With 4 days left until the Red Bull Air Race takes Japan by storm, Team Goulian is poised to take to the track with the latest modifications to its #99 Edge 540 race plane – including a new sleek racing canopy.
Ever since the introduction of standardized Lycoming racing engines in 2014, the Red Bull Air Race teams have focused their engineering efforts into the aerodynamic performance of their airframes. Any possible drag reduction is now more important than ever. The more aerodynamically sleek the airframe, the more speed the race plane will carry around the track. Team Goulian’s new 2015 race airplane incorporates shorter gear legs with state-of-the-art wheel pants, and a wing with slightly different dimensions than the previous season’s aircraft. These changes help the #99 Edge retain more energy around the tightest corners, carrying that extra speed during the run and through the start/finish gate.
Now in Chiba, Japan we have a new streamlined canopy. A project that began in the off-season, the new canopy was shipped from North Carolina earlier this month to meet with the race airplane in Japan. With a shape inspired by the SR-71 Blackbird, the new canopy is expected to be the single most effective improvement made to the aircraft in the past months. According to data collected, this canopy generates almost half the drag of the original, and weighs considerably less. Having posted the fastest net time during one of the practice sessions in Abu Dhabi last February, Mike Goulian is confident that the feat will be repeated in Japan:
“Constant improvement is what it takes to win in the Red Bull Air Race and we are here for nothing short of that. We will continue to chase for every thousandth of a second we can find in this aircraft, day after day. We have the best partners to help us do it, and a very motivated team. The plane was amazing off the blocks when the season started, and now I can’t wait to see how it will do with the latest upgrades. Being in such a magical place like Japan, with an amazing crowd makes this the perfect scenario for an Air Race.”
As the Fastest Motorsports Series in the World gets ready to Race at the Land of the Rising Sun, the #99 team is assembled and getting physically and mentally fit to perform in front of what might be one of the biggest crowds of the season. The event is sold-out and will be broadcasted live for numerous countries all around the globe. Watch it live on May 16th and 17th at redbullairrace.com. Fans in the US can only watch the live ticker (chat, images, video – ScribbleLive) – the live videocast will not be available in the US, but you can watch the full highlights broadcast exclusively on FOX Sports (check your local listings). Be sure to follow Team Goulian’s social media feeds (Facebook, twitter, instagram)
ABOUT CHIBA
Chiba City is the birthplace of civil aviation in Japan.
In May 1912, Japan’s first civilian airfield was established on the tidelands along the Inage coast in Chiba City, based on an idea by Sanji Narahara, the pioneer of the aviation in Japan. Having obtained an airfield they could use freely, Narahara’s group of pilots made it their base of operations. The first plane to take off at this airfield was the Narahara-style No.4 model, the Ootori, flown by Einosuke Shirato, and the beach was crowded with throngs of both adults and children trying to catch a glimpse of the plane.
After that same excitement a huge crowd is expected at the artificial beaches of Makuhari Seaside Park, which is conveniently located only approximately 30 minutes from Tokyo by train and directly faces Makuhari Beach, a man-made beach that is the pride of Chiba City.
ABOUT THE RED BULL AIR RACE
Created in 2003, but officially the World Championship of air racing since 2005, the Red Bull Air Race is followed by millions of fans worldwide. The fastest motorsport series in the world features 14 of the world’s best race pilots in a pure motor-sport competition that combines speed, precision and skill. Using the fastest, most agile and lightweight racing planes, pilots navigate a low-level aerial track made up of air-filled pylons 25 meters high. New since 2013 is the Challenger Cup, a competition, which enables talented pilots to work towards acquiring entry into the Master Class of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship.
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