Warbird Information Exchange

I was at the show, thankfully didn't see the fall as I was off base, at a spot right in line with the runway. I could hear the props droning on and on while I waited for the jets, wasn't even watching them,and heard about the incident on my scanner.
They mulled over cancelling the whole show, but a couple acts eventually went up. 2 F-18's closed the show, and they were cut short when a 20 minute cloudburst enveloped the flying area.

I hope that the entire airshow circuit will examine this, and make stunts like this a thing of the past. People with a daredevil streak should not be allowed a platform like airshows, and encouraged to risk their lives and to traumatize children who witness their needless deaths. Almost all people come to see the jets & warbirds, stunt acts like this are just a cheap fill for the premium acts. The barnstorming days are long gone - Aviation is inherently risky enough without adding fringe elements like this to the mix.

The wind was fairly brisk that day, I'd have to say gusts up to 20. Prop wash, rotor wash, air speed ... I wonder if a guy like this could ever bring himself to call off a performance when conditions are approaching or exceeding any safety limits ? Wouldn't be much of a "daredevil", people would say, if he let a little wind scare him away ,,, And also may be the main reason why they don't wear chutes.

Was watching the local news last night, and they showed video of the fall, but not the impact. The newscaster said that it appeared that the Stearman pulled away too quick, thinking he had a firm grip on the copters skid, when in fact he did not. Looking at the video a few times, it appears that may be possible ,, But I personally have not looked at the incident nearly enough, or in slow motion, to draw such a conclusion myself.
In any case, terrible incident, RIP and condolences to the family.

The Bearcat pulling up ...



The Bearcat going straight up ...



The Bearcat rolling while continuing to climb ...



The Bearcat slowing as it mushes over the top. At this point I got a sick feeling in my stomach and mumbled "Not the Bearcat!" I pulled the camera away from my face to check the altitude. It wasn't much.



The Bearcat on the way down. Once he had completed a quarter turn, I was relieved to see it wasn't spinning. If it would have spun there would have been no chance of recovery.

I've seen them do this one other time. Someone has figured out the plane is capable of this maneuver, but it doesn't leave any margin for error.

They lost a Bearcat to a failed hammerhead attempt in 1966:

http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.o ... p?p=263783

It's a tricky maneuver, and a gutsy one so low to the ground. That being said, I don't see why a skilled pilot couldn't do it.

Any low-altitude maneuvering is inherently risky. That's why it's so thrilling to see it done. I hate to see anyone get hurt, but the only place I can think of where you can watch airplanes that are unlikely to crash is a museum.

_________________
What is red, furry and on your six?

i have seen many of these acts, and i have always thought;; "guys do your stunts a little higher up". so i guess my question is; if they did their their stunts with a little more hight, wouldn't it be a little safer? a little more time to find a good place to land, maybe get a shoot open, a little more time to recover and so on.

I once did hammerheads in my airshow. I stopped when I spun out of one at low altitude. (I found them less predictable in the Mustang than in the Pitts, Decathelon, etc. Thus I dropped them from the low aerobatic show.)

Each flyer needs to determine their own risk level (chance of exposure to injury or loss) based on their knowledge and ability. If any one of these two items (knowledge-ability) is lacking, the risk is that much greater.

VL

Thanks for posting that, Vlado. I was going to comment earlier if anyone had bothered to ask the opinion of any Bearcat pilots who had done routines what THEIR thoughts on the matter were, but can't find my flame-retardant suit. I did, however, ask a friend of mine who back in his day was rather well known for some specacular performances in an F8F-2...still waiting to hear on a reply.

_________________
Offer me solutions, offer me alternatives, and I decline......

Isn't this how we lost the P-63 at Biggin Hill in 2001?

_________________
Keep Em' Flying,
Christopher Soltis
Dedicated to the preservation and education of The Sikorsky Memorial Airport

CASC Blog Page: http://ctair-space.blogspot.com/
Warbird Wear: https://www.redbubble.com/people/warbirdwear/shop

Chicks Dig Warbirds.......right?

I think that was a botched loop.

a mans just got to know his limitations. He must also know the limitations of his machine, for if one does not, it will probably kill you. Mother Nature can always change the atmospherics and then you are really, really screwed. Is this manuver actually "Safe"? I imagine so if executed at a higher altitude providing one with an Oh S**t factor of safety.

_________________
Kind Regards,
Gary Lewis
J.A.F.O.

We haven't heard anything yet on a Bearcat incident, but I will state flatly that doing a Hammerhead on Level 1 waivers in a prop fighter would NOT be in any routine I would condone.
I've done them in the 51 with altitude but never even thought of doing one in a show routine. The Bear, considering it's power and propeller size could even be more problems in this scenario than the 51, although both have the same issues to some extent.
The problem with a low altitude initiated HH in these airplanes is a complex one, and it gets exceedingly worse as the aircraft flies the up line. As you lose energy you get slipstream force, torque, and gyroscopic precession all acting on the airframe in varying degrees with increasing rates. In a Bearcat you can have your hands full of airplane in a heartbeat as things deteriorate nearing your apex point.
Slowing on the up line, your slipstream tightens on you becoming more and more powerful tending to slew the aircraft right which in turn drops the left wing. Now torque comes into the equation and wants to roll you left. You're correcting these forces with right rudder and right aileron if you have a ball centered up line.
At the apex things can get downright interesting on you. As the energy bleed comes back to your rotation point and you apply inside rudder to initiate the pivot, you're now faced with gyroscopic precession as that HUGE prop disk rotates up front. That wants to pull you over on your back while torque wants to roll you left. You apply forward stick to counter the precess and right aileron for the torque. The speed difference between the rotating wings causes a lift asymmetric requiring right aileron to kill the lift countering that left roll tendency.
If you're beginning to get the picture that Hammer Heading something as powerful as a Bear from a low altitude initiated up line just might not be the maneuver of choice for the prudent and well advised, my work here today has been well spent.
It is possible to reduce power as you fly the up line and make the pivot powered back which is indeed an option for doing a HH in a prop fighter but even that's not a good idea coming off a Level 1 initiation.
Bad JuJu in these airplanes.
Hoover, as good as he is, torqued off his high apex in a 51 at Transpo in 72 at Dulles. Being Hoover he saved it but anyone else might have had a really bad day.
Anyway, my read on Hammerheads off the deck in Bearcats FWIW.
Very glad this one had a happy ending because the rest of the weekend was bad news enough for a lifetime.
Dudley Henriques

_________________
Dudley Henriques
International Fighter Pilots Fellowship

On my first ride in Crazy Horse, we went vertical with a half turn and did a Hammer Head turn... It will get your attention. I have done them in a J-3 & a Super Decathelon with no problems, but as Dudley mentions given the size of the prop and the torque and no airspeed, it could go sour real quick...

I can’t let this crap pass. I am sick of wanna-be nerds that think they know something about aviation putting their two cents worth in.

Our Bearcat flew a safe and legal and professional routine and at no time was there any loss of control or dangerous or reckless actions taken by the pilot. “Wilson” does all of us a disservice by suggesting otherwise. The pilot is one of THE BEST in the business. I seriously doubt that Wilson has the knowledge and training to adequately critique the Bearcat’s performance.

_________________
Check out our new website.
CAF SoCal Wing http://www.cafsocal.com/

Tell us how you really feel Dan!

_________________
"I knew the jig was up when I saw the P-51D-20-NA Mustang blue-nosed bastards from Bodney, and by the way the blue was more of a royal blue than an indigo and the inner landing gear interiors were NOT green, over Berlin."

But Dan you just described yourself
Lynn, Vlado, Dudley & even that shifty P-3 dude Speedy may know a thing or 2 but heck don't let that stop ya from shooting from the hip

_________________
Don't touch my junk!!

You say "shifty" like it's a bad thing........

_________________
Offer me solutions, offer me alternatives, and I decline......