(sorry, for a short time I had a video here of the crash, but youtube removed it)
Many of us have attended this air show, it's always a risk that someone may crash. Those of us that have been in the crowd knows the gut wrenching fear when something goes wrong. The last time that I attended the Air show, a stunt pilot by the name of Jimmy Franklin was flying a bi-wing Waco with a Pratt and Whitney 450 engine. He was in an inverted spin when his engine failed. He got it started and pulled out of the spin at a very low altitude. Everybody thought that it was just part of the show, but nobody with any common sense whatsoever shuts their engine off while being upside down and near the ground. I remember the feeling of nausea that I experienced, seeing someone come that close to dying. To just go on performing for the crowd must take nerves of steel.
The plane was a modified P-51 Mustang. A World War Two fighter plane. The name of the plane was the Galloping Ghost. The pilot was 80 years old.
It seems strange that there was NO fire. There should have been a fireball with a crash like that. What are the chances that the plane ran out of fuel???
ReplyDeleteHuffinton post on crash
ReplyDeleteMost fireballs are Hollywood Crap.
ReplyDeleteI Don't think Everett ever had a Fireball???
ReplyDeleteI heard the pilot was 74 years old. Still a kid. At least he was older than his plane.
ReplyDeleteOregon
"most fireballs are Hollywood crap"
ReplyDeleteAgreed, but high speed plane crashes are an exception. Most all high speed crashes burst the fuel tank and atomize the fuel and it erupts into flame. Google "Plane crashes" and you will see.
Plane Crash! Time for a Gold story. The Allison and Merlin v-12 engines used in P-51's and Corsairs had a crank shaft thrust washer made from 5oz of pure gold. After 73 when nixon deregulated the gold standard. Guys in those old aircraft bone yards started tearing the engines apart to get at the GOLD! Ya never know where you'll find gold! Peace* from the Desert.
ReplyDeleteI love the sound of those engines charlie. The Galloping Ghost said "Powered by Packard" on the side. I wonder if that engine had gold in it?
ReplyDeleteOregon
All of you interested in ww2 era airplanes might be interested in playing the online air combat sim, Aces High.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.hitechcreations.com
Free 2 week trial and only $14.95 a month for unlimited flying time.
Arghhhh..... I've been spammed by Fred. whod'a thought????
ReplyDeleteNo REAL bullets?
Spam? Hardly. Just a friendly item of mutual interest!
ReplyDeleteThe Spitfire, the Brit equivalent of the Mustang had a Rolls Royce engine in it.
ReplyDeleteI just love the sound of a well built motor. No motor is as well built as an airplane engine. They all sound great!
Ernie,the Merlin engine was a Rolls Royce.
ReplyDeleteOregon
From Wikipedia:
ReplyDelete"During World War II, Packard again built airplane engines, licensing the Merlin engine from Rolls-Royce as the V-1650, which powered the famous P-51 Mustang fighter, ironically known as the "Cadillac of the Skies" by GIs in WWII. It was one of the fastest piston-powered fighters ever and could fly higher than many of its contemporaries, allowing pilots a greater degree of survivability in combat situations. They also built 1350-, 1400-, and 1500-hp V-12 marine engines for American PT boats (each boat used three) and some of Britain's patrol boats."
In 45 at the end of the war, 3 test p-51's were fitted with two v1710 allison's in a common crank case. I saw one of these engines in a pulling tractor a the cow palace. P-38's had turbo charging and had a ceiling of 35000ft. Max hp for the v1710 45 was 2400hp with two stage super chargers and exh. Turbo's that only added power to the prop gear box. The merlin had superior head cooling, but had twice the parts than the v1710. The engines were always at critical mass!
ReplyDelete