Wheels up landing
 

'Spitfire' pilot makes emergency landing at Peterborough airport without wheels

Video: 'Spitfire' pilot makes emergency landing at Peterborough airport without wheels - Telegraph

Interesting, ultimately well handled, and having a few hours on type - I had to recycle the gear a few times and thought that the ergonomics of the emergency gear drop was rather horrible (and reliability relatively untested) so if anything, I'm surprised we've not had more.

Shame the engine was running - that'll cost him. On the other hand, looks to have been well prepared and handled, and the main airframe damage kept to a minimum.

So, not just a good outcome, but a valuable bit of film for everybody else.

G

Wooden prop G

You'd still need shock loading *checks*, even if the damage is likely to be less. That said, I'd expect and it looked to me like a carbon fibre prop, which will transmit far more load to the engine before it breaks than a wooden one.

G

Golly. Carbon fibre props. Where will it all end!

Following the Culdrose incident, I presume he'll be getting an "AFC" too.......didn't think so, not high profile enough I guess :rolleyes:

Doubletap, given the choice of landing a lightweight replica Spitfire wheels up on an airfield when I'm good and ready and have had time to try a few options, or have to immediately land a Sea Fury sans power, I know which crisis I'd prefer to face...

I've seen pics of three British Sea Furies that have force landed in fields after engine failures, all were a mess.

Successful outcome, well done! That said, I was trained to seek a hard runway for an intended belly landing. I once was flying a C-310, with gear which refused to extend. I was on long final after 3 hours of trying, when my last attempt worked. However, I was told to not land it on the grass, as the plane can dig in, and either spin around, or flip over, where on the hard surface it'll just slide.