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Date: | Thursday 28 November 1957 |
Time: | day |
Type: | Rolls-Royce Thrust Measuring Rig (TMR) |
Owner/operator: | Rolls-Royce |
Registration: | XK426 |
MSN: | 2 |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | Hucknall, Nottinghamshire -
United Kingdom
|
Phase: | Take off |
Nature: | Test |
Departure airport: | Hucknall, Nottinghamshire |
Destination airport: | Hucknall, Nottinghamshire |
Confidence Rating: | Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Narrative:XK426 was the second of two Rolls Royce "Flying Bedsteads", (Thrust Measuring Rigs) - the first British jet plane to achieve a vertical take-off. It was involved in a fatal crash during trials on 28 November 1957.
The aircraft was carrying out an initial tethered flight in a gantry at Hucknall, Nottinghamshire. At 30 feet it paused, wobbled, and fell back rapidly and struck the ground heavily on its rear legs. It then bounced back up to 30 feet, fell back to the ground and toppled against the gantry structure killing the pilot. The pilot - New York-born Wing Commander Henry G.F. Larsen - was pinned underneath and crushed. He had been piloting the aircraft for the first time.
As a result of this accident, the other "Flying Bedstead" (Thrust Measuring Rig) was grounded. XK426 was the second of the two (the first was issued the serial XJ314). XK426 has a short flying life; it had only flown for the first time on 12 November 1957, and was wrecked in the above crash 16 days later.
The wreckage of XK426 was scrapped, XJ314 (TMR/"Flying Bedstead" No.1) was gifted to the Science Museum in London, where it remained on display
Sources:
1. Youngstown Vindicator 29 November 1957, p 1
2.
http://www.ukserials.com/losses-1957.htm 3.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/on-this-day-november-29-1957-l6pxl62k2px 4.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_Thrust_Measuring_Rig 5.
http://naca.central.cranfield.ac.uk/reports/arc/rm/3336.pdf 6. Biography of pilot:
http://www.rafcommands.com/archive/15037.php 7.
https://www.airliners.net/photo/Rolls-Royce/Rolls-Royce-Thrust-Measuring-Rig/1539958 .
Media:
Rolls-Royce Thrust Measuring Rig/"Flying Bedstead" No.1 XJ314 on display at the Science Museum, London
Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
17-Jan-2016 07:42 |
JINX |
Added |
18-Jul-2017 19:17 |
TB |
Updated [Date, Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Country, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
24-Nov-2017 21:28 |
TB |
Updated [Date, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Country, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
20-Oct-2019 18:31 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Time, Location, Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
20-Oct-2019 18:33 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Embed code, Narrative] |
20-Oct-2019 18:35 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Source, Narrative] |
27-Apr-2020 10:16 |
Aerossurance |
Updated [Destination airport, Embed code] |