Corsair bailout/crash Video

[Trip_Wire]

here is a video of a air racing Corsair blowing and engine and the pilot's bailout!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9161106816384837258

 

[predatorplus]

is it racing a spitfire?

 

[paveway_3]

Good clip TW ,glad he got out.

 

[dutch_paddy]

I am not that knowlegable, but I take it there is not ejector seat so he would have had to climb out? Mad as ferrets these pilots, but fun to watch

 

[dundrillin]

Bet he was glad he had that extra hundred feet and wasn't as low as some of them get. Interesting to see the speed after bail-out blew the flames out. Probably burning oil.

 

[soprano54]

No expert but.....................the white smoke that came out first looked suspicially like coolant, reminded me of a Chieftain tank with blown liners! Mass coolant loss probaly lead to rapid engine overheat and subsequent blow!

 

[MightyGem]

is it racing a spitfire?

If in doubt rtfqa.

Yep, it's always nice to know when it's time to go!

 

[Telecomsgeek]

unlikely to be coolant as the f4U has a radial engine that does not have any coolant! it is air cooled.

 

[MightyGem]

Well, he did say he wasn't an expert. Should have spotted that as well.

 

[crabtastic]

Bet he was glad he had that extra hundred feet and wasn't as low as some of them get. Interesting to see the speed after bail-out blew the flames out. Probably burning oil.

Looking at the size of that plume of flame, (and the long white smoke trail) my guess is that it was a fuel fire.

Took some balls to stay with it for as long as he did- presumably to get it away from the crowd line. If it was a fuel fire it could have gone bang in a heartbeat.

 

[PartTimePongo]

Kevin Eldridges' bail-out of the Super Corsair. Not immediatly obvious is the fact he hit the tail on the way out, Broken arm and a broken leg too.

He stayed with the aircraft to get clear of the crowd, then everything went tits the moment he tried to leave. Well it went tits when the donk let go.

 

[dingerr]

I love the way the guy on the PA was talking to the crowd as if it was all part of the show - true professional.

 

[Telecomsgeek]

here is a link to an article on the crash.


http://www.warbirdaeropress.com/articles/bail_out.html

 

[soprano54]

unlikely to be coolant as the f4U has a radial engine that does not have any coolant! it is air cooled.

Like I said I'm no expert, but in the back of my mind there was something niggling me about the radial engine.................now I know, cheers!

 

[FluffyBunny]

It does make you realise about the size of nads required by WW2 pilots to fly planes like that in combat.

I may have been nice about the Crabs there. I apologise unreservedly .....

 

[SilsoeSid]

Took some balls to stay with it for as long as he did- presumably to get it away from the crowd line.

Reading the article, he was trying to trim it level so he could get out, because when he took his hands off the controls the a/c pitched down "towards the desert".
Once that was sorted, his left leg then got stuck between the seat and the canopy railing.

You can clearly see this in the video.

There is no mention of taking any action to avoid the crowd apart from the word on the video link.
"Notice he turns the plane away from the crowd and points the plane at the ground before bailing out".

Going away from the crowd because he was still going round the circuit un aware and pointed towards the ground, because thats the way the a/c was trimmed for faster flight.

Still, if he didn't make it, the common 'saving the lives of thousands of people' version would have been a nice memory to leave!!
Truth and a good story and all that!