Originally posted by onehuman
To fly a plane with one wing and land it as well?

It's impossible. They said he wasn't flying it as a plane but rather as a rocket, and the fact that it had a wide body might have helped. Apparently I'm not the only one who wouldn't believe it if they didn't see it, the pilot also said if he knew the wing was missing, he would have ejected because he thought it's impossible with a wing missing too!

Pretty amazing feat!

Part of it was the fly by wire computer system on the aircraft is built to stabilize the air craft with battle damage.

This caused the aircraft to try to correct using the split tail(stabilator) as a lifting surface.

As the plane tried to roll down on the missing wing side the stabilator on that side pitched up and the one on the good wing side pitched down stopping the roll.

With the ordnance loads jet attack aircraft carry under there wings the aircraft would go out of control when the pilot dropped the ordnance but for the fact that the fly by wire computers can compensate in milliseconds to the complete change in airflow patterns across the wings. The pilot only feels his plane get lighter with no change in pitch or yaw.

but with one wing it must have been pushing the limits of the fly by wire system computers to the edge.

Originally posted by apacheman
If you scroll down about halfway on the link provided, there's a pic of an F-4 in flight with folded wings

That's a pretty neat feat too, but at least it was intact, and somewhat symmetrical.

What's so astounding about flying with a missing wing is the asymmetry of the lift with only one wing. I would have thought no amount of adjustment to other control surfaces would compensate for that. And apparently they couldn't compensate at normal landing speed, I guess that's why he had to land going so fast.

Originally posted by C0bzz
...
Although it has electronics I'm not sure if it really has FBW... seems like it's hydro-mechanical but augmented hugely by electronics.

It is called "analog" fly by wire. Such aircraft have traditional flight control systems and hydraulic/mechanic steering cycle which are however not actuated by the movement of the stick itself but by signals first run through an electronic interface (not necessarily a computer).

If it had been a single engine aircraft there would have been no chance.

With the two engine, each one well outside of the centerline of the aircraft, the vertical stabilators and one remaining wing can provide enough lift that engine torque can play a key role. The F-16 is a fabulous aircraft, and the one I flew, but it would have been an automatic "eject, eject, eject!"

Still, a firm salute to that pilot!!!!

Originally posted by Arbitrageur

Originally posted by apacheman
If you scroll down about halfway on the link provided, there's a pic of an F-4 in flight with folded wings

That's a pretty neat feat too, but at least it was intact, and somewhat symmetrical.

What's so astounding about flying with a missing wing is the asymmetry of the lift with only one wing. I would have thought no amount of adjustment to other control surfaces would compensate for that. And apparently they couldn't compensate at normal landing speed, I guess that's why he had to land going so fast.

Yeah, I can imagine the chances of stalling out plus losing total control of the aircraft are insanely high with it's symmetry thrown off so badly.

When I was in the USAF pilots would refer to such events as having a high PF.

PF translates to "Pucker Factor", i.e., how tight your, ahhh, rectal orifice...clenched. This one would have been categorized as VHPF, necessitating removal of the seat cushions from the aforesaid orifices of the crew.

While stationed in Yuma AZ, during the 80s I saw a pilot bring in a A-4 with the back half of the plane gone.

On the A-4, to replace the engine, you split the bird in half, wings & forward fuselage in one piece, and the rear fuselage and vertical stabilizer in the back half. Engine in the middle.

There was a loud explosion as he lined up for landing and when he got it on deck, no back half of the plane.

Marine Major as I remember, he appraently carried them around in a wheelbarrow, if you get my meaning.