Here's another close call for the books
05-20-2006, 11:04 PM
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Here's another close call for the books
This is a real no-brainer, but I'll share it anyway.
Tonight was only the third time I've been able to fly my new 1/4 scale Sopwith. It has a new G-26 in it, which has been spot on perfect since the first time I ran it up in the drive way a few months ago.
So I assembled the plane, looked over everything.
Range check: good,
reciever: on,
Tx: Showing 10.1 volts,
magneto switch: on,
Voltwatch: showing all green.
I start the plane and warm it up as usual.
Control surfaces all fine.
Taxi out and off I go.
It makes one pass in the pattern and starts to cut out and cough and not run worth a damn.
So I said "Time to bring the $1,200.00 airplane down before it gets worse."
Well, it got worse.
On final approach it quit altogether about 30 yards short of the runway.
I greased it in deadstick. [8D]
Upon returning it to the table I see that THE SPARK PLUG CAP IS NOT ON.
It looked like it was on before, but it was just there loose, and was just touching the plug enough to make it run.
I have little ones at home, so the plug cap gets pulled as a second level of insurance with the gas engine.
Of all the things to forget............
Tonight was only the third time I've been able to fly my new 1/4 scale Sopwith. It has a new G-26 in it, which has been spot on perfect since the first time I ran it up in the drive way a few months ago.
So I assembled the plane, looked over everything.
Range check: good,
reciever: on,
Tx: Showing 10.1 volts,
magneto switch: on,
Voltwatch: showing all green.
I start the plane and warm it up as usual.
Control surfaces all fine.
Taxi out and off I go.
It makes one pass in the pattern and starts to cut out and cough and not run worth a damn.
So I said "Time to bring the $1,200.00 airplane down before it gets worse."
Well, it got worse.
On final approach it quit altogether about 30 yards short of the runway.
I greased it in deadstick. [8D]
Upon returning it to the table I see that THE SPARK PLUG CAP IS NOT ON.
It looked like it was on before, but it was just there loose, and was just touching the plug enough to make it run.
I have little ones at home, so the plug cap gets pulled as a second level of insurance with the gas engine.
Of all the things to forget............
06-17-2006, 09:33 PM
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RE: Here's another close call for the books
Sounds as though you might want to rethink your 'insurance', since it obviously didn't prevent the engine from being started.
How about a kill switch, hidden in the cockpit or somewhere else out of the way?
Rick
How about a kill switch, hidden in the cockpit or somewhere else out of the way?
Rick
