Protech Piper crash
06-25-2004, 09:00 AM
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Protech Piper crash
I have a Protech Piper Cub that I bought from Polk Hobbies. Nice ARF I must say.
I put a cobalt 400 with a 3-1 gear reduction, swinging a 8x6 prop, and using 1500 mah li-po's
I get 12 mins at full throttle, and can do every aerobatic trick except 3-d stuff.
So Monday before work I decide to take a quick flight before I start my day. I take off and come around in the flight pattern. I am up about 100feet. All of a sudden the thing takes a 90 degree straight for the ground. I pull back on the stick, nothing. I was going full throttle and didn't even have time to cut the motor. WHAM!!! right into the grass, head first. Being a balsa and solarfilm plane, I only expected to see toothpicks. But to my surprise there wasn't that much damage.
The motor mount broke, one that I fabricated out of aluminum sheet metal, the cowl was completely gone into a thousand pieces, the wing split in half, and one window support along with the main wing support broke off the plane.
I fixed the wing, the main wing support, and the engine mount in about an hour.
I watched the li-po for an hour after the crash, and even though it got damaged, it didn't blow up or anything, plus it still works.
I don't know what caused the crash because everything works fine. I figure its one of 2 things, either there was a lose wire that hooked the elevator servo, or I got a hit. I am using a futaba gold stickered am radio. I have flown there many times without any hits, but I don't trust am, and I am going to get a fm reciever to use with my 9cap. Think I'll sell the am radio.
Any suggestions on how to make a new cowl for that plane are welcome. I was thinking of using a plastic soda bottle. Just not sure how to heat and strecth it.
I put a cobalt 400 with a 3-1 gear reduction, swinging a 8x6 prop, and using 1500 mah li-po's
I get 12 mins at full throttle, and can do every aerobatic trick except 3-d stuff.
So Monday before work I decide to take a quick flight before I start my day. I take off and come around in the flight pattern. I am up about 100feet. All of a sudden the thing takes a 90 degree straight for the ground. I pull back on the stick, nothing. I was going full throttle and didn't even have time to cut the motor. WHAM!!! right into the grass, head first. Being a balsa and solarfilm plane, I only expected to see toothpicks. But to my surprise there wasn't that much damage.
The motor mount broke, one that I fabricated out of aluminum sheet metal, the cowl was completely gone into a thousand pieces, the wing split in half, and one window support along with the main wing support broke off the plane.
I fixed the wing, the main wing support, and the engine mount in about an hour.
I watched the li-po for an hour after the crash, and even though it got damaged, it didn't blow up or anything, plus it still works.
I don't know what caused the crash because everything works fine. I figure its one of 2 things, either there was a lose wire that hooked the elevator servo, or I got a hit. I am using a futaba gold stickered am radio. I have flown there many times without any hits, but I don't trust am, and I am going to get a fm reciever to use with my 9cap. Think I'll sell the am radio.
Any suggestions on how to make a new cowl for that plane are welcome. I was thinking of using a plastic soda bottle. Just not sure how to heat and strecth it.
