My Spectra Tucked in and Ate It.
05-02-2005, 06:06 PM
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My Spectra Tucked in and Ate It.
Tuck ate my Spectra over the weekend and I thought I'd share.
It was windy. Too windy, actually. Down at the Bluff by the beach.
I had added 1/6 oz. of lead to the tail to make the plane more fun to fly. It turned on a dime. Then came Saturday.
I flew up in the windy sky. It was fun. I was flying down wind when all of a sudden . . .[X(]
I turned back into the wind and was struck by a gust about 500 feet up. The nose went down and the plane gathered speed. I pulled back but it didn't do any good. Down down down she dove, finally vertical and then beyond.
The rudder still worked. I could keep it from crashing into the parking lot, barely. I guess I should have let it tuck all the way and flown it out inverted.
Shattered fuselage and broken wingtip, new fuse on the way. Thought I'd share.
Mike L.
It was windy. Too windy, actually. Down at the Bluff by the beach.
I had added 1/6 oz. of lead to the tail to make the plane more fun to fly. It turned on a dime. Then came Saturday.
I flew up in the windy sky. It was fun. I was flying down wind when all of a sudden . . .[X(]
I turned back into the wind and was struck by a gust about 500 feet up. The nose went down and the plane gathered speed. I pulled back but it didn't do any good. Down down down she dove, finally vertical and then beyond.
The rudder still worked. I could keep it from crashing into the parking lot, barely. I guess I should have let it tuck all the way and flown it out inverted.
Shattered fuselage and broken wingtip, new fuse on the way. Thought I'd share.
Mike L.
05-02-2005, 07:01 PM
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RE: My Spectra Tucked in and Ate It.
A stiffer supported pushrod..
Yours probably bowed under the load when trying to push the elevator up.
Tuck -is- a symptom of an aft c.g.
And it must be corrected very quickly, or the plane goes down..
Yours probably bowed under the load when trying to push the elevator up.
Tuck -is- a symptom of an aft c.g.
And it must be corrected very quickly, or the plane goes down..
05-03-2005, 03:49 PM
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RE: My Spectra Tucked in and Ate It.
Yeah, I did a search in "Sailplanes." Best quote: A nose-heavy plane flies poorly, a tail-heavy plane flies once.
I think you're right about the pushrod and will take care to ensure that doesn't happen again.
I think you're right about the pushrod and will take care to ensure that doesn't happen again.
05-12-2005, 12:47 PM
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RE: My Spectra Tucked in and Ate It.
When ever possible I mount the elevator rod so that it pulls for up elevator. If not possible I support the rod well, and even consider using a stronger rod (4-40 instead of 2-56).
