I found this extraordinary little aircraft sitting quietly in a line-up of 60 year-old biplanes, the Lockheed Electra L-12 flown in the Hilary Swank movie, "Amelia," and other less colorful and certainly less aerobatic aircraft. The others may have long and storied histories, but only this one, "Invictus," won First Place, Formula One Gold, in the 2009 46th Annual National Championship Air Races held in Reno, Nevada on September 20th. The pilot was Richard Thom of Kissimmee, Florida. The Cassutt "Invictus" is here at Peter O. Knight Airport on Davis Islands as part of the 2009 Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association conference being held through tomorrow at the Tampa Convention Center. The length of the plane, 16 feet, and wing tip to wing tip width of 15 feet, makes this the perfect occupant for your home's garage. What it lacks in fuel economy and range it certainly makes up for in sheer performance, lightning speed and plenty of g-forces. It's the answer to getting to the office or mountain cabin without delay.
Your recent photos certainly do show off Florida's brilliant colors. And this is no exception.
ReplyDeleteHow long have you owned this, Frank?
It looks too small to be taken seriously, but obviously, that's not true. I once had a friend who was building a plane in his garage. He worked on it for years. Then I moved away. I don't know if he ever got it airborne.
Interesting post, as usual!
Sweet!
ReplyDeleteAt first I thought it was an RC model aircraft, somehow the scale just doesn't look as though it's a plane rather than a model. Must be a hell of a thing to fly. Hopefully he takes the monkey out of the nose intake before he starts up!
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