Pics of F-15 Eagle landing with one wing..

bunk22

bunk22

Well-Known Member
...it's old and probably a re-post but good none the less. Amazing really that he landed the aircraft.

f15missingwing1li.jpg
 
I just cant grasp how this is real. In the landing image I would think there would be a huge right roll tendency with the right wing basically gone, yet there is no rudder deflection or left aileron input to counter the roll. Is the speed break in center capable of countering that roll? Is that little piece of right wing producing enough lift? Not doubting it happened, I just cant wrap my head around the aerodynamics.
 
bunk22 said:
Oh it's real and it's an amazing feat of skill and airplane!
Click to expand...

I agree, I've seen the show on the military channel or history channel (images are history channel it appears) that documented the event. It is just one of those things that is so amazing it is hard to grasp.

I saw a different show where a company set up an auto pilot on a scaled version of an f/a-18 and put it into a unusual attitude. The plane initially was uncontrollable, they switched on the auto pilot recovery feature and it recovered almost instantly and landed safely. The pilot of the F-15 is extraordinary to be able to handle that situation given that the normal pilot would require computer assistance to survive.

Incredible.
 
Really amazing. I just finished reading the book "Warthog", and there were some stories in there of those guys landing the Hogs with nearly the whole tail shot off. Amazing how tough some of these airplanes are
 
It is certainly incredible.

I don't think the photos on the History channel of the F-15 in flight or in the landing flare are real - they don't look to be. I heard that he landed at well over 200 kts. I don't believe he'd have that pitch attitude at that speed. It looks like a normal landing attitude in that photo. I know this happened and it landed with one wing, but I just don't think those are the actual photos - if I recall there weren't any photos of it taken until it was stopped on the ground. I may be wrong!
 
.
And as I recall, the Israeli pilot said that he didn't realize the wing was missing, and that if he had, he'd have bailed out. How is that possible? And wouldn't his wingman have been able to inspect it? Neither of them noticed a missing wing?

What am I missing?
.
 
The wingman did see it missing and keep telling him to eject. My understanding is the air inlet produced lift and the plane has some much power.
 
Gonzo said:
The wingman did see it missing and keep telling him to eject. My understanding is the air inlet produced lift and the plane has some much power.
Click to expand...

I'm just going by the pilot's testimony. I'm not sure why he's saying he didn't fully realize it if the wingman saw it clearly and told him.

(4:10 on tape)


.
edit: Maybe in the heat of the moment he discounted his wingman's description since he "felt" he had it under control, which apparently he did. That, and that he really really didn't want to test out the ejection seat.
.
 
Would turning the left engine off produce enough asymmetric thrust from the right side to offset lift produced by the left wing?
 
SuperCubRick said:
It is certainly incredible.

I don't think the photos on the History channel of the F-15 in flight or in the landing flare are real - they don't look to be. I heard that he landed at well over 200 kts. I don't believe he'd have that pitch attitude at that speed. It looks like a normal landing attitude in that photo. I know this happened and it landed with one wing, but I just don't think those are the actual photos - if I recall there weren't any photos of it taken until it was stopped on the ground. I may be wrong!
Click to expand...
Agreed, those pic's are doctored up for the show... from what i've read there were no pics or video taken while it was flying, just after when it was on the ground.
 
Story is real, photos/video are not.

The video was produced for a UK program on the F-15 called "Heavy Metal" back from 2003 (it's been replayed on the History Channel and Discovery Channel here in the US many times since then). I was actually interviewed for that program (I'm near the end of the show, talking about F-15E operations after 9/11)...and met the Israeli pilot who was also there to be interviewed.

The video is just of a normal Eagle landing that they've digitally doctored up.
 
Gonzo said:
The wingman did see it missing and keep telling him to eject. My understanding is the air inlet produced lift and the plane has some much power.
Click to expand...

Not the air inlet -- it's the shape of the entire bottom of the aircraft that McD engineers eventually chalked it up to. Essentially the whole flat bottom of the fuselage contributes a big chunk of overall lift at the speeds it was going.
 
Reminds me of this one:
F-18_mid-air01.jpg


Though I'm pretty sure you could never land a Hornet missing it's entire wing. I know the guy who tried to take off with the wings unlocked a few years back never got airborne.....
 
SuperCubRick said:
It is certainly incredible.

I don't think the photos on the History channel of the F-15 in flight or in the landing flare are real - they don't look to be. I heard that he landed at well over 200 kts. I don't believe he'd have that pitch attitude at that speed. It looks like a normal landing attitude in that photo. I know this happened and it landed with one wing, but I just don't think those are the actual photos - if I recall there weren't any photos of it taken until it was stopped on the ground. I may be wrong!
Click to expand...

The pics on the left are recreated, the ones on the right are real. Forgot to mention that, no pics of the aircraft in flight as far as I know.
 
///AMG said:
I know the guy who tried to take off with the wings unlocked a few years back never got airborne.....
Click to expand...

Worked fine with the Phantom....so long as both of 'em were up!

One of my IPs in the F-15E had to punch out of a Phantom when one wingtip came unlocked (or was unlocked) during takeoff.

f-4folded.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top