Grace Spitfire landing incident
Discussion
Looking at the pictures, I'd say new prop and as a minimum engine shock-loading inspection.
Financially painful enough (when insurance betterment comes into play) in my experience with Lycomings and Vedeneyevs, suspect a Merlin is going to be an order of magnitude more so.
Main thing is, no crew injuries.
Financially painful enough (when insurance betterment comes into play) in my experience with Lycomings and Vedeneyevs, suspect a Merlin is going to be an order of magnitude more so.
Main thing is, no crew injuries.
From Facebook:
Message from Carolyn Grace:
The Grace Spitfire ML407 recovery process is going well. The shock load testing showed that the engine remains serviceable. Other inspections including NDT have had results (as anticipated) showing no problems. Our Air Leasing team are being supported by the very best and most helpful specialists, and my personal gratitude goes out to them all!
Message from Carolyn Grace:
The Grace Spitfire ML407 recovery process is going well. The shock load testing showed that the engine remains serviceable. Other inspections including NDT have had results (as anticipated) showing no problems. Our Air Leasing team are being supported by the very best and most helpful specialists, and my personal gratitude goes out to them all!
http://www.northampton-news-hp.co.uk/spitfire-airc...
Journalist doing their best: "While slowing down, the nose of the aircraft dropped into the ground, bringing it to a sudden halt. It is believed the Spitfire had been pivoting on its under-wing wheels without its back wheel also touching the ground, forcing the front of it to drop."
Journalist doing their best: "While slowing down, the nose of the aircraft dropped into the ground, bringing it to a sudden halt. It is believed the Spitfire had been pivoting on its under-wing wheels without its back wheel also touching the ground, forcing the front of it to drop."
Flooble said:
Journalist doing their best: "While slowing down, the nose of the aircraft dropped into the ground, bringing it to a sudden halt. It is believed the Spitfire had been pivoting on its under-wing wheels without its back wheel also touching the ground, forcing the front of it to drop."
Too much brake or a ditch?Simpo Two said:
Journalist doing their best: "While slowing down, the nose of the aircraft dropped into the ground, bringing it to a sudden halt. It is believed the Spitfire had been pivoting on its under-wing wheels without its back wheel also touching the ground, forcing the front of it to drop."
The POH I found online suggests the landing run for a Spitfire Mk II (ML407 is a Mk IX) was only just over 400 yards even with defective brakes. I'd guess that not having the weight of guns or ammunition would balance out the second cockpit (which would also add drag).
As Sywell has taken 15-33 out of use, the shortest runway now is 603m long (and there's loads of overrun) which would suggest that the brakes would not need to be used particularly heavily (658 yards available and if you look on a chart or image you'll see that you wouldn't hit anything if you weren't stopped by the end anyway, so realistically you would have available probably double what the book said - and I'd guess you would want to be gentle anyway given the age and cost of replacement shoes).
So sounds like the pilot was just unlucky, probably hit a bump.
As Sywell has taken 15-33 out of use, the shortest runway now is 603m long (and there's loads of overrun) which would suggest that the brakes would not need to be used particularly heavily (658 yards available and if you look on a chart or image you'll see that you wouldn't hit anything if you weren't stopped by the end anyway, so realistically you would have available probably double what the book said - and I'd guess you would want to be gentle anyway given the age and cost of replacement shoes).
So sounds like the pilot was just unlucky, probably hit a bump.
More like Lancasters: http://www.sywellaerodrome.co.uk/history.php
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