Funny Story: Naval Aviator Shoots Self Down - Read Now!

[FredGarvin]

Every now and then a really good short read comes around. I thought I'd pass this one on. It is a funny story about the only Naval Aviator to get credit (really notoriety) for shooting himself down.

http://www.aerospacetestinginternational.com/downloads/trailblazers.pdf"

 

[Danger]

Fred, old buddy, old pal... I'm heartbroken. "Safari can't find the server".
Can you provide a different link, or an address?

 

[Q_Goest]

I couldn't get it either Danger. I finally found it by searching the website for stories and found a link. The link Fred shows is correct, but for whatever reason, it seems to be broken.

Click on this:
http://www.aerospacetestinginternational.com/exclusive_articles.php
Then scroll down to the bottom and click on the "Trailblazers - F14" link.

Nice story by the way. Gotta hate when things just refuse to go right. Lord knows we've all been there...

 

[Danger]

Thanks, Q.
That link worked. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait a while before I can check it out. I got a paragraph or so in when Lucy (the cat) decided to occupy my lap and pull off my reading glasses. I don't need them for regular PF stuff, but the type in that article is pretty small. I'll check back to it later.

 

[MotoH]

Just copy and paste the link. It is a pdf file so you can zoom in pretty good. Awesome read!

 

[Danger]

Thanks, MoroH. That worked, after a few attempts. My stylus is a bit broken (another remnant of the ex stumbling across my stuff), so it took a couple of shots to top-click without disconnecting the battery.
Someone just called and invited me to supper, though, so reading it will have to wait.

 

[russ_watters]

Link fixed.

 

[Cyrus]

Great story! Interesting about the analysis and WT testing they do to predict release behavior!

 

[MotoH]

May I ask a question?

When it says "zero G," does that mean that the airplane is rapidly descending? I suppose this would make sense since the "full nose up stabilator command" saved them from the plane rotating completely upside down if the "full nose down" command was given?

pardon for the lack of technical terms!

 

[russ_watters]

The outcome of this one wasn't quite as good: http://www.alexisparkinn.com/sr-71_break-up.htm

 

[russ_watters]

May I ask a question?

When it says "zero G," does that mean that the airplane is rapidly descending?

It just means the plane is in the process of pitching down, it doesn't actually tell us whether it was ascending or decending. Depending on the speed and the attitude when the pitch-down is started, it can take many seconds before the nose goes past level. And if I had to guess, the test was conducted just as the nose was passing level.

I suppose this would make sense since the "full nose up stabilator command" saved them from the plane rotating completely upside down if the "full nose down" command was given?

Even if the plane started straight and level, a full nose down command itself would probably incapacitate the pilots as people can't handle anywhere near as many negative g's as positive. And then there's the water...

 

[FredGarvin]

I read that SR-71 story in a book I have about them. How friggin' crazy would that be? Free falling at some insane altitude and you can't see because your helmet is frozen. Whoa.