# A-1 sky raider crash



## klarmie (Nov 15, 2009)




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## klarmie (Nov 15, 2009)

I havn't had to the chance to ask him yet, but it looks like to me they might have moved it there.....awful close to the buildings for it to had stopped there.


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## FLYBOYJ (Nov 15, 2009)

Great Pics - any idea what base? I also notice no markings.


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## klarmie (Nov 15, 2009)

I'll have to ask him....but I know his home base was Vung Tau.


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## vikingBerserker (Nov 15, 2009)

Interesting how the blades bent.


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## Gnomey (Nov 15, 2009)

Nice shots!


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## Airframes (Nov 15, 2009)

Nice pics. VB, the way the prop blades are bent is a sign the engine was under power when the blades contacted the ground. When the engine is stopped, or at idle etc, the blades would bend backwards.


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## klarmie (Nov 15, 2009)

Airframes said:


> Nice pics. VB, the way the prop blades are bent is a sign the engine was under power when the blades contacted the ground. When the engine is stopped, or at idle etc, the blades would bend backwards.



I think he might have meant how three blades go one way and the fourth goes the other way?


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## GrauGeist (Nov 15, 2009)

From the looks of the bending, and the angle (pitch) of the prop, it appears to me that the prop was feathered at the time it was bellied in...

If it was "windmilling", think that might explain why the one blade is bent in the opposite direction?


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## Matt308 (Nov 15, 2009)

She slid backwards at the end of the landing.

And FlyboyJ has my vote for the most intriguing question. Why a bird with NO MARKINGS on a US base. That must be a story in itself.


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## Matt308 (Nov 15, 2009)

Oh... and while I have read about the amount of oil the Spad used, man-o-man look at her exhaust streaks. Amazing.


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## klarmie (Nov 15, 2009)

I wonder if it was an ex Navy bird that the Air Force had gotten and not painted it yet?


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## Matt308 (Nov 15, 2009)

CIA?


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## Vassili Zaitzev (Nov 15, 2009)

Nice photos!


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## FLYBOYJ (Nov 15, 2009)

Matt308 said:


> CIA?



That's what I'm thinking, and those "stationwagon" Skyraiders made great spook planes.


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## Airframes (Nov 16, 2009)

Oops! I didn't look properly, did I!? I had though the blades were bent forward, and they're not. And Dave, you're right - the prop is feathered, and I assume must have been windmilling and hit hard.
Another thing which intrigues me, concerning an earlier pic, is what was an RAF Beverley doing on an air base in Viet Nam? The area wouldn't be on any routes as a stop-off point, and Britain didn't have any 'official' involvement at the time. Interesting.


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## syscom3 (Nov 16, 2009)

Airframes said:


> Another thing which intrigues me, concerning an earlier pic, is what was an RAF Beverley doing on an air base in Viet Nam? The area wouldn't be on any routes as a stop-off point, and Britain didn't have any 'official' involvement at the time. Interesting.



Which picture? Dont forget that the RAAF was active in Vietnam too.


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## klarmie (Nov 16, 2009)

I'm not sure but the Beverly could have been in Thailand. I know my dad was in and out of Thailand alot.


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## Airframes (Nov 16, 2009)

Sorry Syscom, I was refereing to a previous post by Klarmie, 'I.D. this aircraft', which showed a RAF Blackburn Beverley. AFAIK, the RAAF weren't equipped with the type, which were used by the RAF in the UK, Germany and the Middle East, being withdrawn from service in late 1967.
It's possible that one was in Thailand for some reason, but not a normal port of call.


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## rochie (Nov 16, 2009)

i was wondering why a Beverley was out there when i I.D'd it Terry, bit suss if you ask me !


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## Matt308 (Nov 16, 2009)

Air America?


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## Airframes (Nov 16, 2009)

Very possibly a connection Matt. There were 'officialy' three or four members of a particular unit, who were not American or Australian, who were in country as 'advisers' around that time, and the Bev was used as a heavy drop aircraft, the biggest in Europe and the RAF up until that time. Putting two and two together and making five, maybe, but I did notice that the Bev in the photograph was parked all alone, away from other aircraft on the ramp.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Nov 16, 2009)

Matt308 said:


> Air America?



That is what I am thinking. I could not find any references though to Air America using Skyraiders.


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## Capt. Vick (Nov 16, 2009)

...perhaps the gears retracted while it was running up, or taxying? Oops! Wrong lever or button? It would explain the closeness to structures. Also wouldn't there be more damage on the airframe if it belly-landed? Especially to the bottom of the cowl? And great spot on the "no markings"! I think I could have looked at this picture for 100 years and never noticed that!

On second look I take it back. The pitch of the prop is not correct, it IS for feathering and the blade would have protected the cowl. Man, sometimes I should just be spanked.


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## FLYBOYJ (Nov 16, 2009)

Capt. Vick said:


> ...perhaps the gears retracted while it was running up, or taxying? Oops! Wrong lever or button? It would explain the closeness to structures. Also wouldn't there be more damage on the airframe if it belly-landed? Especially to the bottom of the cowl? And great spot on the "no markings"! I think I could have looked at this picture for 100 years and never noticed that!
> 
> On second look I take it back. The pitch of the prop is not correct, it IS for feathering and the blade would have protected the cowl. Man, sometimes I should just be spanked.



Vick - I do know the SPAD had a WOW switch on the MLG that prevented the gear from being retracted while on the ground.

That's a Rotol prop - on a single engine installation I believe it can't be feathered. It looks feathered because the bending of the blades probably over centered the pitch mech.

As far as the lack of damage on the belly - not uncommon on for a skilled pilot on a psp runway.


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## Capt. Vick (Nov 16, 2009)

I was wrong on all counts!  I'll just wait for further information on the lack of markings... That's the really cool thing here.


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## klarmie (Nov 16, 2009)

So...my dad says it was Air America and it was FULL of radio equipment, and that it was gone the next morning.........no one heard it leave.....he believes they replaced the prop and flew it out.


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## Matt308 (Nov 16, 2009)




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## FLYBOYJ (Nov 16, 2009)

klarmie said:


> So...my dad says it was Air America and it was FULL of radio equipment, and that it was gone the next morning.........no one heard it leave.....he believes they replaced the prop and flew it out.



Why am I not surprised!


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## beaupower32 (Nov 16, 2009)

Must have been hardly damaged if they put a new prop on it and flew it out the next morning. Good guess on Air America Matt. Could have been some hush hush stuff on that plane, hmmm.


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## FLYBOYJ (Nov 16, 2009)

I'd be willing to guess you were looking at a prop and engine, and that's provided they didn't get a jolly green just to haul it away.


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## beaupower32 (Nov 16, 2009)

How long do you think it would take to strip the wings off and load it up on a C-130. A jolly green extraction sounds pretty good too.


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## FLYBOYJ (Nov 16, 2009)

beaupower32 said:


> How long do you think it would take to strip the wings off and load it up on a C-130. A jolly green extraction sounds pretty good too.



I think taking the wings off would be too time consuming.


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## FLYBOYJ (Nov 16, 2009)




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## wheelsup_cavu (Nov 17, 2009)

What a tangled web we weave.
Cool story. 


Wheels


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## beaupower32 (Nov 17, 2009)

Thanks FlyboyJ. I guess it would be more reasonable to just put some straps on it and haul it off by helicopter. You would figure someone would have heard that thing, as a CH-53 isnt the quietest thing in the world, lol.


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## FLYBOYJ (Nov 17, 2009)

In Vietnam a CH-53 would be normal "white noise" during sleep time!


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## wheelsup_cavu (Nov 18, 2009)

FLYBOYJ said:


> In Vietnam a CH-53 would be normal "white noise" during sleep time!



It's amazing what you can get used to.
I live on a takeoff flight path from Ontario airport and the planes don't wake me anymore.
For a long time those 3am flights woke me up because, to me, they sounded like they were landing on the roof. 
The weirdest time was the few days after 9-11 when no planes were in the air. The quiet of that was spooky. 


Wheels


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