RV tipple over update from UK

shiney · #1 06-10-2007, 06:59 AM

incredible pictures of RV going over, Pilot and passanger are OK
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=279412
<http://www.airteamimages.com/search_loc_id720.html

Shiney

Radomir · #2 06-10-2007, 07:49 AM

the whole sequence of photos is here:

http://www.airteamimages.com/49328.html

http://www.airteamimages.com/49329.html

http://www.airteamimages.com/49330.html

http://www.airteamimages.com/49331.html

very scary... glad to hear they're both OK.

hevansrv7a · #3 06-10-2007, 08:11 AM

The stick was back, judging from the elevators, as it should be. I wonder why the nose wheel fairing was off?

NYTOM · #4 06-10-2007, 08:45 AM

Just what we needed, more fodder for the tail-wheel guys. Since all the debate on this forum about the possibility of "A" models flipping on grass it has become one of my biggest concerns in building since I like to love frequent grass strips. I'm sure glad they were alright in this case. Just what scares me, nice day at a fly-in, nice weather with your "already scared to death of flying" wife strapped in next to you and everything goes terribly bad in a few seconds. Does anyone know how to get a copy of an accident report like this from the UK. That missing nose fairing is very interesting.

rv6ejguy · #5 06-10-2007, 09:18 AM

There have been so many of these happen even at walking pace that I just never land on grass and don't even taxi on grass. I will hand pull or push my 6A on grass with my tow bar because I can see and steer clear of dips and animal holes.

All it takes is something less than 2 inches deep and fairly abrupt and this is what will happen at any speed over 5-10 knots.

What a shame. Glad everyone was ok. I'll be sure to keep packing my canopy breaker hammer onboard. Scary thought if this happened where nobody was around to help or the airplane caught fire.

rvwantabe · #6 06-10-2007, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hevansrv7a

The stick was back, judging from the elevators, as it should be. I wonder why the nose wheel fairing was off?

When is VANS going to wake up and acknowledge that there is a problem with the strength, (or lack of) with the A model aircraft nose wheel gear leg!!! There has been way to many of these nose over events occur.

shiney · #7 06-10-2007, 09:23 AM

I'll keep an eye out for the report and post it to the forum when it appears.

Shiney

Yukon · #8 06-10-2007, 09:25 AM

Or.............when will A models quit landing on grass strips?

Mel · #9 06-10-2007, 09:26 AM

Does anyone know whether this was at touch-down or roll-out? If this happened at touch-down, full up elevator should hold the nose wheel off. If not, the landing speed was much too slow. That would explain a lot. If it happened during during roll-out, then that's a different story.
I agree with others that the missing fairing is interesting. Was there a previous problem with the nose wheel?

Kyle Boatright · #10 06-10-2007, 09:29 AM

In the end, a wheel diameter change might reduce the frequency of these accidents. The lamb wheel RV's use has a fairly small diameter and simply doesn't have the same ability to cross irregularities as larger wheels.

Of course, to do that, you'd need a diffrent nose wheel fork, a different wheel and tire, a different nosewheel fairing, and might need to add vertical stabilizer area to offset the added area up front...

On the other hand, the wheel diameter issue really doesn't explain the odd fore and aft shimmey that many -A's have, even on smooth paved surfaces. I've always thought it might be a contributing factor to nose wheel failures - the scenario would be the nosewheel hitting a minor bump at the "wrong" point in the fore/aft oscillation cycle..