Attachment 24700
(Click to upsize.)
Story HERE
I'm just glad the pilot got out!!!
Bob
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Attachment 24700
(Click to upsize.)
Story HERE
I'm just glad the pilot got out!!!
Bob
Not too many of these old girls left to waste .... :(
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qME7VefLxFw
A tragedy. At least the pilot got out okay and hopefully the wreck might help get another airworthy.
Many of these incidents are caused by we call the 'Air Show Disease'
Too often good pilots lose their attention to the myriad of details necessary for safe flight or they just perform dangerous maneuvers in these old warbirds attempting to impress the crouds, when in reality the crouds would be just as impressed to see the old plane fly by safely.
Here's photos of one such indident of air show disease -
This was Friday afternoon when all the aircraft show up for the weekend show. I flew right over him when in the pattern to land and he had his helicopter on a trailer washing it off under the powerline supplying all power to the airport. When I was signing in after landing to get our room passes all the power went out. The guy flying the helicopter was an accomplished pilot and did a famous act where he flew 'Otto' through all find of maneuvers, but in his excitement to takeoff and play with the other aircraft he forgot he parked right under a power line and lifted off right into it.
It didn't hurt him. In fact as it turned out he and his wife got the room next to mine and I could hear her yelling at him half the night.
Harlan, I was surprised the guy had a parachute. I see pics of planes with seat cushions. Do they still fly airshows here with 'chutes?
Bob
Did you notice in the story that the Skyraider landed with part of the wing missing from the collision?
Those things are built like trucks and can survive a lot of damage.
Sad to see another piece of history lost.
AZB
Hi Bob,Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Womack
Most of the guys flying high performance aircraft like WWII fighters do wear parachutes and helmets. Also, you're supposed to wear a parachute when doing aerobatics. The knew emergency chutes are actually pretty light and small. We never wore parachutes when flying the C-47 because it's thought of more like a big bus but I always had in the back of my mind the fire possibility.
Yeah, looking at the match-up, I would have expected the Skyraider to get the better half of it.Quote:
Originally Posted by ArizonaBeagle
Bob
One of my CAF firends sent this along with some still photos. As I assumed there wasn't anything left of the Mustang to salvage.
It clearly shows "Big Beautiful Doll" was flight lead but, during the pull up and break the geometry got all wrong and the Skyraider hit the Mustang with its right wing just aft of the radiator door and buckled the whole bottom of the tailcone. The Mustang pilot (Rob Davies) then had no elevator control and had to bail out.
I'm also attaching some pictures.
I resized a couple of the photos to display here larger.
(At that altitude he did an amazing job of getting out in time)
You can see the damage aft of the radiator here which most likely damaged or broke control cables
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...1/07/412-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...11/07/86-1.jpg
...not to mention that the whole tail assembly was canted downwards from the radiator aft, forcing the horizontal stabs to act as fixed elevators, pitching the nose down. Thanks for the pics, Harlan. The top blowup saws it all. That's what you call tucking in 'til your wing is in his ear... I do believe you can hear the impact in the video clip.
Bob
I can see it now. Regardless, he lost control. Most people don't realize how fragile aircraft are and a small dent can have a huge effect. I can hardly believe some of the B-17's made it back with gaping wholes.
Most remarkable to me was he got out that quickly. Nothing is automatic in these old planes. He had to remove his seat belt, open the canopy, and then stand on the seat before bailing out. Amazing presence of mind.
I was at one show and a flight of four T-6's passed over in tight formation and one of the spectators near me was throwing a fit. He said that he flew bombers in WWII and they had to fly formations that close, but there was no reason to do it for a show. Makes you think.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...1/07/413-1.jpg
The funny part about aircraft is that some with horrible-looking wounds make it back and some with very light apparent damage go down. Of course, it could be because their skins are so light you can push a screwdriver through and whose skins form a structural stiffener for the whole assembly and the force of a contact can easily be transmitted to beneath-the-skin components, as you pointed out with the P-51's control cables. Have you seen THIS site, Harlan?
On a related subject, now that B-17 Chuckie has been purchased by a local museum and restoration depot, how hard do you suppose it is going to be for them to get their hands on a Sperry ball turret and nose turret? I think Chuckie is a G model that has had these two turrets removed. I wonder if they are just going to have to fabricate the turrets for themselves? They are certainly capable of it.
Bob
It's amazing what parts are laying around inside various 'T-hangars' and other places. They might be able to find them. If they have an example to copy, it's amazing what a fabricator can make from scratch. I think 'Chuckie' was a fire bomber when Doc bought her and they'd already removed the gun turrets to reduce drag. Those turrets created a LOT of drag and most were taken out of all ex-warbirds when they went into civil service.
The Collin's B-17 is completely restored better than any I've seen. All it takes is money!
Oh, my gosh. Scratch that, Harlan. They've had her for, what, five months and they've already got her a ball and nose turret and they are installed. PICS Unbe-stinkin'-lievable.!!!
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...e_B17_14-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...e_B17_26-1.jpg
Ball needs some refurb work but it's a real functionable example. I'm dying here.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...e_B17_02-1.jpg
Bob
The guys down the road have acquired CAF's "Alte Tante Ju" as well.
Bob
Next time I come to the States I am going to have to find out where the CAF is hiding some of these beauties and come look. Thankfully someone is looking after and rebuilding these old girls.
That P51 will likely be back flying in a few years. At least the data plate will be! Wouldn't be the first time.
Here's some new video that clearly shows the impact .
Nose dive! Pilot lands World War One Fokker plane on its propellor when gust of wind scuppers display | Mail Online
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