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Preflight saved my bacon.

Old 08-18-2004, 07:43 PM
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ifixairplanes
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Default Preflight saved my bacon.

The other day after having 3 or so great flights with my GP extra .40, i decided to go up again. Had my plane on the starting stand, fired it up, checked idle, ok thats good. Checked ailerons, ok those work. Checked rudder, ok great. Check elevator.... um hello, elevator, wake up.... If i had skipped that important control check and just took off i would have lost my plane. Even though 10 minutes before hand I was ripping up the sky, for some reason between landing and starting up, the keeper decided to jump off the rod and the rod was no longer connected to the servo. So remember everyone, just because your plane flew great the flight before, make sure you check all you can before you go up again, you never know!

sean
Old 08-18-2004, 07:52 PM
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Geistware
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Default RE: Preflight saved my bacon.

I do a preflight before each flight. I check all control surfaces at high rate and make sure that my engine is fairly cleared out of excess fuel from starting.
Old 08-18-2004, 08:02 PM
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Dago Red
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Default RE: Preflight saved my bacon.

Its a good idea while the plane is taxing out, to move all the surfaces. On my 1/4 cub, i move all the surfaces on highrates, make sure they are all in good shape.
Old 08-18-2004, 11:35 PM
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CP140
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Default RE: Preflight saved my bacon.

I like to stand behind my plane before every engine start and check the radio for the model selcted, that the controls move and that they move in the right direction! That way, if I've got the wrong airplane selected or one of the controls is not working or heaven forbid, reversed[:@], I'll hopefully catch it before the sound of splintering balsa alerts the "vulture's gallery" that I'm about to do the walk of shame[]
Old 08-19-2004, 12:37 AM
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Checklst
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Default RE: Preflight saved my bacon.

hehehehehehehe I agree with CP140 can't tell you how many times I have heard the crashed pilot say I checked for movement, only to find the control was back wards. Proper Direction is a small detail.

GOOD CATCH on the ground check!!!!!!!!
Old 08-19-2004, 05:29 AM
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Default RE: Preflight saved my bacon.

Proper Direction is a small detail.
Here's one for you. I check dirstion of travel every time after taking off once with reversed ailerons, but here's what happened to me last weekend.

I hadn't had my Cu out for about a year and decided last weekend wit was time.

Took it to the field and got it set up; had to reprogram the transmitter for it, and it took a while to ge the flaperons right. Also noticed that the rudder trim was way off. I had a soldered clevis on the control horn end so I just decided to move the arm on the servo over one spline, which got it close. (NOT the way to do it by the way.)

I flew three flights whcih went very well. But when I taxiied out for the fourth I was having trouble steering it on the ground. The initial take off run resulted in the plane pulling to the left, and not being able to straighten it out, so I figured I better bring it back in. Now I've never seen this happen, but the soldered clevis had slid on the control rod and was loose.

This plane has dozens of flights on it, and I never had a problem with soldered connections before, but....
Dennis-
Old 08-19-2004, 05:40 AM
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ifixairplanes
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Default RE: Preflight saved my bacon.

After that happened another club member told me to consider my plane blessed, I said yeah, now its a free plane, lol. Just consider the cub a free plane, because you could have destroyed it! I am suprised I havent ripped the freakin wing off anyways. Those full throttle outside snaps can be a little violent! lol.
BTW: DBcherry, how far is holden MA from Haverhill?? I would like to come down and visit you some day for a day of flying. You are always welcome to fly as my guest up here also!

sean
Old 08-19-2004, 07:25 AM
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Default RE: Preflight saved my bacon.

Preflight checks of the control surfaces before hitting the throttle should be as routine as wiping before flushing.

However, I did lose a plane last spring to reversed ailerons. I must have had a dislexic moment because I did check them, then I thought they didn't look right so I asked my spotter what he thought, told me they looked fine to him. He's dislexic too. when in doubt, get a third opion.
Old 08-19-2004, 09:19 AM
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Default RE: Preflight saved my bacon.

I was getting ready to maiden one of my planes and I always check the controls, batteries, etc before I leave the house and before I take off. I was checking the control throws before starting it up and I started hearing a clicking. I checked near the engine and saw the push-rod had broken and was only attached by a little piece (how this happened between home and field, I have no idea since the pushrod is mettle). I repaired that at the field and continued. Everything looked right but I noticed that the rudder wasn't traveling as far one way as the other so I thought there might be binding. Without moving the radio controls, I manually tried to move the rudder to make sure there was no flex or binding in the line. The rudder wouldn't move one way (which is good) but I could move it fully the other way. I couldn't figure it out at first, how could it move one way but not the other, I didn't see any travel anywhere where I could see the push rod. I decided to disconnect the pushrod from the control horn an pull on the rod itself, and what do you know, the push rod came right out. It is a nyrod that I put a solid pushrod in the center of. The rod had broken right in the middle. I was unable to repair that so I just packed it up. If I hadn't checked the controls again, I wouldn't have found the problems and would have crashed.
Old 08-19-2004, 12:06 PM
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Default RE: Preflight saved my bacon.

I have lost a plane on maiden from reversed ailerons, felt very silly but that was a 4*40 from a kit. I know a turbine pilot that took off with the same problem and almost got it all the way around only to loose it on final.

My favorite is one of our local pilots who is known for his myriad of excuses for his many crashes. He didn't check for control movement and took off with his ailerons not plugged in. Of course he only flies with his right hand so bringing his latest 33% aerobat around with rudder wasn't going to happen and it was totaled. The excuse dejour was that there were two guys arguing next to him as he set up the plane and that's why he forgot. The actual problem is not checking for control movement prior to takeoff but that would imply that it was his fault and that ain't gonna happen.
Old 08-19-2004, 03:39 PM
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Default RE: Preflight saved my bacon.

I know the type BB. They could be alone at the field when they set up the plane and crashed, but it will have been something the wife or kids did at the house before he left.

Sean,
Not sure how far you are from Holden, but I fly out of Westborough which shouldn't be quite an hour drive. Hop 495 South to 290 West. Watch for the "Church Street" Northboro exit, and take it towards Northboro. (It'll be a left at the end of the ramp.

When you get into Northboro center (maybe 5 or 6 miles) you'll come to a light. Take a left, then an immediate right onto Rte 135. A couple miles down the road you'll pass a large soccer and track type park on the left.

Now it gets a little tricky. About 2 tenths of a mile beyond the park there'll be a dark brown house on the left. IMMEDIATLY sfter the house is an orange gate (also on the left). That's the entrance to our field. It's State Wildlife land.

The gate is normally locked, but if you came down for a Fun Fly it would be open. Otherwise we could arrange a time and I could meet you at the gate. (It's about a 1/2 mile walk in to the field.)

Next Fun Fly will be on September 5th (first Sunday of the month), starting at 10:00 am.
Dennis-
Old 08-20-2004, 12:58 PM
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Default RE: Preflight saved my bacon.

On full scale aircraft a post flight while not mandatory is certainly a good practice. I believe the same applies to models. You still shouldn't neglect a good preflight.
Old 08-23-2004, 09:51 AM
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Default RE: Preflight saved my bacon.

ORIGINAL: ballgunner

On full scale aircraft a post flight while not mandatory is certainly a good practice. I believe the same applies to models. You still shouldn't neglect a good preflight.
Post flight saves finding a grounding sqwak on pre flight.

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