Crash avoided!!
07-11-2005, 05:41 AM
#1
Crash avoided!!
Yesterday was a typical RC day in southern NJ. About a 10 mph wind, bright sunshine, just a gorgeous day. So, many of our club members met at our Strawberry field.
One flyer had his brand spanking new 2 meter pattern plane. Well, it had four flights on it and Rick was about to do his fifth flight. He put it together, and pre-flighted it, and took it out to the flight line. I was with him, and enjoyed his demonstration of Master level Pattern flying. Rick is headed to the Nats this weekend, and, I am happy to say, with his new 2 meter pattern plane.
After his flight, he decided to go over everything to make sure all was well. I was on the flight line, getting my Tiger 60 ready for another flight, when he called me over and showed me something that really caught my attention. The aileron servo arm was just about to fall off. The screw was lying in the bottom of the fuselage and the arm was just hanging on by what gravity allowed it to be held in place by. We looked at it, and thought that it could have come completely off during the flight but did not. It would have on his next flight and that would have been devastating!
What was especially interesting was that he wiggled and shook all controls under the wing before assembling the plane.. during his initial pre-flight examination. I watched him put it together and he definitely shook that aileron servo arm. It appeared tight. Well, obviously it was not tight enough!!
Rick is retired military, and very diligent in his flying and pre-post flying activities. Almost to the point of being 'anal retentive' !
Needless to say, he was even MORE diligent looking the plane over making sure all was well, all screws were tight and in good working order after that little incident.
He usually applies locktite to such screws, but forgot this one, AND did not secure it tight enough for it to vibrate loose. Well, disaster averted, and one saved, expensive pattern plane due to a post flight flight check! Not that it is necessary in all cases, but in new planes, this shows that anything can and will get loose in there if it is not properly secured... good time to check everything is right after that maiden flight.. take a moment to physically check all 'under the hood'. It will be well worth it, and Rick will attest to that!!!
So, it turned out to be a GRAND flying day for all!!
DS.
One flyer had his brand spanking new 2 meter pattern plane. Well, it had four flights on it and Rick was about to do his fifth flight. He put it together, and pre-flighted it, and took it out to the flight line. I was with him, and enjoyed his demonstration of Master level Pattern flying. Rick is headed to the Nats this weekend, and, I am happy to say, with his new 2 meter pattern plane.
After his flight, he decided to go over everything to make sure all was well. I was on the flight line, getting my Tiger 60 ready for another flight, when he called me over and showed me something that really caught my attention. The aileron servo arm was just about to fall off. The screw was lying in the bottom of the fuselage and the arm was just hanging on by what gravity allowed it to be held in place by. We looked at it, and thought that it could have come completely off during the flight but did not. It would have on his next flight and that would have been devastating!
What was especially interesting was that he wiggled and shook all controls under the wing before assembling the plane.. during his initial pre-flight examination. I watched him put it together and he definitely shook that aileron servo arm. It appeared tight. Well, obviously it was not tight enough!!
Rick is retired military, and very diligent in his flying and pre-post flying activities. Almost to the point of being 'anal retentive' !
Needless to say, he was even MORE diligent looking the plane over making sure all was well, all screws were tight and in good working order after that little incident.
He usually applies locktite to such screws, but forgot this one, AND did not secure it tight enough for it to vibrate loose. Well, disaster averted, and one saved, expensive pattern plane due to a post flight flight check! Not that it is necessary in all cases, but in new planes, this shows that anything can and will get loose in there if it is not properly secured... good time to check everything is right after that maiden flight.. take a moment to physically check all 'under the hood'. It will be well worth it, and Rick will attest to that!!!
So, it turned out to be a GRAND flying day for all!!
DS.
07-12-2005, 06:05 PM
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RE: Crash avoided!!
Does this plane have a tail and a elevator ? if yes then he should have been able to land the plane using both of them to control the plane. Any way I have left off servo screws in the pass, but I don't know if any one noticed the arm still remains on the servo very very tight. Actually when I am making adjustments to the rods I have to pull with great force to get the arm off of the servo.
But anyway it's nice to here about a close call once in awhile. Good Luck at the NATs.
But anyway it's nice to here about a close call once in awhile. Good Luck at the NATs.
