Fokker Dr1 Replica Crash

[baldeagle]

No, no, the Triplane in the AF Museum is a beautiful replica built by Roger Freeman.

The ORA Triplane that crashed was the one I used to fly, and don't believe everything you read. There is no yaw problem with Triplanes, they're just unstable and sensitive in yaw. The rudder works just like on any other aircraft, you just have to be on it all the time. This wing dipping stuff is nonsense.

There were two problems with CJ "Heater" Heatly flying the Triplane, lack of respect for it, and lack of knowlege on what to do with you feet in an airplane. I've talked to jet pilots who have also flown small aircraft, and they all say that in a modern jet fighter the rudder pedals are basically for steering on the ground. Not so in the Triplane or most vintage aircraft. Also from talking to people who were there, they got the distinct impression that "Heater" thought that because the Triplane was simple, it would be easy to fly (F-14 complicated = hard to fly...?). He was checked out in a Cub and a Great Lakes first, and when asked what he thought about the difference between those and and an F-14, he replied that the old types were "kind of boring". My theory is that the Triplane was within earshot, and thought, "We'll see about that..."

"Heater" took off, didn't control the yaw, went one way, then the other, until the aircraft stalled (wind shear is the excuse of the day, but BS, there was little wind) and started to spin. The telephone wires saved his life, he disappeared going straight down, but caught the wires on one side, which slewed the aircraft around and slowed it down, and collapsed the wings on the other side as it hit, absorbing the force. He walked away from it, not knowing how lucky he was. The aircraft was totally destroyed. The fabric from one side of the rudder is on the wall of my old bedroom in my parent's house.

[Jim Bruton]

...thanks BaldEagle. as suggested, we really need to hear from experts like you- who actually fly these aircraft. so many questions can be answered so quickly. thank you for being here!

(how's the filming going?)

[David_Layton]

I was not going to name Heatly but since you did.

The story was what I recalled reading in WWI Aero several years back. The ORO wreckage was at Dayton in the restoration hanger when I went to the 1990 OTF conference, so I had assumed that the Jasta 19 aircraft was the ORO DrI restored and corrected.

There were two problems with CJ "Heater" Heatly flying the Triplane, lack of respect for it, and lack of knowlege on what to do with you feet in an airplane. I've talked to jet pilots who have also flown small aircraft, and they all say that in a modern jet fighter the rudder pedals are basically for steering on the ground. Not so in the Triplane or most vintage aircraft. Also from talking to people who were there, they got the distinct impression that "Heater" thought that because the Triplane was simple, it would be easy to fly (F-14 complicated = hard to fly...?). He was checked out in a Cub and a Great Lakes first, and when asked what he thought about the difference between those and and an F-14, he replied that the old types were "kind of boring". My theory is that the Triplane was within earshot, and thought, "We'll see about that..."

I will be damned... I knew that name looked familiar! He served onboard the Enterprise (my boat) for a while! Amazing, the information that pops up on this forum!

Well, what can one say... I guess it cost the old girl dearly, but it appears as though that little Triplane took "Heater" down a peg or two in the end!

A great many thanks, Baldeagle!

"Prost!"

[baldeagle]

There has been some talk here on the film set about the two Triplane replicas which have crashed in Europe (one in England and one I believe in Germany, the German one may have been a French registered aircraft) in past years, both fatally. The theory here on both is that a rudder hinge failed and the rudder became uncontrollable, obviously a very bad thing on a Triplane. Take a look at the link to the accident report on the previous page of this thread and its description of the broken rudder hinge. It talks about a sudden pitch down, but I suppose that if the rudder twisted enough it could cause this. The cause of the one in Germany is said to be that it was parked at an airshow and a helicopter started up nearby and battered the Triplane rudder with rotor wash, causing damage that went undetected before the Triplane was flown. I believe that both were built from Redfern plans (the British one certainly was), but have no proof of that. I'm sure somebody here can answer, do the Redfern plans use bushing type hinges instead of strap type hinges? Interesting from the accident report that the British one had had the hinges changed to strap type after the other ones cracked. We're keeping a close eye on the rudder hinges of the Nieuports here, as the stresses should be similar to the ones on a Triplane.

We are supposed to have two Triplane replicas here on the set next week, one ex-Blue Max, and the other built in the US with a Lycoming engine and imported here some years ago.

[Jim Bruton]

BaldEagle,

Thanks for the update. I believe the Redfern rudder hinge is a simple strap, without the reinforcing sides (in other words, not channel-like)- but I need to check my drawings. Interesting about this being a point of failure. Do you feel there needs to be a redesign of the hinge in general (from the Sands/Original Channel-like hinge)? Also, there exist plans to the Blue Max aircraft- I know someone who has the plans- perhaps they can scan the rudder part for us sometime soon. Upon his review of the Blue Max planset, he determined that the aircraft built for the movie, while not faithful internally (under the fabric) to the original design- were very airworthy aircraft. When the Blue Max Triplane comes in, could you take a peek at the rudder hinges and let us know if you see any differences? Would love to hear your observations.

Jim

[Pfalz-Scout]

Hello Franzkeit,
you are right. The crash investigation report is available. Refer the Home page of the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Investigation.
www.bfu-web.de/berichte/01_cx010dub.pdf

[Tim Plunkett]

I fly a DR1 in Florida and I have 125 hr on it. I would be gald to discuss it's flying characteristics.