[Rebelbase]

Ground loop in a high crosswind. Saw a video of him talking about the plane a few months ago. He said he's got about a million dollars in it.

Here's a video of him after the crash accepting full responsibility for attempting to fly in sketchy conditions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfctWAoDXvs

[Rebelbase]

Draco in better days.

[ConservativeWarrior]

I’ve seen a few of his videos.

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.

Looks like they didn’t work as he’d hoped.

[tcrlaf]

Hell of an Airplane, seen it up close a few times.

Started off as a Polish PZL 104 Wilga, already a very capable short takeoff and landing plane, and he went nuts from there. Added a jet turbine, bigger gear etc, etc, adn.

[semaj]

Too bad. Cool plane. He should rebuild it it.

[txnativegop]

would any pilot attempt to take off in such strong crosswinds absent a life threatening emergency?

[Yo-Yo]

Ground loop in a high crosswind.

It's only a ground loop if it happens on a landing.

[misanthrope]

This is a serious bummer. That was a bad ass ride.

Wonder why he didn't take off in to the wind. He knew better.

[steve86]

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.

[hanamizu]

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.

[PAR35]

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.

[taildragger]

I got to see it @ OSH this year, although I don't think he flew it. It is a shame. Talking with my pilot buds at the Wends morning coffee chat, and one noted who has a STOL bird, why did he just head into the wind and take off. discussion insued about using a runway in unconventional ways and it is legal.

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!

[Paal Gulli]

There’s two kinds of taildragger pilots.

Them that’s ground looped, and them that will.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

He took off within 5 plane lengths! Hell of a plane!

How about landing?

Move things around a bit on the ship and it looks like you could fly it off the aft deck of a destroyer! (Spotting only...too light to carry munitions)