Timm427

Highly unlikely the air frame would fail with the vibration they were experiencing when you consider the air frame testing they go through now days. May have shortened its Fatigue life by a few hundred flights however. You could install a brake device, but that's one more thing that could fail.

Another factor that may have played a part is Low Level Flying in moderate winds (gusts to 15knots) while keeping eyes on a fixed ground point and turning around that point. In this case he was down wind before the turn, possibly using ground speed as his reference. Experienced Alaskan Pilot, Shaun Lunt, also caught out by this scenario which ended in tragedy while circling a whale carcass in his Super Cub on a windy day in Alaska around 10years ago.

Happened in my street. Power went out so I wandered outside to see the smoke coming up from the location. ABC has it pretty right.

That cowl and nose leg looks familiar but the canopy and rear fuselage looks purpose built. A prototype drone / glider tug or spotter plane.

If you get to the field and don't want to sign the paperwork you can always come for a ride in my 582 Rotax powered X-Air. No need for paperwork when you've got 2 stroke reliability up front.

Hope the gear doors didn't get fowled by the trial fitted skid bar:blush:

You don't want to use capsicum spray cause it could get in your eyes too.

Interesting to know if the Pass. was a regular flyer and what altitude they were at.

A mate sent me this image that he took while at an airport in Queensland. Anyone know about it?

Don't think so Rank. I think the turtle deck was smooth like a Brumby.

Thanks for your helpful suggestions. No it didn't look round (and no it didn't see me -Goons-). It was an aircraft not too different to a Brumby (not a brumby though) with retractable gear. thought it might be a one-off. I am interested in talking to the builder regarding the retract design.

If your from Tassie it's bound to be related :)

While at Temora, and I think it was Friday arvo,I spied a metal 19 Registered 2 place AC at takeoff and did not recognise it. Once airborne it retacted its gear. It was unpainted and I think unpolished. Anybody know what it was and who it belongs to?

Very nice I know the model (although I had to look and see if it ended in a 5 or 6) so I won't say - except to say the company only ever made 1 helicopter.