With fifty years of experience with building and troubleshooting engines and equipment, and qualifications including his A& P Mechanics license, Bud Warren is a highly qualified builder of aircraft components. Born in Springfield Mo in 1940, Bud always loved things that go fast-and worked on fast cars even as a child and up through his teenage years. As a young man he knew he needed to get to a place where he could learn more and have more opportunity-so in 1958 he moved to Houston Texas. Bud worked in the oilfield and aerospace industry in problem solving for a NASA subcontractor for Boeing Aircraft. Bud was instrumental in the development and perfecting of control instrumentation, and even built the valves that charged the fuel rockets for the Gemini Space Program. Bud is a master machinist and knowledgeable metallurgist having operated his own job machine shop for almost thirty years. During this time, Bud received his certification as an aircraft welder.
Bud was also a licensed builder and inspector for SEMA (Specialty Equipment Manufacturing Association) which was the licensing body for safety and construction of Top Fuel Dragsters, Funny Cars and other classes of NHRA, IHRA and AHRA drag cars.
Bud has been building engines of all varieties since 1958 up to and including top fuel and top alcohol racing engines for drag strip, drag boats, and circle track cars. Bud was a licensed top fuel and funny car driver for nearly twenty years.
In 1980, Bud purchased his first airplane, a Mooney, so that he could attend more drag races! This started his love of aviation that burns brightly still today. Bud was also a member of Tora Tora Tora, and sponsored and flew one of the fleet aircraft for three years. He literally flew this aircraft out of a muddy field in Galveston County Texas where it had sat stuck in the mud for years. He totally rebuilt this airplane to the aircraft that you see today, which was at the time considered the fastest airplane in the Tora Tora Tora Squadron. This airplane still exists within the organization known as the Commemorative Air Force, and wears Mr. Warren�s name as master builder.
In 1992, a friend approached Bud about the possibility of using a small block Chevrolet in his homebuilt Wheeler Express. Bud was fascinated, saw a challenge, and set about to design and put together an engine and drive combination that would be safe and dependable. As a licensed A&P Mechanic, he was intrigued with the idea that an automobile engine could be successfully installed and used in experimental aircraft. The weak link in this assembly proved to be the propeller speed reduction unit. After months spent researching the PSRU's that were on the market and available at the time, decided there must be a better way. With his experience with automotive engines and transmissions, he set out to design a redrive that would engineer out the typical problems that arise with the use of an automobile engine in an airplane. After years of research and development, trouble shooting, and many hours of test flying, Bud has succeeded in engineering out all of the inherent problems associated with such an application.
Bud purchased the Wheeler that he started helping his friend build in 1992 prior to it's maiden flight, and it is still powered by the same Chevrolet engine and prototype PSRU that Bud designed and built for it. He often takes his friends and family for sight seeing trips and cross country travel in this aircraft. Bud is passionate about his convictions and his mechanical knowledge of the experimental aircraft industry, and firmly believes in this redrive and engine combination as evidenced in the fact that he flies it himself.
If you ever get a chance to meet Bud Warren at an airshow, be sure to introduce yourself and say hello. You will find him a interesting and intelligent man who is full of passion for what he does.