German aircraft crashing photo: real?

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

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.

timshatz · Dec 15, 2009

Pretty wild shot.

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!

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.)

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

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.

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'.

Matt308 · Dec 24, 2009

I vote fake.

drgondog · Dec 29, 2009

Matt - I am inclined to agree..

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!

German aircraft crashing photo: real?

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stona

Major

Airframes

Benevolens Magister

timshatz

Chief Master Sergeant

Njaco

The Pop-Tart Whisperer

HerrKaleut

Airman

drgondog

Major

Milosh

Senior Master Sergeant

drgondog

Major

Matt308

Glock Perfection

drgondog

Major

seesul

Senior Master Sergeant

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