James McCudden's Death

[alex_revell]

Retread,
Yes, McCudden did have a penchant for taking off in a steep climbing turn, which was ultimately his undoing. But I don't think that can be equated with possibly wild flying at other times. The people who knew told me that he was a very careful, precise pilot and I also don't think it was in his character to indulge himself with any wild aerobatics. He wouldn't have seen any point. He would certainly spin a DH2, but that would be for a reason: to show young pilots that it could be done and how to get out of it. I also think he learnt his lesson when he tried a loop in a DH2 while in 29 Sqdn. Half way up he changed his mind, and pushed the stick forward. He nearly killed himself. I think he probably decided there and then to leave such things to the trick flying merchants.
Alex

[SCMc]

Alex,

A question that comes to my mind is: how could McCudden confidently put a D.H.2 into a spin at a time when many pilots thought a spin was a death sentence? I would not be surprised if he had gone off by himself and tried it, just as he did with his aborted loop. If I remember correctly (a real risk here), the lesson he learned from his loop attempt was the danger of indecision. I could see his experimenting with his skills as a pilot as part of the same nature that had him experimenting with his machines.

I put this forward as conjecture on my part, acknowledging that you have spent years studying the man, and I have read one book (Five Years in the RFC).

Steve

[alex_revell]

Steve,
I think that by the time McCudden was teaching the pupils at Joyce Green in March 1917 about spinning the DH2 the mystery had long been solved by earlier pilots, such as Hawker. James was a very methodical chap who thought about things a lot and studied them. You're probably right in saying that he practised getting out of spins on his own, but I'm willing to bet he talked to a lot of people - such as Noakes, a great pilot - about the theory before he tried it himself. As you said, he learnt the lesson of being indecisive from the attempted loop.
Alex

[JohnFitz]

Hi guy's, Thought since there is so much documentation being read about J.T.B. McCudden here there may be information in regard to his flying the Vickers F.B.16D. J.M. Bruce says in his description of the F.B 16D, " McCudden used it as his personal aircraft while he was in Britain and took it with him to Turnberry in spring of 1918 when he was posted there as fighting instructor. It has been reported that he had the aircraft painted bright red". Just wondering how this fits since the time frame is so close to when he died. Cheers.