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Dumber Than Dumb

Old 04-01-2011, 01:59 PM
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mtntopgeo
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Default Dumber Than Dumb

Got to the field for the first flight of the year. After 'bout 4 flights with a .074 Cub powered EPP mustang, felt that I got enough rust outta the thumbs to take a Norvel powered Mini-Flash up on it's maiden. For those not familiar with the Mini-Flash, it's a Mountain Models item. thick symetrical wing, with 305 sq. in. of wing area. With the Norvel .074, 5 servos, & metal wedge tank, mine came in at 16 & 1/4 OZs. .......... With the Norvel spinning the 6x4 at 19.4(+) K, the plane was "on the wing" 'bout 10 feet out. All went well for the first 2 or 3 seconds, then all hell broke loose.!!! Look at the pic; can you see what happened? Look again, do you notice that there is no shredded balsa stuck to any of the hinges of the ailerons or rudder. ???? ...............Last winter, with two or three projects on the kitchen table, Big Dummy, here, probably got to a point where he needed something (CA GLUE,?) & just stuck everything together to keep all the pieces in one place. On to a couple of other projects, & a month later, gets back to the Mini-Flash. Totally forgot that the control surfaces were just shoved in place. Glad that I got to the field early, on a week day (my usual procedure for a maiden) . No one else there. Plane crashed very close to the flight line. The next maiden is definetely gonna get a more thorough pre-flight.!!!! ...................... George K.
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Old 04-01-2011, 02:21 PM
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MJD
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Default RE: Dumber Than Dumb

Are you saying we're supposed to glue those in?

OOPS..
Old 04-01-2011, 04:40 PM
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Default RE: Dumber Than Dumb

mtntopgeo
Don't beat yourself up.
This is how we learn.
All this aside, it makes for a good story.
Thanks for sharing.
Bob
Old 04-01-2011, 04:50 PM
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Default RE: Dumber Than Dumb

George

At least you got to the field. It's been several years, but I was getting ready to go to the field, carrying too much stuff for one trip to the truck. Storm door slammed shut on the wing - I just picked up the parts and went back inside. Conversation with myself was R rated!!! It happens to us all.

andrew
Old 04-01-2011, 04:58 PM
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Default RE: Dumber Than Dumb

We have all done similar stunts a couple of years ago before hitting the field (about 30 miles from home)

checked everything before leaving ran the plane, checked the controls, checked the flight box for any needed goodies in case of a minor mishap, charged battery in plane and transmitter checked both with a VTOM, spare battery for plane, props, etc, etc got there LEFT THE TRANSMITTER HOME Martin
Old 04-01-2011, 05:46 PM
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Default RE: Dumber Than Dumb

George, in all the years I've been flying RC, I've left the transmitter on the roof of the car at least twice and driven off. How's THAT for stupidity?

Like Einstein said, the difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has it's limits.

I'll bet the unglued CA hinge deal has happened a million times across the world, so you might qualify for a class action lawsuit...? [8D] .
Old 04-01-2011, 06:27 PM
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Default RE: Dumber Than Dumb

It happens.. Thanks for being "man enough" to share.

Over the years I've done a few smart ones like:

- Taking off with too little charge on the rec battery
- Crossing the aileron servos
- My favorite: dropping my 1st heli transmitter on the concrete sidewalk @ home walking to the car. I missed the soft grass by about 2 inches.. (Broke the circuit board inside, range is a little off..)

Reading this is another friendly reminder to think 1st, act 2nd, and be thorough on pre-flights [:@]

-Francois
Old 04-01-2011, 06:27 PM
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flyinrog
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I bought this cool aluminum radio/tool box, cut the foam out to put my tx in it,,first time I used it. I brought the wrong radio to the field in it...it was also the last time I used it...gave it to a friend, he did the exact same thing and gave it back to me....its in the corner in the basement....Rog
Old 04-01-2011, 07:46 PM
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Default RE: Dumber Than Dumb


ORIGINAL: mtntopgeo

Got to the field for the first flight of the year. After 'bout 4 flights with a .074 Cub powered EPP mustang, felt that I got enough rust outta the thumbs to take a Norvel powered Mini-Flash up on it's maiden. For those not familiar with the Mini-Flash, it's a Mountain Models item. thick symetrical wing, with 305 sq. in. of wing area. With the Norvel .074, 5 servos, & metal wedge tank, mine came in at 16 & 1/4 OZs. .......... With the Norvel spinning the 6x4 at 19.4(+) K, the plane was "on the wing" 'bout 10 feet out. All went well for the first 2 or 3 seconds, then all hell broke loose.!!! Look at the pic; can you see what happened? Look again, do you notice that there is no shredded balsa stuck to any of the hinges of the ailerons or rudder. ???? ...............Last winter, with two or three projects on the kitchen table, Big Dummy, here, probably got to a point where he needed something (CA GLUE,?) & just stuck everything together to keep all the pieces in one place. On to a couple of other projects, & a month later, gets back to the Mini-Flash. Totally forgot that the control surfaces were just shoved in place. Glad that I got to the field early, on a week day (my usual procedure for a maiden) . No one else there. Plane crashed very close to the flight line. The next maiden is definetely gonna get a more thorough pre-flight.!!!! ...................... George K.
Oh man, I feel your pain..

A few months ago I brought my favourite 450 Heli in from a flying session.. it was running like a DREAM..smooth as silk..

I decided to lubricate the bearings and subsequently poured CA glue all through the tail bearings..

It wasn't until they locked UPsolid that I realised I had the wrong bottle in my hand... (the glue and the oil are in very similiar sized and shaped containers.)

I had to rebuild the entire tail..
Old 04-01-2011, 10:40 PM
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Default RE: Dumber Than Dumb

Hey, if we were honest, we could all write a book about our own stupid mishaps.
One of the funniest happened at our field when a stranger showed up with a new plane and asked for help in flying. It was a 40 trainer and he had done a nice building job. I checked it over and after centering the servos, setting the throws, ran the engine, set the needle, etc, deemed it ready to go. Well it flew great with only a few clicks of trim until it started to get squirrelly and we noticed something was flapping in the breeze. Got it down and then found out that he had covered it with Monocote but didn’t know that you had to remove the backing first. So help me you couldn’t tell ahead of time, it looked like a fairly decent beginners covering job.
Al
Old 04-02-2011, 05:38 AM
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Thanks guys, I'm feeling a bit better now. But, I gotta tell you, even when I''ve dumb-thumbed one into total destruction, I didn't feel near as bad as I did when I saw those hinges after this incident. ................... George K.
Old 04-02-2011, 05:50 AM
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Default RE: Dumber Than Dumb


ORIGINAL: R/C Phile

It happens.. Thanks for being ''man enough'' to share.

Reading this is another friendly reminder to think 1st, act 2nd, and be thorough on pre-flights [:@]

-Francois
I never make mistakes and always perform a careful preflight.

Oh wait, that's not exactly true.. in fact, it is a bald faced lie. But generally I do a quick preflight to make sure all the connections are still there and all the wigglers are wiggling the right way.

In fact earlier this week I landed my Simple 400 which I fly behind the house at the community center. Picked it up, started walking back to the "pit" - i.e. the place on the ground I set my hatch tape and spare battery - and on the way hit the throttle and noticed I had lots of rpm left. Not wanting to waste the opportunity to make a couple more approaches and landings (it's a tight spot, great practice) I tossed it up again at part throttle and climbed out south to set up for another glide. Hmm, it must be windier than I thought, it's bouncing around badly. But it came around more or less as I had told it to, hiccuping on the way, but I straightened it out and glided in and all was well on the final and landing. Then I picked it up and looked it over as I walked back, puzzling over the behaviour, then looked at the Tx wondering about battery, and that's when I realized I had collapsed the antenna last time I picked it up thinking the flight was over.

Stupid stupid stupid.

That was my "I'll let you away with it this time" reminder to wise up for the season. Now to see if it worked.

Old 04-02-2011, 07:43 AM
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Default RE: Dumber Than Dumb

Let's see. In the last year, I've hand-launched a 1/2A plane with the receiver off. DOH! I've hand-launched a 1/2A plane with the radio set to the wrong model(elevator reversed). DOH! I've performed a maiden flight on a nice scratchbuilt model and failed to notice that the aileron torque rod clevises weren't secured and yes, one of them came loose in flight causing one to flutter slightly while I landed with one operable aileron. DOH! I flat-spun a plane all the way to the ground, trying like crazy to recover from the spin only to later realize I was giving the "wrong" rudder input and holding it in the spin. DOH!

And worst of all, I left a transmitter case with 2 transmitters at the club flying field. Thankfully, the other members are honest and held it for me(even topped off the batteries!).

I is dum but I sho have fun!
Old 04-02-2011, 10:02 AM
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ORIGINAL: MJD


............ then looked at the Tx wondering about battery, and that's when I realized I had collapsed the antenna last time I picked it up thinking the flight was over.

They will fly that way (most of the time [:@])
Old 04-02-2011, 10:52 AM
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Default RE: Dumber Than Dumb

My first balsa trainer, I thought I did a great job.  A friend who's been flying over 50 years checked it over for me, grabbed a control surface and pulled it right out.  I *had* used thin CA for the hinges but I used some type of flexible CA that let loose when he tugged.  I've also taken off with ailerons reversed even after checking them.... folks are slowly learning not to be yacking in my ear when I'm getting ready to go.  [8D]

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