Sopwith Pup - Cowling Incident Flight - Kermit Lands Safely!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- This Sopwith Pup update starts with the planes first taxi run, moves into the final rigging, and concludes with it's first flight . . . a very eventful one, to say the least . . . as the engine cowling comes off during a low pass approach, hits the engine, gets shredded, and takes out a part of the wing and center section. Kermit Weeks successfully lands the plane and walks away uninjured, to inspect the damage with his maintenance crew. Big Wow indeed!
In an emergency, they always say "fly the aircraft first". He was so quickly focused on doing that job that he didn't even see that section of cowling to the right of the engine. Glad we still have Kermit around after this one! Very forthright of him to upload this video too, when others might have withheld it for various reasons, including ego. True professional.
Only Kermit would turn a P51 into a scaffold. Gotta love it.
That's a downer, but at least Kermit's safe. He's the greatest argument I know for inherited wealth.
All the years I've been watching your videos, I NEVER thought I'd see something like that! Glad you're ok!
With all that sheet metal flying around its a minor miracle that Kermit walked away without a scratch. The cool head and decades of flying experience helped too I'm sure.
This almost looks like a problem that was fixed in the field by the squadron mechanics, a problematic factory design that field fixes solved, and was passed from squadron to squadron, and after the war, forgotten about.
As if Castor Oil wasn't enough to make a mess of your Fruit of the Looms. Masterful job of getting it on the ground. Both you and the airplane will fly another day.
Sorry to see the damage to such a beautiful plane and very happy to see you were not injured. Thank you for sharing.
The aircraft can be fixed. The pilot can't be replaced. Glad that you are all safe and sound. It's also good that you had the skill set and background to be calm and collected in that situation. I enjoy your videos very much!
The man's a pro, others would rage and blame.
No professional pilot would and certainly Kermit wouldn't, as in fact it was his fault.
He did a much better job of keeping his cool than I would have. Kermit is a pretty "even keeled" guy
Likely did off-cam. But you can only blame yourself for not doing a thorough pre-flight.
gotta do your walk around and run your hand over the body in openable areas.
"Time for some Naked in Jamaica Rum." - Well said that man.
Only thing that matters is that Kermit is okay.
“I thought the engine had fallen off “ Top stuff pal :)
You can look at the bright side if you down in that thing you water around to crash in & that might put any fire😉😇😊😁😬☺💀😈😂🤗👹😀👿😬
Great reaction! The best part of this video, in my opinion, is the CW4 rank on the shoulders of the flight suit.
Awesome video Kermit!!! But you need a scarf on to blow out the side. Lol. 😉😁
Chad Cole ii
He has his mullet.
But even when ''slightly pissed'', he doesn't loose his ''charming man'' style.
He's not just a plane collectionist. He's an history preserver. His work (and I mean all F.O.F crew work) will last long before he's gone (that I hope will be in many,many,many years to come).
Glad to see you were not injured..I hope the person that was responsible for this was delt with..your life depends on these pepole.
Wow, sorry Kermit! I know you put a ton of hard work into your planes, and it must be so frustrating when something goes wrong. I am so relieved that you were able to land it safely, that you were unhurt and that the pup damage was not worse. I must say that any of us pilots that watch your channel would give practically anything to fly or even ride in any of your incredible livery. You are so fortunate to live you dreams and ours too! I for one, greatly appreciate every video that you make and every look into the Fantasy of Flight world.
Big sigh of relief you got down OK but great shame about the damage. Sure made a mess of the cowl and other parts.
With all that going on, still greased the landing. Props to Kermit. (No pun intended)
WOW.. Amazingly calm considering you almost ate a cowling. It could have been tight.. but shook lose. Ask Harley riders... Loctite is your friend.
hawkdsl Can't have too many types of Loctite!
what a burn!!!! but really you are very lucky this happened where it did! "you and the pup are still here to fly another day" =D
When I was learning to fly in Grand Junction back in early 1960 my Mama would say that any landing you walk away from is a good landing. That was a darn good landing. Oh, by the way, my Mama was my flight instructor.
good video least Kermit's safe
That would have been a heartbreaker. The smoothest landing under pressure. I am guessing fairly wildly, that the cowling cable was tight after correct assembly. Automotive handbrake cables, after parking out of gear with engine running, can become heatsoaked from an idling engine exhaust after being pulled tight and lose tension, releasing the vehicle to roll away.
The cowling cable probably saw some sustained heat from an engine which was producing continuous power for the first time in flight and lost tension. - I wonder if best practice might in future be to wrap and arctic blanket around the cowling, heat the entire cowling, engine and cable after being initially fitted and tightened, give the front of the cowling a twist and wriggle to bed the contacting faces then tighten the cable again.
Checking cable tension might end up being an immediate post-flight maintenance practice.
Holy shit, adrenaline..Dangerous situation. I now get pilots are adrenaline junkies like me. Fast cars and motorbikes makes you feel alive.
I dorked the prop on my 36hp KR-2. "Glue is stronger than wood." I fixed it and flew. Thailand Paul
2 things: to use a South Africanism, Kermit was befuck when he first got out of that Pup. Second, he can be damn glad that cowl didn't globe him on the head! Nice recovery on 2 counts, first the landing, and then the temper....
Ouch....I imagine back in the day a lot of that happened especially when getting your butt shot at!
Good save!
That could have been a lot worse, great skill in keeping calm there and getting her down safe. Glad that you didn't get hurt or even worse...Keep up the great videos Kermit we are all loving them...Best wishes from Blighty
To think Thomas Sopwith who invented this plane lived to 1989. The changes he saw in Aviation over those years from the Pup to the F16 fighting falcon and beyond
Most importantly, he wasn't hurt. Everything else is fixable.
Is this the similar situation that occurred with one of the Shuttleworth Collection Sopwiths? The results look very familiar. What preventative steps did they do during their rebuild?
Hinge brackets from the cowling to the frame for added hold.
Not in the same league, but a Cessna pilot down in Fl. once had his windscreen blow out in flight. Some airboaters found it in the glades and that triggered a search for the plane. The pilot landed safely and never reported the incident, just had the FBO replace the windscreen! Eventually, the FAA was able to close the search for the 'crash'!
A dangerous pursuit flying these old machines; I must say you were very cool under those circumstances. It could have been so much worse ; I bet that rum tasted good - Most WW1 pilots were permanently tight, understandably !
Ever thought investing in a starter truck? There must be one lying around in some museum. Think there’s a couple here in the U.K. Would save all that physical effort.
You can imagine how much damage these aircraft would have taken and still flown during the Great War? Lost cowling, touch of prop and leading edge damage? The RFC flight mechanics will have you all fixed up re-armed and up over the lines again after your cuppa tea sir!
Shame this happened. Interestingly, Ernst Udet lost a Fokker Triplane this way. He received a new triplane after and didn't decorate it as he was awaiting the new D.VIIs which was decorated like the one Kermit has in his collection.
typical above average pilot reaction. Just had cowling blow of and nearly slap me in the face and rip my wings of and tear my prop to pieces...no big deal. You are the man Mr Weeks.
Kermit has the flight test right stuff....
I love that North American work platform for working on the rigging.
I am sure said before, though think can be said again. This is an example of why pilots need instincts. Kermit instinctively cut fuel and mags shutting down the engine preventing further damage and possibly worse. Glad he put it up as a lesson to others: quadrupedal check and have a plan in case something does go wrong.
I remember exactly the same thing happening to Bill Bowker flying the Pup at the Shuttleworth Collection. I guess sometime in the early 90's?
Those airplanes have no parachutes for emergency evacuation.
You got very lucky.
A well concealed hun Archie battery in the woods by the runway with a crack gunner. Well done sir on bringing the wounded bird down. Take her up again after repairs and strafe the blighters....its a long way to Tipperary.
I admire his restraint. He was obviously split between sheer luck in getting down and the sheer fragility of a ww1 design with a very short design life,
Thanks for helping keep these aircraft in the air, especially now at the centenary of the end of the war. Living tributes to all the men who bravely flew in them and died in them,
No chute remember. Can I recommend the superb book called “winged victory” by v.m. yeates, to give a moving but unsentimental insight into the life of a young ww1 pilot and his
comrades.
Ehhhh... just a scratch. Minor bump in the road, the sort of stuff legendary airshow stories are made of. These things happen to the best of the best. And of course, nobody has heard about it happening from "back in the day" because nobody would admit to it happening! Having spent decades in drag racing as a professional in the industry... I relate this to taking a brand new 18 month build, $1/4m car to the track for testing and have it wind up in the wall at over 200mph on it's second lap. Nobody wants to see it happen and nobody gets any joy out of it. Thank God Kermit kept his wit and got it down in one piece. And thanks for showing the good times along with the not so good times Kermit, true class sir.
You were VERY lucky. That cowling could of sliced that top wing in half like a cheese cutter.
Guys, that engine fuel problem is bad, Engine runs like crap. Fix it.
Holy Crap. What an awesome example of staying cool when things go for shit!! 👍👍
Thank god your ok Kermit I'm not a pilot but love airplanes and your planes are sweet but those particular planes seem sketchy as it is
(this is why we DON'T USE rotary engines that SPIN with the prop anymore)
I'm glad you are okay Kermit. What a shame on the plane... You are one hella Pilot!!
this is why the pilot and crew chief have to both trust eachother. and the crew cheif has to and i mean fucking HAS to make sure its secure fueled ect. things like this happen if you dont.
I have a buddy that fly's a 172 that sounds just like this Sopwith. lol
Very fortunate you were on final. Unfortunate to damage such a nice airplane.
What a life!!!! He uses a P51 as a stepladder to work on his Sopwith Pup.
One of these days Kermit.........
if i remember correctly sopwiths dont have throttle control they just change the duty cycle of the ignition
What a crying fucking shame I'd have a few rums too, at least you got to talk about it.
Kermit your so cool as cucumber &
A professional man .love your video 👍
What a crying shame after all the work you have put in,no doubt a safety system will be designed to keep that cowling on,it could have been far worse if the aircraft had been away from the aerodrome and had to force land in a less hospitable field.
They just had to cinch the cowling wire properly. If it worked that way in WWI, it should still work now, I would think.
Good job, Mr. Weeks. My knees are shaking, how about yours?
Glad you where able to get her down and other than repairs, every thing turned out O.K.
Awesome piece of airmanship. Great job getting the Pup and yourself down in one piece.
Best regards.
Does there have to be an accident investigation seeing as it was his own plane flying over his own property so to speak? Could have been so much worse, you are literally throwing the dice when the cowl comes off. Seeing that damage to the wings and prop physically pained me. 😯 She will return at least. 👍
FAA had to come out and inspect the plane. They ruled it was just an incident not accident, so we're good to go on repairs - which have already started.
Gee amazing that it happened where it did and you were able to land safely.👍
Shitty deal Kermit but any landing you walk away from is a good one.
Sorry to see the damage to the Pup. Glad to see that you are alright. I love what you are doing, it's very important and sharing it with us is really awesome. I really appreciate and love it. Thank you and be careful.
Bob Ashfield told me he was trying for "something just neutral" when he designed the Camel.
Everyone I knew who flew them said it was a handfull: it was rigged tail heavy and required constant, tiring pressure (18 lbs when tested) on the stick.
My acquaintance Hubert had one of only 2 on the civil register (G-EAWN) after the war, said it was chalk and cheese to a 1918 Camel with full war weight of 2 functional Vickers, full chutes of ball ammunition and a working interrupter gear. A fighting Camel was a very fiery beast that didn't suit some people at all, and they went to SE's. Try flying one with an extra 150 lbs war weight on board.
Thank God you're ok!
The blip switch is such a cool part of most rotary engines
They didn't call 'em flying coffins for nothing! Also, you couldn't have had a more appropriate ring tune! Thanks for sharing.
How many times did that happen in WWI I wonder Awesome save
THATS TO BAD KERMIT. GLAD YOUR OK. LOVE THOES PUPS.
Time to modify some clips to hold the cowlings in place!
Your very lucky to be able to walk away!! Plane can always be fixed.
First time I've seen Kermit slightly pissed of 😎
wow. The secret is, and it is a tribute to Kermit's experience and skill, "keep flying the aircraft". It amazes me how similar these planes are to large R/C models. We do the same rigging regime with winding sticks, High tech. :) a good day in the final perspective.
Fly the plane, fly the plane, fly the plane. Test passed!
Yes! This is a good example of what to do in the face of an emergency
Lucky thing you were coming in when it happened... Way to keep your head in and shut it down when you knew you had to put it down asap. So glad you are good and will get it back up again later.
100 year old composite aircraft....
Easy fix, love dope and fabric.....
Glad you and the plane were OK. I grew up on Biggles and his Camel. Great to see this era aircraft still flying.
SO the Red BAron strikes again!!!!!
A genuine radial! They lacked the technology to mass produce proper cooling fins for the jugs so they solved the cooling problem by fixing the crankshaft to the firewall and making the engine rotate around it. Genius!
No real throttle either. All or nothing. You regulated power by flipping the mags on and off.
Looks like a piano tuner's nightmare!
why am i not surprised that you have 'bad to the bone' as a ringtone?
Thank goodness that only the plane was damaged.
Thankyou for your candid video. Best wishes from Down Under, subscribed.
Thanks for your comment and for subscribing. We appreciate it. Keep watching!
The cylinders spin with the prop? What the h*ll?
Faaaark Kermie, so glad you are ok. Greased it in though. Definitely time for a Naked in Jamaica!!!
That's my ceiling fan on steroids
que pena que se haya roto semejante avión . slds. desde ARGENTINA
It has since been fixed. Thanks for your concern.
Sop with camel is my favorite bi plane
Great flying love all the videos Kermit
Sitting down hard on that tow hook might have been worse.
Unflappable pilot, so to speak.... You are Bad to the Bone, indeed!
Glad you're okay good sir!! I'd definitely need a change of my flight suit after that.. Haha.. Keep up the great work gentlemen!! Stay safe and God Bless.
Holy cow. That was a close call. Good thing you were so close to the ground and home. Glad you're ok. Careful out there Kermit.
great landing ! now, imagine the stres that original time pilots had to take by every sec of flight at war condition....dog fight demages ... !
Damn! 😳 Any landing you can walk away from!