I know that airplane racing is anything by grassroots.. but this could have been a LOT worse
I know that airplane racing is anything by grassroots.. but this could have been a LOT worse
Yikes.
I saw that earlier today. As you say it could have been spectacularly bad. Most plane crash reports have that D word in them.
Holy berkeley, a lot worse indeed
cool as a cucumber too
His right hand was probaby shattered. Hope he recovers quickly. That could have been much worse.
What strikes me is that the first thing the air racers do when they see each other, is ask if the other is OK and embrace each other... Not something you often see in car racing.
Driven5 wrote: What strikes me is that the first thing the air racers do when they see each other, is ask if the other is OK and embrace each other... Not something you often see in car racing.
Really? Car racing is the only place I've seen it. I don't think I've actually hugged another man anywhere outside of a motorsports park.
That is awful. I didn't know they didn't wear actual helmets.
I didn't see that coming, scary stuff
Lucky that hand was still on the end of his arm after that, be a long time before he plays the piano again.
Brett_Murphy wrote: That is awful. I didn't know they didn't wear actual helmets.
Thom wears one when he's flying Precious Metal (his Griffin powered P-51). I don't think he can wear one in Hot Stuff....not enough room between his head and the canopy!
He was talking about it on Reddit, pretty nuts, he said his hand was pretty trashed, but he felt it was good it was on his head. Lucky lucky lucky
Wow. That was crazy.
"Incidents" in air racing are not uncommon. It's what comes with pushing them to the edge. It can just be a bit more severe when you are in the air (fortunately this one was not). I have had the unfortune to witness a few of the severe ones.
I keep an eye on the races each year (my sister volunteers there each year). Along with this accident, they had Sport plane (basically hot home builts) go up in flames as it crossed the finish. It landed save, but basically burned up on the ground.
They also had a Vampire jet (OLD jet) have a canopy failure on course, which apparently put some debris in the engine, which killed the engine. He ended up (wisely) leaving the gear up and bellying it into the brush. Plane is trashed (wooden construction).
So, issues, but no injuries, which is good.
Want to know what happens when a prop comes off of a heavily boosted Sport class plane (a few years ago), listen to the over rev sound!:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/qQZpRHcmHtQ
How about a 3000+ hp motor with the throttle stuck wide open.. in a plane with very little fuel, and even less wing? (kills the motor at the right time and glides in!)
https://www.youtube.com/embed/OJqz0kWTnlM
I cannot find a video of the P-51 that lost a trim tab at 500mph. Pilot wakes up at 10,000 feet in a steep climb! (BTW not the later fatal trim tab failure)
P.S. it is looking like the unlimited class (basically supped up warbirds) is dying off. They have a very small field this year. Not a lot of people want to do it anymore (cost, danger, lack of winnings etc).
Idjut! Slamming someone in the paddock?
914Driver wrote: Idjut! Slamming someone in the paddock?
Looks like he died on the runway to me? Also, in a tail dragger (the plane that hit him,) you can't see anything but sky after you roll out. That's why they swerve back and forth while taxiing. Until the tail comes up, you're blind. You probably already knew that given your avatar. 
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