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Touring Motor Gliders Association (TMGA)

World record for most loops in one hour


Collin

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Hi

I found the following notice in the 'Logbook' Column of the April 1992 issue of Flying Magazine:

LOOPER SUPREME: How many loops could you fly in one hour? Finnish pilot Heikki Nummela managed 372 and looped his way into a world record by a comfortable margin. The previous record was 256 set in Sweden with a Bellanca Super Decathlon. Nummela flew a Fournier RF-4 single-seat motorglider with a 60-hp Limbach (converted VW) in of the regular 39-hp Limbach. The Finnish Aeronautical Association announced the feat but labeled the world record unofficial since the FAI does not classify records such as this.

Nummela started his loops at 1,500 feet and spent about 9.5 seconds on each one. The diameter of each loop was 500 feet and the entry speed was 110 knots, with 56 knots at the top.

The press release on Nummela’s amazing achievement includes this gem, quoted verbatim: "Heikki Nummela, who has flown aerobatics for few years, told that din't have any troubles or diggy feelings during that hour."

(Totally irrelevant footnote: It was the heartbreak of diggy feelings that prevented your Logbook editor from ever managing more than six consecutive loops during more than 100 hours logged in a much beloved Fournier RF-

I saws in another posting that he ultimately lost his life doing aerobatics.

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Here is another loop record I found related to Tex Rankin, but it's not the same and not in a TMG:

On January 10, 1930, Rankin established an official record (National Aeronautic Association) for completing 19 consecutive outside loops. After his 19th he continued with 15 more, but they were not part of the record, because he didn't exit the loop on the same heading as he entered. A little over a year later, on February 23, 1931, Rankin claimed a new world record for outside loops after he completed 78 consecutive loops in 88 minutes. Eventually, he escalated his record to 131 at Charlotte, NC later in 1931.

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