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....and there she sits.

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....and there she sits.

Old 12-05-2004, 07:39 PM
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IFlySlowPlanes
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Default ....and there she sits.

Finally got to fly my newly-repairedWorld Models Sky Raider Mach II (needs a shorter name) today, despite gusty winds. Flew well on my old OS 40 FP, at least on the first flight. Winds calmed later in the day so I decided to try her again. Another smooth flight, engine running sweetly, and after about 10 minutes or so, I call "Coming in!" from the downwind. Immediately after that call, I felt, rather than heard the motor go dead. "Deadstick!" I yelled.

Of course by now the wind has kicked up again, which means I'm not gonna make it back to the field. Actually, thought for a second I was past the trees and was ready to dive for a little more airspeed when, almost from a standstill, she settled into the top of a 50 foot tree. I mean, just SETTLED. No apparent damage to the plane. Plane is easy to see from the flight line since all the leaves are gone, but a recon team is detailed for the mission, with me on point.

"Yup," we all determine, "she's up there but good." But this couldn't be a climbable tree. Nooooo. No branches closer than 10 feet up. I tried to climb anyway, since as a kid I could climb anything. Ummmm....no. I'm 42 and I weigh about 90 pounds more than I did then, and not enough of that is muscle I tell you.

So the retrieval team sallies forth. Our retieval team consists of two guys....one with a compound bow with an arrow tied to some fishing line, and the other holding the half-a-fishing-rod the line is attached to. At first the task seemed simple. Loop some line over the plane and tug until it comes free and crashes to the ground, causing infinitely more damage than the actual crash apparently did. Well, it was a good idea anyway. Lost an arrow up there too.

Finally decided, no sense in trying to save the plane now, so we put a tip on the arrow and Terry started shooting. At first I couldn't watch....all the work that went into fixing her and trimming the wing bottom with the Monokote flag I'd learned to do here on RCU. After awhile though, with darkness fast approaching, I was ready to deal with the destroyed plane just to retrieve the radio gear and servos and assorted other bits.

Terry, to his credit, managed to bury the arrow in the wing root, not once, but twice, each time seemingly unwedging my baby a little more from the evil clutches of the unfeeling tree. Then we decided to shoot through the wing further outboard, thinking we'd be able to get it to rotate around it's yaw axis when we pulled the arrow back through, hopefully trapping it on the other side of the wing.

Well, all we managed to do was wedge her in better in the end, so....there she sits. Forlorn, hopeless, far more damaged than she was when we started, and still containing gear worth two or three times what the ARF cost. I'm trying to mentally write it off, but my heart does hurt a little.

I didn't come into the hobby with unlimited funds, so I don't have a 28 plane hangar to come home to (cue violins). I really don't care about the plane anymore, but the gear will be harder to replace. Worse still, it's supposed to rain for the next two days, so whatever would have been salvageable will soon be a memory. My kingdom for a bucket truck or a 30 foot ladder! Anyway, the evidence of my misdeed resides below. Do not weep for me, for I am strong......<sniffle>.....no really, I'll be fine.

Pics 1&2: Before
Pic3: After
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Old 12-05-2004, 08:11 PM
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bigd652
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Default RE: ....and there she sits.

Sorry to hear about the plane..... Was just wondering if maybe a bucket truck of some sort might be able to get up there?
Old 12-05-2004, 08:22 PM
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IFlySlowPlanes
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Default RE: ....and there she sits.

No such luck...the line of trees at the end of the runway (why is there ALWAYS a line of trees in such a bad place?) are about a third of the way down a steep slope. Doubt a truck could get back out, even if it could get down in the first place, due to the mud/leaves/etc. I still think if I could get a short ladder up to that first branch I could maybe climb high enough to shake her loose. I'm also considering buying those toe claws that hunters or line workers use to climb trees or poles. By the time I could get such a thing though, the gear will be worthless anyway (except maybe the motor). Still, worth a try.
Old 12-05-2004, 08:30 PM
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bigd652
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Default RE: ....and there she sits.

Man that sucks. If you try and climb the tree just be careful.
Old 12-05-2004, 09:05 PM
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SilverEagleBW
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Default RE: ....and there she sits.

Get yourself a bow and arrow setup,tie a light nylon string to the end of the arrow.Got many a plane out of a tree that way.
Old 12-05-2004, 09:16 PM
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Default RE: ....and there she sits.

ORIGINAL: Slade_LoD

Get yourself a bow and arrow setup,tie a light nylon string to the end of the arrow.Got many a plane out of a tree that way.
Did you actually READ the post?

Here, let me quote it for you.

Our retieval team consists of two guys....one with a compound bow with an arrow tied to some fishing line
Old 12-05-2004, 10:22 PM
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egor
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Default RE: ....and there she sits.

my 25 cents worth that plane can be retrived Get a ladder 20' or so. go to home depot, lowes or where ever get one of the handy extendable aluminum pole 18 ' or so some 1/4 nylon rope. get a couple of buddies and head for that tree. from your picture the landing gear and the prop are exposed and the tail is rest across a branch. try pushing up just ahead of the tail to flip it, or get a line around the gear or prop and lift it.

egor
Old 12-05-2004, 11:06 PM
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Default RE: ....and there she sits.

TnT
Get a pessure washer, and blow it out
Old 12-05-2004, 11:18 PM
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IFlySlowPlanes
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Default RE: ....and there she sits.

egor: The plane is like 40 feet up in the tree. No ladder i could carry in my car would ever reach.

antslake: Our field is in the middle of nowhere on a ridge overlooking a beautiful valley....how does a pressure washer fit into this scene? :-)
Old 12-05-2004, 11:30 PM
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Default RE: ....and there she sits.

A club member had a plane with one of those bullet proof recievers in it and it lost the signal and wound up in a tree just like this picture. He went home and got a bow and arrow and tied the light string to the arrow. About on the tenth shot he nailed it! Right through the fuselage. Got the plane down and removed the wing. Guess what? He put the arrow right through the rx. Now the rx is no longer bullet proof nor arrow proof.

Gunny
Old 12-06-2004, 02:16 AM
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Default RE: ....and there she sits.

I'm thinking Chainsaw~ Stihl makes a good one

Hey the tree started it!
Old 12-06-2004, 02:43 AM
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Default RE: ....and there she sits.

Exocet,Nope never got to read the whole post.Got to the second or third sentence when the 12 year reminded me that today was the day i was supposed to decorate the house for Christmas.Offered a quick suggestion on how to get the plane out of the tree,got offline, then up on the roof i went.

I really feel bad about the plane being stuck in that tree,been there and done that.On one occasion there was a plane stuck way up there,nothing worked,arrows,the works,Then a strong windstorm came a week or so later and blew the thing out of the tree, the radio was in excellent condition and the plane only recieved minor damamge.Hopefully,something like that might happen in this case.
Old 12-06-2004, 03:25 AM
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Default RE: ....and there she sits.

Ok, for what its worth. I just splintered a Fazer 25. So hopefully I can help someone whos plane is still savagable. Get 5 sticks(10 foot lengths of 2" PVC pipe, Home Depot sells. and 4 couplers. couple 4 or 5 until you have the right length, pad the end or put a hook, rope, claw, or satchel charge on the tip, for that matter. Push up under the strongest ,least perforated part of the damsel and give it some giggles. I've seen it done a few times and it works.
Old 12-06-2004, 04:54 AM
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Default RE: ....and there she sits.

Chanisaw. Evil tree. Do the R/C world a favor.


Andy
Old 12-06-2004, 07:24 AM
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IFlySlowPlanes
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Default RE: ....and there she sits.

If it were up to me, I'd chainsaw that entire row of trees. However I think the farmer who leases us the land would probably object. I may however try the PVC pipe idea. I hate to admit it, but I was up half the night thinking about my plane up in that tree, and of course that's the first thing I thought of when I woke up this morning. It really got me going when i was laying in bed and I heard the rain starting.......i hate feeling powerless!
Old 12-06-2004, 12:55 PM
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Default RE: ....and there she sits.

I put my Alpha trainer up in a tree at least that tall. Half of the wing did come down soon after the crash. There was a horrific scream from the engine when it lost it's three blades and then sudden silence. I had to retreat (across the state line back to work) and return two weeks later. In the meantime it had rained 5" and had horrendous winds. I had no hope.....

I took a slingshot (the one with a wrist strap) and a fishing sinker and a fishing pole. I didn't think I could cast that high with any accuracy so I slingshotted the sinker and line over the limb near the plane. Took about 10 tries. Just cut the sinker off, reel in the line and try again. The sinker just pulled the fishing line all the way back to the ground. I tied a heavier line to this and hauled it over and then hauled over a rope. (I had cable and a tractor in reserve, something was coming down out of that tree!).

We were able to shake it out with the rope and down it came. I took it apart and let it all dry out from two weeks in the tree. Two days later I tested the radio and it worked perfectly! The fuselage had a slight bow in it where the wing attaches due to moisture. I rebuilt the plane and the motor (shattered connecting rod from the overspeeding) and flew it from then on.
Good Luck, Greg
Old 12-06-2004, 01:53 PM
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Default RE: ....and there she sits.

Bring out the chainsaw and cut the tree down...If in doubt if its legal, do it at night.
Old 12-06-2004, 02:15 PM
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Default RE: ....and there she sits.

Trees? What trees? That was our reply when the three ended up missing at the end of our leased field. Just disapeared, stump and all. Man, the cutworms must have been bad that night.

Anyway, the 16' tree trimming poles that were mentioned do come in handy by trimming a path for the plane to fall. PVC is also a great idea, with a couple of guys, you can make a pretty long pole. Just BEWARE OF POWER LINES!.

ORIGINAL: IFlySlowPlanes

If it were up to me, I'd chainsaw that entire row of trees. However I think the farmer who leases us the land would probably object. I may however try the PVC pipe idea. I hate to admit it, but I was up half the night thinking about my plane up in that tree, and of course that's the first thing I thought of when I woke up this morning. It really got me going when i was laying in bed and I heard the rain starting.......i hate feeling powerless!
Old 12-06-2004, 02:48 PM
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FighterBird873
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Default RE: ....and there she sits.

Where are the RC helicopter guys? There must be a MacGyver in your group somewhere. If you cant get the helicopter to lift the plane, get the helicopter to place the line. Of course the evil tree might simply be using your plane as bait to catch a delicious helicopter.
Old 12-06-2004, 02:51 PM
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Default RE: ....and there she sits.

In Deep East Texas where there are pine trees. We use tree climbers (The kind you can set in) which are use for hunting. We also in combo with the tree climbers use pvc pipe. And on one occasion I have use my 12 ga shot gun. Good Luck.
Old 12-06-2004, 03:17 PM
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IFlySlowPlanes
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Default RE: ....and there she sits.

I really would love to get me one of those tree-climbing stands like hunters use, but they range anywhere from $100 for a crappy one on up to $250 for a good one. Since the farmer's house is just down the hill, I doubt he'd fail to notice a chainsaw buzzing up there! Once I try the PVC pipe idea, I'll let you all know how it went. My thought process now is, if this works, I'll donate the pipe to the club for any future mishaps. Oh, interesting sidenote. Seems I'm the first to pull this particular stunt. I slid into the boughs of that tree so neatly because of the wind that I did very little damage to the plane. It seems that usually, guys go barrling into that grove of trees and whatever's left of the plane mostly falls to the ground. That's me...always trying to buck the trend....
Old 12-06-2004, 03:41 PM
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Default RE: ....and there she sits.

I know it isn't funny at the time. Please find hereunder a portion of a letter I sent to my son in the RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) describing a similar situation.

I can’t remember if I spoke to you about the only tree in the paddock that leapt up and seized the Super Chipmunk when I turned on finals. You would have laughed had you been there! The muffler came loose in flight and I was hastily landing so as not to loose the muffler and was concentrating on the model and throttle control rather than the surroundings. (first mistake). At slow speed (fortunately) the model gently flew into the very top of the very tall oak and sat there suspended some 10 to 12 metres in the air. To compound the problem trucks were arriving carrying horses to a Camp Draft event to be held in the large fenced arena. I had no choice but to leave the model and drive back to the Rocks to secure a ladder.

After much mucking around and moving of cars and trucks at work I returned with a triple extension ladder in the back of a Toyota from work. The ladder is more than three times the length of the one at home. On returning to Gladstone there were about thirty trucks, a similar number of utes and 4x4s together with over a hundred horses, their riders and numerous hangers on. Under the tree looking up at the model were 10 to 15 young children all offering suggestions on how to recover the model. The suggestions ranged from starting the model and flying it out to getting a chain saw and falling the tree.

Anyhow after talking with the kids I extended the ladder, which turned out to be bent *&%*^&#$. I eventually got the ladder extended by attaching one end to the tree and the other end to the winch cable and winched it out. Now I had a ladder one third extended flat on the ground that I had to somehow lean against the tree. After wrestling with the ladder which would have resembled the caber toss in the Highland Games I finally had it against the tree and tried to extend it further by pulling on the rope which promptly broke (&^*($%&#. I solved this little dilemma by climbing part way up the ladder and moving it up one rung at a time. After about 20 minutes I now had the ladder fully extended and it failed to reach the fork in the tree (*&*()%.

I solved this problem by moving the Toyota in to the base of the tree and with great difficulty lifted the ladder into the tray and low and behold the ladder just reached the fork of the tree. By now my antics had started to be covered in the commentary from the announcer at the camp draft and my audience was starting to rival that of the people competing in the event. I tied the ladder to the tree so it wouldn’t slip away on the smooth alloy tray and started to climb with the extended landing net in one hand that had been further extended by taping on a length of plastic conduit and a broom handle for extra reach. I also had the roll of green net cord in my waistband so I could lower the model to the ground as I had little confidence that I could successfully climb back to the ground carrying the model.

No doubt you remember how absolutely fearless your father is when it comes to heights? Slowly I climbed the ladder to the encouragement of the kids and the announcer and finally reached the fork of the tree with both the ladder and myself shaking in unison. I collected my self and started to climb up from the fork into the tree with eyes fixed firmly on the model. Had I looked at the ground I would have frozen. All was going well until on placing one foot on a branch about two metres into the climb and one metre short of being able to reach the model with the much extended landing net the branch broke under my foot. This caused me to drop the landing net and hug the tree like a demented koala. Fortunately the landing net mesh caught on a branch just below me and I was able to climb a little way down and retrieve it. Unfortunately this caused me to look down to the ground and the upturned face of the seemingly tiny children back on the ground, shudder….

I eventually managed to climb high enough to be able to touch the plane. I managed to break off one of the branches holding the model and enmesh the undercarriage in the netting. By now the wind was quite strong and the tree was swaying like a drunken sailor. All of a sudden a second branch holding the plane gave way and the model swung towards me like a hatch closing as part of the branch was still attached to the trunk and acted like a hinge. The model finished up at my level and I caught the propeller in my right hand whilst holding onto the tree with my left. This occasioned loud applause from the now large audience and left me with the dilemma as to how get the model to the ground in one piece, to say nothing of yours truly.

I managed to wedge the propeller into a fork of small branches and practice one handed knot tying. Eventually I had a sling tied around the undercarriage and was able to lower the model onto the ground and very slowly and shakily clamber down the tree to the ladder, and the ladder to the bed of the Toyota and thence to the ground. This brought the largest and loudest applause from the audience and smart comments from the announcer.

Now all I had to do was get the ladder out of the tree, concertina same and return it and the Toyota to work. I solved the first problem by simply undoing the rope holding the base of the ladder to the tree and drove the Toyota away which caused the ladder to slip down the tree to the ground. After much pushing and shoving I managed to get it short enough to fit back into the tray and drove back to Arakoon.

When I got back mum had turned up as I had by now been missing for over three hours in the model recovery phase and she was worried that I may have fallen and been lying unnoticed under the tree with a broken leg. She didn’t know I had a large audience and a smart arse ground announcer watching my every move.

There wasn’t any structural damage to the model but the wing covering was torn both top and bottom. I now have completely removed all the covering from the wing and am waiting for enough $$s to place an order for the Monocoat to recover the wing. Every time I open the shed door there is the naked wing awaiting recovering reminding me of the Chipmunk eating casurina.

Hopefully this made you laugh. I may get to that stage myself in a year or two.

Keep up the great work. Mum and I are looking forward to seeing you at the passing out parade.
Old 12-06-2004, 04:32 PM
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Default RE: ....and there she sits.

I did the exact same thing a few years ago with my trainer. It was sitting on top of an 80 foot tree for 3 weeks. I was in that foreset every morning at sunrise before work, and I returned every evening until sunset after work. It rained once and snowed once during that span. I tried many things mentioned in this thread.

Long ladder... I think we used a 30 foot ladder. Too short. And at 30 feet up, I was too scared to move up!

Sling shot... I shot golf balls with kite string taped to it. I hit the plane a few times but never got the string around it to pull it down. I was able to hook a near-by branch and tried to shake the plane out. Unsuccessful. It just caused the tree to sway back and forth calmly. Other lame attempts were made with spears and javlins.

Long pole... No way to lift a 80 foot pole.

Arrows... I couldn't find anyone with a bow and arrows. The owner of a local archery store laughed at me after I explained my situation.

Shot gun... A few people offered to shoot it down. But at the time, I was unwilling to sacrifice my only Rx and engine.

Arborist... AKA, Tree Pruner. These guys make a living cutting down, pruning, and climbing trees. I found one who's office was not far from our field. I told him the situation and he said he could climb it to get down the plane. I reiterated the fact that it was 80 feet up, and at that height the tree doesn't look like it can support the weight of a grown man. He told me "No problem. All I need is a tree trunk with only a few inches of diameter". He told me he'd get it down next time he has a break in his schedule. The next moring he called me and I drove to his office to pick up the airplane. He charged me $50. His business card is still pinned up on the bulletin board inside the club house.

Josh
Old 12-06-2004, 07:49 PM
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egor
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Default RE: ....and there she sits.

Iflyslowplanes:

Hey; It was not my intention to get your shorts in a bunch but to moderatly shout incouragement and make useful suggestion's. If I could make the trip to reading I would put that plane in your hands, Or make one hell of a bounce trying.

egor
Old 12-06-2004, 08:31 PM
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IFlySlowPlanes
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Default RE: ....and there she sits.

egor,

Not to worry....my shorts ain't bunched! Actually, one of the great things about being part of a club is helping other guys rescue their downed planes and then getting help when it happens to you. Besides the fact that you'll have company on your trek, you get to learn that they really like you.....ummm....all that ribbing DOES mean they LIKE me, right?

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