Scott Crossfield's C210 missing

[mcjohn]

I'm sure that all the fighter pilot and ex-fighter pilot members have done that.

I know. That's why I want to hear from them.

I'm curious how many have done that. I wonder if it's about the same as the number of astronauts? Anyone Anyone

 

[FlyingFisherman]

I know. That's why I want to hear from them.

I'm curious how many have done that. I wonder if it's about the same as the number of astronauts? Anyone Anyone

You're kidding, right?

Sound barrier isn't that big of a deal.

Think of how many people rode on Concorde. That's Mach 2+

How many THOUSANDS of fighter pilots throughout just this country since the dawn of the jet age have gone through Mach 1.

Compare that to the few hundred Astronaut pins given out.

 

[mcjohn]

O.K. Mach 2+ then. Passengers excluded. Only PICs. Would that be closer to the number of Astronauts?

 

[A Squared]

I know. That's why I want to hear from them.

I'm curious how many have done that. I wonder if it's about the same as the number of astronauts? Anyone Anyone

I don't think you're thinking about this, bud. *most* (if not all) fighters since the F-100 (early 1950's) have been able to break the sound barrier in level flight. Many earlier ones were capable of doing it in a dive. I would guess that *every* pilot who was an operational fighter pilot in the last 4 to 5 decades has broken the sound barrier, numerous times. That would be a whole bunch. tens of thousands, I would imagine.

 

[mcjohn]

I don't think you're thinking about this, bud. *most* (if not all) fighters since the F-100 (early 1950's) have been able to break the sound barrier in level flight. Many earlier ones were capable of doing it in a dive. I would guess that *every* pilot who was an operational fighter pilot in the last 4 to 5 decades has broken the sound barrier, numerous times. That would be a whole bunch. tens of thousands, I would imagine.

I'm just trying to compare Scott feats to the modern day!!! How many folks are going mach 2+ now a days? I know my first question was dumb. I was thinking about the Chuck controversy and forgot Scott's record was mach 2.

 

[FlyingFisherman]

I'm just trying to compare Scott feats to the modern day!!! How many folks are going mach 2+ now a days? I know my first question was dumb. I was thinking about the Chuck controversy and forgot Scott's record was mach 2.

X-15 went comfortably faster than mach 2. D558-II went Mach 2.

 

[Grumman guy]

One of my captains did something that not many people in the military can say they have done for quite some time.

800kts at 100 ft. in an F105.

I dont think there has been anything in the inventory that could do that in some time.

 

[A Squared]

One of my captains did something that not many people in the military can say they have done for quite some time.

800kts at 100 ft. in an F105.

I dont think there has been anything in the inventory that could do that in some time.

A B-1? Aren't they pretty speedy down low?

 

[414Flyer]

One of my captains did something that not many people in the military can say they have done for quite some time.

800kts at 100 ft. in an F105.

I dont think there has been anything in the inventory that could do that in some time.

Not since F-111 was retired.

 

[Papps]

Bummed out to hear about Crossfield. I first saw him on an interview talking about his part in the X-15. The guy was real modest and cool. he must have been in his 70's at the time but he was still mentally razor sharp. I don't really read alot of aviation history anymore, like i did when i was a kid. But if I looked up to any of the old pilots, it would be Crossfield. I read yeagers book when i was like 10 and I could tell even then, that he was an egomaniac A-hole. I guess hes not mellowing out with age

 

[DaveJ]

His C210 broke up in mid-air

I talked to the CAP ground team leader that found the wreckage yesterday and he mentioned that parts of the 210 were found 2 miles from the main site. He also talked to an eye witness that saw the aircraft "tumbling out of the air". The eye witness didn't bother to call 911 after seeing what was obviously an aircraft crash!

Someone in another thread mentioned that he was pretty certain that the aircraft failed Scott and not the other way around. Sounds like he was right.

 

[AngelKing]

The 210 he was in was a 1960 model which had been in an accident before.
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=39641&key=0#
Not infering anything from that, just FYI. And there were a lot of thundersorms in that area.

RIP

 

[mcjohn]

Is there anyway to see what the radar returns looked like in the area when he dropped of the radar screen? Does flightaware have that capability? Just curious. Not trying to be an investigator.

 

[banned username 2]

Someone in another thread mentioned that he was pretty certain that the aircraft failed Scott and not the other way around. Sounds like he was right.

Well if you think about it, if he flew into thunderstorms then he in fact failed the airplane... I don't think anyone here would or should expect a C-210 to hold together in the face of a severe thunderstorm...

Just my $0.02...

 

[SiuDude]

Doesn't look good. Level 5's within 10 miles of his ground track:
http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather/rad...=black&endDate=20060419&endTime=16&duration=0

 

[mcjohn]

Doesn't look good. Level 5's within 10 miles of his ground track:
http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather/rada...=16&duration=0

So you take that and mix it with this:

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N6579X

Considering he was filed to fly 11 thousand, and the direction that I remember the storm moving follows the direction of that southeasterly hook at the end of the line, you maybe can see how quickly and where the plane might have broken up.

 

[User546]

I've heard so much mentioned the last few days about Crossfield and him breaking the Mach 2 barrier.

Lets not forget as well, that he also had 14 flights in the awesome X-15 aircraft. That's worth some recognition in my opinion!

EDITED: Removed inaccurate statement. Thanks mzaharis for the correction!
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[User546]

Here's a photo currently posted on Chuck Yeager's website of Scott taken two days before his final flight.

"This photo was taken Monday afternoon at the Prattville, AL, airport just after he'd landed. He had come down to Maxwell AFB to speak to the new 2nd Lts. on Tuesday. He took off Wednesday morning to go home."

http://www.chuckyeager.com/

 

[mzaharis]

I've heard so much mentioned the last few days about Crossfield and him breaking the Mach 2 barrier.

Lets not forget as well, that he also had 14 flights in the awesome X-15 aircraft, where he repeatedly flew past Mach 4 and 5 on several occasions. That's worth soem recognition in my opinion!

No - he never got above Mach 3 in the X-15. He was a test pilot for North American, and his job was to qualify the aircraft for delivery to NASA. They didn't want a contractor pilot to get all the glory (although landing with a full tank that broke its back, and his surviving the explosion on the ground test, qualified him as a steely eyed test pilot in my eyes!).

I especially like that first story - one of the engines exploded at the beginning of a flight, and he had to land the thing with a considerable amount of rocket fuel still on board. It was so heavy, it split in half on landing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_X-15_flights

 

[FN FAL]

Any FI members ever broken the sound barrier?

Hell yea...I've been known to make 32-40 sonic booms within the span of seconds.