Daryl Greenamyer
Encyclopedia
Darryl Greenamyer is an American
aviator
. He started his flying career in the US Air Force Reserve. After leaving the Air Force, he then began to work at Lockheed
where he eventually became an SR-71
test pilot at Skunk works
. While working at Lockheed he met many of the engineers who would later help him make modifications to future race planes. He won his first victory in the Unlimited Class at the Reno Air Races
in 1965. He is the third most winning competitor in Reno Air Race history.
On August 16, 1969, flying the highly-modified Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat
"Conquest I" (N1111L), Greenamyer broke the 30-year old FAI Class C-1 Group I 3 km speed record with a speed of 483.041 mph. An earlier attempt in 1966 by Greenamyer had to be aborted due to directional stability problems and an attempt in 1968 ended with a blown piston. The previous record had been set by Fritz Wendel flying a German Messerschmitt Me 209 in 1939. The record-breaking was featured in the 1970 documentary "Man for the Record" (Pennzoil/Cobra Enterprises). Greenamyer won the National Air Races six times with this airplane before donating it to the Smithsonian in 1977.
On October 24, 1977, Greenamyer, flying a modified F-104 Starfighter
"Red Baron" (N104RB)
, set a FAI Class C-1 Group III 3 km speed record of 988.26 mph, which still stands. An earlier attempt on October 2, 1976 yielded a higher time (1,010 mph), but one timing camera didn't work on one run, meaning the record couldn't be certified.
He built the Starfighter by collecting and putting together myriad parts over a 13 year period. The cockpit side panels and some control column bearings of the Red Baron came from the very first production F-104A, which crashed in Palmdale, California 22 years earlier. The tail of the Red Baron, minus stabilizers, came from a junkyard in Ontario, California. The stabilizers and some nose wheel parts were from scrap piles in Tucson and Homestead, Florida. The idler arm for the elevator controls, the ejection seat rails and some electrical relays came from an F-104 that crashed and burned at Edwards Air Force Base on the edge of the Mojave Desert. Greenamyer got his throttle quadrant from a Tennessee flying buff he met at the Reno National Air Races. The trunnion mounts for the nose gear, some of the cooling-system valves and a few relays on the Red Baron came from a 25-ton pile of junk that Greenamyer bought at Eglin Air Force Base. In a swap with NASA, he obtained the nose of a Lockheed NF-104A
, with its reaction controls. The all-important J79-GE-10 engine was obtained from the US Navy.
On February 26, 1978, while preparing an assault on the FAI altitude record using the same aircraft, he was unable to get the landing gear to lock before landing. As it was dangerous to land in this condition, he was forced to eject and the airplane was destroyed.
In 1994, Greenamyer led an unsuccessful mission to rescue the Kee Bird
, a B-29 aircraft which crash-landed in Greenland
in 1947. The attempted recovery resulted in the loss of the airframe by fire on the ground.
Greenamyer has been working on building an Unlimited Class racer named "Shockwave". This racer combines the outer wing panels of a Sea Fury with a new centersection and fuselage. The tail is from a F-86 Sabre and it is planned to be powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-4360.
After the Sport Class was introduced at the Reno Air Races in 1998, Greenamyer built a Lancair Legacy (N33XP) that he has since raced successfully.
Besides aircraft, Greenamyer has also been active in drag racing. In addition, he has owned several classic Ferraris.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
aviator
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
. He started his flying career in the US Air Force Reserve. After leaving the Air Force, he then began to work at Lockheed
Lockheed Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
where he eventually became an SR-71
SR-71 Blackbird
The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" was an advanced, long-range, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft. It was developed as a black project from the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft in the 1960s by the Lockheed Skunk Works. Clarence "Kelly" Johnson was responsible for many of the...
test pilot at Skunk works
Skunk works
Skunk Works is an official alias for Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Development Programs , formerly called Lockheed Advanced Development Projects. Skunk Works is responsible for a number of famous aircraft designs, including the U-2, the SR-71 Blackbird, the F-117 Nighthawk, and the F-22 Raptor...
. While working at Lockheed he met many of the engineers who would later help him make modifications to future race planes. He won his first victory in the Unlimited Class at the Reno Air Races
Reno Air Races
The Reno Air Races, also known as the National Championship Air Races, take place each September at the Reno Stead Airport a few miles north of Reno, Nevada, USA...
in 1965. He is the third most winning competitor in Reno Air Race history.
On August 16, 1969, flying the highly-modified Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat
F8F Bearcat
The Grumman F8F Bearcat was an American single-engine naval fighter aircraft of the 1940s. It went on to serve into the mid-20th century in the United States Navy and other air forces, and would be the company's final piston engined fighter aircraft...
"Conquest I" (N1111L), Greenamyer broke the 30-year old FAI Class C-1 Group I 3 km speed record with a speed of 483.041 mph. An earlier attempt in 1966 by Greenamyer had to be aborted due to directional stability problems and an attempt in 1968 ended with a blown piston. The previous record had been set by Fritz Wendel flying a German Messerschmitt Me 209 in 1939. The record-breaking was featured in the 1970 documentary "Man for the Record" (Pennzoil/Cobra Enterprises). Greenamyer won the National Air Races six times with this airplane before donating it to the Smithsonian in 1977.
On October 24, 1977, Greenamyer, flying a modified F-104 Starfighter
F-104 Starfighter
The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft originally developed for the United States Air Force by Lockheed. One of the Century Series of aircraft, it served with the USAF from 1958 until 1969, and continued with Air National Guard units...
"Red Baron" (N104RB)
N104RB Red Baron
The Red Baron was a highly modified Lockheed F-104 Starfighter which set a FAI Class C-1 Group III 3 km speed record of 988.26 mph, in 1977 which still stands. It was assembled by Darryl Greenamyer and sponsored by Ed Browning and the Red Baron Flying Service of Idaho Falls, Idaho...
, set a FAI Class C-1 Group III 3 km speed record of 988.26 mph, which still stands. An earlier attempt on October 2, 1976 yielded a higher time (1,010 mph), but one timing camera didn't work on one run, meaning the record couldn't be certified.
He built the Starfighter by collecting and putting together myriad parts over a 13 year period. The cockpit side panels and some control column bearings of the Red Baron came from the very first production F-104A, which crashed in Palmdale, California 22 years earlier. The tail of the Red Baron, minus stabilizers, came from a junkyard in Ontario, California. The stabilizers and some nose wheel parts were from scrap piles in Tucson and Homestead, Florida. The idler arm for the elevator controls, the ejection seat rails and some electrical relays came from an F-104 that crashed and burned at Edwards Air Force Base on the edge of the Mojave Desert. Greenamyer got his throttle quadrant from a Tennessee flying buff he met at the Reno National Air Races. The trunnion mounts for the nose gear, some of the cooling-system valves and a few relays on the Red Baron came from a 25-ton pile of junk that Greenamyer bought at Eglin Air Force Base. In a swap with NASA, he obtained the nose of a Lockheed NF-104A
Lockheed NF-104A
The Lockheed NF-104A was an American mixed power, high-performance, supersonic aerospace trainer that served as a low cost astronaut training vehicle for the X-15 and projected X-20 Dyna-Soar programs....
, with its reaction controls. The all-important J79-GE-10 engine was obtained from the US Navy.
On February 26, 1978, while preparing an assault on the FAI altitude record using the same aircraft, he was unable to get the landing gear to lock before landing. As it was dangerous to land in this condition, he was forced to eject and the airplane was destroyed.
In 1994, Greenamyer led an unsuccessful mission to rescue the Kee Bird
Kee Bird
The Kee Bird was a United States Army Air Forces B-29-95-BW Superfortress, 45-21768, of the 46th Reconnaissance Squadron, that became marooned after making an emergency landing in northwest Greenland during a secret Cold War spying mission on 21 February 1947...
, a B-29 aircraft which crash-landed in Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
in 1947. The attempted recovery resulted in the loss of the airframe by fire on the ground.
Greenamyer has been working on building an Unlimited Class racer named "Shockwave". This racer combines the outer wing panels of a Sea Fury with a new centersection and fuselage. The tail is from a F-86 Sabre and it is planned to be powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-4360.
After the Sport Class was introduced at the Reno Air Races in 1998, Greenamyer built a Lancair Legacy (N33XP) that he has since raced successfully.
Besides aircraft, Greenamyer has also been active in drag racing. In addition, he has owned several classic Ferraris.
See also
- List of F-104 Starfighter operators
- Fastest propeller-driven aircraftFastest propeller-driven aircraftA number of aircraft have claimed to be the fastest propeller-driven aircraft. This article presents the current record holders for several sub-classes of propeller-driven aircraft that hold recognized, documented speed records. Fédération Aéronautique Internationale records are the basis for this...