Tom Cruise with his ‘58
12-27-2017, 11:11 AM
#21
Race Director
Member Since: Apr 2015
Location: Fresno California
Posts: 17,509
Received 3,443 Likes
on
2,113 Posts
The thread so far: Tom Cruise is short. Tux doesn't like short people. P-51's are cool, and mostly flown by short people in combat. P-51's are easy to fly. Tom Cruise is still short. Audie Murphy is even shorter than Tom Cruise, but gets a lot more respect. Did they have Scientology in WW2? My personal take: Tom Cruise creeps me out, but learning that he owns and flies a P-51 is impressive. If I were Tom Cruise, I would, too.
The following 4 users liked this post by GTOguy:
12-27-2017, 11:14 AM
#22
Team Owner
The thread so far: Tom Cruise is short. Tux doesn't like short people. P-51's are cool, and mostly flown by short people in combat. P-51's are easy to fly. Tom Cruise is still short. Audie Murphy is even shorter than Tom Cruise, but gets a lot more respect. Did they have Scientology in WW2? My personal take: Tom Cruise creeps me out, but learning that he owns and flies a P-51 is impressive. If I were Tom Cruise, I would, too.
OK, I didn't need the coffee snorting out my nose laughing at this; nice summary!
12-27-2017, 11:19 AM
#23
Race Director
Congratulations on the flight! Cruise and I have different situations: he owns one but has little time to fly it; I could afford one today, but I'm not a pilot and would probably wreck it, even with training. I've read that the total current cost of flying and maintaining a P-51 is about $1200 per hour of flight time.
Www.Stallion51.com
Fly into Orlando, drive a little ways south to Kissimmee. The business is run by Lee Lauderbach, who is FAA certified instructor for P/F 51s. IIRC he has more hours in 51s than anyone - about 15,000 at the time I did this. He is a great guy and does many Heritage Flights at airshows. I understand he taught John Travolta, Jack Roush, and probably TC too.
Costly ? Yeah, they are an expensive piece of machinery to own, operate, and maintain. I remember Lee telling me that a rebuild on the RR Merlin was $250,000! The one hour cost me $2000 then; I understand it is $3000 now. Worth every penny!
Go do it - what are you waiting for?
. Oh yeah - you do need to make a reservation in advance!
12-27-2017, 11:36 AM
#24
Race Director
WTF? Where did you pull that out of? Not correct. My son in law is 5’7”; one of the best men I know. What I definitely despise is people with a short man complex/ tough guy wanna be attitude/keyboard warrior mentality.
PS - all 5 of my grand children are short too!
PS - all 5 of my grand children are short too!
12-27-2017, 11:39 AM
#25
Le Mans Master
The thread so far: Tom Cruise is short. Tux doesn't like short people. P-51's are cool, and mostly flown by short people in combat. P-51's are easy to fly. Tom Cruise is still short. Audie Murphy is even shorter than Tom Cruise, but gets a lot more respect. Did they have Scientology in WW2? My personal take: Tom Cruise creeps me out, but learning that he owns and flies a P-51 is impressive. If I were Tom Cruise, I would, too.
Hilarious Jeff! I agree with your last statement. Enjoying old cars is something many of us of different comfortable incomes can do. Enjoying owning and operating a warbird is a lovely pipe dream and certainly makes the cars pale in comparison.
12-27-2017, 11:52 AM
#26
Racer
You should seriously consider checking out Stallion 51. Check out their web site:
Www.Stallion51.com
Fly into Orlando, drive a little ways south to Kissimmee. The business is run by Lee Lauderbach, who is FAA certified instructor for P/F 51s. IIRC he has more hours in 51s than anyone - about 15,000 at the time I did this. He is a great guy and does many Heritage Flights at airshows. I understand he taught John Travolta, Jack Roush, and probably TC too.
Costly ? Yeah, they are an expensive piece of machinery to own, operate, and maintain. I remember Lee telling me that a rebuild on the RR Merlin was $250,000! The one hour cost me $2000 then; I understand it is $3000 now. Worth every penny!
Go do it - what are you waiting for?. Oh yeah - you do need to make a reservation in advance!
Www.Stallion51.com
Fly into Orlando, drive a little ways south to Kissimmee. The business is run by Lee Lauderbach, who is FAA certified instructor for P/F 51s. IIRC he has more hours in 51s than anyone - about 15,000 at the time I did this. He is a great guy and does many Heritage Flights at airshows. I understand he taught John Travolta, Jack Roush, and probably TC too.
Costly ? Yeah, they are an expensive piece of machinery to own, operate, and maintain. I remember Lee telling me that a rebuild on the RR Merlin was $250,000! The one hour cost me $2000 then; I understand it is $3000 now. Worth every penny!
Go do it - what are you waiting for?
. Oh yeah - you do need to make a reservation in advance!And for the average guy/girl wanting some air time for under $12000 there's always this.
12-27-2017, 12:10 PM
#27
Team Owner
Like him or not TC has an estimated net worth of $550 million and it currently the #1 paid actor in Hollyweird.
12-27-2017, 12:44 PM
#28
Team Owner
Some of my best friends are_____
12-27-2017, 12:49 PM
#29
Race Director
Member Since: Nov 2003
Location: Cottonwood AZ
Posts: 10,698
Received 3,051 Likes
on
1,935 Posts
C1 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
12-27-2017, 12:56 PM
#30
Race Director
Some people seem to think this thread is about them.
Funny thing is all I ever said to start with was that TC is 5’7” and therefore fits in his C1 well. If that is a stereotype so be it.
Actually, post #3 - not me- was the first one to comment on TCs stature. Perhaps those who are offended should focus on that.
I am 6’2”” 220 lbs and do not fit in a C1. I guess that must be a stereotype as well?
Funny thing is all I ever said to start with was that TC is 5’7” and therefore fits in his C1 well. If that is a stereotype so be it.
Actually, post #3 - not me- was the first one to comment on TCs stature. Perhaps those who are offended should focus on that.
I am 6’2”” 220 lbs and do not fit in a C1. I guess that must be a stereotype as well?
Last edited by tuxnharley; 12-27-2017 at 01:05 PM.
12-27-2017, 01:05 PM
#31
Team Owner
If no one can point out the obvious than what's the point.
The following users liked this post:
tuxnharley (12-27-2017)
12-27-2017, 01:39 PM
#32
Race Director
12-27-2017, 05:39 PM
#33
Racer
And for the average guy/girl wanting some air time for under $12000 there's always this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhfI2pRLy4s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhfI2pRLy4s
12-28-2017, 04:48 PM
#34
Race Director
Seriously tho - many of the parts in the airframe on these old warbirds are not original, and have been repaired, replaced, and or are now reproduced. The value of the planes is so high that it is worth it to custom make reproduction parts. I think the main wing spars are reproduced, for example.
Heck some of these are rebuilt virtually from scratch after a crash that would have resulted in the plane being scrapped in the old days!
