Hi fellow slow flyers, had to post this story.
I have a Stick FD with over 60 flights on it and it is truly an amazing plane, not as much for it's flying ability but the fact that it will not die....it's immortal!
I flew into a tree one afternoon and was unable to climb the tree and it was too high up to knock it out with anything long enough to reach it, the solution....tennis balls, 3 people and a strong arm.
I started throwing sticks but decided it would damage the plane and opted for the tennis balls, we took turns throwing and shagging the balls, I threw out my shoulder after 20 mins and a solid hit to the wing shattered it and did not knock the plane out. 2 hours passed and a few people stopped by to have a go, several more hits and it was coming out of the tree....in pieces. At this point I was more interested in getting the guts of my plane back so I could build another one. Everybody's arm was giving up when a young guy walked up and told me he pitched in high school and would like a try...3 more hits and the wing was toast, but he had a heck of an arm and was accurate....BLAM direct hit right on the nose and my plane came fluttering out of the tree. I gathered up all the pieces I could find and took it home. As I sat there heart broken, drinking a cold one I funny idea came to me....science hour! The wing was broken in 6 pieces and some small pieces missing, the rudder was broke off and the nose where the cowling attaches was broken, the entire elevator was folded up. I taped the wing back together with packing tape and epoxied the rudder and nose back on. I reinforced the elevator with strands of carbon fiber and epoxy, the elevator was badly bent but the carbon strands straightened it out and stiffened it up. It looked like Frankenstein!
I have no idea how much weight I added but it flew perfectly maybe better than before the mishap. I added guy wires from mid wing to the landing gear to further stiffen the wing, loops like a champ! here is a photo of the disaster...
This was 25 flights ago...but wait...todays accident.
I was at another park that has a big double sized basketball court doing touch and goes when this little kid came screaming in on his bicycle and went right over the top of my plane just as I was landing, his dog which I had been harassing with some dive bombing, grabbed the plane, I screamed at the dog so loud it scared him, me, and the kid on the bike. the dog dropped my plane and the kid started to cry....I wanted to too. The parents who were front and center for the whole thing asked me why I was flying my plane on a basketball court....my reply: why is your kid riding his bike on the basketball court and why isn't your dog on a leash, it's the law....I was livid! So...once again I gathered up what pieces I could find and came home. This time I was pretty sure she was done. Broken wing, elevator ripped off, wheels bent (not broke, surprised)....more cold ones to sooth me from the parents comments and a quick look on-line to see what a new FD was going to cost me. After several more cold ones......science hour!
More packing tape, epoxied the elevator back on, replaced one of the guy wire wing supports. Now it really looked like Frankenstein, several more pieces of the wing missing, just bridged the holes with tape. Now keep in mind I'm running a stock plane with a 300 NiMH battery pack...and about 14lbs of packing tape and epoxy...there was no way this thing would ever fly......I was wrong. Other than needing full down trim it flew straight as an arrow right out of my hand....truly amazing. Dead stick landings are pretty fast and it takes 3/4 throttle to keep it in the air but I am impressed beyond belief. This is truly the most indestructible plane I have ever seen...and mine is the ugliest plane you will ever see.
I Very VERY highly recommend this plane to anyone as a fun and forgiving trainer and as long as you keep a good supply of epoxy and packing tape on hand it will last for at least 100 flights. or until it gets to heavy to fly, at which time I will proudly hang it on the wall.
