Most unusual picture

[Chuck Irby]

I was just wondering if this shot was of any significance to anyone other than myself. Hint... Reno, Friday, Sept. 13, 2002.

[Screw]

Screw-In

Looks like a control line model airplane?

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[jdalexa]

That's Race 3, a Questair Venture "Ramblin' Rose" piloted by Tommy Jones. On 11 Sep he qualified with a speed of 288.158 and 12 Sept 2002, he placed 7th with a speed of 276.336 mph.

[KenSandyEggo]

"I was just wondering if this shot was of any significance to anyone other than myself"

Uh, something about 3 inches? :rolleyes:

[Chuck Irby]

John, you're close.

Ken, I don't understand your post! 3 inches????

Did you happen to notice the condition of the tail?

[GyroRon]

Chuck, just tell us. I saw the tail when you posted the pic. Not sure what is going on with it

[Chuck Irby]

John Alexander was close in that the owner/pilot was Tommy Rose, of Hickory, Mississippi. Tommy and I were lifelong, best friend. I did a lot of flying with Tommy in some real nice toys. He had nine planes at the time of his death, which occurred about one half second after this picture was taken. This picture was taken at the Reno Air Race, the final lap, as he was rounding the Home Pylon at over 300 MPH.

[CLS447]

I'm sorry to hear that Chuck, but I'm sure that you have alot of great memories of Tommy!

[Chuck Irby]

Thanks Chris. You're right, I do have many great memories as we were very close friends for over fifty years.

[jdalexa]

I was wondering about the tail. I didn't look really close though but now I see that it's folded up. Did he smack something or just pure structural failure? Reno is a dangerous place, but ya know, if ya gotta go, that's a good way.

[Screw]

Screw-In

Chuck, Sorry about your friend. Tell us more. What happened. The whole plane looks like an asemitrical (Spelling) design. Looks like the port wing and horizontal is longer than the right. Was that the origional shape of the horizontal or was it damaged?

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[Harry_S.]

Chuck:

May I proffer my deepest sympathies. I know too well, the feelings you have.

[Hognose]

The NTSB prelim on this accident is here:

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20020919X05182&key=1

As the prelim describes it. witnesses saw the tail flex and failed down (I am usually skeptical of witnesses, but there was no dearth of savvy witnesses to this accident). This probably had the primary aerodynamic effect of reducing tail downforce, causing the a/c to nose over around the CG. Almost certainly the elevators would have bound as well. Tommy Jones became a passenger from the time the stab started to let go. It will take research, which the Board is no doubt doing, to determine if this was an overstress failure (as it looks at a glance) or flutter, or something else. It looks like the starboard side might have failed first, which would have increased aerodynamic loads on the port side beyond what it could stand.

Why do I think it was an overstress failure? First, it looks like it. Next, if he was banked at 80 degrees (is that reasonable for Reno?) the machine would have been under 6+ G. According to the current purveyor of the kit, structural load limits are +5 and -2.5. It puts me in mind of the genesis of the Venture; it was built to be a traveling machine and IFR platform, not an aerobat.

http://www.nuventureaircraft.com/specifications.htm

I don't mean to draw premature conclusions here, just sharing my thinking on this. Most importantly, I don't mean any disrespect to your friend, Chuck. I envy him his flying skill and experience. I just want to understand how even such a great pilot can wind up betrayed by his machine.

He died doing what he loved, and no one else was hurt. That's a hell of a way to put a cap on a lifetime of flying. And we all have to go sometime.

Rest in Peace and Fly Forever, Tommy Jones.

cheers

-=K=-

[Chuck Irby]

John A, John S, Harry and Kevin,

Thank you all for your thoughts, and just caring about the loss of a really great friend, and a really great pilot.

The conclusion that you came to Kevin, in my opinion, was as accurate as it could have been. The only error that the pilot (Tommy Rose, not Jones) made, as I see it, was that he, for some reason, believed that the "Questar Venture" that he was flying would hold up to the "G's" that he was forcing upon it. Tommy had owned much faster and much more maneuverable planes. He was the original owner of the 2nd "Thunder Mustang" and had been flying since the mid 60's, when he started his training with the U. S. Air Force.

[Harry_S.]

Chuck:

I was just looking at your friend Tommy's photo. I had a feeling;

A black machine with a white No. 3.


Harry.

[Chuck Irby]

I'm sorry Harry, but I don't understand what you are implying or eluding to. Please explain.

[Harry_S.]

I'm sorry Chuck.

Another black machine, No. 3, was a Dale Earnhardt.

[Chuck Irby]

Okay Harry, I gotcha now. You doin a lotta flyin? How about the beautiful pilot, have you seen her lately? What a life, huh, Harry?