Racing Pilot
With his film fleet in place, Mantz chose one of the P-51 fighters to convert it into a Bendix Trophy racer. With his long-time mechanic, Cort Johnson, he totally rebuilt the P-51C, stripping out all military issue equipment and modifying the wings with "wet" fuel cells. In the 1946 Bendix Trophy race, all the competitors flew similar converted warbirds but Mantz prevailed with an average speed of 435 mph. He went on to win the Bendix for an unprecedented three consecutive years (1946–1948) with over $125,000.00 in winnings.
Read more about this topic: Paul Mantz
Famous quotes containing the words racing and/or pilot:
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