P-51 Mustang crashes on Highway 20

[v2]

After thirty minutes in the air, testing out the rebuilt engine of a P-51 Mustang, pilot John Bagley made an emergency landing on Highway 20.

"The thing that hurts the most is that this is a historic airplane, in really good shape and it was just a choice airplane," said the pilot John Bagley.

more: Local News 8 - Local News - Update: WWII Plane Crashes on Highway 20

 

[FLYBOYJ]

 

[twoeagles]

Doggone it. Well, JB was fortunate to crawl out of that wreck and I reckon
that matters most. But it is so painful.

 

[R-2800]

OMG! it's totaled

 

[timshatz]

Bummer. Another ghost goes west. Lucky he walked away.

 

[evangilder]

Damn.

 

[R-2800]

sometimes you shouldn't fly some of these old Warbirds becasue no matter how safe you are things just happen

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Damn!

 

[timshatz]

sometimes you shouldn't fly some of these old Warbirds becasue no matter how safe you are things just happen

It's pretty much that way with anything over 50 years old. Cars, Airplanes, you name it. IMHO opinion, they were made to fly so fly 'em. Attrition will decrease the number but there are always a few lying around in museams. Take them out of the air and you take them out of their natural environment.

 

[Matt308]

Age old argument. Keep crashing them and someday none will exist.

 

[mkloby]

sad!

 

[timshatz]

I had read about 10 years back (memory is fuzzy) that there was a company in Brazil that was making Composite Spitfires. Complete with engine on the same level (regarding shape and output) as the Merlin. They had pictures and whatnot along with the story. They were making them for the same reason we discuss it here, there are a limited number in the world and there seems to be a market.

 

[R-2800]

It's pretty much that way with anything over 50 years old. Cars, Airplanes, you name it. IMHO opinion, they were made to fly so fly 'em. Attrition will decrease the number but there are always a few lying around in museams. Take them out of the air and you take them out of their natural environment.

i see what your saying but sometimes for like one of only a few left like the B-26 that crashed sometime in the 80's-90's i think, shouldn't be flown, don't get me wrong i love seeing them flying I just get mad when they get crashed from an accident because thats one more plane that is gone

I had read about 10 years back (memory is fuzzy) that there was a company in Brazil that was making Composite Spitfires. Complete with engine on the same level (regarding shape and output) as the Merlin. They had pictures and whatnot along with the story. They were making them for the same reason we discuss it here, there are a limited number in the world and there seems to be a market.

i never heared of that but Stormbirds i think is making exact replica ME-262's

 

[evangilder]

Sorry, but if they don't fly, they may as well be tombstones. People come to see airplanes fly. Plus when they are up and flying, it sparks interest in them from people of all ages. Don't believe that? Go to a local airport when the Collings Foundation brings their B-17 and B-24, or the EAA bringing their B-17 around. People come to see them, and see them fly. People flock to them. The more they get out to be seen, the more folks will be able to see them. If they are sitting in a museum somewhere, way fewer people will see them.

Nothing beats the look on people's faces when a big radial roars to life. I have seen frail old men and women run for the hangar door when one of ours roars to life at the museum to see what is starting. They will stand and watch it taxi, run-up and take off. They will watch until the plane is out of sight. I have watched old vets get a glint in their eye when they see one fly past. I go with the motto of the CAF: Keep 'em Flying

I have flown in some of these old birds, and received flight instruction in the SNJ that was built in 1943. If I didn;t feel it was safe, I wouldn't do it.

 

[Danno]

I agree evanglider. It's not the same when you see planes just sitting in a museum. It's really cool to see them up close (and to sneak a touch if you can) but nothing can come close to actually seeing them fly.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

I had read about 10 years back (memory is fuzzy) that there was a company in Brazil that was making Composite Spitfires. Complete with engine on the same level (regarding shape and output) as the Merlin. They had pictures and whatnot along with the story. They were making them for the same reason we discuss it here, there are a limited number in the world and there seems to be a market.

over here John Isaac used to, i think he still might, make 70% scale reproductions of the Hawker Hind and 60% scale reproductions of the Spitfire, i've yet to see a picture of his spitfires but his hinds look great, how cool would it be to own one!

 

[Nonskimmer]

I'm with Tim and evan. Keep 'em flying.

 

[Gnomey]

I'm with Tim and evan. Keep 'em flying.

Got to agree with that, even if that means preventing most of them doing acrobatics.

 

[Soundbreaker Welch?]

Hear, Hear!

Save that for the computer games and Movies (with CGI planes, of course.)

 

[evangilder]

Besides, as long as they are flying, I can keep supplying the great pictures.