3rdegreeburnout

Anyone interested enough in reading this post knows the feeling you get when it's time for the maiden flight of your latest RC project. The hours you spent making sure everything is true and checked off. The night before going over everything once more and yes especially the weather.

aussiesteve

Congratulations on the successful maiden. It sure is a great feeling to brign it back to the pits after a succesful one.

Well - the jitters never really go away. Even those talented pilots you see are "cautious" when maidening planes and you may well find they are the most encouraging about your new plane. Even after having been involved in RC'ing for just over 40 years I still hate doing the maidens on my own planes and in fact usually get a good buddy of mine to do them for me (He is a very good pilot and he sets his planes and TX's up very similarly to how I do - plus he flies similar planes to what I fly). That way, I can observe the flight and help with switches etc if need be (that is my excuse and I am sticking to it).

1320Fastback

Doesn't the Full Scale term mean real people movers?

Goldenduff

?

aussiesteve

Yes - but most of the more recent threads have been on "Scale" models.

3rdegreeburnout

Maybe I started this thread in  full scale Forum. oops. apologies if i did. Thanks for the encouraging words Aussie.

3rdegreeburnout

After further investigation, i did start my UNRELATED blog here. Sorry to offend any of you " Full Scale" Hot Doggers out there. Peace be with you sir.
3DB

AugerDawger

i just smoked my first and only plane into the dirt, on its and my first flight....in front of the senior cadre of the club.

Those things really break up when they hit the ground.

Goldenduff

Hard luck. What plane was it? Airframes are relatively cheap if you can salvage the motor etc....

AugerDawger

Great Planes PT-60 kit that I probablyinvested way to much time and detail in for my first ever attempt at flying !!!!

Never even took a pic as I ran to the field to show my instructor before the covering was even cool.

Goldenduff

Fair enough, so a trainer plane.   Was this your first solo flight? Had you had many/any lessons?!

A new plane can be got for £40- are the engine, servos and reciever okay? good luck

aussiesteve

As I also congratulate people on a Maiden flight - I also congratulate people on their first crash.

Congratulations on your first crash - we all have them some time and like some other "firsts" we experience in life, you will never forget it. Now that you have got that over with, it is all forward from here.

Did the Senior cadre applaud or offer support as well? (If they only applauded, I would suggest another club). We all have a bit of fun ribbing each other after a crash, it is part of the cameraderie of this hobby.

Now pick yourself up, dust yoursefl off and start all over again. Get another kit and go build it. As Goldenduff said, the majority of the components should be reusable.

chymas

My Feedback: (1)

Being an instructor I end up doing several maidens.  I end up doing maidens of many other airplanes as well, I am cautious, always check all the controls CG engine running correctly.  The funny thing is maidens on other peoples planes don't bother me nearly as much as one on my own plane that I spent months putting together.  To this date I have never crashed a maiden.

flycatch

My Feedback: (26)

If you started by saying this was your first flight flying a model plane then I would congratulate you however it appears not to be the case. I maiden three airframes this year and no two flew alike. This is too be expected and only your piloting skills makes' a difference. Too many low time pilots jump the gun and attempt to fly something that does match their skill level.

countilaw

I have flown many maiden flights and I have flown many maiden flights with someone elses planes.

When I am flying my own or someone elses plane on its first flight, I will taxi it around a little, then do a high speed taxi and let it lift off a couple of feet and then land. Just to get an idea of what it's going to do on lift off. I can usually tell if it's going to need much trim during that brief hop and be prepared for it on the first flight.

Then I will return back down the runway, line up and take off. After a few minutes of flight and trimming, I will land it and do an inspection of inside and outside of the plane just to make sure everything is still tight and secure. You never know what will vibrate lose during those first few minutes of flight. If all is good, it's time for another flight and enjoy it because I don't have to worry about mechanical failure.


It's truely is amazing how many guys, with no flight experience or training at all, will show up at the field for the first time and have a TF P-51, Corsair, or Spit Fire for their first plane. They don't want to spend the time with a trainer, but will want to go right to the top.

This one guy showed up and put his plane to gether and then asked me if I would get it up for him. I told him sure, but first take it apart so I can inspect it. He didn't like that idea at all, but he took it apart. The receiver and battery was just laying loose in the fuselage. The servos was glued to the sides of the fuselage and the linkage was a single piece of 1/16 piano wire to the elevator and another 1/16 wire to the rudder. I informed the poor guy of what had to be fixed before he should attempt the maiden flight.

He convinced another guy to test fly it for him. The result......... the plane was rekitted, trash can full, owner never seen again.




Was I glad I stuck to my routine of inspecting each plane before the maiden flight.

thailazer

Glad to hear your maiden was a good one! They are indeed exciting.

Always good to have someone else give your new plane a 'once-over'. Years ago one of the better fliers at a field in Iowa showed up with a beautiful 60 size pattern plane. This guy was pretty full of himself so obviously did not need any help, even though one guy offered. At any rate, he strained the plane through a nearby tree as his ailerons were reversed. Only the fuse came out the other end with the engine still pulling away. Pretty awesome to watch, but a quick check by anyone would have found the problem.

init4fun

[8D] I find it most helpful to fly a couple of flights with an old favorite first , and then fly the new plane after . I don't know how it helps , but it does . I have only lost one on a maiden , a parkflyer sized electric super chipmunk that the motor mount failed on , and the unattached motor (still connected by it's wires) flailed around and destroyed the front of the fuselage .

florida_floyd

AugerDawger....

You mention your instructor. I remember many years ago, perhaps 20, I had an instructor who taught me to fly without the advantage of a trainer radio (since my radio did not have that capability). He never let me crash... and a year or so later, I became an instructor for my club myself. I never let any of my students crash, and all but one had "trainer" type radios.

Your instructor must have been distracted or somehow not paying attention. Novice training should be done at a "recoverable" altitude, and the instructor alert and responsive. A novice pilot gives sufficient warning when in trouble, and should not be allowed to take off or (especially) land until thoroghly familiar with the basics of controlled flight. Was it perhaps not sticking with these basic rules that had caused the demise of your aircraft?