Triplane at Old Warden

[Dr Jekyll]

Hearing reports of a Sopwith Triplane nosing over at Old Warden yesterday. Anyone know the details?

[plasticpig]

It's part of the Shuttleworth Collection.

[Eric Mc]

Hopefully it's not too badly damaged. These WW1 era aircraft are very tricky to handle on the ground.

[Mister V]

This popped up in my YouTube feed this morning.

http://youtu.be/csoHivsjb10

[Dr Jekyll]

Looks like it clipped a fence just short of the runway.

[Eric Mc]

It may have clipped the fence but the reason he crashed is because he let the speed drop off a bit too much as he crossed the boundary. Rotary engines have no proper throttles - they are revved up and cut using a "blip switch". You can actually here the revs come on just as he crossed the fence - presumably he realised that his sink rate was a bit high. The heavy impact broke the undercarriage - which cause the nose over and wing damage.

I'm sure it'll be back flying again some day - but possibly not until at least next year.

[DamienB]

No he definitely clipped the fence Eric - it does look like a very unusual approach so I'm guessing something was wrong with the engine and he wanted to get it down quickly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2jeNH_cdXI

[Eric Mc]

Yep - a bit clearer in that video - even if the photographer almost dropped the camera.

The PA chappie mentioned "gusting wind".

[Eric Mc]

Even clearer video here -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBYC3aI9_OY

Absolutely no doubt he clipped the fence.

[FourWheelDrift]

Not only the fence but the most solid part of it, the post that holds a steel gate. A few inches further to the right and he'd have been ok I think.

[Shar2]

I was there and saw it crash. The engine seemed to be a bit rough throughout its display. The approach looked like the pilot was having "fun" getting it down and was side slipping like a goodun. He looked like he was going to do it, until the wind changed again and down he went, hit the fence, went nose over and hit the deck. Damage looked like it'll need a new prop, front cowling, undercarriage and the engine checked over at the very least.

[Eric Mc]

The wing leading edges look a bit second hand too.

[Shar2]

Yeah, the leading edge and starboard wingtip did take a bit of a battering.

[mauld]

Eric Mc said:

Even clearer video here -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBYC3aI9_OY

Absolutely no doubt he clipped the fence.

Thanks for posting my video. I think he was too far over on the wrong side of the centre line, The viability is poor forward and down on those aircraft and it was quite a gusty day which can shorten your approach, there was no problem with the engine it sounded fine and the smoke production is normal when blipping the rotary engines to adjust rate of decent. With hindsight he should have gone round but that easy to say after the event. I'm glad the pilot was unhurt and the aircraft will fly again sometime in the future.