Avian’s Blog

Recently a video has begun circulating of an airplane that loses a wing during a snap roll. Despite this problem the pilot miraculously manages to save himself and what is left of the airplane. Even a major Slovenian news site picked up the story, attributing the maneuver to James Andresson.

As many have noted, the video is undoubtedly fake. While the basic aerodynamics of the flying appear to be correct, there are glitches: like the direction of the initial uncontrolled spin of the aircraft and the unrealistically hard landing that does not even bend the landing gear. A more careful look at the video itself also reveals lots of other clues that support the theory that it has been constructed from several different sources.

However, if you forget for a minute that it's fake, the video actually shows a really good trick. I have some experience piloting model aircraft and I know that aerobatic airplanes are capable of flying with wings in the vertical position ("knife edge" flight). In this position the body of the airplane provides the lift instead of the wings. So, in theory a controlled flight with a missing wing is possible, provided you manage to pull out of the initial spin.

Now there are always people wanting to show off their skills at RC meetings and competitions. Why doesn't somebody try to replicate this, Mythbuster style? The wing could be constructed so that one half would come off in mid-flight by remote control. And the model airplane can be one of those modern, lightweight Depron foam types so that it would survive more than one failed attempt.

It would take on hell of a pilot to do it, but I'm sure that with a trick like this you would be the star of the event. Anyone up for the challenge?