Water ski'ing Harvards  
View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Tower Hobbies
Enter up to 4 keywords or Tower stock numbers
Logged in as Guest



Users viewing this topic: none
  Printable Version
       

All Forums >> RC Airplanes >> Seaplanes >> Water ski'ing Harvards
Page: [1]

Login
Message << Older Topic   Newer Topic >>
Water ski'ing Harvards - 3/10/2006 8:10:11 AM   
karldaschner


 

Posts: 62
Joined: 12/1/2004
From: Bellvillecape town, SOUTH AFRICA
Status: offline 		These photos were taken outside Johannesburg on a nearby dam - Believe it?!!!!

Attachments
Click to see fullsize image.
Click for fullsize 		Click to see fullsize image.
Click for fullsize 		Click to see fullsize image.
Click for fullsize
       Post #: 1

RE: Water ski'ing Harvards - 3/10/2006 8:11:15 AM   
karldaschner


 

Posts: 62
Joined: 12/1/2004
From: Bellvillecape town, SOUTH AFRICA
Status: offline 		O ja its in South Africa - my home country!!!

(in reply to karldaschner)
       Post #: 2

RE: Water ski'ing Harvards - 3/10/2006 3:12:50 PM   
Chip_Mull



Posts: 272
Joined: 2/2/2005
From: Granbury, TX, USA
Status: offline 		Those guys have huge huevos!

_____________________________

Let's launch, first one up takes lead and we'll brief on Guard!

(in reply to karldaschner)
       Post #: 3

RE: Water ski'ing Harvards - 3/11/2006 12:41:01 AM   
Newc


 

Posts: 1047
Joined: 10/23/2002
From: Leesburg, IN, USA
Status: offline 		While these photos may be of some of the world's greatest flyers - which they would have to be to do what is pictured - I have a strong feeling that digital photography and computer manipulation is involved here. Notice, for example, that in the first picture that at least three of the planes have spray coming from ahead of the center point of the tires. This would impart enough of a moment of force to put the prop in the water as well as a bunch of other ugly things happening. The margin for error in this formation is so small as to not be measurable for four planes to all be on the right side of the margin at the same time - in each case less than an inch of altitude room for error.

(in reply to Chip_Mull)
       Post #: 4

RE: Water ski'ing Harvards - 3/11/2006 2:11:58 AM   
magyarbacsi


 

Posts: 394
Joined: 11/16/2003
From: Seattle, WA, USA
Status: offline 		Newc, you may have something there. I went back and took a hard look and then noticed that the plane at 11 0'clock has spray from the right wheel only and nothing from the port side. Unless that wheel is not making contact. Interesting picture anyway

(in reply to Newc)
       Post #: 5

RE: Water ski'ing Harvards - 3/11/2006 2:38:42 AM   
Buteos


 

Posts: 281
Joined: 10/5/2005
From: York , PA, USA
Status: offline 		Durning my trips to JoBerg I saw a lot of things but that wasn't one of them but then you never know.

_____________________________

May your sails always be full

(in reply to magyarbacsi)
       Post #: 6

RE: Water ski'ing Harvards - 3/11/2006 3:03:30 AM   
clolson


 

Posts: 217
Joined: 5/10/2004
From: Blaine, MN, USA
Status: offline 		It's definitely a strange sited, but if these are doctored, someone did an tremendous job. The shadows cut across the spray and the water consistantly. The reflextions of the water seem to right and interact properly with the waves. There are a couple shots from different angles. It would be a lot of work to create all the different angles and do such a good job from every angle. Also, why 4 airplanes. If someone was faking this, they'd probably just do it with one airplane. Every plane is at a slightly different angle from the other ones so they didn't just paste in 4 copies of the same aircraft. I think that pushing some spray ahead of the wheels is plausible just like happens on the bow of a boat, but that is usual a lot less blunt than a tire. One tire up vs. one tire down, or a bounce in one of the pictures seems entirely plausible. I'm inclined to believe my eyes on this one. If it is faked, the 'artist' did such a wonderful job tricking me, I might as well just enjoy being tricked anyway.

http://www.avcom.co.za/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=6924&sid=5890e8ace86b84c8bbcc9cb8e672592c
http://www.avcom.co.za/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=6924&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=90
http://www.myaviation.net/search/photo_search.php?id=00636202&size=large

< Message edited by clolson -- 3/11/2006 3:04:19 AM >

(in reply to Buteos)
       Post #: 7

RE: Water ski'ing Harvards - 3/13/2006 4:00:01 AM   
cf-drg



Posts: 205
Joined: 3/13/2002
From: Victoria, BC, CANADA
Status: offline 		I don't think it's doctored... The water is perfectly flat and they're just skiing across the water.. The spray only from one side, is only that one wheel is digging in.. As far as this being possible, you only need to go 42-48 mph on the water to barefoot ski. So if they (the AT-6) are cruising at say 80-100, the water would be like concrete.. I think this is just a neat trick done by the pilots...

_____________________________

Darren loves floatplanes

(in reply to clolson)
       Post #: 8

RE: Water ski'ing Harvards - 3/13/2006 4:08:11 AM   
fledermaus



Posts: 222
Joined: 10/20/2003
From: Winnipeg, MB, CANADA
Status: offline
quote:

If it is faked, the 'artist' did such a wonderful job tricking me, I might as well just enjoy being tricked anyway.


Not to mention the point of view for the pictures - clearly taken from above, not an easy original photo to take if it was a flying shot pasted into water and digitally altered.

(in reply to cf-drg)
       Post #: 9

RE: Water ski'ing Harvards - 3/13/2006 7:11:30 AM   
karldaschner


 

Posts: 62
Joined: 12/1/2004
From: Bellvillecape town, SOUTH AFRICA
Status: offline 		Please visit http://www.rmac.co.za and go to photos
> and look at
> "Water-skiing Harvards.
>

>
> Pilots Hone Their Skills for Upcoming Air show
> Season. Photography by Frans
> Dely/Aviationdimension.com
>
> Early morning anglers are treated to the spectacle
> of four T6 Harvard
> Aircraft from The Flying Lions Aerobatic Team
> waterskiing across the
> Klipdrift Dam near Johannesburg South Africa. Lead
> by Scully Levin, with
> wingman Arnie Meneghelli, Stewart Lithgow and Ellis
> Levin, this renowned air
> show display team rehearse a sequence for the newly
> launched "Aviation
> Action" television program on Supersport.
>
> Arnie Meneghelli from Academy Brushware, owner of
> the aircraft had
> this to say "What we did today I believe is a
> world first. It
> illustrates that South African air show pilots are
> amongst the best in the
> world" [du Plooy, Nico] ...or thickest
>
> This unusual act, approved by the South African
> Civil Aviation Authority
> (CAA), and supported by Castrol Aviation, was
> meticulously planned and took
> place under the watchful eye of divers and
> paramedics that were on site

(in reply to fledermaus)
       Post #: 10

RE: Water ski'ing Harvards - 3/13/2006 1:49:52 PM   
John Palica


 

Posts: 1228
Joined: 5/22/2003
From: Vernon, CT, USA
Status: offline 		There is no reason to disbelieve what you are seeing in the photos. It's no different than skipping a stone on the water or barefoot water skiing. Having done both I can attest to the fact that the water gets pretty firm at speed. In barefooting, water goes forward as well as the spray to the rear. I foot at 33 MPH. The Harvards are probably doing close to 80 (my guess). There is plenty of support from the water at that speed. I have also seen video of bush pilots in Alaska doing similar when they want to land on a sand bar on some remote river. Just don't slow down.

_____________________________

John

(in reply to karldaschner)
       Post #: 11

RE: Water ski'ing Harvards - 3/13/2006 2:10:20 PM   
karldaschner


 

Posts: 62
Joined: 12/1/2004
From: Bellvillecape town, SOUTH AFRICA
Status: offline 		I agree that these photos are not fake. One thing I can say is that it must be a very risky/dangerous trick. As you know u dont bare foot ski the first time you try - and if your in a plane there is no space for error!!! Those pilots must have a pair of steel balls.

(in reply to John Palica)
       Post #: 12

RE: Water ski'ing Harvards - 3/13/2006 2:14:08 PM   
karldaschner


 

Posts: 62
Joined: 12/1/2004
From: Bellvillecape town, SOUTH AFRICA
Status: offline 		I agree that these photos are not fake. One thing I can say is that it must be a very risky/dangerous trick. As you know u dont bare foot ski the first time you try - and if your in a plane there is no space for error!!! Those pilots must have a pair of steel balls.

(in reply to John Palica)
       Post #: 13

RE: Water ski'ing Harvards - 3/13/2006 9:58:22 PM   
Gravityisnotmyfriend



Posts: 851
Joined: 3/1/2004
From: Greenville, WI, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: John Palica

I have also seen video of bush pilots in Alaska doing similar when they want to land on a sand bar on some remote river. Just don't slow down.

John,
You beat me to it. Granted, the bush planes have those big gummy bear tires which allow them to hydro-plane slower, but there no reason those Harvards couldn't do it if they have enough speed. The crazy thing is that those bush pilots take off in the opposite order. They get up as much speed as they can on the beach and continue to hydro-plane across the water until they get up flying speed.

_____________________________

The mathematician sees the glass as twice as big as it needs to be. The engineer sees it as full with a Safety Factor of 2.

(in reply to John Palica)
       Post #: 14

RE: Water ski'ing Harvards - 3/14/2006 12:40:48 AM   
Newc


 

Posts: 1047
Joined: 10/23/2002
From: Leesburg, IN, USA
Status: offline 		Since some have compared the plane's contact with the water with barefooting, I want to mention that there's really no similarity. In barefooting one is leaning way far back (away from the boat) from the water, imparting a positive angle of attack to the foot such that the water impacts on the instep of the foot (thus causing the significant spray forward of the foot), and one even keeps ones toes up to keep from digging in. Similar comments about skipping a rock on flat water - it's always with the leading edge up, not with a perpendicular line contact with the water as the tires would have.

Perhaps the photos are real, but skeptic that I am, I doubt it.

(in reply to Gravityisnotmyfriend)
       Post #: 15

RE: Water ski'ing Harvards - 3/22/2006 6:33:06 AM   
damifino