Scudrunners

It’s a good series when they don’t stuff in some silly, un-pilot-like drama. Imagine being scared of a certified airplane, seems more of a you problem than a plane problem.

The part that ground my gears was the computer swap in space. There I am on my couch going, “That seems uncharacteristically risky, what if it...?” then it did.

Scud: have you been hitting the bloody Mary’s this early in the day?

Also, what movie is that from? I want to say Iron Eagle 9.

hahah was late last night into the Rum!

its from an Apple TV Series " For all mankind" I haven't watched it just saw this clip and laughed.

Come on Nark, you should know everyone drinks Caesars here.

I’m not afraid to fly but…

The scariest plane I can think of is the Taylorcraft! I personally would not want to fly one unless I had fire extinguishers in my pants.

The scariest plane I can think of is the Taylorcraft!

Jesus, Dave, I know you're trying to make fun of PorkChops but children's eyes are reading this ....

For the record, a T-craft lands so slowly, you can step outside it and walk alongside it after
touchdown. There is no possible way on earth that any pilot could ever get behind it, at least
on grass.

Scariest airplane? Well, there are a few, but my vote would be the Gee Bee.



Quite the story there. Racer in the 1930s, not much engineering, a lot of crashes and
dead pilots.

Many decades later, a nutbar called Delmar Benjamin - he looks like your high school
math teacher, if he missed a few meals - sold everything he owned and had a genius
called Steve Wolf - incredible man - build him a replica of the Gee Bee R-2.

Everyone told Delmar: You're going to die. That's a fire-breathing dragon.

And they had a point. Even the famed Jimmy Doolittle had great respect for it.
You think you're smarter than Jimmy Doolittle?!

Now, Delmar had a lot of Pitts experience - which was good - but that in no way
prepared him for his first solo flight in the Gee Bee. No two seat.

That is scary as shit.

I remember, 30 years ago, reading Delmar's account of his first flight in the Gee
Bee. On final at 120 mph - if memory serves - he dropped a wing.

99.999% of all pilot would be dead, then. They would try to pick up the downgoing
wing with aileron, and the adverse yaw would spin them into the ground.

But Delmar didn't do that. He successfully landed the Gee Bee, and went on to
an amazing airshow career, showing everyone would could be done with a fire-breathing
dragon.

The FAA hated Delmar deeply, and hounded him mercilessly until he quit flying, but
no one remembers that. Just the cost of admission, when you're that good. Ask
Bob Hoover.

Anyways. The Gee Bee R-2 and Steve Wolf and Delmar Benjamin know a little bit
about fire-breathing dragons. This is precious video of the first flight, which the
builder - Steve - really enjoys:



Dear Old Dad used to teach on the CF-104D to Sabre pilots that heard that the -104
was a killer if you slowed it down. Time for a hammerhead. Supersonic on the
vertical downline with the power off.

I would assert that there are no "fire-breathing dragons". Only weak pilots. Delmar
Benjamin is not one of those. The great ones always figure out a way to survive.

I have had the privilege of meeting and talking to Steve Wolf. In addition to an
amazing mechanic and fabricator and engineer, he is also a superb pilot. Very
few people are any of those. He is all of them. Literally one in a hundred million.

Talking to him, I felt like I had the IQ of a carrot. You should meet him sometime
before you die. Like watching Chet Atkins or Les Paul play guitar. There is something
magical about being in the presence of a master at work.

Colonel wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 19, 2022 2:46 pm

The scariest plane I can think of is the Taylorcraft!

Jesus, Dave, I know you're trying to make fun of PorkChops but children's eyes are reading this ....

Nope, guess again. I have left two substantial clues there.

I must say I am still scared when landing my Pitts...

I am still scared when landing my Pitts

Respect keeps you alive.

You have started the journey. Get 10,000 Pitts landings in as soon as you can.

The amazing thing about the human brain - the most essential component of
any aircraft - is it's incredible ability to normalize. What was scary last year, is
do-able now. We only perceive deltas.

"...Sabre pilots that heard that the -104 was a killer if you slowed it down..."

Not quite the case. I was one of those Sabre pilots and never heard that it was a 'killer'. I heard that if you got yourself into a high angle of attack situation - low speed or high speed - you could go for one of the wildest rides this side of a fair ground. (Pitch up) Once you did that, you pulled the drag chute if you had the altitude.

Sort of like the CF-5: touted to be "spin proof", it turned out to be "spin resistant". However, once in a spin, it was non-recoverable. (Drag chute not recommended; long story...)