crash at duxford today [2011]

[kristorf]

Found this picture


hosting images

A mate who restores warbirds thinks the control cables were severed

[Bryan21cag]

wow im no ghoul lol but i too was instantly frustrated by the clips that stopped recording, only because i could not see the extent of the damage to BBD.

After watching that last vid with the slow motion I have to say That might have been the most level headed bit of piloting i have seen in a while.

Stern or the other heavy iron pilots can correct me if im wrong here as I have no experience in these types of aircraft but looks to me like A second after the collision he jetted his canopy in preparation for what he may have to do (very quick thinking), and then spent several more seconds trying to get the nose up and as far as i could tell it never responded to what ever inputs he was giving it (possibly the control cables were cut as previously discussed) and then made yet another split second decision to get the H. E. double hockey sticks out of there.

It seemed like while she still had a bit of up attitude left in her he was still working the controls trying to get a response but then when she started to go nose down and she still wasn't responding he made the call to bail.

I guess the investigation will show what it shows but that's what my untrained saw in that last video anyway

WoW i bet his first Beer that night never tasted so good

Cheers and thanks for that last video whom ever made it and posted it

[Sternjaeger II]

Originally Posted by Bryan21cag

wow im no ghoul lol but i too was instantly frustrated by the clips that stopped recording, only because i could not see the extent of the damage to BBD.

After watching that last vid with the slow motion I have to say That might have been the most level headed bit of piloting i have seen in a while.

Stern or the other heavy iron pilots can correct me if im wrong here as I have no experience in these types of aircraft but looks to me like A second after the collision he jetted his canopy in preparation for what he may have to do (very quick thinking), and then spent several more seconds trying to get the nose up and as far as i could tell it never responded to what ever inputs he was giving it (possibly the control cables were cut as previously discussed) and then made yet another split second decision to get the H. E. double hockey sticks out of there.

It seemed like while she still had a bit of up attitude left in her he was still working the controls trying to get a response but then when she started to go nose down and she still wasn't responding he made the call to bail.

I guess the investigation will show what it shows but that's what my untrained saw in that last video anyway

WoW i bet his first Beer that night never tasted so good

Cheers and thanks for that last video whom ever made it and posted it

the first thing you want to do is jettison the canopy for two reasons: 1) you might have to jump at some point 2) if you topple the mustang once on the ground there's no way to jettison the canopy, so you can get stuck inside.

Jumping is considered the best option simply because in case of a belly landing you don't have any structure that can protect you in case you topple the plane (the armoured headrest used to work as anti-crush strut too), and it happened with other warbirds that pilots got crushed under the plane. So once again, play it safe, bail out (as long as you have altitude).

The plane had flaps down, that's the typical exit manoeuvre to prepare landing config (drop 10 degrees flaps then you bleed speed down to landing gear safe speed), so the plane probably managed to keep a relatively steady attitude, the pilot then jumped out (you normally kick the stick to get out, and if you still have control authority you'll just be thrown out, the problem is that you might hit the tail fin, as it actually happened). Once again, he did the right thing.

[Al Schlageter]

Originally Posted by kristorf

Found this picture
A mate who restores warbirds thinks the control cables were severed

Have your mate look up where the control cables run on the P-51D. He might change his mind.

[bongodriver]

Originally Posted by Al Schlageter

Have your mate look up where the control cables run on the P-51D. He might change his mind.

I doubt he would, that spot just behind the radiator outlet is where the cables run, and from the pictures you can see thats where it took the damage.

[Al Schlageter]

Originally Posted by bongodriver

I doubt he would, that spot just behind the radiator outlet is where the cables run, and from the pictures you can see thats where it took the damage.

You had better take a better look. The elevator cables run just above the longeron that runs the length of the fuselage and angle up from just behind the canopy towards the top of the fuselage just in front of the tail wheel. The rudder cables run just above the longeron and angle up slightly further aft and go to a mid point on the aft bulkhead.

[bongodriver]

Originally Posted by Al Schlageter

You had better take a better look. The elevator cables run just above the longeron that runs the length of the fuselage and angle up from just behind the canopy towards the top of the fuselage just in front of the tail wheel. The rudder cables run just above the longeron and angle up slightly further aft and go to a mid point on the aft bulkhead.

and you need to wake up and smell the coffe, the impact was serious enough to rip a wing off a skyraider....do you really believe the damage was light?, it doesn't matter if the cables run higher in the fuselage, the internal structures like bulkheads would likely crumple and cables often run through bulkheads this would at least bind the cables, if the bulkhead shears that could easily cut the cables.

[Trumper]

Originally Posted by Al Schlageter

You had better take a better look. The elevator cables run just above the longeron that runs the length of the fuselage and angle up from just behind the canopy towards the top of the fuselage just in front of the tail wheel. The rudder cables run just above the longeron and angle up slightly further aft and go to a mid point on the aft bulkhead.

The truth will out in the future BUT i guess the P51 pilot would have more idea than any of us looking at a photo.
Even if a cable hadn't snapped it may be crushed out of shape or caught up on a damaged bit of internal metalwork,not only that the integrity of the structure maybe compromised and threatening to disintegrate.
I know something,he did the right thing,he is sleeping at home and not 6 feet under.

[HurricaneDriver]

I'm so glad the pilot got clear, but as a Brit ex-pat who loves warbirds I've been wanting to see the Big Beautiful Doll-schemed Mustang for years. It's the prettiest paint scheme of the era, and I liked this a/c especially as I'm in Melbourne Australia, and that particular ship was built in 1950 at Fishermans Bend, as a very limited run of the only P51s built outside of the US.

I'm sure they'll be another BBD paint schemed Mustang, but I especially loved the Melbourne element. I was in the UK last August, and missed seeing BBD flying due to family commitments, but I hoped to see her fly next year.

It's such a shame....

[ElAurens]

There is at least one BBD operating in the US.