| Archive for The Motor Forum talking cars since 2006 |
| DradusContact |
Flying CatInspired by this picture:
Ive decided i want to get airborne in a car at least once. Im talking an inch or so. Not as extreme as the picture posted, he damaged his car i believe. This was my first attempt @ 70 mph http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmM0lcmy66A More to follow |
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| Blarno |
Getting airborne is a risky business. You need to hit the jump flat and land straight. I've only done it once, in my Fiesta, and it was a weird experience. Being airborn felt good, but the landing and subsequent wiggle certainly didn't.
A guy who I went to college with yumped a bridge in his Mum's Fiesta. He thought it was so good, he turned round and did it again. Faster. The car squirmed on landing and he rolled it into a field. Another friend, who was unbelted in the back, was thrown through the rear screen along the tarmac. Not fun. |
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| DradusContact |
Ah yes but what a story! | ||
| Boxer6 |
Worse x 100 on a bike, I'm still here to tell you!! (And no, I didn't mean to do it!  )
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| TimR |
I think I've had all my cars airborne at some point although not to the point of the Puma above.
Weirdly it's been best in a 4 door family saloon - Montego was a good one - as the sportier cars can land quite hard. I don't remember having any problems on landing but it's always good to get off the power otherwise you get a big jolt as the-now-travelling-faster driven wheels regain contact with terra firma and remember not to turn the wheel. |
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| SpecB |
Hooligan!  
I have had my old Mk1 Clio in the air but not intentionally over a hidden humpback bridge that had a huge unseen drop on one side. The landing was not pleasant. |
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| Nice Guy Eddie |
I took off over a hump back bridge many years ago in my first car. I think it hit the ground too hard as it knackered the engine.
Looking at the crest of that hill it looks like you're going to have to hit that at well over the ton to have any chance of getting air. |
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| canadian bacon |
did this in a Morris Minor (unintentionally, like I would ever try it on purpose?) somewhere near Inkpen, ended up with a broken semi elliptic, the sparks were a big clue. 
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| DradusContact |
Hmm, not sure i fnacy a tonne 
I took it at 80 in my Ka which weighs as much as a handbag and that nearly did it. |
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| Turbonutter |
Re: Flying Cat
We used to a bit of that many moons ago. The 205 and Manta GTE were OK but my friend's Mum's Strada suffered a cracked sump 
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| DaveGibson |
Back in the seventies, driving my Dolomite, I was asked to run a stage rally route to prove the route book. Martin, my front seat passenger was an experienced navigator and the organiser was sitting in the back, noting any necessary amendments. Going down the last stage, which used tarmac roads in Bardon Hill Quarry, I got up a bit of speed and suddenly found myself airborne over a fairly large bump. Martin and I were belted in but when I looked in the mirror, John, without seat belts in the back, was rubbing his head after he had made fairly hard contact with the roof.
Martin then pointed out that the concrete building, to the left of the landing point, was the quarry's explosives store.
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| Apex clipper |
My thoughts exactly. It's hasn't got a steep enough face to get airbourne at less than well over a ton. In my old stomping grounds there's a humpbacked section where even a modest turn of speed would have you halfway to the moon. I wrecked the undercarriage of an Astra 16v on that one..landing at an angle!
As it seems a built up area Drac...I'd look elsewhere, the cops won't be too impressed if you get caught at over 3 clicks. |
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| Blarno |
The bridge where I got airborne is just around the corner from me. Hit it at 65 and it's guaranteed airtime.
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?cli....001562,0.003449&t=h&z=18 |
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| DradusContact |
Its sharper than it looks, its a stomach turner even at 60. Its not too built up as it leads out of widnes into warrington, it used to be national but shock horror they dropped it to 50.... | ||
| DradusContact |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4G4iTb9UWw&feature=related
lol |
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| "him" |
That Fiesta video is great, not sure how "closed" the road was though... | ||
| GonnaBreakABuggy |
Some hooligan has modified his bumpstops on his Pug to take some airborne abuse without killing the car, due to a few humpback bridges on his favourite roads...
CAUTION, MORE BUGGY PIMPING AHEAD> But there's nothing like being airborne long enough to look across at your mate and start laughing before it hits the floor: 
Wheee 
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| PG |
About 1988 when I had a Rover 216 Vitesse, I used to drive the back road from Cobham to Dorking every day on the way to work and there was a downhill run into Dorking where you could get airborne if you hit a bump too fast. Did it a couple of times by accident. That horrible unexpected feeling as the steering just went light, the road fell away to the right and the trees appeared terribly close and coming closer on the left was not a good way to start the day. Clearly I'll never be a rally fiend. 
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| TimR |
I've just remembered I got my Montego 2.0 airborne over one of the long crests on the A68 north of Corbridge.
That was absolutely terrifying as the road drops away a lot and it felt like the car was off the ground for minutes but it cant've been far in the air as there wasn't really a thump when it landed. Not sure my parents were too impressed though
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| SpecB |
We used to go up that way to horse events in the lorry quite a lot. You would get overtaken by a car and then would see it stopped at the side of the road a few crests later with puking kids in the hedgerow! |
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| Jasper |
I had my MX5 airbourne on that same road, great fun and probably safer than 'a dab of oppo' on a public road. | ||
| Grampa |
Re: Flying Cat
when I was in college, I lived down a country lane with a very sharp hump back bridge only 100yds away and could get it airborne at around 40mph as I remember - kept trying it faster and faster until the landing was so harsh I was amazed that nothing broke. That was enough to make me see sense. Not sure I would post your antics on YouTube though, especially as you can be clearly seen landing on the wrong side of the road - haven't they prosecuted people who've filmed themselves breaking the speed limit? - I fear you're letting yourself open to a prosecution for dangerous driving... (glad I wasn't coming the other way btw) |
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| DradusContact |
Both lanes point the one way, and the speed limit is 70! | ||
| "him" |
Really, over a hump like that?
That won't stay that way for long... |
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| DradusContact |
Its NSL and two lanes, so 70 in my book. Didnt notice if it had changed last time but as far as i know its always been that. | ||
| Blarno |
It's only 70 if there's a dividing barrier and 4 lanes (2 each way). I think.... |
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| GonnaBreakABuggy |
Now, there's a 300 yard bit of road like that right in the middle of my village, but I don't think the fuzz will agree even so... |
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| Grampa |
Irrespective, knowing that you were purposely trying to leave the road, as evidenced by the fact you're videoing it, I'm sure if someone was of a mind to, I'm sure they'd find something pretty harsh to book you for. If I was you (which of course I'm not) I would remove the video! |
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| simonp |
I got my Astra Coupe slightly airborne going over a humpback bridge too fast after being tailgated by a Clio 16V once.
The current car often has throttle surges going over bumps but this is more suspension related i.e it's so stiff it takes off on its own sans bridge! |
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| DaveGibson |
The speed limit is 70mph only on dual carriageways. Single carriageways are limited to 60mph. Specific signs may, of course, identify that the limit is lower. |
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| Matt |
Good grief, if yours was anything like the SE2 suspension, one can only imagine how uncomfortable the landing must have been... |
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| DradusContact |
2 lanes going the same direction im saying. | ||
| franki68 |
I got the porsche 968 airborne a few times,(many years ago)it was sensational ? Scared the shit out of a passenger at the time though |