USA Icon of speed Art Arfons

[Nordic]

Its not a good time to be a US legand.

First Steve Fosset goes missing and is still not found, then last weekend Evel Knievel makes the jump from earth to heaven, sadly without his Harley and now Art Arfons has died.

He held the LSR 3 times with his 'Green Monster' jet cars among his many other achivements.


http://www.speedace.info/art_arfons.htm

[mgmark]

Sad news - I remember the various record attempts as a kid in the '60s.  His efforts always captured the imagination because they were not underpinned by big corporations and sponsorship, just good back-yard manufacture and tinkering.  Made you feel like you could do it, given the ability to find the odd jet engine in a scrapyard!

MG Mark

[Barry]

Very sad news, followed his battles with Craig Bredlove for the record when I was a kid, the Green Monster was always my favourite, always looked industrial 30's art deco, compared with the pretty 60's Spirit of America.

Probably last of the barnyard engineers, following in the tracks of the early pioneers of the car and plane, the likes of which we will never see again.

There was a great documentery on, I think channel 5, earier this year which covered the Land Speed record, Art was on the programme, still tinkering with jet engines in his barn.

RIP

[Steve Pyro]

Sad news indeed.  As an avid follower of LSR history, I can only echo what a tremendous contribution to jet engine powered drag racers, land speed record cars and, latterly, his tractor pulling vehicles - most were known as the Green Monster - by Art.

A true junk yard engineer, having 'obtained' many engines that were deemed to be scrap.  One story involves a General Electric J72, at the time a top secret military engine, that he fitted to his LSR car - this was rumoured to have some damaged blades.  He merely removed the opposite blades to rebalance the rotor.
He also used to carry out engine tie down tests with the engine in the chassis which was chained to a tree in his backyard!

[Boorish Grobian]

Agreed, sad news.  As Steve rightly points out, Art was legendary for his "backyard" approach to LSR engineering.  The GE J72 story has passed into legend, the US defense dept wanted their engine back, (and wanted to know how the hell he got it in the first place) but he fought them tooth & nail...and won!
Fax

[Steve Pyro]

Green Monster tractor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtUB1yI035g


A couple of pics -