Red Bull Air Race

One of the most exciting races in the world of motorsports is the Red Bull Air Race, which totally looks like something out of a hardcore action movie.

This picture was clicked by Balazs Gardi of RBAR.

 

 

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Very similar to the Formula one, the Air Race takes place in propeller planes with barrel rolls and G-force-induced tunnel vision.

This picture was clicked by Joerg Mitter of RBAR.

 

 

The Competitors

Believe it or not, the contestants who take part in the Red Bull Air Race are regular pilots who fly 747 Boeing jets for a living. Pushing the boundaries, they get into the single-seater jets and fly them at speeds higher than 200 mph, at barely 80 feet above the ground.

This picture was clicked by Balazs Gardi of RBAR.

 

 

This Year’s Red Bull Air Race

The Red Bull Air Race 2014 was held at the emirate of Abu Dhabi in UAE. With a guarantee of safe flying conditions in the capital, race organizers have re-evaluated the rules and course design.

This picture was clicked by Joerg Mitter of RBAR.

 

 

Some of the primary changes have been the reduction of the maximum allowable g-force from 12 to 10, use of Lycoming Boxer engines and a Hartzell three-blade 7690 propeller, and the raise of gates from about 5 m to 25 m.

This picture was clicked by Balazs Gardi of RBAR.

 

 

The Racecourse

Identified by nine air-filled pylons on a 3.1 mile (5 kilometer) course, the route is exceptionally well-marked. The pylons are conical in shape and measure 5 meters at the base, and 0.75 meters at the top.

This picture was clicked by Balazs Gardi of RBAR.

 

 

Hardware Used

The planes used in the race are single-prop powered with 300 horsepower engines and propellers. Probably the most popular airframe yet, is the Zivko Edge 540, manufactured in Oklahoma.

This picture was clicked by Balazs Gardi of RBAR.

 

 

These planes can reach an altitude of 3,700 in one minute.

 

 

This picture was clicked by Sebastian Marko of RBAR.

 

 

This picture was clicked by Predrag Vickovic of RBAR.

 

The Winners

British commercial airline pilot, Paul Bonhomme, won the first place at the contest. He completed the race in 56.439 seconds.

This picture was clicked by Joerg Mitter of RBAR.

The second place was won by Hannes Arch, an Austrian pilot who was the winner of the 2008 Red Bull Championship.