Miss Elam Blows Over

[SomeSailor]

I'm glad Nate wasn't driving Miss Elam this year. 190MPH on your back 50 ft off the water... not a place I would want to be. Thankfully he's OK it appears.

Miss Elam - Blowover at 190 MPH (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/motorsports/2002384632_goldcup16.html)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2005/07/15/2002384324.jpg[/url]

[Tedster]

Yikers! Thats gonna leave a serious mark on the boat I'd say! Ted :D

[SomeSailor]

He had quite a view from up there though :)

[Dawn Dreamer]

It also looks like he has lost steerage. ;)

[Tedster]

Steerage in the air.................hmm new concept! How about the view the guy on the dock had, I think he better check his shorts soon! Ted :lol:

[Randygh]

While he is airborn, does the turbine run out of control or is it governed? While running in water there is a work load on the engine and then to become suddenly airborn, does the turbine see a sudden increase in RPM or is it slower to react than a piston engine? Also, wouldn't the turbine drink alot of water when he landed upside down and would the water cause substantial damage when a superhot engine is immediately immersed? Just curious.

[SomeSailor]

Most turbines like the ones they're using can take a lot of junk through them. They're running T-53/55s which we still use in a few military helos. They all feed straight into a gearbox, so I doubt the motor has much of any idea what had happened. :)

I would think he'd probably see blade damage to the engine if he gulped in a ton of it too quickly. Nothing like seeing one of those motors thats come apart though. They're little bombs waiting to happen. :)

[Randygh]

Are those turbines the same as in Hughes 500's, Jet Rangers, or Long Rangers?

[SomeSailor]

I believe they are. I've worked on the T53, T55, T56, T64 and T700 while on the Lincoln. Well... actually didn't work on them myself, but ran Production Control for the AIMD there. Our guys would run them out of the box on our test cell. Pretty cool to see the light off fresh out of the crate. Hook up the umbilicals and strap em down :)

The T55 (and some of the T53) were used on the CH-3 and CH-46 helos we supported and had embarked for various stuff. Old birds, but got a lot of years out of them. I think they're probably all striken now... relagated to surplus sales and spending their last days flying upside down over a lake. :)

[Tedster]

Trust me, there be a whole lot more damage than they led the public to believe to both the boat and the turbine. Kinda the team psych thing going on here. Don't want the other camps to count them out yet, until the final hour when it is rea! Ted :D