We want to blow up your warbird
01-24-2003, 03:29 PM
#1
We want to blow up your warbird
Hi Guys,
We will be introducing a new noon time warbird show at Top Gun this year with lots of action. We are looking into adding pyrotechnics and will be blowing up planes on the ground during strafing runs.
Therefore we need to find old retired WW2 warbirds with a minimum wingspan of 70". The planes will not fly, so engines and servos are of course not needed.
If you have an old retired/crashed/junk plane you would like to donate we would love to hear from you. The condition does not matter, as long as it looks like a WW2 warbird from a distance of 50 feet. Old crashed planes that are glued together and repainted with cheap paint would be perfect. Retracts can be replaced with wire struts etc etc.
In return for bringing a plane, we will give you free top Gun passes and a copy of the video tapes of the event afterwards.
Please e-mail John at [email protected] if you have a plane you can bring
We will be introducing a new noon time warbird show at Top Gun this year with lots of action. We are looking into adding pyrotechnics and will be blowing up planes on the ground during strafing runs.
Therefore we need to find old retired WW2 warbirds with a minimum wingspan of 70". The planes will not fly, so engines and servos are of course not needed.
If you have an old retired/crashed/junk plane you would like to donate we would love to hear from you. The condition does not matter, as long as it looks like a WW2 warbird from a distance of 50 feet. Old crashed planes that are glued together and repainted with cheap paint would be perfect. Retracts can be replaced with wire struts etc etc.
In return for bringing a plane, we will give you free top Gun passes and a copy of the video tapes of the event afterwards.
Please e-mail John at [email protected] if you have a plane you can bring
01-24-2003, 04:07 PM
#2
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We want to blow up your warbird
Cool! Remember "Striking Back" ? We blew up a Zero in air at every show. Sometimes it was very interesting, in fact the time the radio quit on one it became super interesting!
Paul
Paul
01-24-2003, 06:26 PM
#3
TG
Hi Paul,
We would love to do something like that. unfortunately, because Top Gun is an AMA sanctioned event, the rules says "No pyrotechnics" in flight. And as you mentioned yourself, a radio glitch while flying around with a stick of dynamite may be a really really bad idea
John
We would love to do something like that. unfortunately, because Top Gun is an AMA sanctioned event, the rules says "No pyrotechnics" in flight. And as you mentioned yourself, a radio glitch while flying around with a stick of dynamite may be a really really bad idea
John
01-24-2003, 10:02 PM
#5
We want to blow up your warbird
Originally posted by MikeS
Jeez, John.
He said the pyros are on the ground in non-fly airplanes.
Read, understand, then reply.
Cheers,
Jeez, John.
He said the pyros are on the ground in non-fly airplanes.
Read, understand, then reply.
Cheers,
John said he is going to blow them up on the ground. Paul said they blew them up in the air. Right?
01-24-2003, 11:46 PM
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We want to blow up your warbird
I love read these posts. 
Sometimes great ideas get all twisted up by guys who just want to write.
John your first post was a great idea.
Sometimes great ideas get all twisted up by guys who just want to write. John your first post was a great idea.
01-25-2003, 04:44 AM
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We want to blow up your warbird
if i felt like it---i could fix up one of my stangs--but its a old sig kit, made in the 70's---a rare plane indeed. but would look awsome with its ABS plastic shell exploding.
01-25-2003, 02:05 PM
#14
JEEEEZZZZZ :-)
Originally posted by MikeS
Jeez, John.
He said the pyros are on the ground in non-fly airplanes.
Read, understand, then reply.
Cheers,
Jeez, John.
He said the pyros are on the ground in non-fly airplanes.
Read, understand, then reply.
Cheers,
MikeS, This is probably one of the funniest replies i have seen here on RCU.
You are kidding right?Mike LuckyB001. Nope, we will not blow up your Jug. We where thinking that your P-38 would be much more impressive
02-05-2003, 01:22 PM
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We want to blow up your warbird
In reference to Pauls statement about blowing them in the air, that was the old Byron show that became the Ankeny Aviation Expo, it was not an AMA event and was privately insured. Check with Paul at rcwarbirds.com, about the safety rules and guidelines they used. No I am not suggesting that you can do this at Top Gun, after all that IS an AMA sanctioned event and blowing planes out of the air IS STRICTLY forbidden. For a little more excitement though and for a little more expense, show teams are allowed to use smoke cannisters and a "controlled crash" would wow the crowd. Stand off scale warbirds with no detail and cheap paint could be used. Would also recommend old tired engines, put recievers in strong boxes, may require sacrificing some servos, but cheap 100oz servos can be had for about $15 ea on Ebay all the time. When is this event? If there is interest and if I could find a sacrifical engine or two I would be interested in participating. What kind of airplane(s) would you interested in? you can contact me by email [email protected]
02-05-2003, 05:58 PM
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We want to blow up your warbird
Originally posted by flying2bill
In reference to Pauls statement about blowing them in the air, that was the old Byron show that became the Ankeny Aviation Expo, it was not an AMA event and was privately insured. Check with Paul at rcwarbirds.com, about the safety rules and guidelines they used. No I am not suggesting that you can do this at Top Gun, after all that IS an AMA sanctioned event and blowing planes out of the air IS STRICTLY forbidden. For a little more excitement though and for a little more expense, show teams are allowed to use smoke cannisters and a "controlled crash" would wow the crowd. Stand off scale warbirds with no detail and cheap paint could be used. Would also recommend old tired engines, put recievers in strong boxes, may require sacrificing some servos, but cheap 100oz servos can be had for about $15 ea on Ebay all the time. When is this event? If there is interest and if I could find a sacrifical engine or two I would be interested in participating. What kind of airplane(s) would you interested in? you can contact me by email [email protected]
In reference to Pauls statement about blowing them in the air, that was the old Byron show that became the Ankeny Aviation Expo, it was not an AMA event and was privately insured. Check with Paul at rcwarbirds.com, about the safety rules and guidelines they used. No I am not suggesting that you can do this at Top Gun, after all that IS an AMA sanctioned event and blowing planes out of the air IS STRICTLY forbidden. For a little more excitement though and for a little more expense, show teams are allowed to use smoke cannisters and a "controlled crash" would wow the crowd. Stand off scale warbirds with no detail and cheap paint could be used. Would also recommend old tired engines, put recievers in strong boxes, may require sacrificing some servos, but cheap 100oz servos can be had for about $15 ea on Ebay all the time. When is this event? If there is interest and if I could find a sacrifical engine or two I would be interested in participating. What kind of airplane(s) would you interested in? you can contact me by email [email protected]
3) Where established, I will abide by the safety rules for the flying site I use, and I will not willfully and deliberately fly my models in a careless, reckless and/or dangerous manner.
I don't know if a "controlled crash" will fly (sorry for the pun). Some pyrotechnics are allowed for "Air Show Teams" after getting proper approvals. I'm sure such is the case with the B-29/X-1 rocket flight seen most recently at Deland last weekend.
- George
02-05-2003, 07:54 PM
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We want to blow up your warbird
By controlled crash the plane would land in a designated spot, well away from crowd and ground crews. This stunt is merely a suggestion and if safety rules prohibit it, then it should not be done. If however the stunt is allowed I would like to volunteer.
02-05-2003, 08:56 PM
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We want to blow up your warbird
Suggest you contact Steve Kaluf of AMA for clarification- I'd like to know how it turns out.
[email protected]
- George
[email protected]
- George
02-05-2003, 09:15 PM
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We want to blow up your warbird
George, I sent the following email to Steve and when I get a reply I will post it here.
In a recent post on RC Universe a call was sent out for people to volunteer their old warbirds to be blown up on the ground in a simulated strafing run at the upcoming Top Gun event. Another post showed up about planes being blown up in the air. Now I and others understand the blowing up planes in the air is against AMA safety regulations and what I had proposed was installing a smoke canister (allowed under showteam rules) and flying it to the ground in a "controlled crash". The question has arisen, does a "controlled crash" violate the rules on flying in a safe manner. Just looking for clarification. Thanks, Bill Russell AMA 323297
In a recent post on RC Universe a call was sent out for people to volunteer their old warbirds to be blown up on the ground in a simulated strafing run at the upcoming Top Gun event. Another post showed up about planes being blown up in the air. Now I and others understand the blowing up planes in the air is against AMA safety regulations and what I had proposed was installing a smoke canister (allowed under showteam rules) and flying it to the ground in a "controlled crash". The question has arisen, does a "controlled crash" violate the rules on flying in a safe manner. Just looking for clarification. Thanks, Bill Russell AMA 323297
02-05-2003, 10:31 PM
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We want to blow up your warbird
Bill the Byron Zero we blow up at each show (one a day for four days in August) carried a good sized bag of black powder. This Zero also carried a smoke bomb and at the proper time was sent aloft off a wheeled dolly. A Corsair of other US plane would get on it's tail and pretend to shoot at it. After a bit the smoke bomb was started and the Zero headed outfield away from the crowd. When it was far enough away it would be detonated and usually a wing would blow off and it would spin madly to the ground.
This show also included an anti air craft gun made of a hundred pipes each containing a timed charge. The pipes were detonated one at a time and shot the charge into the air where it exploded. This charge would sometimes hit one of our showplanes as it did with the 150lb C-47 I flew. It almost blew the tail off!
Other scary items was the Mustang I flew with six Estas rockets. I could fire all six or one at a time. I like to fire all six so it could be heard above all the other explosions and engine noise.
Twelve or more planes would be in the air at one time during the show and the smoke and explosions would often cloud our view of our planes. I learned to just keep all controls as the were before I went behind the smoke!
All effects and explosions were designed by "Rambo" our Hollywood effects expert. He was the man that made it all work and he often wore a t-shirt with the saying "If you see me running, try to keep up!"
The final "Atomic Bomb" explosion was a 500 gallons of gas and some black powder in a large hole in the ground. It did send a mushroom cloud a thousand feet into the air and stopped traffic on a nearby interstate!
The show was held on private property and we were all insured by the show promoters. It was was once in a life time, never to happen again.
Paul
This show also included an anti air craft gun made of a hundred pipes each containing a timed charge. The pipes were detonated one at a time and shot the charge into the air where it exploded. This charge would sometimes hit one of our showplanes as it did with the 150lb C-47 I flew. It almost blew the tail off!
Other scary items was the Mustang I flew with six Estas rockets. I could fire all six or one at a time. I like to fire all six so it could be heard above all the other explosions and engine noise.
Twelve or more planes would be in the air at one time during the show and the smoke and explosions would often cloud our view of our planes. I learned to just keep all controls as the were before I went behind the smoke!
All effects and explosions were designed by "Rambo" our Hollywood effects expert. He was the man that made it all work and he often wore a t-shirt with the saying "If you see me running, try to keep up!"
The final "Atomic Bomb" explosion was a 500 gallons of gas and some black powder in a large hole in the ground. It did send a mushroom cloud a thousand feet into the air and stopped traffic on a nearby interstate!
The show was held on private property and we were all insured by the show promoters. It was was once in a life time, never to happen again.
Paul
02-06-2003, 02:45 PM
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Top Gun
I just found out the dates for Top Gun and sadly I will not be able to attend. My vacation cycle does not begin until June and I have already used all my vacation time in the current cycle. So I will have to withdraw my offer to crash a warbird. Still have not heard if it would be permitted anyway.
02-11-2003, 03:39 AM
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Clarification on crashing planes
As promised here is the email I got from the AMA in response to the question about intentionally crashing an airplane
Intentionally crashing a plane would violate the safety code and void liability insurance coverage for that act. In addition, the liability insurance policy does not protect Insured's (members or clubs) from claims stemming from intentional acts. The suspension of insurance would only apply for claims resulting from accidents related to the intentional crashes and the insurance coverage otherwise is in force as long as flying within the safety code. The temporary violation of the safety code during the crash sequence will not be considered a major violation as long as AMA has been fully assured that all precautions have been taken to minimize any risk of injury or damage (i.e. controlled crash). AMA will not penalize the members or club involved in the violation.
Blowing models up on the ground would involve the use of explosives thereby creating a "strict liability" (no defense if something bad happens) situation. This is not risk AMA's insurer would care to insure.
In summary, we cannot offer insurance coverage for claims resulting from intentional destruction of model aircraft. Perhaps the event promoter or a sponsor can provide insurance.
Carl P. Maroney
[email protected]
765.287.1256 X250
AMA HQ
5161 E Memorial Dr
Muncie, IN 47302
Website: http://www.modelaircraft.org
Intentionally crashing a plane would violate the safety code and void liability insurance coverage for that act. In addition, the liability insurance policy does not protect Insured's (members or clubs) from claims stemming from intentional acts. The suspension of insurance would only apply for claims resulting from accidents related to the intentional crashes and the insurance coverage otherwise is in force as long as flying within the safety code. The temporary violation of the safety code during the crash sequence will not be considered a major violation as long as AMA has been fully assured that all precautions have been taken to minimize any risk of injury or damage (i.e. controlled crash). AMA will not penalize the members or club involved in the violation.
Blowing models up on the ground would involve the use of explosives thereby creating a "strict liability" (no defense if something bad happens) situation. This is not risk AMA's insurer would care to insure.
In summary, we cannot offer insurance coverage for claims resulting from intentional destruction of model aircraft. Perhaps the event promoter or a sponsor can provide insurance.
Carl P. Maroney
[email protected]
765.287.1256 X250
AMA HQ
5161 E Memorial Dr
Muncie, IN 47302
Website: http://www.modelaircraft.org
