# German aircraft crashing photo: real?



## racerguy00 (Dec 12, 2009)

I found this picture on a few different sites on the web. Anyone know if it's authentic because it's an amazing photo.


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## B-17engineer (Dec 12, 2009)

I would be the last to know. The smoke just doesn't seem right for some reason .


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## Maximowitz (Dec 13, 2009)

I suspect fake.


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## ToughOmbre (Dec 13, 2009)

I'm no expert either, but my guess would be that it's a fake as well.

TO


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## The Basket (Dec 13, 2009)

Bit like this


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## syscom3 (Dec 13, 2009)

I suspect fake, although well done.

Just a little bit of wind in a smoke cloud causes it to begin to trail, and its not apparent in the picture.


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## vikingBerserker (Dec 13, 2009)

I think it actually was from a movie.


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## Erich (Dec 13, 2009)

hokey photo job, the pic has been discussed in the past


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## GrauGeist (Dec 13, 2009)

Wasn't that shot (not the background image) from the movie "Battle of Britain"?


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## Civettone (Dec 13, 2009)

what's that thing on the left wing ???


Kris


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## Airframes (Dec 14, 2009)

It's not from the BoB movie Dave, but it might very well be from a much earlier movie, the title of which escapes me, made either during the war, or very soon afterwards. I can't be sure, but i think this might be a 'still' of a Woodason model of a JU88, used in the above movie, 'shot down' over the sea IIRC, and has been superimposed onto a background of trees.
Of course, it could also be a doctored clip from gun camera footage, heavily re-touched and superimposed.


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## rochie (Dec 14, 2009)

it looks like a picture of a ju 88 on the ground taken from 7 oclock position then rotated to make it look like its "going in"


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## Airframes (Dec 14, 2009)

BTW, the picture of the pilot ejecting from the vertical Lightning is _not_ a fake! It was a chance in a million pic, caught as the aircraft was on finals after a test flight from the factory. Suffering a total shut-down of all systems, the aircraft went nose down, and the pilot, George Aird, ejected, landing in a greenhouse of a gardening small holding. When I worked for a multi-national photographic company, I had copies of the original print, and some of the parachute harness and canopy lying in the greenhouse. At that time, George was the pilot of the BAe owned Mosquito (since lost in a fatal crash at Barton, Manchester), and I showed him the copies of the prints, and asked him about his experience. He confirmed that the photo was genuine (which we knew at the Big Yellow Box from analysis), and that is him punching out, when he swung once under a full canopy, before plunging through the roof of the greenhouse.


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## vikingBerserker (Dec 14, 2009)

Ouch, off all things to land in, he lands in a greenhouse.


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## Civettone (Dec 14, 2009)

Now I still dont know what that thing is on the left wing ...


Kris


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## Flyboy2 (Dec 14, 2009)

Battle Damage... Or one of those crazy air stuntmen that has decided to ride the bird in...

Or a camera

Or (and this is the most likely answer) a Chemtrail generator!!! The government was trying to poison us in the 1940's!!!! (sorry, was reading the chemtrail form)


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## GrauGeist (Dec 15, 2009)

Civettone said:


> Now I still dont know what that thing is on the left wing ...
> 
> Kris


It's a Gremlin!


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## Civettone (Dec 15, 2009)

I KNEW IT !!!! DAMN GREMLINS AGAIN !!!  



Kris


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## stona (Dec 15, 2009)

The Basket said:


> Bit like this








NOT a fake. EE Lightening XG322 suffered a control failiure just ten seconds from landing on 13 Sept 1962. The man ejecting is test pilot George Aird. He landed on a commercial greenhouse breaking both legs. The photographer was a professional who was photographing agricultural subjects and just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
Steve


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## Airframes (Dec 15, 2009)

Thanks Steve. You've confirmed what I posted previously. Really nice bloke George, with some great tales from his wartime exploits - often in the pub! Sadly, I think he's now passed.


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## stona (Dec 15, 2009)

I hadn't seen your post when I replied but am more than happy to confirm it! 
It's a great photo and I understand why some would think it has been faked. The cause of the crash was a flash fire in the engine bay which weakened the tailplane actuator leading to failiure. I imagine at just a few seconds from landing George was very lucky to survive this one. I've got a note of the photographer's name at home and will look it up when I get back. Apparently George shouldn't even have been flying that day!
Steve


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## Airframes (Dec 15, 2009)

I remember him telling me that! He was standing in, and should have been going on holiday I believe! I might still have copies of the series of prints, showing the aircraft with George ejecting, the hole in the ground, the parachute in the greenhouse, and George in hospital. I'll have a look and post them if they have survived - unfortunately, I lost a lot of prints, negs and transparencies in a fire about 16 or 17 years ago.


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## timshatz (Dec 15, 2009)

Pretty wild shot.


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## Njaco (Dec 15, 2009)

GrauGeist said:


> It's a Gremlin!



Sounds like a "Twilight Zone" episode with William Shatner!


I was about to comment that the pic with the tractor looked photoshopped from a crash at an airshow awile back but if Terry and stona comfirmed....damn, talk about being where the action is!


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## HerrKaleut (Dec 15, 2009)

Could be battle damage to wing leading edge. It appears to be rolling left with left aileron down( and right appears to be up), which is very wrong unless aerodynamics are shot due to leading edge damage. Hmmm,...probably faked but wouldn't bet my pension on it.
I can back up the ejection photo, I remember it being on the front page of the Daily Mirror at the time.(back in my youth you know...where are my teeth.)


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## drgondog (Dec 18, 2009)

at least the aileron position is correct for trying to roll the ship right. If he was flying low and slow when he lost his left engine he could have easily rolled it left before reacting.

looks like a Hs 129 from that angle - not a Ju 88


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## Milosh (Dec 23, 2009)

drgondog said:


> at least the aileron position is correct for trying to roll the ship right. If he was flying low and slow when he lost his left engine he could have easily rolled it left before reacting.
> 
> looks like a Hs 129 from that angle - not a Ju 88



The Hs129 has a low mounted wing.


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## drgondog (Dec 24, 2009)

Milosh said:


> The Hs129 has a low mounted wing.



very true Milosh, that bothered me but the cockpit roof appears flush with top of fuselage which is not 'ju88 like'.


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## Matt308 (Dec 24, 2009)

I vote fake.


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## drgondog (Dec 29, 2009)

Matt - I am inclined to agree..


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## seesul (Dec 29, 2009)

Airframes said:


> BTW, the picture of the pilot ejecting from the vertical Lightning is _not_ a fake! It was a chance in a million pic, caught as the aircraft was on finals after a test flight from the factory. Suffering a total shut-down of all systems, the aircraft went nose down, and the pilot, George Aird, ejected, landing in a greenhouse of a gardening small holding. When I worked for a multi-national photographic company, I had copies of the original print, and some of the parachute harness and canopy lying in the greenhouse. At that time, George was the pilot of the BAe owned Mosquito (since lost in a fatal crash at Barton, Manchester), and I showed him the copies of the prints, and asked him about his experience. He confirmed that the photo was genuine (which we knew at the Big Yellow Box from analysis), and that is him punching out, when he swung once under a full canopy, before plunging through the roof of the greenhouse.



Wow!


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