Posted on 09/18/2019 1:24:00 PM PDT by Rebelbase
Mike Patey and his wife Chandra are uninjured after Draco, the incredible turboprop STOL plane Mike Patey made, ground looped and was destroyed. Patey was taking off in very gusty conditions at Reno Stead, with winds registering to greater than 40 knots with a big crosswind component. The plane ground-looped as it was taking off, going off the side of the runway and spinning around, catching a wing and raising a cloud of dust.
Patey in another video blamed the crash on his own mistake in attempting the takeoff in the conditions.
Our hearts go out to Mike and his family on the loss of an incredible plane. At the same time, the biggest news is that no one was hurt.
Video at link or here on youtube.
I watched the video.
One wing was already high even before he began rolling.
Very soon he’s on one wheel and already in trouble.
I would not call that a “Ground loop”, more like he spun out.
Once he left the tarmac and the gear his soft dirt there was no hope.
I know nothing about that airplane. Never heard of it until just now, but most really short takeoffs are made well below the correct speed for turbulent air.
I would suspect wind shear related to stall speed probably cause one wing to stall.
Most accidents like that end up with the aircraft cartwheeling with no survivor.
His take off rolls are so short he could have manually turned the aircraft 90 degrees into the wind and taken off ACROSS the runway. Instant license suspension, however.
“More power, Mr. Scott...”
Once watch a Storch (which this plane looks like) do touch and goes on a very windy day at Santa Barbara airport. May have used 10 feet of runway taking off, flew over the same spot and landed. Did it over and over again.
It was the off-field aircraft many of us dreamed of flying/owning.
Makes sense to me.
Of course, there are always exceptions - in this case: Me. Gone through 2 cats - well into the 3rd. [:>)
I missed it that the crash happened at Reno.
However my comments regarding mountain flying are valid.
By the way, short field high performance takeoffs are flying on the edge. You can kill yourself at it without a wild and gusty day although gusts certainly raise the danger level.
I once saw a C-47 crash killing all on board on one of the nicest fling days you will ever see.
He took off into the wind on a runway about three times as long as he needed but the pilot made a short field takeoff.
A very low level wind shear caused the aircraft to stall and it cartwheeled and burst into flame. I was in the car that got to the plane first but there was nothing we could do but watch it burn.
Too bad. Cool plane. He should rebuild it it.
= = =
Well, take the ‘data plate’ and add necessary replacement parts.
Done deal.
There’s a lot of suspension travel on Draco, especially after the latest modification of the gear. The potential for the plane to list is more than with a normal plane.
Here’s the video on the gear modification; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rn9LjYy03uw
Mike said that in the video linked in post 16.
You want STOL? Just put a modern engine on a replica Storch. Even in the 1940s it could take off in 150 feet and land in 60.
Yep. This one was a great learning experience for him.
This caught my eye at OSH, he got the dead grass award, it's from Germany, the Explorer...
If I won the lottery, I'd have one of these for fun. A FrankenMaule, new Maule Fuselage w/ Dakota Hawk Slotted Wing with the latest double Fowler Flaps. Now this imagine this w/ a Turboprop, or and Supercharged "LS" with a PSRU!
Mike did not ground loop on takeoff, he failed to maintain control during t/o. Seems he needs a little crosscontrol training in crosswinds.
Mike did not ground loop on takeoff, he failed to maintain control during t/o. Seems he needs a little crosscontrol training in crosswinds.
LOL. . .well stated and I think I might even believe you!
Ha!
“Overconfidence in the airplane, and your own ability. It’s called “Ego”. . .
Actually, can be “Overconfidence in the airplane, and your own ability. It’s called ‘being a fighter pilot’”
I should know. . .came close a few times.. .
“...He made a big deal about the arched bands of steel installed under each wingtip, claiming they’d probably save the plane in the event of a groundloop...” [ConservativeWarrior, post 3]
Wingtip skids are nothing new.
They were common on aircraft dating to World War One and earlier. Look up some images of the Fokker Triplane at Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome: it had wooden skids (not sure if that’s still true). They looked like axe handles.
A number of aircraft of the period were equipped with bow skids, to reduce the chance of nose-overs, which can happen on landing in aircraft with taildragger undercarriage. Nose-overs could also occur on takeoff if the field was too rough, or the machine hit a pothole. Paved runways did not exist.
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