Originally posted by Chris42: Definitely low. I’d be worried about blade tips at that altitude.
That was my thought. Flyby by Captain Ironballs.
"I vowed to myself to fight against evil more completely and more wholeheartedly than I ever did before. . . . That’s the only way to pay back part of that vast debt, to live up to and try to fulfill that tremendous obligation."
Alfred Hornik, Sunday, December 2, 1945 to his family, on his continuing duty to others for surviving WW II.
Posts: 13092 | Location: Central Florida | Registered: November 02, 2008
Generally on a low pass or low flight like that, nose up trim is given and the flight is managed by pushing manually against the trim. It makes for more stability, less chance of altitude loss, and the aircraft will climb during any distraction of lapse in attention by the pilot.
Minimum altitude during that pass looked to be about 25'. Unless he's got 60' diameter propellers on there, not a chance of a prop strike. (the Osprey has a rotor diameter of 38', and the Britannia isn't close to that). Remember that the gear hands lower than the props, and were the gear down, they wouldn't be in ground contact on that pass.
The aircraft is in ground effect, but contrary to popular belief, there is no cushion of air on which the aircraft can ride. Ground effect a loss of induced drag. Ground effect will not support the aircraft or prevent it from descending. It simply means a reduced thrust requirement for a given speed, or the ability to fly at a lower airspeed, for a given weight.
Ground effect will not keep an aircraft at a uniform height above the ground. Trim, power setting, and a practiced eye and/or radio altimeter does that.
