Super Hornet flies with most of wing gone!

[phrogpilot73]

While I'm not a military pilot, I'm no fool.
You get in a midair. You lose a wing and despite your best efforts, find yourself in uncontrolled flight. Whats the reaction that is instilled into military pilots? I do believe it's eject.

Nope. You're a fool.

1 - You're in a midair and lose a wing - but you can't see that you've lost a wing.

2 - You're now in OCF. I do know that the T-34 (last fixed wing military a/c I flew) had OCF procedures. I'd be willing to be that the jets do to.

3 - Hint - the last step in OCF is eject, there's probably a couple of steps prior to that.

4 - The correct answer is not to give the jet back to the taxpayers if you have enough altitude to try and limp it back.

 

[BigIron]

Sometimes they continue to fly.

 

[Schnugg]

Grumman products fly pretty well with one wing....this happened to Lester and Fridge, Ella and Scooter. I was in VF-114 at the time. They diverted to Paya Lebar in Singapore and made a safe landing.

The aircraft with half a wing was piloted by "Ella" Fitzgerald. His RIO was "Scooter Lamoreaux, they diverted. I've seen the HUD tape, they were in a hiogh speed spiral until the pilot unloaded the stick and stepped pn the ball...bam...flying again.
Fridge and Letser jumped out of their jet and were rescued by a local VN fishing boat, then very soon by a USN helicopter.

 

[OUSOONER]

Grumman products fly pretty well with one wing....this happened to Lester and Fridge. I was in VF-114 at the time. They diverted to Paya Lebar in Singapore and made a safe landing.

Like the Strike Eagle guy in the movie up top said...do you think it had a lot to do with the Tomcat being such a big bird..and all that built up airspeed that enabled it to keep going? Not taking anything away from the airmanship of course..

 

[Pags]

For you new guys in flight school, remember the stuff they are teaching you now (at least understand the concepts of why). They are the basics, and you need to remember them.

Off my soapbox.

Concur 100%.

I said it in the "gear" thread, and BigIron said it here...the stuff you learn in flight school is still important after flight school.

 

[BigIron]

Wasn't there someone in Lemoore a few years back that took off w/o locking the wings on his Hornet?

Are you referring to this incident?

 

[Brett327]

Ejecting isn't exactly the nice "get out of jail free card" it is sometimes advertised to be to those who don't fly planes with seats. It really is a last resort. Especially because many pilots hero mentality. One more bonus about having a sweet ECMO? "You'll probably have to make the decision about punching us out because I will be trying to save the day..."




What about those incidents with the left flaperon (it's a spoileron, damnit!!!!!!!) actuator? They even landed....although not nearly as severe as losing a wing. I just felt the need to geek out.

For the last couple of them, if they hadn't happened in the break, they would have been toast, as the hyd systems were essentially dry on roll-out, IIRC.

Brett

 

[nittany03]

For the last couple of them, if they hadn't happened in the break, they would have been toast, as the hyd systems were essentially dry on roll-out, IIRC.

Brett

They also had experienced instructor pilots at the controls, not Cat I studs.

 

[MIDNJAC]

Are you referring to this incident?

Yeah, that probably was it. I just remember hearing stories about it when I was on my 1/c middie cruise

 

[HackerF15E]

At the end of that video, is that the same Steve Davies that frequents this site?

Yes.

 

[Brett327]

They also had experienced instructor pilots at the controls, not Cat I studs.

Not the point I'm making. With dry hyd systems, the best stick in the world ain't gonna do anyone much good.

Brett

 

[nittany03]

Not the point I'm making. With dry hyd systems, the best stick in the world ain't gonna do anyone much good.

Brett

True. I was making another point. Better a guy with 1500hrs having to handle it than than a knucklehead like me. Talking to one of the guys it happened to, it was a pretty tricky thing keeping the thing upright.