A team from France are due to fit a new outer wing to the Skyraider involved in the collision with P-51D Big Beautiful Doll at Duxford.
I am not a qualified aircraft or stress engineer but need reassurance. Surely the stress of the impact would have travelled down the wing spars and caused buckling or cracking of the central wing box area ? Rather than just bolting on a replacement outer wing has the entire centre section been inspected ? I would not be happy flying this machine particularly in “G” manoeuvres unless I knew of this work carried out.
By: Bruce - 25th September 2011 at 22:03
This is a silly thread.
It is not up to us to decide upon matters of airworthiness, but the engineers who do the job. Ask yourself how often accidents are caused by aircraft failures and you will have your answer. I am not incidentally pointing any fingers there!
Thread closed
Bruce
By: HP81 - 25th September 2011 at 20:14
Pilots should not bring in to question any aircraft that has been signed off by a qualified engineer.
A pilot can, indeed should, ask any questions he likes about the state of an aircraft he is about to fly. I often think some pilots are too trusting.
By: XF828 - 25th September 2011 at 18:39
I am not a qualified aircraft or stress engineer but need reassurance.
There, there. Everything’s fine.
What a pointless thread. And no doubt insulting to those involved.
By: CIRCUS 6 - 25th September 2011 at 18:30
Pilots should not bring in to question any aircraft that has been signed off by a qualified engineer. It will have been checked in accordance with the relevant tech manuals as issued by the manufacturer/design authority. It would not be signed off if it was beyond the standards laid down by the manufacturer.
By: David Burke - 25th September 2011 at 17:51
To a degree -high g loading and large ordinance load ! Snapping half a wing off not really factored for in the design ! However the ‘Spad’ does have a reputation for being rugged ! Certainly I think it would come off best in an collision with a similar sized aircraft – fingers crossed it never happens again!
By: hampden98 - 25th September 2011 at 16:33
Skyraider is a combat aircraft.
Wouldn’t it be designed to take that kind of punishment?
I have no idea, just posing the question.
By: David Burke - 25th September 2011 at 16:29
Lot of presumptions here ! The aircraft is French registered so it needs a French engineer to sign it off as airworthy and the part as suitable for flight.
Any engineer on inspecting the aircraft would be aware of what has happened to the airframe. The Skyraider is a very sturdy airframe but I am 100% sure NDT would have been carried out on the relevant parts.
If I was a pilot I would have no reservations about flying her.
By: pogno - 25th September 2011 at 07:31
I dont doubt that a very thorough inspection has been carried out possibly to the extent of using NDT techniques to look at places where the inspector cannot get his torch and mirror. That inspector would have assured himself that everything was in perfect order.
The outer section of the wing is a relatively light structure compared to the massive strength where the wing fold and undercarriage mountings are being that it was a carrier based aircraft design.
I meant to add that yes you are right about potential damage, I recently was involved with a light aircraft where the wing tip had hit a lamp post, very little damage evident at tip but at the root the trailing edge skin was wrinkled.
Richard
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September 25, 2011 at 6:05 am