View Full Version : About that YAK
Dudley Henriques
December 28th 06, 04:09 PM
Just got an answer on an email I sent out last night to a friend of mine who 
has also watched the "Yak Near Miss" tape. We both agree the tape is real.
Both of us have flown this same maneuver in warbird demonstration flights 
many times. We could be wrong of course, but our collective opinion is that 
the tape is quite real.
Actually, my friend is more observant than I was in viewing the tape. He 
noticed the Snowbirds parked on the line that you can see for just a nano 
second as the Yak exits low. (hint...concentration on the YAK can easily 
miss this :-)
I also believe I see the vertical stabilizer of one of the Blue Angels' 
Hornets on that line as well.
This would indicate a rather large airshow on the North American continent 
somewhere.
As an aside, if anyone is even remotely interested in the technical aspects 
involved in low altitude vertical recoveries like this one when being flown 
by demonstration pilots flying WW2 warbirds, I cover the subject extensively 
for the P51 Mustang in a piece done by Gen Des Barker of the South African 
Air Force for Aeroplane Monthly in the Feb 2004 issue; see "Precision 
Decision" in that issue. Back copies can be obtained at the following 
www.aeroplanemonthly.com.
Hope this helps a bit
Dudley Henriques
Ben Jackson
December 28th 06, 10:25 PM
On 2006-12-28, Dudley Henriques > wrote:
> As an aside, if anyone is even remotely interested in the technical aspects 
> involved in low altitude vertical recoveries like this one when being flown 
I'm curious to know if he actually saved it because of the extra lift
of ground effect right at the bottom, or if he really hit the ground.
Since he executed a victory roll afterwards I figured he was not worried
about the plane coming apart...
-- 
Ben Jackson AD7GD
>
http://www.ben.com/
Jim Macklin
December 28th 06, 10:47 PM
The prop seems to be undamaged.
    http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=C2PvcG4Vmyw
For those who did not see the link
"Ben Jackson" > wrote in message 
...
| On 2006-12-28, Dudley Henriques > 
wrote:
| > As an aside, if anyone is even remotely interested in 
the technical aspects
| > involved in low altitude vertical recoveries like this 
one when being flown
|
| I'm curious to know if he actually saved it because of the 
extra lift
| of ground effect right at the bottom, or if he really hit 
the ground.
| Since he executed a victory roll afterwards I figured he 
was not worried
| about the plane coming apart...
|
| -- 
| Ben Jackson AD7GD
| >
| http://www.ben.com/
Dudley Henriques
December 28th 06, 10:54 PM
I don't think he "saved it" really. He just bottomed out too low and the 
mush gave him just enough room to clear.
He would have known instinctively how much back pressure he had left and 
couldn't have gone past that anyway.
Once you have all the g in there that the airplane's recovery profile can 
give you, you're totally committed to the recovery line that amount of g 
provides. Feed in more and you're topping off the CL curve and you're done 
for when that happens. If anything, he had all the stick in there the line 
was giving him and just sweated out the exit .
Ground effect won't save you going through a bad recovery line. The impetus 
will take you right through it into ground contact. He maxed out the line 
and went tail low with just enough air under him to clear the prop tips. Had 
he caught the tips with that much power on the airplane, the vibration would 
have probably torn him apart through the exit.
I think I know who it was. This guy is a very good warbird pilot. He just 
blew the line on this one and got away with it.
He's an even better warbird pilot now :-))
Dudley Henriques
"Ben Jackson" > wrote in message 
...
> On 2006-12-28, Dudley Henriques > wrote:
>> As an aside, if anyone is even remotely interested in the technical 
>> aspects
>> involved in low altitude vertical recoveries like this one when being 
>> flown
>
> I'm curious to know if he actually saved it because of the extra lift
> of ground effect right at the bottom, or if he really hit the ground.
> Since he executed a victory roll afterwards I figured he was not worried
> about the plane coming apart...
>
> -- 
> Ben Jackson AD7GD
> >
> http://www.ben.com/
Jim Macklin
December 28th 06, 10:59 PM
Years ago Air Progress magazine had a picture of an F-15 in 
Germany that did the same thing, except it was about 6 
inches into the ground.  The top side appeared undamaged but 
there must have been a ton of dirt in the engines.
"Dudley Henriques" > wrote in message 
...
|I don't think he "saved it" really. He just bottomed out 
too low and the
| mush gave him just enough room to clear.
| He would have known instinctively how much back pressure 
he had left and
| couldn't have gone past that anyway.
| Once you have all the g in there that the airplane's 
recovery profile can
| give you, you're totally committed to the recovery line 
that amount of g
| provides. Feed in more and you're topping off the CL curve 
and you're done
| for when that happens. If anything, he had all the stick 
in there the line
| was giving him and just sweated out the exit .
| Ground effect won't save you going through a bad recovery 
line. The impetus
| will take you right through it into ground contact. He 
maxed out the line
| and went tail low with just enough air under him to clear 
the prop tips. Had
| he caught the tips with that much power on the airplane, 
the vibration would
| have probably torn him apart through the exit.
| I think I know who it was. This guy is a very good warbird 
pilot. He just
| blew the line on this one and got away with it.
| He's an even better warbird pilot now :-))
| Dudley Henriques
|
|
| "Ben Jackson" > wrote in message
| ...
| > On 2006-12-28, Dudley Henriques > 
wrote:
| >> As an aside, if anyone is even remotely interested in 
the technical
| >> aspects
| >> involved in low altitude vertical recoveries like this 
one when being
| >> flown
| >
| > I'm curious to know if he actually saved it because of 
the extra lift
| > of ground effect right at the bottom, or if he really 
hit the ground.
| > Since he executed a victory roll afterwards I figured he 
was not worried
| > about the plane coming apart...
| >
| > -- 
| > Ben Jackson AD7GD
| > >
| > http://www.ben.com/
|
|
Dudley Henriques
December 28th 06, 11:41 PM
Some guys just live right! :-))
DH
"Jim Macklin" > wrote in message 
...
> Years ago Air Progress magazine had a picture of an F-15 in
> Germany that did the same thing, except it was about 6
> inches into the ground.  The top side appeared undamaged but
> there must have been a ton of dirt in the engines.
>
>
>
> "Dudley Henriques" > wrote in message
> ...
> |I don't think he "saved it" really. He just bottomed out
> too low and the
> | mush gave him just enough room to clear.
> | He would have known instinctively how much back pressure
> he had left and
> | couldn't have gone past that anyway.
> | Once you have all the g in there that the airplane's
> recovery profile can
> | give you, you're totally committed to the recovery line
> that amount of g
> | provides. Feed in more and you're topping off the CL curve
> and you're done
> | for when that happens. If anything, he had all the stick
> in there the line
> | was giving him and just sweated out the exit .
> | Ground effect won't save you going through a bad recovery
> line. The impetus
> | will take you right through it into ground contact. He
> maxed out the line
> | and went tail low with just enough air under him to clear
> the prop tips. Had
> | he caught the tips with that much power on the airplane,
> the vibration would
> | have probably torn him apart through the exit.
> | I think I know who it was. This guy is a very good warbird
> pilot. He just
> | blew the line on this one and got away with it.
> | He's an even better warbird pilot now :-))
> | Dudley Henriques
> |
> |
> | "Ben Jackson" > wrote in message
> | ...
> | > On 2006-12-28, Dudley Henriques >
> wrote:
> | >> As an aside, if anyone is even remotely interested in
> the technical
> | >> aspects
> | >> involved in low altitude vertical recoveries like this
> one when being
> | >> flown
> | >
> | > I'm curious to know if he actually saved it because of
> the extra lift
> | > of ground effect right at the bottom, or if he really
> hit the ground.
> | > Since he executed a victory roll afterwards I figured he
> was not worried
> | > about the plane coming apart...
> | >
> | > -- 
> | > Ben Jackson AD7GD
> | > >
> | > http://www.ben.com/
> |
> |
>
>
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