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RV-Super 6 Hawk Strike during Reno Races...and the repairs!

rvmills

Well Known Member
During the Sport Bronze Final on Sunday of the 2018 Reno Air Races, Sport 49, the RV-Super Six I own with James Stringer, and piloted by James that day, had a close encounter with a large hawk while rounding Sport Pylon 4. James saw the hawk above and to the right, and tried to climb as the hawk tucked and dove, but the hawk went through the right windscreen, and pretty much exploded on the baggage bulkhead. James called the mayday, and expertly maneuvered the plane to a safe landing on the off-duty runway (RWY 14, for those that follow Reno or know Stead). I was above and behind in the pace aircraft (Mark Frederick's F1 Rocket), watching the battle between James and Jason Rovey, when the birdstrike happened. James may post about his experience here, but he reported tremendous noise and wind blast, and although his mayday calls were loud and clear, he could hear nothing on the radio. He flew very professionally, and was awarded the 2018 Sport Class Tommy Rose award for airmanship for his performance. Well done, partner!

I'll post a few pics of the damage, then post some photos of the repair, which I began this weekend. If anyone has replaced a front windscreen, any lessons learned, advice and gotchas are absolutely welcome. I'm searching the VAF archives for info as well. If this can become a chronicle that can help a future windscreen replacer, then all the better!

Here's what a hawk strike looks like up close...not pretty!

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Note the damage to the fuselage skin above the baggage bulkhead in the next two photos...there was a lot of force imparted into the baggage wall!

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In addition to the windscreen, the F-606R bulkhead and the the F674 top skin will need to be replaced. More on that in the next post in the thread...

Cheers,
Bob
 
Repairs 1

Repairs are underway on Sport 49/Rocket Six. Because this Super Six was designed and built as a "side-by-side Rocket", the measurements between the F-606 and F-607 bulkheads are not per plans, and the rivet layout is slightly different. The F-674 skin is .032 AL instead .025, so it'll be a custom fab'd part.

Current plan is to remove the F-674 skin, flatten out the wrinkles, and use it as a template for the new skin. This was a slow-build, so the job of match drilling from the inside out comes next (after the F-606 bulkhead is repaired). For that job, we'll separate and remove the upper half of the the F-606R bulkhead, and replace it with a new part. Will need to cut the F-606R in half vertically, then ensure there is sufficient overlap above and below the longeron when installing, to ensure the original strength of the bulkhead is matched or exceeded. Then marry it up with the F-606L bulkhead, which is undamaged. The upper baggage wall is being donated by a friend (Sean "Goose" Farrell of the West Coast Ravens), who has his original from the RV-7 in which he hit a Canadian Goose on takeoff...so its an organ donor part, with an ingrained aversion to more bird strikes! :p

Saturday was rivet drill-out day:

I used a die-grinder to clear 2 generations of primer and paint from the rivet heads, so I could do a really clean job or drilling out the rivets...the skin is unsalvageable, but I want to save the structure underneath, and don't want to create a bigger job than I already have!

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Worked down the middle, then to one side, then the other:

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And now we have a convertible!

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Just a day of Monkeying around...

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Windscreen next...

Cheers,
Bob
 
Repairs 2

Today was (gulp) windscreen removal day...or what might be called "Dusty's lunch date with Sandy"! :eek:

Covered the interior, laid out some tape for borders, and dove in...

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Ground the glass off the canopy roll bar screws, then worked around the front of the windscreen. Picked the resin out of the phillips head screws on the roll bar, which then came out very easily (whew...was hoping not to have to get the screws out with an easy-out!)

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I'm not so sure "Sandy" enjoyed her lunch with "Dusty" :roll eyes:

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With the windscreen clear, and the area cleaned up a bit, went back and re-taped the front deck, and ground out the remaining fiberglass fuselage-to-windscreen fairing layup.

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Ground down to the original deck level in prep for fitting the new windscreen. I'll finish removing the side area (hash-marked area) tomorrow, after I order up some aluminum and some parts!

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If anyone has any thoughts on how to order or purchase a front-only windscreen for an RV-6, I'd really appreciate any ideas! I've heard of folks getting the unused front or rear half from someone that repaired the other half, and of discounted purchases for full canopies where the un-needed section was damaged or had a visual defect. If anyone needs a back half, perhaps we can team up. If I just need to suck it up and buy a full canopy, so be it! Will post in the classified on this as well.

Any critiques or suggestions are welcome! Thanks!

Cheers,
Bob
 
Last edited:
Couple of thoughts....

Hey Bob,

1) Vic recently replaced the canopy on his -10, and who it it up for the magaine (embarrassed to say I don;t know which issue, and don;t have a Directory with me....). Some good pointers there as I recall.

2) Jefff From Airplane Plastics (the folks that supply Van?s) is always in the bleachers in teh pits at end, so he?s a fan - he is probably a good guy to talk to about maybe finding a front half.

Glad you?re getting it done - airplanes need to get fixed so they fly, not sit!

Paulk
 
Thanks Paul! I'll call ya tomorrow and grab Jeff's number from you if you have it. Want to catch up any-who!

No sittin' here! ;)

Cheers,
Bob
 
Way back in 2000, Laird "Lucky" Owens had a hawk go through the windshield of his RV-6 at Santa Maria. His damage looked a lot like yours except he did not have any metal damage that you have. His passenger Lisa almost had bird in the face but it was off to one side just enough that it removed and broke her David Clark Headset. Dwain "Joker" Harris took care of disposal of the Hawk remains back at Whiteman.
 
What's the deal with these dang Kamikaze birds!!??

I just had a big bird strike on the wing of the family truckster (Cherokee 180), and have been bummed about that repair (right on the seam of two skins). After seeing the damage to the Super Six, I feel like I should be glad it's just a sheet metal repair! I wish I could help with the canopy, but I STILL don't have the drape former up and running...
 
I forget which month it was published. If you can't find in on the website archives send me your email.


Vic
 
Airplane Plastics

Hey Bob:

Jeff was on the spot when James pulled up - he asked for the pieces of the W/S so he could make you a new one. Give him a call at 937.232.1410.

Good luck with the repair!
 
Wow, thanks for the great replies!

Vic, Paul told me about your article, and I'm looking it up now (thanks to you both!). Mark, thanks for the number, called Jeff today, and will get together with him (thanks to you, Paul and Jeff!).

James handled it well. The hawk...not so much. There has been a hawk sitting on Sport 4 and/or 5 from time to time for years. Not sure if that was him, but it was definitely a bad time to hunt that day. While we all feel bad about the demise of the hawk, we are very grateful he wanted to ride in the right seat, and not in the left

The trophy we gave James is an eagle, but bronze, so it looks like a...well...lets just say the expression on James' face when we gave him the award was...priceless! Humor was, and is, a good coping mechanism. And riveting, glassing and sanding is cathartic...that's what we'll tell ourselves! :p (This is the education part of "recreation and education, eh! ;))

Cheers,
Bob
 
Bob

I have one, problem it's here & you are way down there...
This one is front w/shield cut off with plastic & flanges still on it. I used the back half repairing another 6.

Ralph 403-614-6142

ps- say hi to Goose for me
 
Will call ya Ralph...Goose says hi back!

Cheers,
Bob

Bob

I have one, problem it's here & you are way down there...
This one is front w/shield cut off with plastic & flanges still on it. I used the back half repairing another 6.

Ralph 403-614-6142

ps- say hi to Goose for me
 
Sorry to hear this Nasty. I flew by you yesterday headed back from a golf junket in Palm Springs and thought of you. Didn't have time to stop by. I fueled at Carson, didn't see Datyon's rig at his hangar, tipped my wing to Paul and Louise,, Mike, etc..., and kept on trucking home.... to make a date with my wife.
Open invite as always next time your up this way...
 
Right back atcha JJ...door's always open! Date night is good! Keeps us outta trouble and in airplanes! :p

Cheers,
Bob


Sorry to hear this Nasty. I flew by you yesterday headed back from a golf junket in Palm Springs and thought of you. Didn't have time to stop by. I fueled at Carson, didn't see Datyon's rig at his hangar, tipped my wing to Paul and Louise,, Mike, etc..., and kept on trucking home.... to make a date with my wife.
Open invite as always next time your up this way...
 
Wow Fast Progress on the repairs

If F6 isn't too badly bent you may be able to just leave in place and tweak it a bit. It is pretty flimsy before installed and the aft baggage compartment panels hold it in shape.

Steve
 
Been There, Done That...

Way back in 2000, Laird "Lucky" Owens had a hawk go through the windshield of his RV-6 at Santa Maria. His damage looked a lot like yours except he did not have any metal damage that you have. His passenger Lisa almost had bird in the face but it was off to one side just enough that it removed and broke her David Clark Headset. Dwain "Joker" Harris took care of disposal of the Hawk remains back at Whiteman.

Here's a link to the story I wrote up about it. I did have damage to the upper fuselage skin, but not to the extend that this incident did. I left the dent in the rear bulkhead. Broken plexi also hit the rudder and stab and put dents in them.

Not something I want to have happen again.

Best of luck with the repairs.

Laird

http://www.vansairforce.net/articles/howtoruinyourwindshield.htm
 
Flight characteristics

Hey Bob,
Did James describe how well (or not well) the aircraft flew with that big hole in the windscreen? Just wondering if it was difficult for him to bring it back to land, whether from increased drag, yaw, windblast/noise/vibration impacting vision, etc.
 
Holy moly Laird, that is an amazing story, and the picture shows how eerily similar it was to James' birdstrike. So happy Lisa was not seriously hurt! Thanks for sharing that! We were fortunate not to have additional damage outside of the fuselage skin. I've wiped down the entire plane a few times after the dust-up sessions, and have found no other damage. Thanks again for sharing the story.

Cheers,
Bob

Here's a link to the story I wrote up about it. I did have damage to the upper fuselage skin, but not to the extend that this incident did. I left the dent in the rear bulkhead. Broken plexi also hit the rudder and stab and put dents in them.

Not something I want to have happen again.

Best of luck with the repairs.

Laird

http://www.vansairforce.net/articles/howtoruinyourwindshield.htm
 
He mainly commented about how hard it was to hear initially...anything. He could not tell if his transmissions were getting out. From Pace, his transmissions were very clear to me, and I could not hear the wind noise in the background. I heard him say, "49 Mayday", and I followed from his 6 hi and outside (about 2500' above). He flew west a bit, before turning back to the east (towards the runway), and he later said he was ensuring he had good controls and wanted to be gentle with inputs, so as not to cause any more damage. As he turned back to the east towards RWY 14, he transmitted, "49 mayday, birdstrike". I replied "Pace at your 6 hi, advise if you want a chase", to which he replied "going for 14". (He said he did hear my call, as he had slowed for the approach and landing). Race Control called the winds, then they and I just stayed quiet until he was on deck...just lettin' him fly the plane!

Perhaps he'll share more here as to the characteristics...at the time, he did not say much about odd handing. He did a great job!

Cheers,
Bob

Hey Bob,
Did James describe how well (or not well) the aircraft flew with that big hole in the windscreen? Just wondering if it was difficult for him to bring it back to land, whether from increased drag, yaw, windblast/noise/vibration impacting vision, etc.
 
Hey Bob,
Did James describe how well (or not well) the aircraft flew with that big hole in the windscreen? Just wondering if it was difficult for him to bring it back to land, whether from increased drag, yaw, windblast/noise/vibration impacting vision, etc.

Hi Scroll, I've finally set up an account on here, so I can at last answer your question.

At the moment of the collision with the Hawk (actually, it was a Falcon), I was doing 225kts at 50 feet. After the shock of the impact, I was careful not to put in any control inputs and just flew straight and level without any issue. The speed had decayed to 217 kts (so no point in continuing the race, eh!!) and the aircraft flew fine. The blast from the wind was extremely loud, but fortunately I was out of the direct line. Initially, bits of canopy and bird were flying around inside the aircraft and the GPS antenna got sucked out through the hole. I made my initial Mayday call, but couldn't hear my own call for all the noise from the air blast. I scanned the cockpit and instruments, and once I was happy things were ok, I put the aircraft in to a shallow climb and reduced power.

I was careful not to change the angle of attack or bank so as to maintain a steady airflow over the canopy. I was worried the whole canopy might blow and thought this would reduce the risk of any further damage. Once down to 150kts, I made a second call as I turned towards the cross runway (14). The aircraft flew perfectly well right on to the runway.

If it happens again, I think the only thing I'd change is not to hit any birds!

Cheers, James
RV6 G-JSRV
 
Thank God you are OK.... Bird strike can take pilot and plane out, civilian and military... If you want to race or do fast low flying a helmet with face shield I think is a must... I had an friend get badly hurt from a bird strike... came through the windscreen; he had permanent eye damage as well as facial lacerations.
 
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