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**Scott Liggett** · September 21, 2011, 11:03 PM

Looks like the plane rolled over right and hit the ground wheels up. A friend of my father, his C.O., had a P-51 that rolled over and landed on its lid just after leaving the ground on take off. The left side rudder cable snapped and the torque from the Rolls Royce Merlin is so strong, it rolled right over instantly. You literally have to ride the left rudder pedal the entire flight in those planes.

**dieselgeek** · September 22, 2011, 06:21 AM

Originally posted by Scott Liggett View Post

Looks like the plane rolled over right and hit the ground wheels up. A friend of my father, his C.O., had a P-51 that rolled over and landed on its lid just after leaving the ground on take off. The left side rudder cable snapped and the torque from the Rolls Royce Merlin is so strong, it rolled right over instantly. You literally have to ride the left rudder pedal the entire flight in those planes.

Merlins rotate such that *right* rudder is required on takeoff, when the torque (and P-factor) are greatest, at low airspeeds. On that plane, it would have been trimmed for pefectly level and straight flight "hands off" as one of the biggest factors for an air racer is minimal drag. Trim one direction or the other that requires control pressure, is considered huge drag to those guys. If it was a torque issue, it would have rolled over left, counterclockwise, from the pilot's vantage point.

**1970camaroRS** · September 22, 2011, 08:48 PM

Just so you guys that don't believe need to see for yourselves. Recent developments in the investigation.

Reno Crash Update: Telemetry Data Emerges - FLYING Magazine

http://www.flyingmag.com/news/reno-crash-update-telemetry-data-emerges

On the heels of the news that two more spectators have died in the Reno air crash, bringing the toll to 11 victims, NTSB investigators have announced that they discovered that the accident airplane was outfitted with telemetry and an outward-facing video camera. On Sunday accident investigators found the camera, along with, more importantly, its … Continued

And fellow photographer sharing his expertise.

http://www.kbvp.com/photo/reno-air-races-crash-p-51-mustang-the-galloping-ghost-analysis-opinion

**dieselgeek** · September 23, 2011, 07:34 AM

interesting speculation there. not sure who the "nonbelievers" are but... sure hope they get some data off their EMS.

**1970camaroRS** · September 23, 2011, 01:30 PM

Originally posted by dieselgeek View Post

interesting speculation there. not sure who the "nonbelievers" are but... sure hope they get some data off their EMS.

Oh, that was aimed at the people that want to focus on the pilot's age and nothing else.

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