Seafire SX366 belly landed in France yesterday
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,449
Received 3,192 Likes
on
1,339 Posts
Seafire SX366 belly landed in France yesterday
Probably should be elsewhere, but we did cover the B17 accident,
Looks like damage could be minimal
From
Seafire SX336 - Belly landed in France - crew unhurt - Key Publishing Ltd Aviation Forums
A report in this morning from Ben Gilbert that SX336 made a wheels up landing at Bondues near Lille, France, yesteday 2nd July. 
Pilot is unhurt. Damage minimal and about as light as it can get in these circumstances.
Mark
Images here:-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aaantoi...7627100683798/
Pilot is unhurt. Damage minimal and about as light as it can get in these circumstances.
Mark
Images here:-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aaantoi...7627100683798/
From
Seafire SX336 - Belly landed in France - crew unhurt - Key Publishing Ltd Aviation Forums
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Taif-Saudi Arabia
Age: 64
Posts: 229
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I wouldn't say the damage was minimal. Prop was turning so thats a big engine rebuild if not a replacement. New rad & oil cooler, prop, flaps, cowlings etc etc, not much change out of quarter of a mil at a guess. Just glad the Pilots ok.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: East Anglia
Posts: 1,873
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I expected to see bent prop blades, but they appear to have sheared off at the cuffs, were Seafires meant to be flown with blades like this in the event of barrier arrest?
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Detroit MI
Age: 66
Posts: 1,460
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Silly question I'm sure... But I'll go ahead and ask anyway...
Pilots practice for engine off landings so it's not something totally alien to them. Pilots "know" how to wheels up lad their aircraft, don't they?
So why, with a vintage aircraft, wouldn't the pilot have shut the engine down on approach to save the engine...
Yes, I know, there's a lot of things to consider... Couldn't a vintage engine have been one of them?
Pilots practice for engine off landings so it's not something totally alien to them. Pilots "know" how to wheels up lad their aircraft, don't they?
So why, with a vintage aircraft, wouldn't the pilot have shut the engine down on approach to save the engine...
Yes, I know, there's a lot of things to consider... Couldn't a vintage engine have been one of them?
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: avro country
Age: 73
Posts: 174
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I think that life would have been more important in this instance. Engine off could have resulted in a stalled landing. Could've gone in nose first. I'm sure others are more qualified to comment.
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Umm, where did I put the Garmin?
Posts: 346
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Kitbag, most airworthy rebuilds fly with reproduction wooden DeHavilland/Rotol blades, (made in Germany, no less!) as alot of the original wood or duralumin ones are now life expired, (or have had high velocity encounters with terra firma!) I don't believe any company today manufactures duralumin reproductions.
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 1,966
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
That Seafire throws a 4 bladed prop, so even if the delightful Ms Walker had shut it down at least one blade but prob two would have been damaged.
The a/c has a gearbox ISTR - so would that not have allowed the props to rotate?
Stik
The a/c has a gearbox ISTR - so would that not have allowed the props to rotate?
Stik
PPRuNe FirstOfficer
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Surrey, UK
Posts: 137
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ms. AW is a very skillful pilot and knowledgeable, who is also my PPL instructor, very sad to hear the news, but happy she is OK and not hurt. She very strong and in no time will be up in the air doing her loops. 
Any more details on this incident? I do hope the lack of gear was a fault with the aircraft!
Pictures seem to show it landed quite firmly (stalled?) rather than being flown on. It probably makes sense to keep the engine running and fly it on in an attempt to minimise any damage.
Pictures seem to show it landed quite firmly (stalled?) rather than being flown on. It probably makes sense to keep the engine running and fly it on in an attempt to minimise any damage.
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: 100 Group Country
Posts: 187
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Kitbag, most airworthy rebuilds fly with reproduction wooden DeHavilland/Rotol blades, (made in Germany, no less!) as alot of the original wood or duralumin ones are now life expired, (or have had high velocity encounters with terra firma!) I don't believe any company today manufactures duralumin reproductions.
