The death of the Ultimate Bipe

[Shaker]

What was 'almost' caught on video a couple years ago was quite possible the most spectacular crash I've ever had. I'm sure it woke up Showtime too since he was in the debris field..

We were at an IMAC contest in Camarillo, CA and competition flying had just finished up for Saturday. So we figured.. Time to bust out the huckin! Showtime and I blast off and are goofing around for a good 10 minutes when I get this great idea in my head to drive around him in a high alpha knife edge while he's hovering..

So here's the scene:
Showtime and I are standing at the far side of the runway (for safety.. to keep the flightline further away from the spectators). He's hovering in place about 10' up and 20' out. I setup into a SLOW knife edge from right to left at about 10' up. Ten Feet? That's WAY too high. So I pull the throttle back slightly to let the big bipe settle.. and down she comes.. it's about 100' out still.. and I start to add power to catch the descent. Except nothing happens. The engine responds.. and I'm making more power.. but the bipe is still coming down. More power.. more rudder. Nothing.. FULL power. Full rudder and the big bipe has finally had enough and snaps out hard left on me in a 3/4 outside snap.. and WHAM!! It hits the ground about 20' to my right.

Now this whole time.. Showtime has been standing next to me hovering.. but hearing this.. (not seeing.. he's still flying), he starts to run to his left.. still trying to hold a hover. The biplane has hit the ground.. is shedding pieces and coming apart as misc. stuff goes flying by me.. including the gas tank which has ripped from the airframe and is spraying gas.. you guessed it.. all over Showtime. When it all finally comes to rest.. there is equal debris to my right and left.. with me standing in the middle.. and all of us laughing our ass off.

Now the funniest part of all this is Showtime decides he's going to dance on the rubble of my now destroyed Ultimate Bipe by hovering his black and airbrushed flames ZN Line Extra right over the wreckage.. where he nearly adds to it by giving wrong rudder at 2' up and nearly dumping his airplane right on top of what's left of mine.

It sucked.. because I really liked flying that Ultimate.. but it was really funny from our perpsective..

~Shaker

[RustyTumbles]

Shame it wasn't on vid that would have been a site to see man. Shame to loose ya ulti though...!!!

[3dav8r]

That would have been a great video!

[Raleigh3dFlyer]

I agree that would have been an awesome video..sorry about the bipe but at least you got a bad ass story out of it

[Shaker]

Well truthfully.. it was ALMOST captured on video. You can hear the crash.. you just can't see it. It was up on the Cirkus site.. should be here eventually I think (maybe?). Have to ask Max.

[Cajun]

I remember that vid. Yea that stuff was torn up when the camera finally caught up to it. Yea and I saw him fall out of that hover in the last few seconds of the clip, thought it was routine.

[PLANKBONE]

Can't wait to see that vid. Hope your able to upload it to the new site.

[SEG]

Hey Shaker its Eric. My dad Was filming the flight but he was watching jason and didnt get it. Its too bad nobody got it on vid it would have been a great vid. that was one of the worst crashes ive ever seen haha.

[Boulder]

I like your story much better than mine, but I have pics

[skymaster68]

	Quote: Originally Posted by kennyandannie
	I like your story much better than mine, but I have pics

Hi Ken is that the GP ultimate? if so what engine was on it?
Sorry for the lost
Cristian

[Boulder]

	Quote: Originally Posted by skymaster68
	Hi Ken is that the GP ultimate? if so what engine was on it? Sorry for the lost Cristian

No, it was the Goldberg 30%. I had a Precision Eagle 4.2 swinging a 22-10 wood prop, Pro Zinger. I had just ordered the Bolly and it wasn't here yet.

Thanks, but it's all good, I'll get another.

[RustyTumbles]

	Quote: Originally Posted by kennyandannie
	I like your story much better than mine, but I have pics

What happened????

[MetHerInBaghdad]

Well this weekend I got bit too.
I was just asked if I would be interested in doing a demo for the Mesa Fly-In flying an electric Extra 260. In my big-headed state I proceded to fly my Ultimate about as low and fast as you can to show my mad skills, when I 'touched' the ground at a high rate of speed in a turn. My gear flew off and went through the wing.

I did not crash so of course I flew the rest of the ten minute flight (the flat spins were truly amazing with the loss of the gear weight up front). Eventually I had to sit her down. Was not sure if I should harrier it to the ground, or just skid her in. Skid won out because there was less chance for major damage. Not fun, but such is life.

[MetHerInBaghdad]

Here are a couple of the before pics.....
Easy enough to fix but still a pain.

[Vic3D]

I have that video. It's called Cirkus summer. It shows how Showtime almost crashes with wrong rudder at the end. If you guys want I could email it all to you. (Gmail rules)