Plane caught on fire...What to do???
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Plane caught on fire...What to do???
Well my maiden flight of my GWS Tiger Moth went very well, Hand launched and just needed a little down trim. I did a few laps around the yard just to get a feel of how it flies. I brought it in for a fair landing and changed batteries. I loved the way it flew with the gear drive and couldn't wait to get it up in the air again. The next flight didn't go so well. The wind had picked up and caught a wing so I leveled it out to bring it in. When it touched down the prop caught the grass and it started to howl. I cut the throttle as fast as I could but it started smoking. I ran over to it as fast as I could and picked it up and took it to the deck. Then it burst into flames and I was able to blow out the fire but it did quite a bit of damage to the fuselage. I took it apart and the ESC is smoked but the motor still runs. I'm not sure if the receiver is ok or not. I priced out new fuse sides and decide to just buy another slope kit and go from there. I'm not sure if I'm going to try to salvage the fuse some how or just strip it and start over.
#2
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RE: Plane caught on fire...What to do???
What brand of esc and how many amps was it? A prop strike shouldn't short an esc unless it was a really cheap brand and/or under amped.
If the hole is the only damage you can glue some popsicle sticks or carbon fiber inside across the hole to reinforce the fuse and cut a piece of foam to glue in the hole, add some light weight spackle, sand and paint.
If the hole is the only damage you can glue some popsicle sticks or carbon fiber inside across the hole to reinforce the fuse and cut a piece of foam to glue in the hole, add some light weight spackle, sand and paint.
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RE: Plane caught on fire...What to do???
I want to thank you all for the response to my post. I'm new here and happy for your input. The ESC was an older model of the GWS 400 . I was running the geared D drive 400 motor that cane with the kit running a 10.4 SF prop. I took a good look at the fuse and it's pretty bad, Most of the battery tray is gone and the bottom melted up to the leading edge of the bottom wing. There's not much left to support the landing gear. I've got a slope kit that I'm going to rebuild it with and another on order. I want to build one with a gear drive and the other I'm going to go brushless. I figure by the time I rebuild the burnt fuse it will add so much weight that it will fly like a stuffed pig. I'm just going to strip it out and start over, all I lost besides the fuse was the esc and maybe the 12 dollar rx I had in it. I still have the wings and tail to use as spare parts if needed. This was my first GWS build and I learned a lot about building these Mind Bending kits.I'm not sure I want to stick with the GWS gear drive on this one or maybe look into a brushless gear drive?
Thanks again, Scotty
#7
RE: Plane caught on fire...What to do???
Still, what caused the fire? Are you using a lipo? Do you have a watt meter? I't is almost a must have tool if your going to fly electrics for any amount of time. It's so easy to fry an esc over propping a motor, but a short prop stall should not have caused a fire unless you were using too much battery for the esc.
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RE: Plane caught on fire...What to do???
ORIGINAL: raptureboy
Still, what caused the fire? Are you using a lipo? Do you have a watt meter? I't is almost a must have tool if your going to fly electrics for any amount of time. It's so easy to fry an esc over propping a motor, but a short prop stall should not have caused a fire unless you were using too much battery for the esc.
Still, what caused the fire? Are you using a lipo? Do you have a watt meter? I't is almost a must have tool if your going to fly electrics for any amount of time. It's so easy to fry an esc over propping a motor, but a short prop stall should not have caused a fire unless you were using too much battery for the esc.
#9
RE: Plane caught on fire...What to do???
ORIGINAL: flyinwalenda
A prop strike shouldn't short an esc unless it was a really cheap brand and/or under amped.
A prop strike shouldn't short an esc unless it was a really cheap brand and/or under amped.
Something preventing the motor from moving will pull far more current through the ESC than what even an over amp'd ESC may be rated for.
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RE: Plane caught on fire...What to do???
ORIGINAL: opjose
It sounds like more than a prop strike, rather a full "stall" of the prop while it was at higher throttle.
Something preventing the motor from moving will pull far more current through the ESC than what even an over amp'd ESC may be rated for.
ORIGINAL: flyinwalenda
A prop strike shouldn't short an esc unless it was a really cheap brand and/or under amped.
A prop strike shouldn't short an esc unless it was a really cheap brand and/or under amped.
Something preventing the motor from moving will pull far more current through the ESC than what even an over amp'd ESC may be rated for.
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RE: Plane caught on fire...What to do???
i'm making good progress on the rebuild. The fuse is together and painted and the wings and tail are almost ready. I ordered a Himax Geared 2025-4266 motor and that should be here tomorrow.
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RE: Plane caught on fire...What to do???
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RE: Plane caught on fire...What to do???
Getting close, Waiting on props. http://static.rcgroups.net/forums/at...7-DSC00770.jpg
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RE: Plane caught on fire...What to do???
My Tiger Moth needs just a few minor adjustments and it's ready to fly. I'm running a Himax 2505-4266, 6 to 1 gearing with an APC 11x7 SF prop through a Castle Thunderbird 18 amp esc. On the wattmeter at Wot it was pulling just a hair over 19 amps with 163 watts. I'll just back down my throttle travel and I should be good to go. I'm not sure when I will be able to maiden it as it is snowing out at the moment
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RE: Plane caught on fire...What to do???
I don't think you need an 11" prop. You should be able to drop down to a 10" and that will lower the amperage and wattage a bit . That plane will still fly fine around 100-110 watts per pound and you won't be pushing and overloading the ESC. I assume it weighs around 20 some ounces?
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RE: Plane caught on fire...What to do???
ORIGINAL: flyinwalenda
I don't think you need an 11" prop. You should be able to drop down to a 10" and that will lower the amperage and wattage a bit . That plane will still fly fine around 100-110 watts per pound and you won't be pushing and overloading the ESC. I assume it weighs around 20 some ounces?
I don't think you need an 11" prop. You should be able to drop down to a 10" and that will lower the amperage and wattage a bit . That plane will still fly fine around 100-110 watts per pound and you won't be pushing and overloading the ESC. I assume it weighs around 20 some ounces?
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RE: Plane caught on fire...What to do???
Well I finally got to give my Tiger Moth it's maiden flight. I've got permission to use a private airport nearby and headed over there this morning. I did all the preflight checks, set it on the runway facing the wind and throttled it up. It tracked strait as an arrow and lifted off in about 15 feet. Once I got it up I was nervous as hell and just did a few circles around the field and started to trim it out. It needed a bit of right trim on the rudder and a bit of down elevator and I was soon flying hands off strait and level. It might be a tad tail heavy as it would climb at quite a bit as I gave it more throttle. I had no problems taking off and landing on the short grass and touch and goes were a lot of fun. I love the way it flies. I ran two batteries through it and the wind started to pick up so I thought I would head home and fly my Mudbugs in the back yard. So far a great day of flying and it's not over yet.