I'm posting this in here because, though not a racer, it shows the dangers of creating entirely new and unique designs of small aircraft without the financial backing and testing capable of a large aircraft manufacturing corporation. I'm hoping SOMETHING here may prove helpful or informative enough in making a difference, and maybe saving someone's life somewhere in the future.
The cause of the crash is unknown, and, judging by the flight path of the airplane, may have been from an elevator problem and not the layout of the airframe. I only say this because the description of the short flight sounds almost identical to those that occur due to a locked or sticking elevator. You decide.
The witnesses statements are noteworthy, especially his description of earlier attempts of flight. What he describes may have only been high-speed taxi tests, or actual unsuccessful flight attempts. Again, we'll find that out later. I will not speculate on that for obvious reasons.
I'll add official findings of the cause later as they become available, May the pilot forever rest in peace, and my condolences to family and loved ones.
The cause of the crash is unknown, and, judging by the flight path of the airplane, may have been from an elevator problem and not the layout of the airframe. I only say this because the description of the short flight sounds almost identical to those that occur due to a locked or sticking elevator. You decide.
The witnesses statements are noteworthy, especially his description of earlier attempts of flight. What he describes may have only been high-speed taxi tests, or actual unsuccessful flight attempts. Again, we'll find that out later. I will not speculate on that for obvious reasons.
I'll add official findings of the cause later as they become available, May the pilot forever rest in peace, and my condolences to family and loved ones.
An experimental STOL jet aircraft with possible military use has crashed during a test flight in Malaysia, killing its British pilot and inventor.
Malaysian civil aviation authorities are investigating the accident of the twin-engine raised-wing Jetpod built by London-based Avcen in which company director Michael Robert Dacre, 53, died.
The accident happened Sunday shortly after takeoff from Tekah airstrip near the city of Taiping, around 190 miles north of the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
The incident was witnessed by many residents, according to a report in the English-language newspaper The Star.
One witness was only 150 feet from the crash. "Earlier I saw it going down the runway three times but it could not take off. However, on the fourth run, the jet took off into the air but at about 200 meters high, it shot vertically to the sky before veering to its left and then falling to the ground," he said.
The aircraft had been transported in parts in a container to the airstrip about a week ago before being assembled for the test flight, the report said.
The single-pilot Jetpod was designed by Dacre, who set up Avcen in the United Kingdom in 1998 to produce the aircraft.
Few design details are available. The two over-wing turbofan engines were said to have a thrust of 2 X 13.3kn, and the plane had an operating payload of around 1,540 pounds. Its range was to be just more than 900 miles.
The Jetpod was initially marketed as a flying taxi because it needed only 410 feet to take off and land and had a maximum speed of 350 miles per hour.
Malaysian civil aviation authorities are investigating the accident of the twin-engine raised-wing Jetpod built by London-based Avcen in which company director Michael Robert Dacre, 53, died.
The accident happened Sunday shortly after takeoff from Tekah airstrip near the city of Taiping, around 190 miles north of the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
The incident was witnessed by many residents, according to a report in the English-language newspaper The Star.
One witness was only 150 feet from the crash. "Earlier I saw it going down the runway three times but it could not take off. However, on the fourth run, the jet took off into the air but at about 200 meters high, it shot vertically to the sky before veering to its left and then falling to the ground," he said.
The aircraft had been transported in parts in a container to the airstrip about a week ago before being assembled for the test flight, the report said.
The single-pilot Jetpod was designed by Dacre, who set up Avcen in the United Kingdom in 1998 to produce the aircraft.
Few design details are available. The two over-wing turbofan engines were said to have a thrust of 2 X 13.3kn, and the plane had an operating payload of around 1,540 pounds. Its range was to be just more than 900 miles.
The Jetpod was initially marketed as a flying taxi because it needed only 410 feet to take off and land and had a maximum speed of 350 miles per hour.
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