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General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: lyric1 on September 11, 2008, 07:13:13 AM

Title: R.A.AF. P51 down.
Post by: lyric1 on September 11, 2008, 07:13:13 AM
Challenge posted this in our squad forum. Sadly it was a plane that I got to see quite a lot over my Home town in Australia. It was always great to see it fly in to land near the local airport when I was a kid.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KishzUtX2H0&feature=related
Title: Re: R.A.AF. P51 down.
Post by: 007Rusty on September 11, 2008, 07:17:06 AM
that stinks  :cry
Title: Re: R.A.AF. P51 down.
Post by: CAP1 on September 11, 2008, 07:56:11 AM
Challenge posted this in our squad forum. Sadly it was a plane that I got to see quite a lot over my Home town in Australia. It was always great to see it fly in to land near the local airport when I was a kid.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KishzUtX2H0&feature=related

they tried to sensaionalize it.
that was no "crash landing"
 it wasn an EXCELLENT belly landing, and it looks as if the pilot saved the aircraft. i couldn't see too much damage from whatr they showed.

 she'll be back in the air in a year or so.

Title: Re: R.A.AF. P51 down.
Post by: Rino on September 11, 2008, 12:57:40 PM
     It's too bad he couldn't get it on the pavement...it's remarkable how little damage is done
compared to an earth/grass landing.  That being said, good job getting the bird down and making
sure the pilot <the important stuff> isn't badly hurt.
Title: Re: R.A.AF. P51 down.
Post by: Chalenge on September 11, 2008, 04:01:48 PM
Im pretty sure the book says grass/dirt is preferred over asphalt.
Title: Re: R.A.AF. P51 down.
Post by: SD67 on September 11, 2008, 04:07:24 PM
That's such a shame. I've been in that aircraft :( I'm glad they got her down safely and intact.
Title: Re: R.A.AF. P51 down.
Post by: CAP1 on September 11, 2008, 04:23:13 PM
Im pretty sure the book says grass/dirt is preferred over asphalt.

agreed. i think that same landing on the runway would've trashed a LOT more of the aircraft
Title: Re: R.A.AF. P51 down.
Post by: Rino on September 11, 2008, 04:35:03 PM
     Well...I've seen about a dozen aircraft wheels up, about ten on the pavement.
In my experience the asphalt birds fared much better, the grass ones tend to bog in
and shred the belly.  The pavement birds generally lose the boarding step and a little
paint.

     I have also seen that it's very important that the guys recovering your aircraft know
what they're doing.  A few years back a Be-58 landed wheels up on the runway, again
just minor damage done...even the props didn't strike, sparing the sudden stoppage to
the engines.

     A very large wrecker was brought out and straps wrapped around the fuselage fore and
aft of the wing.  When the wrecker lifted the aircraft, the fuselage bent like a banana.  Since
then I've seen that removing the engine cowl and lifting by the engine hoists is much
safer
.
Title: Re: R.A.AF. P51 down.
Post by: Motherland on September 11, 2008, 04:39:40 PM
     Well...I've seen about a dozen aircraft wheels up, about ten on the pavement.
In my experience the asphalt birds fared much better, the grass ones tend to bog in
and shred the belly.  The pavement birds generally lose the boarding step and a little
paint.

     I have also seen that it's very important that the guys recovering your aircraft know
what they're doing.  A few years back a Be-58 landed wheels up on the runway, again
just minor damage done...even the props didn't strike, sparing the sudden stoppage to
the engines.

     A very large wrecker was brought out and straps wrapped around the fuselage fore and
aft of the wing.  When the wrecker lifted the aircraft, the fuselage bent like a banana.  Since
then I've seen that removing the engine cowl and lifting by the engine hoists is much
safer.
>
One of the problems with the mustang, I think, would be the radiator jutting out underneath the aircraft. Then again, I can't imagine it fared to well going into the dirt, either.
Title: Re: R.A.AF. P51 down.
Post by: Fulmar on September 11, 2008, 05:03:39 PM
Im pretty sure the book says grass/dirt is preferred over asphalt.
Metal + asphalt = sparks
fuel + sparks = fire
fire = bad
Title: Re: R.A.AF. P51 down.
Post by: Chalenge on September 11, 2008, 05:37:26 PM
You may have a point Fulmar especially where aircraft built with magnesium are concerned but I dont believe that describes the P51 very well. Still I believe warbird pilots and especially P51 pilots have always been told to put it in the grass and at least that way the airport can still be used (not that it always is).
Title: Re: R.A.AF. P51 down.
Post by: Rino on September 11, 2008, 05:54:22 PM
Metal + asphalt = sparks
fuel + sparks = fire
fire = bad

     Ok, just how many gear up landings have you witnessed?  Getting a little tired of people
acting like I'm some sort of moron.  Aluminum rarely sparks, and in all the gearups I've
witnessed, not one caught fire.

     In fact I've worked on a flightline for over 25 years, military and civilian.  In that time I've
witnessed 2 fires..an F-4 engine fire and a CL-601 brake fire from a high speed taxi test.  The
Phantom caught fire while airborne and the Challenger's left main gear brake seized.
Title: Re: R.A.AF. P51 down.
Post by: Brooke on September 11, 2008, 08:30:08 PM
Looks like the belly landing was good enough that the plane should be readily fixable.  I was very happy to see that the pilot was able to such a great job on that.
Title: Re: R.A.AF. P51 down.
Post by: Guppy35 on September 11, 2008, 11:26:04 PM
That incident took place back in June.
Title: Re: R.A.AF. P51 down.
Post by: TX58 on September 12, 2008, 12:04:23 AM
 I have been involved with the repair of two aircraft, that have had gear up landings. They where both Mooney M-20S models. So I have a pretty good comparison.  Both initially landed on the runway, but one of them quickly slid off the runway and into the dirt. The one which left the runway was much easier to repair, and was approx. $10,000 cheaper to repair. In the case of these two aircraft the runway was turned into a large belt sander. With the one leaving the runway fairing much better. BTW fire was a non issue in both cases.
Title: Re: R.A.AF. P51 down.
Post by: Chalenge on September 12, 2008, 01:10:51 AM
That incident took place back in June.

Yes Guppy when I mentioned it (posted) for Lyric I mentioned it was old news.
Title: Re: R.A.AF. P51 down.
Post by: lyric1 on September 12, 2008, 07:12:44 AM
That incident took place back in June.
Using the metric calender here.
Title: Re: R.A.AF. P51 down.
Post by: CAP1 on September 12, 2008, 07:50:21 AM
     Ok, just how many gear up landings have you witnessed?  Getting a little tired of people
acting like I'm some sort of moron.  Aluminum rarely sparks, and in all the gearups I've
witnessed, not one caught fire.

     In fact I've worked on a flightline for over 25 years, military and civilian.  In that time I've
witnessed 2 fires..an F-4 engine fire and a CL-601 brake fire from a high speed taxi test.  The
Phantom caught fire while airborne and the Challenger's left main gear brake seized.


ok........he had the option. he actually performed a perfect landing...except that the gfear was stuck.
now....same situation, but on the runway, considering that blacktop, or concrete, is much much more abrasive than dirt/grass, wasn't the dirt really the better choice? i mean, he most likely loaded the radiator with dirt, but other than that, airframewise, i'd think he only bent a few things(superficial, not critical).
 also, dont the ponys use a gear reduction box between the engine and prop? chances are good that the prop hitting the dirt was a softer hit that if it had been hard surface, thus saving the gearbox too.

 now, the same landing onm hard surface, i would imagine at his landing speed would have ground its way through the skin, possibly doing more serious damage to the underbelly internally. the prop strike would've been more damaging(i think) as it hit hard unforgiving surface.

 we can't really second guess this pilot as we weren't there, and cannot say what we would've done ourselves. this guy did an excellent job in s high stress situation.

 i've only ever seen 2 gear ups myself. a piper twin flown by an 87 year old man, forgot his gear till his prop tips contacted the ground....he firewalled the throttles, and did save tht one......came back around with gear down this time, but tried to do a carrier landing. the resulting bounce, and his delayed reaction, caused a stall at about 20 or so feet, and the plane ended up off the side of the runway...FUBAR'ed.
 the other was a cessna 310 i think....flown by a cfi/student. i was told it did have a gear warning horn, which was working, but neither of them heeded it. that one had 2 brand new engines in it.
Title: Re: R.A.AF. P51 down.
Post by: CAP1 on September 12, 2008, 07:51:39 AM
   

     In fact I've worked on a flightline for over 25 years, military and civilian.  In that time I've
witnessed 2 fires..an F-4 engine fire and a CL-601 brake fire from a high speed taxi test.  The
Phantom caught fire while airborne and the Challenger's left main gear brake seized.


i heard the F4's used to have a problem with the fuel tanks splitting?
Title: Re: R.A.AF. P51 down.
Post by: Hornet33 on September 12, 2008, 08:14:30 AM
     Ok, just how many gear up landings have you witnessed?  Getting a little tired of people
acting like I'm some sort of moron.  Aluminum rarely sparks, and in all the gearups I've
witnessed, not one caught fire.

     In fact I've worked on a flightline for over 25 years, military and civilian.  In that time I've
witnessed 2 fires..an F-4 engine fire and a CL-601 brake fire from a high speed taxi test.  The
Phantom caught fire while airborne and the Challenger's left main gear brake seized.


Watched a KC-135 belly in at Altus AFB back in the late 80's  Aircraft was a TOTAL loss after the fire from the sparks when it went sliding down the concrete. Not long after that had a T-38 belly in at Altus. That one burned as well.

Just saying that both belly landings I've personally seen on concrete, both burned.
Title: Re: R.A.AF. P51 down.
Post by: Seagoon on September 12, 2008, 12:50:54 PM
All things considered that was an excellent landing. By the time I'm in my seventies I seriously doubt I'll be able to safely parallel park much less belly land a Mustang.
 :salute