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1. 05:11 PM - (Steve Bray)
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soneria-owner@yahoogroups.com, soneria@yahoogroups.com,
SoneriaList <sonerai-list@matronics.com>
--> Sonerai-List message posted by: Steve Bray <rebelzap@yahoo.com>
Sirs, Lady's and Wannabes
Today I saw something I never wished to witnesses.
I saw an aircraft crash! No injuries but a crash.
I was watching an air show in my hometown from the
end of the runway, a point not available to anyone but
the property owner.
The accident was a clip-wing cub that was landing on
a car. I had seen him do this three times in two days.
I owned and flew a cub at one time and this didn't
look that hard to do but I've never tried it so I
won't pass judgment on that but the landing was at
about 60 mph running down the runway. With no
crosswind it wouldn't be something I wouldn't be
afraid to try but I've never tried it.
The car has ramps built on the roof and the cub would
ease up on the car as it ran down the runway. He would
touch down on the car and ease forward to the front of
the ramps where the main wheels were locked into
place. He would then drop the tailwheel down and the
car would slow and turn around. They would run down
the runway again, the tail would lift and the cub
would take off again.
None of this looked too hard to me as all this is no
real task for a cub. I noticed that the pilot would
make what looked like a good touchdown and then pull
the cub up sharply for no apparent reason. Missed
approach? I thought this was probably to make it more
exciting for the audience.
The main thing that made me think this is because
when he would take off he would get the tail up and
was traveling at least 50 mph so the cub was flying
for sure, He would linger on the car for a few seconds
then snatch it off in a very sharp climb and left
turn. The first time I saw this I thought it was
extreme and unnecessary but not especially unsafe
except for being 20 ft agl.
The last time he did this he pulled up to quick,
dropped the tailwheel into the rigging of the ramp
where it caught and pancaked into the ground!
He walked away without injury but sure screwed up a
fine cub. It completely collapsed the gear so the cub
was on its belly. The prop tips were bent FORWARD!
The tailwheel was bent 60 degrees and torn loose from
two of three airframe tubes it was welded to.
As I said I had a much better vantage point than 95%
of the people there and and I'm glad no one was hurt
but it looked to me like showmanship overcame judgment
and messed up a very good J-3.
The F-18 was awesome and there was an A-10 flying in
formation with a P-51!
SAFE flying
Steve
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