Spitfire down in France

[Guest deanfi]

this video gives a good view from the rear of a griffon spitfire take-off , starts rolling at 1.58 mark

 

 

 

[Happyflyer]

If you want (or need) good vision on takeoff, don't fly a Spitfire ( or Mustang or Stearman or Tiger Moth etc etc).

 

 

[Marty_d]

this video gives a good view from the rear of a griffon spitfire take-off , starts rolling at 1.58 mark

Is it my imagination, or is the starboard tyre a bit flat? When it was lining up (around 1:50) the starboard wingtip looked noticeably lower than the port one. Unless it was just the crosswind blowing it over a bit.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

marty: pure horsepower

 

 

[Geoff13]

My thoughts after watching that compared to the OP. Interesting how much left rudder before applying power.

 

Even at takeoff the elevator was level as I would expect it to be in level flight. (It wasn't in the OP).

 

From that I assume and I may be wrong but the pilot is simply allowing the aircraft to lift of the ground when it is ready and not trying to force it up.

 

Very similar as I find taking off in a drifter.

 

Oh and how close together are those mains, not a lot of room for error there.

 

Like i saw I don't have much tailwheel time, and what I do have is in a drifter but it seems to me that the theory must be very similar.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Funny how you think power will tip it on it's nose. (It would if the brakes were on.) The centre of gravity is pretty much in line with the thrust line so the pitch effect is close to neutral. . The U/C has little weight % wise. It's well forward of the CofG. You normally need forward stick to lift the tail or if you are a real smart **** you touch the brakes (at your own peril). There are gyroscopic and torque forces and a fair amount of rudder offset or trim needed with a non contra prop because of the airflow spiralling along the fuselage.. This will cause a turn if not catered for. There was a wind from the left (Port) side but not very strong. Nev

What are your thoughts on how it unfolded?; I think there had to be a pitching moment there somewhere.

 

 

[facthunter]

Indeed there must be. Possibilities: soft ground, deflated or partially deflated tyre. brakes applied or not fully released (Mechanical fault or bad seat adjustment?). Later, once the prop dug in it's over. And when it's not putting air over the elevators they do nothing. It was cutting sizeable chunks of soil out of the runway which makes me think it was pretty soft. (Rain recently?) Nev

 

 

[Teckair]

What is this wheel friction you are talking about? It is 3/8ths of nothing,

As you must know on a grass strip there is rolling resistance to the wheels. We do not know what happened I just know what it looked like to me.

 

 

[facthunter]

You could just let the tail come up as the speed increases and take off in a tail low position. You get airborne at an airspeed slower than if the tail is raised , to the more level position and positively rotated for lift off. You then have more control of where the plane leaves the ground. Better in a crosswind. A fair amount of rudder trim is preset. On a sealed runway you can judge by the edges it you are tracking OK but it you need to see where you are going you need the tail up sooner. You can't see much in a C-180 either, let alone a long nosed piston engined fighter. The undercarriage is very narrow making weight transfer due engine torque or crosswind more likely. A geared engine may possibly cancel out most of the gyroscopic precession as rotating masses are in opposite directions. "P" factor is not happening when the pitch is aligned with the relative airflow. Weight and power together give an index of acceleration. Power weight ratio not just power alone. Nev

 

 

[Guest deanfi]

yet another spitfire bent , but not too badly

 

Spitfire 'NH341' Wheels-up landing at Sywell

 

 

[ozbear]

You could just let the tail come up as the speed increases and take off in a tail low position. You get airborne at an airspeed slower than if the tail is raised , to the more level position and positively rotated for lift off. You then have more control of where the plane leaves the ground. Better in a crosswind. A fair amount of rudder trim is preset. On a sealed runway you can judge by the edges it you are tracking OK but it you need to see where you are going you need the tail up sooner. You can't see much in a C-180 either, let alone a long nosed piston engined fighter. The undercarriage is very narrow making weight transfer due engine torque or crosswind more likely. A geared engine may possibly cancel out most of the gyroscopic precession as rotating masses are in opposite directions. "P" factor is not happening when the pitch is aligned with the relative airflow. Weight and power together give an index of acceleration. Power weight ratio not just power alone. Nev

I think your right Nev the strip was u/s to this type of aircraft maybe the old heel test on the turf before flight and kick the tires before lighting the fires or spitfires in this case..