This video showing a “KillAThrill” aerobatic aircraft loosing its right wing and coming back to land is spreading virally over the internet. It looks great and impressive, and it shows great skills.

However, the skills demonstrated are not about flying an aerobatic airplane, but more about radio-controlled model, making video editing, and good communication. It is definitely a good fake, but a fake anyway. truthorfiction.com has a good explanation of it.

I also found the following video on www.reggiepaulk.com, which highlight the differences between the model and the real plane.

When I first saw it, my had doubts came in when it flies a slip, few “meters” above ground, literally hanging on to the prop. The power / weight ratio of models allow for that, but I don’t know about any “full size” one that can do that. The way the aicraft bounces after landing is also typical from models.

Now, if you want to see impressive and actual flying videos, have a look at my Video Gallery, and particularly to the Courchevel series. They are not so dramatic as the KillAThrill thing, but they’re not fakes…