petemcleodracing.com RED BULL AIR RACE RESULTS: 2010: currently 5th, 2009: 15th
DATE OF BIRTH: January 27, 1973 BIRTHPLACE: Nara, Japan HOME: Fukushima, Japan TEAM MEMBERS: Takashi Nishimura (chief technician), Rob Fry (team co-ordinator) WEBSITE: yoshi-muroya.jp RED BULL AIR RACE RESULTS: 2010: currently 10th, 2009: 13th
DATE OF BIRTH: October 18, 1961 BIRTHPLACE: Chemnitz, Germany HOME: St Petersburg, Russia TEAM MEMBERS: Antanas Marciukaitis (chief technician), Philipp Kalitin (team co-ordinator) WEBSITE: sergeyrakhmanin.com RED BULL AIR RACE RESULTS: 2010: currently 15th, 2009: 11th, 2008: 11th, 2007: 12th
DATE OF BIRTH: March 26, 1978 BIRTHPLACE: Dvr Krlov nad Labem, Czech Republic HOME: Sezimovo st, Czech Republic TEAM MEMBERS: Gordon New (chief technician), Josef onka (team co-ordinator) WEBSITE: martin-sonka.cz RED BULL AIR RACE RESULTS: 2010: currently 13th
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Animation: Peter Clausen Film & TV
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ABOUT THE RACE

G RACE SUIT
A revolutionary anti-G suit for the Red Bull Air Race World Championship.
QUALIFYING 1
FABRIC Twaron/ Nomex, a non-stretch fabric. PILOT 01 PILOT 02 PILOT 03 PILOT 04 PILOT 05 PILOT 06 FLUID MUSCLES Two at the front and two at the back. The tubes are each illed with 1 litre of water. PILOT 07 PILOT 08 PILOT 09 PILOT 10 The G-race suit was introduced at the 2009 Abu Dhabi race stop. Its the irst professional G-protection for civilian race pilots. HOW IT WORKS: Four water columns in the luid muscles build up pressure around the body under high G-forces causing the non-stretch fabric to contract. This, together with interactive muscle straining and breathing techniques, assists the pilot in keeping oxygen-rich blood in the head and upper muscle areas of the body. All race pilots are recommend to wear the G-race suit. If one of them decides not to wear it, a penalty weight of 6.5kg is added to the planes seat. PILOT 11 PILOT 12 PILOT 13 PILOT 14 PILOT 15
THE RULES
RACE FORMAT
The race format features a QUALIFYING DAY with all 15 pilots racing to be one of the 10 fastest to take them directly through to the Top 12 session on Race Day. Qualifying is also a race for ONE CHAMPIONSHIP POINT, which is awarded to the pilot with the best time in Qualifying. A WILD CARD SESSION opens Race Day with the ive slowest from Qualifying getting a second chance by battling it out for the inal two spots in the Top 12. The fastest eight from the Top 12 advance to the SUPER 8 and the four fastest go all-out against the clock in the FINAL 4 with the fastest pilot being declared the winner. THE SCORING SYSTEM: Pilots can gain points at each race and the one with the most points at the end of the World Championship becomes the Red Bull Air Race World Champion.
RULES
CORRECT FLYING
DISQUALIFICATION
The following can result in disquali ication: exceeding the start speed limit of 205 knots (380kph) through the start gate (GPS ground speed as indicated on the device EFIS in the cockpit); not ful illing the minimum pilot weight of 82kg including compensation weight (2 per cent margin); exceeding the maximum G-load factor of 12G; any form of dangerous lying like lying too low, crossing the safety line as well as a deviation from the prede ined race track. DID NOT START (DNS) If a pilot misses his slot, for whatever reason, he is not permitted to take part in the race and it is recorded as a DNS. SAFETY CLIMB OUT (SCO) If a pilot decides at his own discretion to discontinue lying the race track due to safety reasons and he communicates immediately via radio the wording Safety Climb Out or obviously discontinues lying in the race track because of safety reasons, it is recorded as Safety Climb Out. SCO has the same consequences as Disquali ied with respect to participation in the Flying Sessions. DID NOT FINISH (DNF) If a pilot decides at their own discretion to stop lying the race track for other reasons than mentioned under SCO, it is recorded as Did Not Finish. It has the same consequences as Disquali ied with respect to participation in the Flying Sessions.
PENALTIES
NOT SWITCHING SMOKE ON A one-second penalty is incurred if the race plane is not emanating smoke during the race (from smoke on call until passing the inish gate). This penalty is given whether a technical problem is ascertained or not. EXCEEDING THE MAXIMUM ENTRY SPEED. A two-second penalty is incurred when a pilot exceeds the maximum entry speed of 200 knots (370kph) through the start gate (up to and including 205 knots). INCORRECT LEVEL FLYING (2 SECONDS) The pilot deviates from level light by 10 or more. INCORRECT KNIFE FLYING (2 SECONDS) The competitor deviates from vertical light by more than 20 or tilts his plane to the wrong side. FLYING TOO HIGH (2 SECONDS) The pilot passes the Air Gate or chicane too high. TOUCHING AN AIR GATE (6 SECONDS) The competitor touches a pylon with the wing or propeller.
The Red Bull Air Race World Championship is an international series of races with the objective to navigate an aerial race track featuring air- illed pylons, known as Air Gates, in the fastest possible time incurring as few penalties as possible. The total length of the racetrack is approximately 5km.
LEVEL FLYING The Air Gates marked in blue must be passed in a horizontal position. KNIFE FLYING Air Gates marked in red must be passed in a vertical position. CHICANE The Chicane consists of single pylons which must be passed in slalom light. TURNING MANOEUVRE The turning manoeuvre at the end of the course can either describe a horizontal turn or a climbing (tilted) turn up to a pure vertical light path including roll. It has to be lown inside the safety area.
The Red Bull Air Race World Championship is supervised by the FAI (Fdration Aronautique Internationale). The FAI oversees safety at each race.
DAY 1 / QUALIFYING DAY

QUALIFYING 2 WILD CARD FASTEST TWO PILOTS ADVANCE TO TOP 12*
PILOT 01 PILOT 02 DIRECTLY ADVANCE TO TOP 12 PILOT 03 PILOT 04 PILOT 05 PILOT 06 PILOT 07 PILOT 08 PILOT 09 PILOT 10 PILOT 11 RACE FOR WILD CARD PILOT 12 PILOT 13 PILOT 14 PILOT 15
DAY 2 / RACE DAY

TOP 12 FASTEST EIGHT PILOTS ADVANCE TO SUPER 8*
WILD CARD WILD CARD PILOT 10 PILOT 09 PILOT 08 PILOT 07 PILOT 06 PILOT 05 PILOT 04 PILOT 03 PILOT 02
Illustration: Seso Media Group
SUPER 8 FASTEST FOUR PILOTS ADVANCE TO FINAL 4*

PILOT 08 PILOT 07 PILOT 06 PILOT 05 PILOT 04 PILOT 03 PILOT 02 PILOT 01
FINAL 4 FOUR PILOTS COMPETE FOR VICTORY*

PILOT 04 PILOT 03 PILOT 02 PILOT 01
POINTS
TWO FLYING SESSIONS. BEST TIME COUNTS. WINNER RECEIVES ONE POINT
1 PT
PILOT 15 PILOT 14 PILOT 13 PILOT 12 PILOT 11
1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH 5TH 6TH 7TH 8TH 9TH 10TH 11TH 12 15TH
12 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
PILOT 01
* STARTING ORDER FOR ALL SESSIONS ON RACE DAY IS DETERMINED BY THE RESULTS IN QUALIFYING. THE SLOWEST FROM QUALIFYING FLIES FIRST
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calendar
Red Bull AiR RAce woRld chAmpionship 2010

Asia, North and South America, Australia and Europe provide eight unique spots, with skylines that are the perfect backdrop for the exhilarating race battles. Read the results from Abu Dhabi, this years first stop, and follow us around the globe to seven more exciting destinations.
Photography: Russell Cheyne/Red Bull Air Race via AP Images (3), Mitchell Funk/Getty Images (1), Daniel Grund (1), Bela Szandelsky/Red Bull Airrace via AP Images (1), Imago/Schoene (1)
1
mAr 26 & 27 ABU DHABI, UAE
pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
pilot Paul Bonhomme Nigel Lamb Peter Besenyei Michael Goulian Pete McLeod Kirby Chambliss Matthias Dolderer Matt Hall Nicolas Ivanoff Yoshihide Muroya Hannes Arch Alejandro Maclean Martin onka Adilson Kindlemann Sergey Rakhmanin
NAt. GBR GBR HUN USA CAN USA GER AUS FRA JPN AUT ESP CZE BRA RUS
plANe Edge 540 MXS-R MXS-R Edge 540 Edge 540 Edge 540 Edge 540 MXS-R Edge 540 Edge 540 Edge 540 MXS-R Edge 540 MXS-R MXS-R
poiNts 12 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1+1 0 0 0 0
2
Apr 17 & 18 pERtH, AUS JUN 5 & 6 wInDSoR, ontARIo, CAn AUG 7 & 8 EURoSpEEDwAY, GER sep 4 & 5 LISBon, poR
Population: 1.6 million location: Australia Time zone: UTC +8 hours race history: races in 2006, 2007 and 2008
3
mAy 8 & 9 RIo DE JAnEIRo, BRA
Population: 6 million location: Brazil Time zone: UTC -3 hours race history: race 2007
Population: 220,000 location: Ontario, Canada Time zone: UTC -4 hours race history: race in 2009
5
JUN 19 & 20 nEw YoRk, USA
Population: 8 million location: United States of America Time zone: UTC -5 hours race history: new location
Population: 1.4 million (Lausitz region) location: Lausitz, Germany Time zone: UTC +1 hour race history: new location
7
AUG 19 & 20 BUDApESt, HUn
Population: 1.7 million location: Hungary Time zone: UTC +1 hour race history: races in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009
Population: 564,477 location: Portugal Time zone: UTC +0 hours race history: new location red bull air race magazine
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location
AreA MAp
T
M COM ERC IAL V CLE EHI AC C CH ESS ANN EL
BARRACK STREET JETTY
The second round of the 2010 Red Bull Air Race World Championship season takes place only metres over Swan River. Check out the viewing areas and the challenging racetrack.
T
COM MER
CIAL
VEHI
CLE
AC C E
SS C
START
HANN
EL
08 16 1st round 2nd round

SUBJECT TO FURTHER CHANGES
06 14 01 09/17 FINISH 07 15 04 12
MENDS STREET JETTY

02 10
03/05 11/13
Subject to further changeS
N W S E
250 m
0326_areamap_perth_red_bulletin.indd 1
For more inFormation visit www.redbullairrace.com
3/26/10 4:35:14 PM
* The schedule is subject to change.
50
Illustration: Seso Media Group
the rAce Schedule
Saturday, april 17 Qualifying day 9:30 Doors Open 10:30 Pre Show & Entertainment 12:30 Qualifying 1 13:30 Qualifying 2 16:30 Public Pitlane Walk at the Race Airport 17:00 Doors close
Saturday, april 18 race day 9:30 Doors Open 10:30 Pre Show & Entertainment 11:45 Race Starts, Wild Card 12:40 Top 12 13:20 Super 8 13:50 Final 4 14:45 Award Ceremony 17:00 Doors Close
DRINK WITH CARE. STOLICHNAYA Russian vodka. 40% Alc./Vol. 100% Grain Neutral Spirits. 2010

Red Bull Air Race Magazine - Perth 2010

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THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

PERTH, APRIL 17&18 4 AUD

VISIT THE SHOP ON THE EVENTGROUND OR GO TO REDBULLSHOP.COM

Dolderer reveals strategies for the battle at the top

Pretty and fast? More about Team 27s plane redesign

Ken Tunnell is Ly-Con and is said to be the power-master

Dr Elizabeth Constable MLA MINISTER FOR TOURISM

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Join us at cirrusaircraft.com/airrace or call 800.790.2914 +1 218.529.7292

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The French revoluTion

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Photography: Jean-Paul Kieffer

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The Flying Scotsman

Abu Dhabi: March 26-27

Perth: April 17-18

Rio: 8-9 May

red bull air race magazine

Lisbon: 4-5 September

New York: 19-20 June

F 95 Frankfurter Allee 95 www.f95store.com KaDeWe Tauentzienstrae 21-24 www.kadewe.de Veronika Pohle

Windsor: 5-6 June

Lausitz: 7-8 August

Krfrstendamm 64 www.veronicapohle.de La Fayette Franzsische Strae 23 www.galerieslafayette.de

Budapest: 19-20 August