Taking life by the short hairs...and...

Submitted by Jeff Buster on Sat, 06/22/2013 - 20:53.

Different strokes for different folks...

 

Top Image http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=k5JErQQjENjCxM&tbnid=-wNowsEm1p-FeM:&ved=0CAQQjB0&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.whiotv.com%2Fnews%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fwing-walkers-plane-crashes-at-dayton-air-show%2FnYSBY%2F&ei=0lTGUe2KBarT0wH1u4F4&bvm=bv.48293060,d.dmQ&psig=AFQjCNFIEDciUFfi7fFCGmNbBRFW_jAJQA&ust=1372038454649346

Forensics:   Smoke is not a good sign - unless intentional. The airplane  (image above shows the plane and wing walker prior to the accident) was flying upside down with the wing gal sitting on the underside of the lower wing. Crazy thrilling.   

Now I'm not afraid of heights, been there, often, no problem.  But, I am afraid of mechanical stuff screwing up when it gets put to a stress test.   

Engine's need lubrication...how was the oil pump in this biplane set up?  Could the oil pump pump oil to the crank journals effectively while the plane was upside down? 

How about the fuel pump?   Same issue.

Forget about navigating upside down.  And forget about the wing air foil profile being reversed.  I assume these folks had already done this upside down wing walk/sit before.  

The adrenaline ---- MAN! must be so BIG!  TOTAL exposure!  Way WAy WAY LIVING - but crazy life.

Every day we have to balance these urges...

Sorry they didn't get down ok.

Above is the image of the plane just before it hit the earth.  Image (from   fun107) suggests that the pilot had no lift control because the wing walker was too far off center.    Once the wings leave the horizontal plane, they lose all lift.   The weight of the lady on the outboard portion of the wing brought that side of the plane down and the plane then dropped and flew into the ground.  So this was not a mechanical problem.  The wing person caused the crash...what was she doing on the underside of the lower wing while the plane was flying upside down?!   Not being critical...maybe she was tossed off center and was just trying to hang on...

But look in the middle color image - the rear aeriolon is tilted in a position which would drive the plane down....Was that the issue?

 

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