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An Old Carrier Aircraft Mystery Solved?
On 23 December, 1956, an FJ-3 Fury fighter plane was launched from the U. S.
S. Shangri La while operating south of Japan. The FJ-3 did not follow normal departure procedures - instead it continued flight with it's landing gear and flaps still down while slowly banking left as the plane turned almost opposite to the ships course abeam to it's port-side. The plane continued rolling left until it dropped into the ocean and sunk. Both plane and pilot were lost. No pilot communications were reported. No firm conclusion was ever arrived at as to the cause of the loss. Some years later a former squadron mate was cycling the wing fold mechanism on an FJ-3 when he noticed something that might explain the loss of his friend years earlier. The FJ-3 had two wing folding/spreading controls: the first, mounted on the right forward instrument panel, was a handle hinged at the bottom for locking (handle up vertically and locked in place) and unlocking (handle unlocked and down to horizontal) the ailerons before folding or spreading the wings to prevented aileron control linkage damage. Most importantly, this handle had a thumb operated detent button on the left side to lock the handle itself in the closed position when the wings are fully spread and locked and the ailerons were free to be used. Also connected to this same handle were metal flags, painted red, located in each wing indicating wings locked when the flag is down with no red showing and unlocked when up with red showing. Behind that handle was a small left/right lever used to actually fold or spread the wings. Years later in ground exercising the wing spread and lock procedure of an FJ-3 the former squadron mate found a peculiarity. Because of linkage tolerances it was possible for the flags to disappear, indicting wings locked, when the outer pilot's control handle detent button was NOT yet seated in the lock position. The significance of that detent being not seated, together with aileron linkage slack, was that while the wings locking pins might be fully seated with the flags not showing red, the ailerons linkage could still be locked - meaning no aileron controls for the pilot. A pilot "stirring the cockpit" with the joystick prior to launch would know he had no aileron authority and "down" his aircraft before being catapulted. On the other hand, a nervous pilot overloaded with pre-launch check-off procedures and checking only hi swing flags could end up on the catapult not realizing he had no aileron control. Whereas post-catapult flight with no aileron controls might just be possible using the rudder to counter roll tendency the likelihood of even recognizing the lack of aileron control until too far committed in roll is more likely. Being at relatively low speed and low altitude in an uncontrollable FJ-3 a pilot could not expect to survive a cockpit ejection. Low, slow, in a roll, and off the catapult with no ailerons means he has just run out of options! Unfortunately, this peculiarity of the FJ-3 was not known at the time that unfortunate squadron mate flew his last flight. Also unfortunate was that the accident occurred just days before Christmas, 1956. Hopefully the Navy waited to notify the pilot's wife and two children until after they had enjoyed their Christmas, such as it was with daddy not being with them. For want of a nail, a shoe was lost For want of a shoe, a horse was lost For want of a horse, a rider was lost For want of a rider, a message was lost For want of a message, a battle was lost For want of a battle, a kingdom was lost All for want of a nail - George Herbert (1593-1632) |
#2
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An Old Carrier Aircraft Mystery Solved?
Sounds like as good an explanation as any.
The A-6 had a similar external visual indicator (red flags near the wingfolds), and the wingfold lever was located between the pilot and B/N. AFAIK, there were never any linkage engagement issues with the A-6 wingfold like those you describe for the FJ. Part of good A-6 crew coordination was deciding who would control the lever under what circumstances - some pilots and B/Ns preferred the B/N handle this, allowing the pilot more attention to the yellowshirt's directions. -- Mike Kanze "Political correctness is the doctrine holding that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end." - Anonymous "W. D. Allen" wrote in message ... On 23 December, 1956, an FJ-3 Fury fighter plane was launched from the U. S. S. Shangri La while operating south of Japan. The FJ-3 did not follow normal departure procedures - instead it continued flight with it's landing gear and flaps still down while slowly banking left as the plane turned almost opposite to the ships course abeam to it's port-side. The plane continued rolling left until it dropped into the ocean and sunk. Both plane and pilot were lost. No pilot communications were reported. No firm conclusion was ever arrived at as to the cause of the loss. Some years later a former squadron mate was cycling the wing fold mechanism on an FJ-3 when he noticed something that might explain the loss of his friend years earlier. The FJ-3 had two wing folding/spreading controls: the first, mounted on the right forward instrument panel, was a handle hinged at the bottom for locking (handle up vertically and locked in place) and unlocking (handle unlocked and down to horizontal) the ailerons before folding or spreading the wings to prevented aileron control linkage damage. Most importantly, this handle had a thumb operated detent button on the left side to lock the handle itself in the closed position when the wings are fully spread and locked and the ailerons were free to be used. Also connected to this same handle were metal flags, painted red, located in each wing indicating wings locked when the flag is down with no red showing and unlocked when up with red showing. Behind that handle was a small left/right lever used to actually fold or spread the wings. Years later in ground exercising the wing spread and lock procedure of an FJ-3 the former squadron mate found a peculiarity. Because of linkage tolerances it was possible for the flags to disappear, indicting wings locked, when the outer pilot's control handle detent button was NOT yet seated in the lock position. The significance of that detent being not seated, together with aileron linkage slack, was that while the wings locking pins might be fully seated with the flags not showing red, the ailerons linkage could still be locked - meaning no aileron controls for the pilot. A pilot "stirring the cockpit" with the joystick prior to launch would know he had no aileron authority and "down" his aircraft before being catapulted. On the other hand, a nervous pilot overloaded with pre-launch check-off procedures and checking only hi swing flags could end up on the catapult not realizing he had no aileron control. Whereas post-catapult flight with no aileron controls might just be possible using the rudder to counter roll tendency the likelihood of even recognizing the lack of aileron control until too far committed in roll is more likely. Being at relatively low speed and low altitude in an uncontrollable FJ-3 a pilot could not expect to survive a cockpit ejection. Low, slow, in a roll, and off the catapult with no ailerons means he has just run out of options! Unfortunately, this peculiarity of the FJ-3 was not known at the time that unfortunate squadron mate flew his last flight. Also unfortunate was that the accident occurred just days before Christmas, 1956. Hopefully the Navy waited to notify the pilot's wife and two children until after they had enjoyed their Christmas, such as it was with daddy not being with them. For want of a nail, a shoe was lost For want of a shoe, a horse was lost For want of a horse, a rider was lost For want of a rider, a message was lost For want of a message, a battle was lost For want of a battle, a kingdom was lost All for want of a nail - George Herbert (1593-1632) |
#3
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An Old Carrier Aircraft Mystery Solved?
"W. D. Allen" wrote in om... On 23 December, 1956, an FJ-3 Fury fighter plane was launched from the U. S. S. Shangri La while operating south of Japan. The FJ-3 did not follow normal departure procedures - instead it continued flight with it's landing gear and flaps still down while slowly banking left as the plane turned almost opposite to the ships course abeam to it's port-side. The plane continued rolling left until it dropped into the ocean and sunk. Both plane and pilot were lost. No pilot communications were reported. No firm conclusion was ever arrived at as to the cause of the loss. Some years later a former squadron mate was cycling the wing fold mechanism on an FJ-3 when he noticed something that might explain the loss of his friend years earlier. The FJ-3 had two wing folding/spreading controls: the first, mounted on the right forward instrument panel, was a handle hinged at the bottom for locking (handle up vertically and locked in place) and unlocking (handle unlocked and down to horizontal) the ailerons before folding or spreading the wings to prevented aileron control linkage damage. Most importantly, this handle had a thumb operated detent button on the left side to lock the handle itself in the closed position when the wings are fully spread and locked and the ailerons were free to be used. Also connected to this same handle were metal flags, painted red, located in each wing indicating wings locked when the flag is down with no red showing and unlocked when up with red showing. Behind that handle was a small left/right lever used to actually fold or spread the wings. If I understand correctly at least one FJ Fury flies today. Has its operator been notified of this? Maybe someone reading this knows the guy. |
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