Unleashed Air Racing Website Maintenance / Update

Well, I’ve been doing this a long time, and the website was on an older platform that didn’t look so great anymore.  I have started the process to overhaul the entire website while keeping all of the original content.  You may find some broken links/pages over the next few weeks while I finish updating everything.  Please check back if you are looking for something that isn’t currently available.  Thanks, Tom.

Welcome to Unleashed Air Racing.  I built this website to showcase many of the modifications/improvements I have made to my Lancair 360 named Unleashed.  The older Lancair aircraft do not have much of a web presence. (Probably because most were completed before the Internet!)  One of my goals is to provide a place for other owners to share ideas and learn about their aircraft.

I purchased Unleashed as a flying airplane.  This is a double edge sword.  On one side, you get a flying airplane.  On the other side, you get all of the previous owners ideas incorporated into one airplane.  Not pointing any fingers here, this goes back to the original builder.  Everyone has an idea for a system to work best.  The problem is that idea usually doesn’t mesh well with my new idea.  So, I have learned to approach things differently.  For starters, rule number one is this: Assume Nothing

When I get an idea for a system it is best to think of it from a few different perspectives.

• What was the original builders goal?
• How will that affect my idea?
• Will the two systems work in harmony?
• If not, how to re-engineer a fix for both?

Time and time again I have found things that I had assumed would be correct, and they were not.  That usually leads to a system re-design that in my opinion is harder than the original build process.  Having to deal with these issues is what separates an Experimental buyer from a builder, and often why “buyers” have much more risk involved.   Moral of the story, lesson learned.

Anyway, so the goal here is to share what I have learned for everyone’s benefit.  Most of the modifications are covered in the Projects section of the website.  Some are maintenance issues, and some are speed improvements.  Some of the more recent projects are listed below.  Also be sure to view the Videos page.  Tons of great stuff from when the airplane is doing what it does best, going fast!  Feel free to contact me with any questions, I would be happy to talk airplanes.

For a brief intro to some of the 2014 Unleashed modifications, here are some projects in the works.  First, Unleashed is switching to an Airflow Performance FM-200A fuel servo.  The picture below is pretty obvious the difference, but initial testing shows how it is able to maintain correct air/fuel ratio well into the high RPM’s as well as more manifold pressure.  Something the old fuel servo could not do.

Another huge upgrade for the airplane is Beringer Wheels and Brakes!  This is something I have been wanting to do for years.  I’ll have a full article showing the switch from the old system to the new system and a flight test comparison after Reno.

Also, check out the Unleashed Facebooke Page for short bits of updates. I try to keep fans informed there as it is easy to do and gets a lot of traffic. When time is available I write the in depth reports that you will find here. But, for a quick and easy way to see what is new, click here:

Thanks,
Tom McNerney
“Admin”