The Rider R-6 was the last of the Keith Rider designed racing aircraft of the 1930s.
Development
The R-6 eightball had smooth plywood skins painted light blue with a large eight ball on each side. The actual racing number for the aircraft was 18. It was the last of the Rider racers, as well as the first and last of Rider's new company
Union Aircraft Company before World War II intervened, stopping the National Air Races.
Design
The R-6 is a single place, all-wood low-wing monoplane with retractable landing gear. The first wing used was a long thin wing about 20 ft long with hydraulic landing gear. For the 1939 races, a new wing was installed that was nearly elliptical in shape and a light weight worm-gear manually retractable mechanism replaced the hydraulics.
Operational history
*1938 Louis W. Greve Trophy Race - The Eight Ball competed against two other Rider designs, the "
Firecracker
A firecracker (cracker, noise maker, banger) is a small explosive device primarily designed to produce a large amount of noise, especially in the form of a loud bang, usually for celebration or entertainment; any visual effect is incidental to ...
" and the "
Jackrabbit
Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores, and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The gen ...
". Pilot Joe Jacobson placed third with a speed of 218.478 mph.
*1938
Thompson Trophy The Eight Ball dropped out in the 27th lap.
*1939 National Air Races. Pilot George Byers dropped out after a lean mixture burned through a cylinder on tryouts.
On Display
The Eight Ball was restored and is on display at the Planes of Fame museum in
Chino, California
Chino ( ; Spanish for "Curly") is a city in the western end of San Bernardino County, California, United States, with Los Angeles County to its west and Orange County to its south in the Southern California region. Chino is adjacent to Chi ...
, along with the R-4 Firecracker.
In 1991, the R-6 was displayed at the
EAA Airshow in
Oshkosh, Wisconsin as part of a "Golden Age of Air Racing" program.
Specifications (Rider R-6)
Notes
References
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Racing aircraft