Kevin Greene

My Feedback: (85)

This is a crash pic that I snapped at the last Byron's Aviation Expo in Ida Grove Iowa. The P-51 had landed in the grass and was taxiing back to the pits...Across the runway. The P-38 was on final and didn't see the P-51 about to cross the runway. I saw what was going to happen and waited to hear the sound of the crash. I only had a couple of seconds to react. Here is the moment of impact. These were two VERY large models....Both 1/5th scale. Believe it or not the P-51 was repaired that evening (new plug in wing panel) and flew the next day. Do you guys think that if a poster was made of this would it sell????

Kevin

Covetski

H3LL YA!!!!! must've hurt the guy landing! I'd buy it if it was a poster! (but scince I just saved it, I won't need to! )

3D-kid330

My Feedback: (1)

Ouch![X(]

Kevin Greene

My Feedback: (85)

Covetski,

Both pilots had this look of utter disbelief!!![sm=tired.gif] Neither one could figure out why it happened at the time. One second their models were in one piece---The next second they weren't. The P-38 pilot took it very hard and blamed the Mustang jockie. I blame their spotters as both fell down on the job!!!

If I sell this as a poster surely you would buy a high quality glossy from me???? Wouldn't you???

Kevin

Covetski

depends, since I already downloaded the pic, maybe it will be better to keep low res, and not buy hi res if it is more than 5 bucks! Besides, you should see the poster I have! Hi res, halfway through a midair! a low wing fighter is half way through an aerostar trainer half of whose wing is already gobbled up! just gotta find it

Kevin Greene

My Feedback: (85)

My photo was shot on ASA 200 Fuji film with a 35mm SLR Cannon AE-1P camera. No need to worry about resolution on my end as I have the negative!!!

My next camera is going to be a Cannon 6.3 MP digital camera with removable lenses....Unless something else comes out in the next couple of months that is cheaper and better. Prices have really come down in the last year. Look at the DVD players----$29 at Circuit City!!

Kevin

skythumbs

What do you plan on doing with 6.3mp pictures, thats a little over kill for most

Nice crash pic though!

invertedpass

I agree what happened may have been avoided if the spotters had stayed alert.Good reaction time on your part to get that shot.

DBF

Great picture. What is burning in the background?

IowaSilvia

My Feedback: (97)

I was there and saw all that. I went to about 3 of their shows when I was about 12-15. That show really got me interested in rc planes. I received my first trainer plane when i was 12 for xmas. So excited. It would then be 2-3 yrs to be built, but we never had the time or money to fly it. So finally I got it flight ready this yr. A guy at work has been flying for 24 yrs and he trained me. I luv this hobby!!! I now have 5 planes and just got some plans to build a Gee Bee Z 29% from wendell hostetler. I'll love scratch building this beauty. So you can thank byron and all the ppl that put on all those WWII reanactments that got me started. It was awesome. Too bad it's not there. After byron went bankrupt it moved to ankeny and i heard it wasn't a very good show and that lasted a couple yrs. Now there's nothing.

IowaSilvia

My Feedback: (97)

DBF---- The burning in the background is from a WWII bomber dropping bombs on stuff on the ground. Big explosions etc etc. Was all part of the show. all part of the show. It was a wonderful show. non stop excitement.

KFalcon

My Feedback: (18)

I would buy one from you Kevin! That is an awesome shot! Poor guys!

Flak

My Feedback: (1)

We all have something called perephrial vision. However, some of us don't seem to have the ability to make much use of it. I never totally trust my spotter, unless I communicate with him/her. I realize I am in total control of the aircrafi I am flying. Tunnel vision will get you into trouble every time. Never be afraid to communicate with fellow fliers on the line and announce your intentions in a voice loud enough for all to hear you! There was obviously no communication in this event.
"Keep 'Em Flying!"
Flak

danhoh

WAR.................................. is Heck !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[X(]

Shahid

Hello

In the US do they have the same system as the UK where you have to shout "landing","taking off","deadstick" and "low pass"?

Did that mid-ground happen in 2003?

trey3670

My Feedback: (10)

in my exp. while flying my helicopters tunnel vision sets in big time i have to be really carefull,to a point where i dont even fly with anyone even close to me or my flight path

jgraham10

My Feedback: (3)

Kevin,
Great picture. I can remember growing up and reading RC mag and seeing the ads from Bryon and the deal about those shows. Wish I could have seen them when they were going on. My money on the fault should be the person crossing the runway since to me anyone crossing should check the pattern to see if some one is landing or not.
John

twinsRfun

Hello Kevin,
Nice photo! Yes I'd like to have one someday as it means and reminds me of the great times we had in Ida Grove, IA. The picture is worth a hundred stories or more, yet two or maybe four guys know what went on, on wrong!! If you study the picture real close you see the wing of the P-38 didn't get hurt that bad, the P-51 took it the worst. The P-38 flew the next day in the show. And how do I know any of this, well it was my P-38. If you'd like I could sit down write a few details of the show, plane, or so on.
Gaylen

E-snake

My Feedback: (2)

I'd buy one!
Great shot!

twinsRfun

Its interesting reading what happened or should have! A little bit more about the photo. Byron put on a show called Striking Back (WWII reenactment) which was not your normal day at the fling field. There were 13 to 15 pilots that flew for the show, and at times we had most in the air at the same time. We flew or followed a script that lasted 20 to 25 min. It was normal to take off in groups of 2 or 3 and try to work together, either attack air to air or make runs on the mountains. If for some reason a person had trouble or some charges on the ground didn't go the time would be pushed ahead to try and cover any dead spots in the action. Our spotters had hand held radios so everyone knew what was happening, so on that day the time was pushed ahead and the tower was yelling get the fighters down as Byron like to have the B-25 in the air as the flag was being raised at the end. So being we all knew what was suppose to happen and this being the second day of the show, the P-51 was to land and I was to follow him in. The P-51 had landed in the grass, which I still don't know or care why, and I planned on the concrete like normal. We you fly with that much action there was one rule we all followed (NEVER TAKE YOUR EYES OFF YOUR PLANE) so you trusted your spotter, anyway I was turning to final and my spotter was saying the Mustang is down on the grass and starting to taxi across. OK, fine, done this more than once, spotter telling me to push the landing to right side of the concrete and you have plenty of room. The next thing I hear is so OH S***T the P-51 just flip on its nose on the concrete, by this time my wheels touch the earth and the photo tell it all. There was no time to do a thing. The crowd loved it! The Mustang driver wasn't the happiest person in the world but life went on. The P-38 was built like a tank, glass fuse, solid foam wing, 4.2 engines with 3 blade props weighing in at 65 lbs. All the white in the photo is P-51 wing and part of the tail being eaten by my prop.

Combat Addict

If you told me that that was for real, I would believe it.
Awesome pic.

Kevin Greene

My Feedback: (85)

Gaylen,

Excellent write-up!!! As you can tell, I had a front row seat to ALL of the action!!! Why the Mustang driver decided to make a left turn across an active runway was beyond me....Your spotter was watching your plane come in, as yours was I think the last to land before the '25's did their thing. When all of us saw the Mustang nose over and then noticed your plane on final, we all started screaming at the top of our lungs about the 'Stang on the runway!!! Your spotter heard all of us and even looked our way to see what all of the commotion was all about. When he looked to see what we were pointing at---That's when he said "OH SH1T!!!" Like you said---It was too late!!!

I was covering this event for R/C Report magazine, also flying one of my jets and my Byron P-51 Mustang. I've got several other action photos of this event that I'll also post after I dig up the negatives. This event was special as it was the last one held at Ida Grove. I was also very honored to have my Mustang used as Byron's display model in the main tent at this event. One of the 1/5th scale pine trees on the striking back set is a little shorter because of me....Due to their size they looked further away than they really were. I clipped the top of one with the wing of my jet at 150 mph. The plane was OK but did need to be repaired....The repair made for a nice article in the next issue of R/C Report in my "Afterburner" jet column.

I didn't know what happened to either plane after the event as I had to head back home for a 15 hour drive. The Mustang driver did call me at home several weeks later, wanting a copy of the pic. He said that his plane flew the next day but didn't elaborate on yours. I'm glad yours was not badly damaged. I've always wanted one of those P-38's!!!....You don't happen to have a spare "kit" lying around. I know that Byron didn't make any kits of this plane--It would have been a show stopper if he had.

I'll look into seeing what a blown up version of this pic would cost along with some of the other action photos of the "Striking Back" set. Again, Gaylen, good write up!!!


Kevin

twinsRfun

Keep me posted Kevin,
To bad I didn't hear you guys! I don't blame the spotter, as I flew for Byron all the years except the first one. When I started on the team I flew the Zero which I could write a book on for some of the things we pulled, like cut a hole in the foam wing for a servo, sand the servo case, mix 5 min. epoxy stick the servo in, DONE, well almost, we didn't use plywood or covering on the wings just paint! Hook up or use the rudder, NOT takes to much time to build and the plane flew great without it. Some may say that not safe, looking back maybe, but the flip side was we put the Zeros on Byrons moving aircraft carrier shot the planes in the air (cross wind - down wind) we had a disadvantage. You hear the motor running you didn't see the plane, they'd wave a flag left, right, forward, back, then in a circle which meant 100% power, then hello your plane is coming at us. So you probably wonder why we took all the short cuts when building. More than once I stayed up most of the night rebuilding a new plane!! (God we had fun)

As far as the P-38, there was no plans or kit, they had a guy from outside make plugs and mock up prototype which never flew. I was getting tired of building Zeros and loosing the war! (remember your WWII History, we won!) I started bugging them about the P-38 project and Byron said go ahead build one if you want. The first one was over the AMA limit the second one was built with foam rib wing and less ply. Never had to finish it but figured the weight in the 50 lbs range with G-62's for power. For the size of the plane it was so sweat to fly, one time at the Ankey show I lost the right engine during the battle and didn't realize it until I flew by us. Ended up turned to right as the pattern was going that way flew a complete race track patten then belly landed in the grass no damage.

Gaylen