gimme those heart pills

[pelmet]

On Aug 7, 1955, Boeing’s chief test pilot, Alvin “Tex” Johnston famously rolled the company’s Dash 80 707 prototype over the astonished crowds gathered for the Gold Cup hydroplane race, the main event at Seattle’s Seafair. Johnston calculated the 1g barrel roll maneuver, conducted twice, was perfectly safe and would prove to the world that the 707 was not only as strong as an ox but as agile as a fighter.

But while nobody could fault Johnston’s test piloting skills, his aerobatic display was certainly not appreciated by Bill Allen, Boeing’s president. Watching from the company’s yacht on Washington Lake, Allen had no warning of Johnston’s intentions and was as shocked as everyone else. After Johnston’s second roll, Allen turned to one of his guests, Larry Bell of Bell Aircraft who had a heart condition, and said “give me one of those damned (heart) pills. I need it worse than you do.”

[Shiny Side Up]

Boeing still uses that footage to sell airplanes. If you go for a tour of the factory in Seattle, they play it up in one of the venues.

[co-joe]

Has anyone ever repeated his stunt? It's a tough google cause you get results for every single new aircraft "rollout"...military jet like a c-141 maybe?

[Shiny Side Up]

Supposedly it was done on quite a few of the Boeing 7x7 models if I recall from an interview I read about with Tex and some of the other Boeing test pilots. Recently I believe it was demonstrated on the new Spartan and I think there's a youtube clip of it.

[Rookie50]

Boeing still uses that footage to sell airplanes. If you go for a tour of the factory in Seattle, they play it up in one of the venues.

......it's a great tour btw.

[Shiny Side Up]

Boeing still uses that footage to sell airplanes. If you go for a tour of the factory in Seattle, they play it up in one of the venues.

......it's a great tour btw.

Oh yes. I'd highly reccomend it if people get the chance. That place is just mind blowing. When you get to walk on that one catwalk above the production floor and realise you're looking down on three (four?) airliners underneath you, the scale of operations is a bit mind boggling.

[Rookie50]

Boeing still uses that footage to sell airplanes. If you go for a tour of the factory in Seattle, they play it up in one of the venues.

......it's a great tour btw.

Oh yes. I'd highly reccomend it if people get the chance. That place is just mind blowing. When you get to walk on that one catwalk above the production floor and realise you're looking down on three (four?) airliners underneath you, the scale of operations is a bit mind boggling.

I never thought I'd see a 747-8 look small. But when there's 4 of them in front of you and swallowed by the vast building, it's something. And you can fly your own plane right to Everett when the plant is and clear customs right there. piece of cake.

[pelmet]

Has anyone ever repeated his stunt? It's a tough google cause you get results for every single new aircraft "rollout"...military jet like a c-141 maybe?

Yes this "stunt" was repeated. Back in 1964, some Lufthansa pilots were able to roll a Boeing 720 on a training flight. Then they decided to try it again.

"The Boeing 720B took off for a training flight from Frankfurt International Airport (FRA), Germany at 09:33. The crew reported reaching 13.000 feet at 09:38. The IFR flight schedule was abandoned and the crew continued VFR to carry out some training manoeuvres between VOR Kitzingen and the Roethenbach beacon. A complete roll was flown, but while attempting a second roll, the plane went out of control in the inverted position. The Boeing became overstressed, disintegrated and crashed in flames between Petersdorf and Forst."

http://aviation-safety.net/database/rec ... 19640715-0

[shurshot17]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaA7kPfC5Hk

Here is the video of the barrel roll

[pelmet]

Has anyone ever repeated his stunt? It's a tough google cause you get results for every single new aircraft "rollout"...military jet like a c-141 maybe?

Aside from the failed LH 707 roll, you can google VASP 737 roll. Was done during a hijacking.

[PilotDAR]

A complete roll was flown, but while attempting a second roll, the plane went out of control in the inverted position. The Boeing became overstressed, disintegrated

Ahh, the key reason to not attempt this.

If the aircraft is not equipped with a G meter, it should not be upside-down. How else would you know if it is being flown within g limitations? Would you want to fly a plane that was overstressed by the pilot before you?

Yes... I'm the grumpy naysayer who says that aerobatics should be flown in aerobatic planes. A plane peripherally in my charge a decade ago was crashed into oblivion by a pilot goofing around in it. A pilot, a highly modified plane, and more than a million dollars of highly specialized Canadian (yeah, your tax dollar) science equipment was lost, along with a decade's scientific research advancement of many scientists.

This would be a "no second chances" employment mistake, were I to be in charge. It's not worth the show, nor the poor example. Do the Air Force Generals watch the upside-down cargo hauler at the airshow, and say to himself "I think I'll buy a dozen of those, so my pilots can roll them like that!". I think not!

[Shiny Side Up]

This will get your blood boiling PilotDAR, looks like they did it in a A380 too!

[PilotDAR]

looks like they did it in a A380 too!

Haha! Well, if they did, they don't want the Germans to see the video, 'cause that's where I am right now, and it will not play!

P.S., As much as I hate to admit it, the 380 probably does have a G meter!

[Shiny Side Up]

Strange, I think the Germans would overwhelmingly approve of that video.

[PilotDAR]

Years back, Transport Canada asked me to test fly a 172 for a southern Ontario flying school. There were uncertainties about the flightworthiness of the aircraft, and only an objective, and comprehensive flight test would prove the plane worthy of the C of A sought. Sure, no problem.

But... I had to be checked out - fleet owner's rules. Okay, send an instructor, and "check me out", I'm confident I can meet the mark. They chose the instructor, and he walked out to the plane to meet me. The instructor they chose (random, I presume) and I had had a disagreement about something I had seem him do the week earlier, so we were already off to a poor start.

So, politely, I said: "Get in, sit down, strap in, and come for the ride - you're not going to have to do anything."

He did not say a word for about 45 minutes, while I wrung the plane out. The plane was fine, as I had expected. So headed back, I asked the instructor if there would be anything he would like to see me do, were he to actually have been tasked with checking me out?

"Would you show me a roll?". I was a bit taken aback... "No" was the correct answer. He pressed a bit... "This plane will roll won't it?". I began to figure it out, he wasn't trying to trap me in to a no no, he just wanted to experience a roll.... But, still "No". He looked crestfallen. But, I was not going to roll a training 172 - I only roll a plane I own, within its limitations.

Upon my request, he wrote me a glowing check out letter for my files, and signed it as the organization's safety officer! Who knew!

Yes, many planes can be rolled, and a few pilots are capable. Those few pilots should roll the few planes which are designed and equipped to roll - within their limitations. Other pilots, should receive aerobatic training, in a proper aircraft, from a competent instructor.

Otherwise, keep the shiny side up!