In article ,
Scott Ferrin writes:
On Thu, 18 Sep 2003 13:47:22 GMT, Ed Rasimus
wrote:

(Walt BJ) wrote:


We used 4G as a standard pull-out in the F4, 5g if we were pressing
for greater accuracy. I managed to pull 8 once in an extremity (we
were getting hosed) and nothing fell off.

Got this among a list of quotes from a reasonably erudite fighter
pilot:

"The aircraft G-limits are only there in case there is another flight
by that particular airplane. If subsequent flights do not appear
likely, there are no G-limits."

Makes a lot of sense to me.



REad of a Skyray pulling 12 Gs and wrinked the wing. Don't know if it
ever flew again. And also of a Tomcat that did a NEGATIVE 8+ (they
didn't have a choice). I think the Tomcat flew again.

That would have been Bob Rahn, in one of hte prototype XF4Ds,
discovering thr Ford's pitchup tendency when pulling G while
decelerating through the transonic range. (An F4D wasn't on most days,
supersonic in level flight. Clean, with a good airplane, maybe, but
otherwise, not. It could be dived to Mach 1.2-1.3 fairly routinely,
though). Since one of teh Skyray's innovations was a rather unique
constuction method using a very thin skin over lots of small stringers
and spars, the airplane was not only well and truly bent, but ended up
wrinkled like a prune. (It's worth noting that one of the changes
that occurred when turning the F4D Skyray into the F5D Skylancer was a
more conventional type of construction.)

--
Pete Stickney
A strong conviction that something must be done is the parent of many
bad measures. -- Daniel Webster