Goodyear FG-1A Corsair #92-"Lucky Gallon" at Cleveland 1946

The aircraft was built by Goodyear as an FG-1A Corsair, carrying Bureau Number 13481. Delivered toward the end of the Second World War, it had a relatively short military career before being released as surplus and entering civilian ownership.

In 1946, Cook Cleland acquired the Corsair and prepared it for air racing. As part of its conversion, military equipment that was no longer required for racing, including its armament and other heavy equipment, was removed.

The aircraft received the name Lucky Gallon and racing number #92. Its new role demanded a different approach to weight, external configuration and presentation, turning a wartime fighter into a competitor on the American air-racing circuit

During the qualifying rounds for the piston-powered division of the Thompson Trophy competition, the Corsair placed sixth, recording a speed of approximately 361.8 mph. In the B Feature race, it also finished sixth, at a reported speed of approximately 357.5 mph.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1690797432616986&set=a.278556593841084

https://forum.gmodelart.com/fg-1a-corsair-lucky-gallon-92

Magnesium nose wheel from a China Lake B-29 made by Goodyear

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=28887125654222458&set=gm.4681164938781002&idorvanity=1374414546122741

Cost to build a Goodyear tire in the USA... about 87.00. Cost for the Chinese competitor? 12 dollars.

 and that would possibly be a reason Goodyear has lost 2 billion dollars in the last 5 business quarter years

https://www.thedrive.com/news/goodyear-cant-make-a-tire-for-12-like-china-heres-its-plan

I just learned that occasionally, Goodyear has a special selling event

And my justification for posting blimps, is that they have one wheel, and now you can buy them!

https://www.goodyear.com/en_US/signature-shop/vault/collectibles

the Goodyear Proving Grounds Ms. Tira Val-ewe-ator. (tire evaluator) specifically designed with local artist Ashley Perales, of Pop of Color, to display the 80 plus years of the Goodyear Proving Grounds, San Angelo, Texas

 Downtown San Angelo Inc. created the Sheeptacular Art project in 2007 as a tribute to the burgeoning sheep industry that has been crucial to the growth of San Angelo over the years. Not only has the sheep industry been an important facet of San Angelo's history, but it is also a key part of West Texas heritage.”

On Monday April 14, 2025, the Goodyear Proving Grounds Texas joined the ranks of over 200 local businesses and organizations and unveiled their coveted sheep statue.

The San Angelo facility covers 7,250 acres and includes 58 miles of roads and track, 14 miles of fence and more than 200 test vehicles. Associates there test approximately 20,000 tires annually. There are 53 different test surfaces, ranging from asphalt and concrete to bricks, blocks, dirt, mud and more.

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1201720091740617&set=pb.100057079136090.-2207520000

https://www.tirereview.com/goodyear-75-years-proving-grounds

think your job is nice? Can it compare to being paid to be on the Goodyear team driving the One Lap of America, in a race Porsche?

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1207805491132077&set=pb.100057079136090.-2207520000&type=3

lol, did you see how they install garland on the christmas tree at the Goodyear Proving Grounds?

https://www.facebook.com/reel/2408329159581787

the wallpaper inside the office at the Goodyear Proving Grounds in San Angelo, Texas... is awesome

and they have a cool tow truck too

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=945252434054052&set=pb.100057079136090.-2207520000&type=3

loving this bird, and the love Goodyear showed this owner (Amelia Hartford)... with a souvenir wheel and it's own display case (wow!)

This would be an epic boutique gift business for Goodyear to get a spin off entity doing. 

if you are reading this, back up for burnout

https://moparinsiders.com/emelia-hartfords-1970-plymouth-superbird-soars-past-210-mph/

it's time again, to think back over the past year, and nominate a hero! Entries must be in by Jan 31st. the Goodyear Highway Hero Award program has honored professional truck drivers who have acted selflessly for the good of others on highways across North America.

 the Goodyear Highway Hero Award program has honored professional truck drivers who have acted selflessly for the good of others on highways across North America, since 1983

https://www.goodyeartrucktires.com/en_US/highway-heroes/nominate.html

A racing car spare wheel from the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Various cars raced each other through the British countryside as the opening credits rolled and the various cars had spare wheels attached to their bodies. 

This wheel is believed to belong to the blue replica Renault. 

The wheel is made of fibreglass and cast from one of the practical Goodyear tyres used on the car.

https://propstoreauction.com/lot-details/index/catalog/462/lot/179980/555-Racing-Car-Spare-Goodyear-Tyre-CHITTY-CHITTY-BANG-BANG-1968

Mauricio colored some very cool old black and white photos I'm familiar with, and you probably are too, here's what these would have looked like if color photography had been used back in the day

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10162692258398190&set=pcb.1867887730458807

Tickets to fly on the Goodyear Blimp have been donated to a charity, and bidding for the two-seat experience on the Goodyear blimp, is currently $10,100 and changes in $100 increments. The auction will close Thursday, Sept. 25

The auction coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Blimp’s first flight, which took off in Akron on June 3, 1925, as well as the city of Akron’s bicentennial celebration

The nonprofit Bounce Innovation Hub, helps provide resources to local entrepreneurs and drive economic growth. 

Rides on the Goodyear Blimp are not available for sale. Instead, the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company directs the public interest in flights toward helping community nonprofits. Over the past five years, the Goodyear Blimp has reportedly helped raise more than $1.5 million.

https://givebutter.com/c/StartupShowcase2025/auction/items/1154005

https://fox8.com/news/auction-two-tickets-aboard-the-goodyear-blimp/

damn shame, these belong in a cool hot rod or racing museum, but I don't have one.

 

If you want to buy one of these, go straight to Ebay, there's a museum quality one, that's OUTSTANDING https://www.ebay.com/itm/226787921331

in the swap meet at the LA Roadsters show today, at the Pomona Fairplex, I came across 3 full sets of Hot Rod magazine... this booth had one on hand, plus some other cool stuff! The (ASKING) going rate for a complete set is 1k. No one I talked to had a buyer yet

these binders are just a display sample to grab the passerby's attention. The rest were in the trailer 

Goodyear made amphibious planes after WW2, called them the Ducks, and hoped that the tens of thousands of young people who had just learned in the Army how to fly, would want to buy a plane and keep enjoying that newfound talent (thank you George for this cool story!)

Above, the one that was restored some time ago

but it's more fascinating to me to see the ones fresh out of decades of storage

Goodyear Aircraft was hoping the more than 500,000 men and women trained to fly during the war would buy a brand new plane. 

But... there were a couple hundred thousand Army Surplus planes cheaper, that they were already familiar with, for a lot less money. 

As a result, less than 2 dozen were made and sold. 

4 were just found in Kalamazoo, well, dismantled, and 2 in a storage garage, and 2 in a chicken coop. They hope all the parts are there to fully assemble 2. 

https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2025/06/02/maps-air-museum-bringing-amphibious-goodyear-duck-planes-back-to-ohio/83942862007/

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1343917314112719&set=pcb.1343917560779361

Happy 100th birthday to the Goodyear Blimp! (one tire company became the restaurant critic, this other, became the live aerial coverage at major events in sports arenas and race tracks, proof that companies can become celebrated outside their genre)

The first non-military airship, Pilgrim, debuted in 1925 as the first helium-filled, non-rigid airship, marking the start of the Goodyear Blimp program.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10158368321844061&set=p.10158368321844061&type=3

the portable mooring mast built on a bus wasn't a short lived operation, it was maintained over decades, above, 1969, and below in back and white, debuting the messaging lighting system, was 1949. Both busses are labeled "Airship operations"

In 1946 and 47, Goodyear ordered 3 Clipper busses from Flxible. 

https://www.popsci.com/technology/19-vintage-goodyear-blimp-photos-on-its-100th-anniversary/

https://58flx.wordpress.com/1947-flxible-2/

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/395342260392

Goodyear hired Lingenfelter to restore the bus

https://www.instagram.com/p/C--yGizNBX6/?img_index=1

http://libertyaviationmuseum.org/collection/vehicles.html#:~:text=Goodyear%20had%20three%20buses%20built,into%20a%20private%20motor%20home.

as long as I'm posting about Goodyear, it turns out, they also own 10 other brands of tires, including Cooper, Dunlop, Mickey Thompson, and Avon, of the ones I've heard of  

https://www.slashgear.com/1870435/goodyear-group-tire-brands/