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Snapped the CAP in Coffin Corner

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Snapped the CAP in Coffin Corner

Old 12-31-2007, 03:56 AM
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glydrjocky
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Default Snapped the CAP in Coffin Corner

I'm posting this for my own therapy. I was practicing knife edge passes with my Great Planes CAP232 and decided to try a ''belly in" pass. Somewhere about airshow center it snapped rolled on me, came around and pointed nose down and as I pulled to recover in high rate it pancaked into the ground in a full accelerated stall.

In retrospect it was purely my own fault. I had done a few previous knife edge passes with full top rudder and the CAP climbed out as it went by. I reduced power slightly on subsequent passes instead of just easing up on the rudder a bit. I set myself up in "Coffin Corner" of the flight envelope and of course.......she bit me!

Whamo!!!

The impact sheared the gear off and as the wheels rotated under they struck the ribs on either side (yup, the wheels line up perfectly with them) and shoved the wing through the fuselage. Busted my wing center section plywood dihedral braces dead center but amazingly left the upper and lower spars intact. The fuselage sides sheared cleanly in 4 places leaving the front and aft sections vertually unharmed. The impact to the OS FX46 slimline muffler down tubes pulled the fire wall apart and neatly busted the tubes out of the muffler header. The ABS cowl survived with only surface scratches.

Now that I have had a chance to examine the 4 equal peaces of my once pristine CAP, I have come to the conclusion that "we can rebuild her".

Since I always disliked the tiny strip ailerons that came with the kit I plan to shorten the trailing edge when I replace the damaged rear spar, making room for wider tapered ailerons. The light ply fuselage sides showed an extremely weak area around the cockpit which will need some serious reinforcing.

Not sure how long this process will take as I have a 4 star fourty that I need to finish up first but I'll work on the CAP as I go.


Crashing...........does indeed..................Suck!

T
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Old 12-31-2007, 08:43 AM
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Default RE: Snapped the CAP in Coffin Corner

bummer i hate to see here in that shape in the ER room.....
Old 12-31-2007, 10:41 AM
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Default RE: Snapped the CAP in Coffin Corner

Scalpel!...............Gauze!.............Suction! ............30wt ball bearings?.............or is it anti freeze.

Wonder if this is how Dr. Frankenstien felt during his rebuild?

T





Old 01-01-2008, 03:38 PM
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Default RE: Snapped the CAP in Coffin Corner

A little CA, A little epoxy, good as new!!
Old 03-31-2008, 02:46 PM
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wot4dave
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Default RE: Snapped the CAP in Coffin Corner

[size=3]Keep an eye on the weight as you re-build[/size]
Old 03-31-2008, 04:39 PM
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kid chuckles
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Default RE: Snapped the CAP in Coffin Corner

Yes watch weight for sure. I always keep a box of dounuts in work shop hid out behind shoot #1. I end up weighing more when i have a tedious project, that keeps me in there for awhile.
Old 04-01-2008, 03:10 PM
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Steve Steinbring
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Default RE: Snapped the CAP in Coffin Corner

Know the feeling!

Put a 60 sized Sukhoi in the dirt on takeoff Sunday afternoon. It was getting real windy, with what was to be the proverbial "Last Flight" of the day.[&o] The airplane came off the ground quickly rolled about 90 degrees of bank to the left to my surprise. I corrected a wee bit too much and too quickly! Almost completely rolled the airplane to the right but didn't quite have enough altitude to fly it through. Found out I had forgotten to put the ailerons on low rate so I simply over controlled the airplane. The wind or no wind I normally should have been able to handle that situation, but I set myself up for crash.

Anyway its now stripped down, starting to put the fuselage back together, the wing suffered almost no damage. Should have it flying pretty soon!

Good luck with your rebuild, with your mods it should fly even better
Old 04-11-2008, 08:43 PM
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Default RE: Snapped the CAP in Coffin Corner

You must have been REALLY high and FAST to get into the "coffin corner" with a RC airplane!
Old 04-11-2008, 10:41 PM
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Default RE: Snapped the CAP in Coffin Corner

That's what I was thinking
Old 04-25-2008, 10:55 PM
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Default RE: Snapped the CAP in Coffin Corner

Yeah, I know it wasnt the real "Coffin Corner" ala the SR-71 but it sure felt like it right about the time it hit the ground. I've glued the fuselage together, rebuilt one elevator half and replaced the dihedral braces in the wing. It is actually going to shape put pretty quickly from here on out! I'll get some pics up soon.

Thanks for the support and advice everyone.

Tony
Old 04-25-2008, 11:26 PM
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Default RE: Snapped the CAP in Coffin Corner

A few photos of some recent progress...........
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Old 04-26-2008, 08:38 AM
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Default RE: Snapped the CAP in Coffin Corner

thinking of replacing the narrow strip ailerons with the sample in the photo. I got a pattern for the exploded/missing ribs by downloading the Great Planes CAP 232 build manual that has all the digrams of each diecut part sheet. Blew them up on the printer till the size was correct and transferred that to balsa. Hopefully the diecut drawings were accurate.
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Old 04-28-2008, 07:44 PM
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Steve Steinbring
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Default RE: Snapped the CAP in Coffin Corner

Looking good Tony!

I've got my Sukhoi back in the air, the damage wasn't too much different than yours. A couple rolls of Monokote, some crap balsa and plywood, a little time, and its a flyer again.[)]
Old 05-05-2008, 09:30 PM
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Default RE: Snapped the CAP in Coffin Corner

Glad to hear youve got the Yak in the air again! I really miss flying this CAP, it was quite snap happy when I threw the sticks around, of course that is how I ended up here. Tried to find the 5/16 square stock that I will need for the trailing edge but all my local hobby shops are fresh out. One place had a few well picked sticks that were bowed, twisted and warped. Not the quality that I want to build a wing with. I'll keep looking, have a few more options open to me.

T
Old 05-06-2008, 02:11 PM
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Steve Steinbring
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Default RE: Snapped the CAP in Coffin Corner

You might try one of the craft stores like Micheals they usually have balsa it maybe be another source for you. Tower has balsa stock available. Another idea would be to cut down 5/16" X 1" aileron stock to size not that difficult to do.
Old 05-16-2008, 08:09 PM
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Default RE: Snapped the CAP in Coffin Corner

HEY, now that's a fantastic idea about cutting down the aileron stock as it would save alot of sanding to get the rear spar shaped for the 1"x 3/32 sheeting. Balsa USA lists 5/16 square sticks but havent seen them on Tower during a brief search. I have one piece that I bought from hobby town awhile back and when I went again they were out but assured me that they had "ordered" some. Have to give them a call again.

T
Old 10-30-2008, 12:53 PM
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Default RE: Snapped the CAP in Coffin Corner

Okay, finally made some visual progress on the Cap Rebuild. Its been in the corner staring at me for about 5 months now. I built a new fire wall out of some nice 1/4 inch plywood. Its way stronger than that light ply laminated 1/8 glued to 1/8 that comes stock. I also replaced the rear spar last night, shortening the ribs enough to allow for my much larger aileron stock.

Here's a few pics...............
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Old 11-03-2008, 09:43 PM
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Default RE: Snapped the CAP in Coffin Corner

Glydr,
I used the stock setup on my cap except i just bought larger aileron stock as i was assembling my cap this winter and hinged it straight up and she roles good, i also have the extra with a stock setup aileron and will be building another extra this winter with this as one of the mods, the extra wing and cap wing are the same except for the dihedral. here is the ling to the stock i used
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXJD25

it rolls awsome ad snaps well, really has no bad tendencies at all, stalls almost straight ahead you can see mine in my models

Brent
Old 11-04-2008, 03:28 PM
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Default RE: Snapped the CAP in Coffin Corner

Keep the photos coming I have enjoyed this post ..... Looking good
Old 11-12-2008, 12:09 AM
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Default RE: Snapped the CAP in Coffin Corner

Keep up the good work would like to see the finished product...... have to start on 72inch extra next tip stalled on landing 3rd flight that's life
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Old 11-23-2008, 01:58 AM
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Default RE: Snapped the CAP in Coffin Corner

OUCH! I feel your pain! Hope she'll fly again soon! I'm amazed how little structure there really is right where the wing and fuselage meet. Yours looks like it broke exactly like mine did. Love the colors, who makes that one in purple like that? I may have to steal that scheme when I build my GP Extra 300 60 size.

I made a bit more progress on the CAP this last week. Eating the elephant one bite at a time as they say. I'm pretty happy with the results so far.

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Old 12-02-2008, 11:45 PM
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Default RE: Snapped the CAP in Coffin Corner

Last 15 Posts - reverse chronological order
glydrjocky

That was a sig 300 xs I the colour is Oracover #54 violet with white and Black. Yes it is light at that point bad way to find out. Snapped a 120 superstar in the same place last week now two to repair ....oh well they say take off opitional landing compulsary. Keep the snaps coming I will post repairs as they come. Will start the superstar this week......... Cheer
Old 12-03-2008, 12:27 AM
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Default RE: Snapped the CAP in Coffin Corner

I always laugh at the title of this thread every single time it comes back to the top of the list. As mentioned above the coffin corner thing being INSANELY high altitude.. I love picturing a plane death spiraling from outer space to Earth ! it does always feel that way when it happens to you. I doubt 100 miles matters more than half a mile in the end. It would be interesting to know how long a plane would fall in a spin from the outer edges of the atmosphere...Heck a good flat spin might take a day or two....

Its good to see the plane is on the road to recovery
Old 12-03-2008, 01:33 AM
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Default RE: Snapped the CAP in Coffin Corner

Glad to see you rebuilding!
I think it crashed due to Mach tuck, then a little irritated by coffin-corner!
Old 12-06-2008, 04:14 PM
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Default RE: Snapped the CAP in Coffin Corner

One postulate of Murphy's Law states:

" The only people who truly know where the "edge" lies, are those who have gone over"


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