The RB-51 "Red Baron": A Legend of Unlimited Air Racing
The North American P-51 Mustang known as the "Red Baron" (registration NX7715C) remains one of the most iconic and radically modified aircraft in the history of Unlimited Class air racing. Originally built in Dallas, Texas, as a standard P-51D-25-NT, the aircraft had already enjoyed a successful racing career under the names "Miss R.J." and "Roto-Finish Special," winning Unlimited Gold in 1972. However, its transformation into an aviation legend began in 1974 when it was purchased by Ed Browning of Red Baron Flying Service in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
Browning enlisted Lockheed engineers Pete Law and Bruce Boland to execute a massive, $300,000 overhaul of the airframe. The most significant modification was the removal of the Mustang's standard Packard Merlin V-12 engine. In its place, the team installed a massive, 3,000-horsepower Rolls-Royce Griffon 57 engine, driving a set of dual, three-bladed contra-rotating propellers salvaged from an Avro Shackleton bomber. This immense powerplant required a completely redesigned engine cowling, giving the Red Baron a sleek, elongated nose reminiscent of the early Allison-powered XP-51s. The immense torque and aerodynamic changes also necessitated an enlarged vertical stabilizer to maintain flight stability.
With these extreme modifications, the RB-51 became the dominant force on the Unlimited racing circuit. In 1976, at the recommendation of pilot Daryl Greenamyer, a young aviator named Steve Hinton took the controls. Hinton proved to be a masterful pilot for the demanding aircraft, winning four consecutive Unlimited races in a single year—a feat that remains unmatched. The pinnacle of the Red Baron's career came on August 14, 1979, over the desert of Tonopah, Nevada. There, the 27-year-old Hinton piloted the Red Baron to an average speed of 499.018 mph (803.138 km/h) over a 3-kilometer course, setting a new Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) world speed record for piston-driven aircraft that would stand for a decade.
Tragically, the Red Baron's reign ended just a month later at the 1979 Reno Air Races. During a heat, a magneto failure caused the Griffon engine to run on only half its spark plugs. Unaware of the exact issue, Hinton pushed the throttle forward, overstressing the supercharger. The resulting mechanical cascade led to the failure of the oil pump shaft, which controlled the propeller pitch. The massive contra-rotating blades instantly went to flat pitch, acting as a giant air brake. The RB-51 crashed violently short of the runway, shearing off its wings and erupting in a fireball. Miraculously, the reinforced cockpit roll bar designed by Pete Law held intact, and Hinton survived the devastating crash with a broken back, leg, and ankle. Though the Red Baron was destroyed, its legacy as one of the fastest and most ambitious piston-engine aircraft ever built endures.
Ron Cole met Steve Hinton while the former was still a kid, not long after the loss of 'Red Baron', and he regards that meeting as one of the defining moments of his childhood. Ron regards this piece as an homage to that moment, his aircraft, and his respect for a legend.
