General Gibby T-bird question

Highlander · March 28, 2010, 03:23:53 PM

Is that recent...? Kermit Weeks repudedly owns one but it's not flying - I know he has the last flying example of a Sunderland flying-boat - flying boats are a particular weakness with me, especially "Cats"...
The last Mossie I knew of (over here) went down some years back... used to be owned by BAe (RR229/G-ASKH)... both pilots killed... this is footage of the incident - stalled on a climb...

This is a presently running thread elsewhere...

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=98396

birdie · March 29, 2010, 04:07:41 PM

Sad. I am tired of these beautiful old machines being asked to do things that puts them ,not to mention their occupants and people on the ground, at jeopardy. THESE THINGS ARE LIVING HISTORY. By all means fly them. But dam, fool take care of it!!

birdie · March 29, 2010, 04:09:27 PM

Saw it years ago at an airshow in Ca-nada

uwe · March 30, 2010, 11:33:50 AM

Ugh, how could that happen to a Mosquito which had allegedly such splendid and benign handling characteristics?

Poor pilots. That wasn't that radical a manouvre, especially for a plane that largely relied on its speed and manouvrability to escape German fighters.

Highlander · March 30, 2010, 12:28:37 PM

That footage was used at the inquest... problem was that being an "old girl" they took it easy on the airframe, and paid the ultimate price...

Tangential move-ish... heres an unusual fact about Spitfire's... there are more of them in flying condition now than there were 10 years ago, and the same goes for ten years before that... the figure has been consistently going up since the 70's... the "gate-guardians" have been coming down and getting refurbished...

Quote from: birdie on March 29, 2010, 04:09:27 PM
Saw it years ago at an airshow in Ca-nada

(serious envy from the UK)

clankenstein · March 30, 2010, 02:22:45 PM

i was working right next to the airport when this was taking off and landing.http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/local/3520383/Catalina-flying-boat-a-hit-at-aero-club-open-day

Highlander · March 30, 2010, 05:35:18 PM

We have the one over here, too

(daughter and me by the "Cat")

birdie · March 30, 2010, 06:10:40 PM

Quote from: uwe on March 30, 2010, 11:33:50 AM
Ugh, how could that happen to a Mosquito which had allegedly such splendid and benign handling characteristics? Poor pilots. That wasn't that radical a manouvre, especially for a plane that largely relied on its speed and manouvrability to escape German fighters.

You are correct, it was not that radical a move. However,the crew appears to have exercised poor energy management. Watch the aircraft run out of flying speed near the top of the arc. Pretty much a classic stall,spin scenario.....
I did not intend to appear heartless about the human loss. It is indeed tragic.