[simpits-tech] Slightly OT - Piper Cub

[RickInNoCal at aol.com]

When I was growing up, my Dad was a PFA homebuilt aircraft inspector. I went 
with him many times on inspections, and a few times to examine the wreckage of 
crashed homebuilts. I remember him failing the welds on partially completed 
homebuilts over and over. I also remember that weld failure, or failure of the 
steel close to a weld, was a common causative factor in wrecks we looked at.

Incidentally, a friend of his from those days (and still) was killed over 
last weekend. While doing a glider tow launch the tug he was flying suddenly 
nosed over at about 500ft and went straight in. From the report of the glider 
pilot and eyewitnesses on the ground, plus the CAA's first look at the wreck 
(which burned) they are leaning towards a catastrophc medical condition. The people 
on the ground who tried to get him out before it caught fire reported he was 
dead or unconscious and blue. 

He was 74 yrs old , apparently in good health up till then, and doing what he 
loved. If you've got to go, I guess that's as good a way as any. 

Richard

In a message dated 3/8/04 12:57:16 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
fliper56789 at yahoo.com writes:

> Kentwood is about 2&1/2 hrs from me, i'm in Caro, in
> the thumb. Wood or Metal? Hard question realy Brian, I
> would go wood, for a few reasions, first off, my
> welding skills are not that good! secondly, i have
> seen many a 'welded tube' airframe with cracks just
> off the weld joint, keep in mind Brian, that when
> using a 2-stroke for the power plant the vibration it
> set up is different, wood airframes handle it much
> better, there are advantages and disadvantages to both
> types of construction for the home builder, as for the
> 532 engine, try this web-site

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