September Fury Fireworks!

[Mluvara]

Of course the "fireworks" in the title is a play on the 4th of July and the fact that the 3350 made some of its own fireworks last year.

Well, a happy 4th of July from the September Pops team. Mike Brown gave the OK to share some footage from Reno 2007. This is a very rough cut of the cockpit footage from the Gold Race in 2007. Shows takeoff, form up, start, and much of the race, leading up to the blow up.

It wasn't intentional, but the audio gets cut off during the mayday sequence. I'll see if I can't persuade crew videographer Jason Schillereff to make a better cut with all the audio and such. It makes some really interesting noises when the engine lets go. You'll also notice the vibration causes the focus ring on the camera to slip...

Well, enjoy the ride along in 232!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTs4BTzb6t0

Michael

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: September Fury Fireworks!

Wow... hard to tell just how rough things are up there when viewing from the ground!

Major brass one's on Michael for sure!

Thanks to Jason for getting the shot!

[Mluvara]

Re: September Fury Fireworks!

Wow... hard to tell just how rough things are up there when viewing from the ground!

Major brass one's on Michael for sure!

Thanks to Jason for getting the shot!

I'll take the discredit for the poor editing. When I rendered it, the audio cut off on the last section. The video was shot with a small lipstick camera that records to an SD card and came out pretty good. I had it on loan at Reno and threw it in the cockpit for several flights.

The camera was mounted on a rubber isolated bracket and certainly was moving around when things got bad. It was obviously magnified because of the bracket and when Mike rolled the canopy back, it got worse too. But, the engine kept making power on the front row, so he kept the power on until he had the runway made.

I'm sure we can get Jason to make a nicer edit <hint>

Michael

[First time Juke]

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday USA !

Holy smoke Michael that was very interesting ! Did the sound system brakeup up at the end ?

Here is also a good RENO vid to celebrate it with;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKE3xSFDCw8&feature=related

[MMPerk]

Re: September Fury Fireworks!

I've always wondered if he had any power left after the engine went South...

And the view out the canopy...that's a different perspective...and you can really get a feel for just how low and fast they are going.

Thanks for sharing,

Lonnie

[taglialavore]

Re: September Fury Fireworks!

I really don´t mind about the lack of sound at the final mayday.
The sound of the engine accelerating at down the chute is amazing,
it puts chicken skin on me seeing the floor passing so near, so fast.
I raise my hat to all those race pilots.
Thank you for posting that video Mluvara.

[tjyak50]

Re: September Fury Fireworks!

Sweet....

I'm at that point in the year where i am watching old re-run Youtube Videos.

Hotel reservations done.
Rent-a-Car ready,
Called the FBO to reserve parking (they said not necessary this year)
Cash being stockpiled....

[tjyak50]

Re: September Fury Fireworks!

I've always wondered if he had any power left after the engine went South...

Lonnie

.. SOON Grasshopper.. Very soon!

[Mluvara]

Re: September Fury Fireworks!

Jason was kind enough to put together a compilation of the last lap with
sound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHTLiwrNEdE

Michael

[King]

Re: September Fury Fireworks!

HOLY ****!!!!!

[Coyote Chris]

Re: September Fury Fireworks!

I am having a senior moment...what exactly let go in 232's engine?
Nice editing job....

[Mluvara]

Re: September Fury Fireworks!

I am having a senior moment...what exactly let go in 232's engine?
Nice editing job....

Cylinder popped in the rear row.

Michael

[Coyote Chris]

Re: September Fury Fireworks!

Thanks! Amazing job of getting the plane down...IIRC, in aircraft mechanics school oh so many years ago, they told stories of cylinders actually being blown clear of the block when a pilot came down from high altitude with the high boost on, when those controls were manual...
I look forward to seeing 232 fly again!

[440_Magnum]

Re: September Fury Fireworks!

Cylinder popped in the rear row.

Michael

Wasn't it the master rod cylinder, at that? Meaning that once it went, the whole row was trashed probably in a few turns of the crankshaft. I've never seen the results of what happens personally, but in looking at cutaways of radials this scenario would be my guess: If the master rod breaks the bottom end of the rod becomes free to rotate on its crank journal, so all the articulated rods that attach to it are no longer held in alignment, and their pistons get pulled toward bottom dead center.... whereupon the crank counterweight comes around and bashes the cr*p out of each piston skirt in turn, breaks each articulated rod, and flings the piston back up to the top of the cylinder. :-/

[Mluvara]

Re: September Fury Fireworks!

Wasn't it the master rod cylinder, at that? Meaning that once it went, the whole row was trashed probably in a few turns of the crankshaft. I've never seen the results of what happens personally, but in looking at cutaways of radials this scenario would be my guess: If the master rod breaks the bottom end of the rod becomes free to rotate on its crank journal, so all the articulated rods that attach to it are no longer held in alignment, and their pistons get pulled toward bottom dead center.... whereupon the crank counterweight comes around and bashes the cr*p out of each piston skirt in turn, breaks each articulated rod, and flings the piston back up to the top of the cylinder. :-/

I think your description sums up the results quite appropriately! Lots of metal pieces.

Michael