Flying a warbird? Checked off my list!

[Zoltann]

So celebrating our 20th anniversery in Florida with the kids... 

 

 

 

I toyed with the idea of flying a warbird since years, now the missus approves and no regrets!

 

Awsome guys at a certain flightschool (...), even real P40 ride is possible!

At this point the P40 instructor is up front for the rides, because dual flight controls do not yet include engine controls. Its being worked on, and then it will be an awesome ride...

 

Anyways, booked 1 hour with the T6-Texan, got controls after airborne (good reason) and did, rolls, barrel roll, lazy 8 and a looping!

 

By that time because of G forces, my stomach said quits, and it was time to return to the field anyway...

 

Landing from a continious turn from the backseat again by Danny, my FI.

 

A great, great experience even for a commercial pilot like me, totally different kind of flying...

 

Some thoughts:

 

1. No previous flight experience required, the instructor talks you through the manouvres, I can not recommend the experience enough.

 

2. A big part of the sensation (wich made me realize that my twenties are some thirty years ago) is the (during aerobatics) constant G force.

   

    This is hard to simulate. The pure physical aspect is very much on the foreground, hard to imagine or simulate behind a computer.

    And I confess I like it better so ;o)

 

3. I somewhat fouled up my looping as my initial pull on the stick for getting into the loop was not positive enough.

    As a result, at the top of the egg shaped loop I got (only just) some negative Gs cutting the carburettor  fed engine and rewarding me with a foul smell.

    The engine started again soon, and as the first instruction was about the chute and how to bail out, I wasnt to concerned yet...

 

    I re-flew my program with BoS, but with complex enginge management on could NOT make the engine quit with negative Gs on the I-16, P-40, LaGG or Yak-1.

    Surely one or more had simple carburettors?  This makes me wonder...

 

4. The controls were surprisingly sensible. The elevator trim wheel needed only like 2mm movement to trim. Elevator and aileron control inputs must be really smooth.

     The rudder pedals hardly move, applying pressure mostly was enough.

 

     During takeoff, the dancing on the rudder pedals (Of FI) really reminded me of the MiG-3 takeoffs I did... That is well done in sim, its not easy...

 

So thats one off the bucket list...

 

 

 

S! Robert

 

 

 

[-TBC-AeroAce]

How did you manage to hold on to the wing??

[69th_Panp]

Took that one off my list a few years back, lots of fun  and well worth the money.

Yeah the loop was fun, had to dive to get up to speed all the while pushing forward as speed built, then pull back and keep pulling back as you hit the top.

[Bremspropeller]

I have flown on a P-51 (as a makeshift flesh 85gal tank) once and it was a great 15 minutes.

 

Rolls, loops, immelmans, a dive to 400mph with a low-level 6g pullout up into a "hang on the prop" wingover.

Boy, that's flying!

 

We never were above 48 inches MP or so, but the significantly lightened airplane still went like a bat out of hell.

[NETSCAPE]

I flew a Horten Ho 229 once. An officer approached me out of the woods about 1 hour after eating some wild mushrooms. Duty is duty.

 

 

 

[-TBC-AeroAce]

38 minutes ago, NETSCAPE said:

I flew a Horten Ho 229 once. An officer approached me out of the woods about 1 hour after eating some wild mushrooms. Duty is duty.

 

 

 

 

Does that pic look a little like Obama or is it me?

[Zoltann]

@Panp  Great pic! Same technique for me, nice dive about 30 degrees below horizon, then the pullup.

                 Where did you do it?

 

@Bremspropeller  Just taking off behind us was a P51D converted to two seater. We actually made the engine runup next to each other.

                                  If I ever come back, I might inquire if it is rentable...

                                  Where did you do it?

                                  I did not fly the P40 instead because for 1 hour P40 I could fly 3 on the T6 Texan... And because the full dual control setup

                                  is not yet ready, meaning a ride from the back. 

 

 

OK, one more...

 

Descending fast and dodging the clouds on our way back, just as thrilling as the aerobatics but easier on the lunch...

 

Edited September 10, 2018 by Zoltann
comment added

[Bremspropeller]

I did the ride in Germany - the airfield is called Degerfeld. It's located about 45mins of driving out of Stuttgart; just a couple of flying-minutes from the Hohenzollern Castle.

There's a P-51D ('Louisiana Kid') based right there.

 

The dual-seater you saw might have been 'Crazy Horse' - a TF-51.

IIRC, they offer type-ratings on CH, but you'd have to sell three kidneys and a liver to get enough cash to do it.

[kestrel79]

Very cool! I'd love to do this...but I think I would get sick. I would love to just fly in one, don't need to do any crazy stuff. Just want to fly.

[Zoltann]

@Bremspropeller correct, that 'stang was Crazy Horse. Just checked out their website, doesnt say how much but its flyable too...that one or the P40 ..maybe one day ?

 

Was that Louisiana Kid you flew for hire? Did you sit up front or in the back cockpit? It seems in the Crazy horse the student sits in the back position..

 

Machs gut, Robert.

 

@kestrel79 sooner or later without regular training most will... But like you say just flying around is just fine, just enjoying the ride, feeling the plane, especially around clouds or at low level.

 

I think this sim in VR is a pretty good experience too, without the Gs pulling on your lunch.

 

 

Now if only the team would give so called API data free (like DCS and WT did) the missing tactile sensations would be compensated for to some degree!

 

 

As VR resolution/FOV will improve, so will the experience and I am sure that will keep me and a lot of "normal" taxpayers happy for lack of funds to do the real thing more often...

 

S! Robert.

[Bremspropeller]

Hi Robert,

I didn't get to fly for myself - I just sat in the plane and hitched a ride.

I got to sit in the rear seat. The seat is actually just a replacement for the 85gal fuselage tank. As the airplane has the standard canopy, a tall pilot in the back will have the headset against the canopy, which is not very comfortable, but bearable for the 15min flight. There normally is a stick in the rear seat, but it's taken out for passenger-hops, so unfortunately I couldn't fly the plane. The normal stuff (except for take-offs and landings) shuld be very much "doable", though.

 

S! Thomas