This will be my second post on this site, and the last.
Thank you Mr O'Brien for your post validating that you had not manipulated the photograph as accused by so blatantly by many.
Any person with any basic knowledge would have known that if it was "Photoshopped" the Authorities would have discredited its authenticity and that digital camera's also have a forensic fingerprint that can trace a photo's history. If the persons doing the analysis of the photo had only looked they would have known it was not a converted ground photo.
A) The Propeller is running at a Constant Speed setting, (the blades look thicker) If the engine was stopped as on the ground the blades would be set at a High RPM setting, (the blades will look thinner)Also the blades look stopped because the photographer was using a very high shutter speed.
B) The evaporation cooler outlet, the steam is trailing the length of the empennage, if it was on the ground,(with propeller stopped)it wouldn't be working, period.
The wobble in the video, passing through wake turbulence, it is constant in racing and when flying close to other aircraft.
The Oil Canning, due to the stresses on the empannage from two factors, torque and changing the aircraft line of flight through its Longitudinal Axis.The tail structure is doing its job trying to keep the aircarft flying straight and level, however the person flying the aircarft is wanting the aircraft to change direction, so the airframe flexes, as designed and for a micro second we see oil canning.
The sudden pitch up. As JimH has correctly posted, when flying a high speed aircraft to counter the aerodynamic tendency for the aircraft to climb (Speed increases lift) the pilot must put in nose down trim, in air racing this is rather large. When the trim tab began to fail this nose down trim was rapidly lost and the opposite results, a rapid climb. In this case to an extent that it placed a 22.6g loading on the aircraft.Mr Leeward was instantly unconscious, no human can withstand such a G load.
The seat breaking, rubbish, the cockpit had a rear bulkhead that extended from the top of the canopy to the cockpit floor, the upper section canted rearward. Mr Leeward, those who knew the gentleman, knew he was of average build and had a flying posture of leaving forward, with the G load, his body will have travelled in the direction of least resistance, forward. In the photo of the aircarft overhead, you can clearly see the back of his helmet near the glearshield.
The change in engine sound. The Merlin is a carburetted engine, under the G loading, fuel flow to the carburettor would have been slowed until the pumps could maintain flow, the engine sputtered for a few seconds, then regained full power. This probably also induced the roll at the top of the climb.
This is the only area of disagreement I have with this post. My impression is that total loss of the lefy trim tab would have introduced two forces, one loss of enough nose down trim to cause a potentially deadly climb and resultant G's, and two it could have intorduced a rolling moment - easily corrected if pilot conscoius - but leading to speculation there- I suspect Jimmy was dead or unconscious due the the high G climb and in no position to control the aircraft.
As for Qualifications, I know there are experts here that will question this. I Graduated Auckland University in NZ with an Aeronautical Engineering Degree, a Masters and PhD in Aeronautical Engineering from MIT and University of California. I have an A&P with Inspection Authorisation and also a FAA AME. I hold Pilots licence's from several Countries including the USA, which I hold ATPL and FAA Examiner ratings. I have been involved at air racing for over 25 years although many do not know me, I am mostly in the background doing engineering, but have worked most in the era of Jimmy Leeward, Hoot Gibson, Steve Hinton Sr, Tiger.... the list goes on.I have also worked with CF, back in the 80's with Nate Mayo.Also checked out Rob C for the T6, TBM. I am an advisor to the FAA, NSTB, the US Military. I live part time in NZ, part time in USA.
Again, this will be final post, good luck, and thank the Moderators for letting me use your photo for my Avatar, I am honoured that you let me use it. , I have not had such a good laugh in a long time, this last week has been extremely hilarious, over such a tragic event. I will now go and attend to my duty at NTSB at trying to further solve this case.
Good bye.