SR-1 SNOSHOO
The Ultimate Evolution in Formula One Air Racing
We at VSR have developed a schedule of items that we offer to the purchasers of SR-1 drawing sets that will greatly help in the completion of their SR-1's. We are almost ready to race the airplane at Reno. With the airplane almost ready to race at Reno, we can extend all of the knowledge and experience gained in its construction to you, the interested builder. We are now producing components for customers.
Although "scratch-building" from a set of drawings is very rewarding, it is also extremely time consuming, laborious and can lead to a project that remains uncompleted! By purchasing components such as a fuselage frame and complete fairing set you may save money in the long run by saving time! We will offer both "racing" and "sport" versions of many of the components, which will allow the builder the flexibility to choose to build a "hard-core" racer or a sport variant of the SR-1.
We stand behind the professional design, workmanship and quality of all of the components that VSR offers for sale. Our standards of design and construction remain our hallmark. We strive to please every builder of the Gold Race competitive Formula One racer…the incomparable SR-1 "SNOSHOO".
Justin Meaders - 34 Limitless - 2021 Reno Gold Champion
Justin Meaders - Heat 2A Race - Reno 2018
Photos courtesy of Naomi Dschaak
In the history of Formula One/Midget air racing there is one aircraft that reigns supreme as the most famous of all: SHOESTRING. No other design has won the Championship as many times as has this thoroughbred that began life in 1949 when it was created and built by Vincent Ast of California. Throughout time it has been admired by thousands of racing fans and was flown by racing immortals Bob Downey, John Paul Jones, and Ray Cote, just to name a few.
Originally, race speeds of 170–180 mph gave way to 200, 220, 240, and even 250 mph speeds as this design remained a champion. This led to a fine pedigree as it was modified, developed, and evolved through decades of racing and with the incorporation of advancing technology has led to a highly tuned racing aircraft.
One true virtuoso of the evolutionary process was Ken Stockbarger, and along with Paul White and Ray Cote they derived ideas that took the best features of SHOESTRING and applied them to the ULTIMATE EVOLUTION: the SR-1 SNOSHOO. While it must be remembered that the SR-1 iS NO SHOestring, it truly is a result of the successful racing experiences of the Masters. VSR is currently taking these ideas, adding its own, and bringing the SR-1 SNOSHOO into existence.
Our design uses conventional, welded 4130 steel tubing for the fuselage (truss) structure, unquestionably the best material in terms of durability, crashworthiness, cost, ease of incorporating design changes, reparability and its efficiency in overall strength-to-weight. From the spinner aft to the cockpit the SR-1 employs a molded, lightweight epoxy/carbon-fiber cowling. For non-racing use, VSR plans to make available a lower cost fiberglass cowling with more generous air inlet/outlet areas. From the cockpit aft, conventional wood bulkheads and stringers are covered with traditional doped fabric. Cockpit dimensions can be varied to accommodate different sized pilots.
The wing and tail surfaces of the SR-1 are all-wood construction. Aircraft-quality Sitka spruce is used for the laminated spars. The ribs are simple band sawed spruce with thin plywood webs, and aircraft-quality mahogany plywood is used for the skin. Final finishing applied over all plywood surfaces employs very lightweight glass/epoxy with light coats of primer/filler, followed by the final color coats. All control surfaces are spruce-and-plywood in construction and are statically mass-balanced. A unique, totally internal, cable system is used for rudder control, while ailerons and elevators are actuated by push-pull tubes with ball-bearing/ball-joints at all connections.
The balance of the SR-1's construction includes: 5.00 x 5 wheels, tires, and brakes, simple aluminum spring-leaf gear, optional steerable tailwheel, pre-formed bubble racing canopy, and welded aluminum fuel tank.
SR-1 Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 239.0" |
| Overall Length | 215.0" |
| Wing Area | 66 sq.ft. |
| Empty Weight | 530 lbs. |
| Gross Weight (racing) | 746 lbs. |
| Fuel Capacity (racing) | 6 gal. |
| Power (stock O-200, @ S.L.) | 100 hp. |
| Wing Loading | 11.3 lbs./sq.ft. |
| Power Loading | 7.5 lbs./hp. |
| Aspect Ratio | 6.0 |
| Cockpit Height | 35.0" |
| Cockpit Width | 22.0" |
Performance Estimates
Calculated using typical racing configuration at sea-level standard conditions.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Stall Speed | 65 mph |
| Rate of Climb | 2,500+ fpm |
| Typical Cruise (7,500' MSL) | 220 mph |
| Top Speed (level, race engine) | 280+ mph |
| Never-Exceed Speed | 350 mph |
| Roll Rate | 180 deg./sec. |
| G Limits | +/- 8 |
Thank you for your interest in the SR-1 Snoshoo.
Alan VanMeter & A.J. Smith
VSR