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Another "smoke in the cockpit" crash (non-RV10)

 
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Tim Olson



Joined: 25 Jan 2007
Posts: 2879

PostPosted: Thu May 12, 2011 5:52 pm    Post subject: Another "smoke in the cockpit" crash (non-RV10) Reply with quote

Just saw this today:

http://www.eaa.org/news/2011/2011-05-12_warren_ridings.asp

No details other than the article itself.

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Text version
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EAA Mourns the Loss of Bud Warren and Phyllis Ridings
Father and daughter alternative engine builders
May 12, 2011 —On Saturday, May 7, Bud Warren and his daughter Phyllis
Ridings, both of Geared Drives, were killed as a result of an airplane
crash after departing their home airport, Lone Star Executive in Conroe
Texas. They were en route to the Central Texas Airshow in Temple when
they noticed smoke in the cockpit of the homebuilt Ravin 500 powered by
a Geared Drives firewall forward installation. After declaring an
emergency, the plane crashed and burst into flames in a wooded area just
north of the field.

The fiery crash happened about 9 a.m. a half-mile north of the field
from which Bud and Phyllis had just departed on a planned 125-mile
flight to Temple. Conroe is about 40 miles north of Houston. Bud
(Elzie), 70, was acting as PIC when he reported smoke in the cockpit and
declared an emergency. Phyllis, 52, was not a pilot. The plane was owned
Loyd Woodward and had hundreds of succeful hours logged, including the
trip Bud made from Conroe to AirVenture last year.

The accident occurred as the plane was heading back to the field,
crashing in a heavily wooded area. To reach the wreckage local
firefighters and the Texas Forestry Service had to bulldoze a path. A
friend of the family, John McFarling, said: “He put it down the best
place he could. A good pilot like Bud kept it out of somebody's house.
He did exactly what he was supposed to.”

Phyllis, survived by two sons Craig Rushing and Brian Rushing, was a
successful real estate agent before electing to become Bud’s personal
assistant and work for Geared Drives full time.

Bud Warren built his first motor at age 13 and since then had amassed
an enviable record in the automobile racing community. His passion for
speed was expressed by building and racing funny cars, boats, and most
anything with wheels. His successful Warren Machine Shop business
supported these fun activities that grew with time. Airplanes appeared
as a means of keeping his hands on the business while increasing his
racing presence on the West Coast.

But there is much more to Bud’s legacy: He was a safety inspector for
SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association); performed machine work on
the NASA Gemini program; was a Commemorative Air Force aircraft restorer
and pilot; and a licensed A&P mechanic.

Bud began flight lessons in 1980 and has owned three Mooneys. But around
1990, concerns over potential engine failures brought him to consider an
automotive conversion. His Chevy-powered Wheeler Express features his
unique design of a gear-driven prop speed reduction unit (PSRU), which
he refers to as a “transmission.”

Bud’s PSRU is certainly not the first to use spur gears, but the
uniqueness it brings is the automobile-style clutch with its centrifugal
pressure plate engagement, keeping torsional vibration under control.
The icing on the cake is the ability to install any number of certified
constant-speed props.

Bud’s prototype PSRU, as installed in his Wheeler Express, was flown in
the Homebuilders Parade at AirVenture 2006. Bud flew the aircraft in the
No. 2 position of 17 homebuilts. This was the beginning of a five-year
run of attending the major fly-in events around the country, ending with
the 2011 Sun ’n Fun Fly-in where Bud presented three educational forums,
something he was always happy to do at any event he attended.

Here’s a list of aircraft that Bud created firewall-forward
installations for:

* RV-10
* Bearhawk
* Glasair III
* Legendary P-51
* Ravin 500
* Team Tango Foxtrot
* Tango Two
* Velocity

Four years ago, Bud and Phyllis narrowly escaped the fiery wreckage of
the Wheeler Express factory demonstrator that suffered an in-flight
engine fire when a fuel line failed under the cowl. Bud was able to get
the plane down safely and the occupants walked away as the plane was
consumed.

From the looks of the wreckage, it will be very difficult to find the
origin of the smoke that caused Bud to declare an emergency and turn
back to the airport.

The May issue of EAA Experimenter will be dedicated to Bud and Phyllis,
including several past articles about Bud and Phyllis’ successes with
Geared Drives.

--
Tim
do not archive


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hotwheels



Joined: 01 Jun 2007
Posts: 240

PostPosted: Fri May 13, 2011 9:51 am    Post subject: Re: Another Reply with quote

After hearing about several sad accidents and near misses lately, maybe it's time to stop and recheck all fuel system fittings. I was looking for an excuse to distract me from windscreen finish work anyhow!

Jay


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woxofswa



Joined: 12 Aug 2008
Posts: 349
Location: AZ

PostPosted: Fri May 13, 2011 11:28 pm    Post subject: Re: Another Reply with quote

I spoke with Bud a few times about his product. I didn't choose his route, but I admired his spunk and tenacity which is a big part of what drives our avocation.
I feel for his loved ones. I also feel for the builders who had deposits or partial installs on his packages.
This is a sad day for experimental aviation.


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Myron Nelson
Mesa, AZ
Flew May 10 2014
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