Saboteur?
10-12-2003, 08:08 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
My Feedback: (2)
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Lima, OH,
Posts: 604
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Saboteur?
The guys in the club have been upset with me lately and I believe I may have been sabotaged.
My favorite airplane seemed to have structural failure. The spar broke.
This is a 5/8" pine dowel for a 5lb airplane.
I wouldn't think the forces of a 5lb airplane could do this.
What do you guys think?
My favorite airplane seemed to have structural failure. The spar broke.
This is a 5/8" pine dowel for a 5lb airplane.
I wouldn't think the forces of a 5lb airplane could do this.
What do you guys think?
10-12-2003, 08:22 AM
#2
RE: Saboteur?
What were you doing when this spar broke? It could be a suspicious thing, however I have seen breaks like this caused by over stressing a plane in flight. How old is the plane and how many flights are on it? Could it have been damaged in the hangor and not noticed? If one of your club members did do this prior to a flight, I would think that it would have been noticed prior to flight. Good Luck, Dave
10-12-2003, 09:55 AM
#5
Senior Member
Thread Starter
My Feedback: (2)
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Lima, OH,
Posts: 604
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Saboteur?
I was in a hover and engine leaned.
It fell on its nose causing the aluminum wing bolts to bend in a "u" shape. The part in the dowel bent. Removal resulted in trashing the dowel.
It fell on its nose causing the aluminum wing bolts to bend in a "u" shape. The part in the dowel bent. Removal resulted in trashing the dowel.
10-12-2003, 10:43 AM
#8
My Feedback: (2)
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Hawthorne, CA
Posts: 5,839
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Saboteur?
So are you saying someone snuck into your workshop and somehow weakend the dowel so you couldn't tell after it broke? Maybe a more reasonable explanation is that you put it in with the grain in the wrong position and when you did a manuver that will rip the wings off many planes it came apart.
I find it hard to believe that just because you are paranoid and accusing people of doing something to your plane that they would think your an A-hole.
I find it hard to believe that just because you are paranoid and accusing people of doing something to your plane that they would think your an A-hole.
.
10-12-2003, 12:05 PM
#10
Senior Member
Thread Starter
My Feedback: (2)
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Lima, OH,
Posts: 604
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Saboteur?
BasinBum,
I think you are correct.
Grain orientation was not taken into account.
Thank you!
I knew I'd find the answer here.
Maybe they didn't sabotage it.
Oh well.....
I think you are correct.
Grain orientation was not taken into account.
Thank you!
I knew I'd find the answer here.
Maybe they didn't sabotage it.
Oh well.....
10-12-2003, 12:53 PM
#11
Senior Member
My Feedback: (1)
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Payson,
AZ
Posts: 2,141
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Saboteur?
Check your own background. Do they really think you are an A--hole or are you just paranoid. ( so much for amateur psychiatry ) Look back and try to find what you did to irritate someone enough to even consider sabotage.
10-12-2003, 01:08 PM
#12
Senior Member
My Feedback: (16)
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Locust Grove,
GA
Posts: 12,942
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Saboteur?
From the picture, the grain looks in the right direction but I still would expect pine to break if you didn't saturate it with C/A. I would have coated it with C/A then sanded it smooth.
ORIGINAL: Zpat
The guys in the club have been upset with me lately and I believe I may have been sabotaged.
My favorite airplane seemed to have structural failure. The spar broke.
This is a 5/8" pine dowel for a 5lb airplane.
I wouldn't think the forces of a 5lb airplane could do this.
What do you guys think?
The guys in the club have been upset with me lately and I believe I may have been sabotaged.
My favorite airplane seemed to have structural failure. The spar broke.
This is a 5/8" pine dowel for a 5lb airplane.
I wouldn't think the forces of a 5lb airplane could do this.
What do you guys think?
10-15-2003, 01:37 AM
#22
Senior Member
My Feedback: (50)
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 1,118
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Saboteur?
I have the same problem sometimes. Some people think I am an a** hole too. The thing is, I probably am... to the ones that think that.HEh heh!
10-16-2003, 11:50 AM
#23
My Feedback: (7)
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Marietta,
GA
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Saboteur?
This thread is by far the funniest exchange I have ever seen at RCUNIVERSE. I did not work my way completely through all posts, but why do your friends (?) think you are a jerk? BTW, the photo would indicate that the grain would provide more protection in a fore-aft stress situation than it would in an up-down stress condition.
10-16-2003, 01:11 PM
#24
Senior Member
My Feedback: (3)
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Rogers ,
TX,
Posts: 316
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Saboteur?
did you check the expiration date on the dowelstock used? might have been leftover from the lasst millenium. not guaranteed strong after 2000! while you are fixin it check the ailerons too and the elevatoer make sure that they aren't outdated too!! maybe it was just the expiration date on the whole plane that came due! sometimes it just happens
10-16-2003, 01:28 PM
#25
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Kissimmee, FL
Posts: 211
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Saboteur?
Have you used your cell phone near this dowel? It could be the radiation from the cell phone that weakened it. Did you fly near any crop circles? I hear they do some pretty weird stuff. Have you noticed any mysterious men in black hanging around your planes? I'd call the guys up over at area 51 to check on them as well. have you eaten anything with MSG in it lately?...