I remember seeing a newspaper picture of both of the X-2s side by side, prior to being painted. If I recall, the first X-2 was test-fired in the weeks to days prior to September 8. The parachute release mechanism was under some automatic control (radar altimeter?) but it failed to deploy on the test shot. I don't recall where it landed; maybe in the river, too.
I seem to remember that Bob Truax then decided in the last few days to change to a spring-loaded lever mechanism in the cockpit. Evel was to hold down the lever during launch, then release it during flight and the spring would deploy the parachute. If Evel lost consciousness and let go, the idea was that the spring would still deploy the chute anyway. But under the calculated takeoff G force Evel was expected to blackout, and the speculation was that this is what caused the chute to deploy prematurely.
I don't recall ever seeing footage of the X-2 test shot, either. Maybe someone else here knows what happened to the X-2 test shot? Maybe Bill Rundle, Spanky Spangler, or Gene Sullivan know? Scott Truax?
Are both X-2s still in existence?
--Previous Message--
: I know that Evel shot the X-1 Skycycle up the
: dirt ramp...went right into the canyon.But I
: was wondering about the other X-2 The one he
: didnt use on Sept 8 1974. Does anyone know
: if he actually shot this one up the rail
: ramp that was on top of the dirt ramp...or
: did he fire both X-1 and the X-2 off of just
: the dirt ramp.Because I have never seen any
: test footage of the X-2 being fired off the
: rail ramp. But it does seem to me I saw
: footage of two test shots of X-1...both
: going into the canyon.But I have also seen
: pictures of the Other X-2 Where the Harley
: Davidson numbers are painted on the side
: wings and it too looked like it had been
: wrecked.I hope I have made my self clear on
: all this...can anybody help me with some
: info?
:
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