Funny crashes

[Keith Spriggs]

Reading about the "Sudden Stop" reminds me of the funniest crash I ever saw. Many years ago a friend and I entered profile carrier contest every chance we got.  There was also another guy that entered most of the same contest that we did. He wanted to beat us very badly but never had. It seemed that he had a new plane and different engine at each contest. At one contest we had beat him at profile, but he had a scale carrier plane with him. There was only one other scale carrier entered beside him. He talked my friend and I into entering as he knew that after we took the penalty for non scale the worst he could do was a second and he would probably get a first. He flew last. He got a good high and low speed run and it appeared he was going to win. He missed the arresting line the first and second try. He knew the third time was do or die. He came in real fast and high. In desperation he hit the deck fast and hard. The hook caught. The engine and the hook stayed but the rest of the plane went about 10 feet past the end of the deck. My friend and I were happy to settle for a second and third.

[john e. holliday]

Yep, nothing like coming in too fast and leaving the hook while the airplane keeps flying.  The funniest one I seen was when in a combat match the poor fellow couldn't get his opponent off his tail.  Three minutes into the match he goes straight in.  His opponent followed him in also.  Getting a kill and both airplanes.   DOC Holliday

[James Lee]

Maybe not a crash, but watching the Nats one year during Mouse I...   Pitman made a nice catch...  refueled restarted and watched the Mouse buzz away...       and then bump teh ground about 10 feet out and reverse the motor and back up rather rapidly...        was a hoot to watch but the pitman was a bit perplexed and everyone got a bit excited   
Jim

[rustler]

Well, I do recall practicing a T/R model, and deciding to practice a real fast race stop. It went great, and I let go the model in real quick time. Then I looked up and saw my pilot standing a few feet from me, just inside the circle. He had walked out for a conference. The model survived o.k., and it was a great learning experience. I now never let go the model without looking at the pilot first, it doesn't take any time.

[Garf]

The most spectacular crash I ever saw was when we flew on a football field. One pilot wandered too far out of the circle and the lines hit the goalpost. The model wound the lines around the post in about .75 second and the plane exploded. That's why they mark the circles.

[Alan Hahn]

I think the general thread is that a funny crash always happens to someone else!

[Keith Spriggs]

I think the general thread is that a funny crash always happens to someone else!

You are pretty perceptive. I had never though about that. I have had plenty of crashes and I don't seem to recall a funny one that I ever had.