F-15 No Wing And A Prayer (Clipped Wing) (No Wing)

[krzychopsycho]

Heyl Ha'avir Rules!

Friends from Warsaw...

[damnu3]

This is an Israeli pilot... Damn, landing a plane with one wing... That guy is one hell of a pilot...

[Utlrapilot123]

I don't think it collided with an A-4. It looks like an F-100 super sabre to me.

[ATFSCrash]

In real life I think it was an A-4, in the video they just pulled a file tape, evidently they didn't have an A-4 or the guy in charge of finding a tape didn't know what they looked like. More likely just low budget.

I remember watching Tora Tora Tora with my dad, the Jap fighter and bombers are entering Pearl Harbor and my dad yells, "I flew that plane". Hehe I think they were using AT-6s as stand ins.

[noonedude101]

Yes, that is an F-100 Super Saber, it's immediately evident when you look at the nose air intake...

[orry3]

i think it's happend in israel

[wildhart7]

a true optimist...loz with that spray of fuel i would have ejected even if i was flying..a true idiot if u ask me,no offence but if u ejected u could hitch hike or call a ride back 2 the base.if i wasnt hurt in the ejection

[sovietspyguy]

Clearly an experienced pilot is a true idiot compared to some guy on the internet who has played one too many flight simulators.

[CroakerMD]

Ever seen what happens to a pilot in ejection? Like having your back broken? If the plane is controllable, you fly it, and land it. Ejection is the last ditch. Not safe at all.

[Icepacalapse]

I was at McDonnel Douglass in st louis a few weeks after this happened and everybody was talking about it........Pre 1984, I think.

[qwevu]

wow...your the man!

[LoudS1l3nc3]

The flight computer didn't go crazy withou a wing??? I think the A-4 pilot ejected.

[ricardinvillela]

great aerodinamics, great pilot, good programmers....and a f*ckin good luck

[FerretMIke]

The little bird that could, very impressive.

[logbasher]

wow.... I can't help thinking that the CPU that controls the fly by wire might have had some help in this keep the F15 flying along with the pilot's skills?

[ATFSCrash]

I agree the flight computer helped (by adapting), the design redundancy was a factor, luck and possible help from above.

[ATFSCrash]

The aircraft has a lots of redundancies in it. The flight computer was able to help make flight manageable. Good pilot skills was definitely a factor.

[Graveworks79]

The F-15 has some basic augmentation systems designed to dampen roll rates and smooth inputs, especially at high speeds, but there's nothing there that would offer any assistance in this situation, where high roll rates were caused by asymetric lift which called for maximum control authority, not dampened and smoothed inputs from the Control Augmentation System.

[kuyakev]

is it even aerodynamically possible?

[ATFSCrash]

As hard to believe as it is, it happened. Much of the video has been reenacted, but the photos are genuine. He was able to get lift off of the body and a little stub of wing. He had to land hot, but he managed to land safely.

[cmtecarvalho]

Outstanding!

[m144]

IAF rulzz! BEST PILOTS IN THE WORLD!

[rickd248]

Did someone say, "God is my co-pilot"?

[ATFSCrash]

It reminds me of Duke Cunningham's flight when he prayed for God's help and he gained control of aircraft, he got a chip on his shoulder and thought to himself that God did not help him, ironically at that moment he lost control of the aircraft again. He prayed to God again and apologized and he was able to control the plane long enough to get safely to the coast.

[rickd248]

I have that interview. He absolutely does credit God for getting him back safely. This pilot had a little help along the way also. That and being a damn good pilot on his own.

What happened to the A-4 pilot? Was he able to punch out OK?

[pannono]

yea i saw that on dogfights too. i had a short laugh

"i had confidence in my flight ability so i thought my skills righted the plane. it flipped over again and i said to god 'i didnt mean it, get me outta here!'"