Mustang down at Legends, Pilot o.k

[dr_gn]

Waynester said:

Who was flying the Mustang?

Don't know, but according to the program, one of the original pilots of the Skyraider was supposed to be coming over for the event. I think the Skyraider display pilot was Ex U.S. Navy. I'll have to re-read the article.

[DamienB]

Rob Davies was flying the Mustang. Used to be his aircraft until sold earlier this year.

As for damage - the Skyraider's wing tip came up and stove in the underside of the Mustang's fuselage around the radiator exit flap area. It was otherwise intact, but the control runs all go through this area so it's looking likely that Rob had no elevator or rudder control left. I'm genuinely confused as to how a few people can see the videos and conclude that the Mustang managed to chop into the Skyraider rather than vice versa.

[Eric Mc]

Somebody didn't execute the manouever like theu should. However, not being party to what was agreed beforehand, it's impossible to say at this stage which pilot was at fault. It could even have been a bit of error by both.

[DamienB]

Excellent quality video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmsJW0-6JB0

Shows just how quickly Rob reacted.

[Simpo Two]

Blimey; well done cameraman for spotting the action and staying with it.

The bit that falls off looks like the Skyraider's wingtip; the P51 seemed quite stable.

Edited by Simpo Two on Monday 11th July 18:09

[Eric Mc]

Very, very good footage. I reckon the Skyraider pilot couldn't see the Mustang because of the position of his starboard wing due to the bank angle he had assumed.

[dr_gn]

Eric Mc said:

Very, very good footage. I reckon the Skyraider pilot couldn't see the Mustang because of the position of his starboard wing due to the bank angle he had assumed.

That appeared to be quite a speed differential...

[Mojocvh]

Looking at that footage I think the Skyraider pilot was actually cranking it over having lost visual but was a fraction too late starting the manoeuvre....

[Eric Mc]

The Skyraider has a bloody big nose and wing - enough to blot out most of Cambridgeshire.

[Mojocvh]

What was the paint on the skyraider?

[Simpo Two]

Pix of damaged Skyraider landing here:

http://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&amp...

[Eric Mc]

Mojocvh said:

What was the paint on the skyraider?

US Navy carrier borne bomber. It was designed to replace the Dauntless and Avenger but entered service too late to be used in WW2. They were used extensively in the Korean War. In the Vietnam War, the US Navy used them for a few years buty were in the process of retiring them. However, surplus airframes were snapped up by the US Air Force who found them invaluable as cover aircraft for search and rescue patrols.

It was the experience of using the Skyraider in Vietnam that gave rise to the specification that led to the Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt II.

Oops - I read that as "point". Ignore my post.

The paint scheme carried is typical of US Navy schemes of the late 50s and 60s.

[Mojocvh]

Wow, built like the proverbial, as they say, the aileron is still on with only one mount/bush/bearing!!

No scrub that I think it's inboard if it's there at all!!

Edited by Mojocvh on Monday 11th July 19:37

[dr_gn]

I wonder if a sililar thing might have happened here to the Hurricane pilot lost at Shoreham a few years ago? The Accident report mentioned that if one pilot has been following another in formation for a while, when the leader breaks formation the main point of reference for the following pilot is lost, which can cause some disorientation.

Having said that, this manouver must have been done dozens of times in past Legends airshows without any incident.

[IroningMan]

Skyraider is a big, chunky, carrier-enabled bomb platform - I'd imagine that the damage to the Mustang would've been pretty substantial.

[Total loss]

DamienB said:

Excellent quality video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmsJW0-6JB0

Shows just how quickly Rob reacted.

Video now removed. Another one shows the accident at a distance, the Skyraider pilot certainly pored on the coals to recover.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_A4xdGFXoE

[Simpo Two]

Total loss said:

Video now removed.

Odd; I wonder if the lawyers are chucking stuff about?

[DamienB]

Video still available via the camera man's site:

http://www.flyingfilm.co.uk/

[Total loss]

DamienB said:

Video still available via the camera man's site:

http://www.flyingfilm.co.uk/

Thanks for that Damien, even knowing the safe outcome for the pilot, its still a heart stopping moment before he jumps and then waiting for the shute.

[Total loss]

A little bit of historical info, the paint scheme of the P-51 Big Beautiful Doll is of an aircraft of the 78th Fighter Group which was based at Duxford in WWII. Many aircraft of the 78th came to grief on and local to Duxford 66 + years ago.
http://www.ulongbeach.com/crashes.html