Don't look down
04-15-2003, 08:16 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Don't look down
I have no pictures to share, but if you take some red and white confettii and throw it in the air it will serve.
I went flying two weekends ago using my then-existing aeroplane [an RCM Trainer 40 w/TT Pro-46] with a friend to push the season a bit. He, like me, restarted flying last spring after having done some years ago (mostly free-flight and C/L). We had been flying with skis all winter and this was somewhere around flight 100 for both of us. The ground was muddy and the wind was stiff, but we are brainless so that didn’t stop us. I did my routine pre-flight and all seemed OK. He took off first, and his engine promptly quit. Now this isn't our usual flying field, wich is inaccessable without 4WD in the winter months, but is a multi-use town park that actually allows RC flying. We were beside a double soccer field and using a paved stretch to take off as the field was muddy. Actually, it's a boat launch. He was now 15 feet up and dead sticking into the swollen Chenango River. He did a beautiful 117º turn; which is a 180º interupted by asphault. Broke a prop and bent a needle valve but no lasting damage. As he collected his thoughts I took my turn. On taxiing out , it didn't respond well, and for unknown reasons I took off anyway. Stupid miskate #1. I knew I had a problem and eventually gained enough altitude to start troubleshooting. I looked down at the tx the dreaded “for-just-a-second” and, sure enough, the rudder trim was full over. Stupid mistake #2. I looked up just as the noise stopped. My airplane managed to dig a hole big enough to plant a rose-bush in. The engine was 6” underground. Eight large pieces and dozens of smaller ones. Luckily, it was soft mud and so the engine and all of the electronics are reuseable. They will move into a Big Stik 40 soon.
I just found this crash site and am happy to see some scale and warbirds mentioned. I had been pawing through those sites and it seems all problems are battery or receiver related. No-one ever makes a stupid mistake that costs them an aeroplane. ;-)
Hello, I'm Charlie and I sometimes do stupid things.
D'oh!
I went flying two weekends ago using my then-existing aeroplane [an RCM Trainer 40 w/TT Pro-46] with a friend to push the season a bit. He, like me, restarted flying last spring after having done some years ago (mostly free-flight and C/L). We had been flying with skis all winter and this was somewhere around flight 100 for both of us. The ground was muddy and the wind was stiff, but we are brainless so that didn’t stop us. I did my routine pre-flight and all seemed OK. He took off first, and his engine promptly quit. Now this isn't our usual flying field, wich is inaccessable without 4WD in the winter months, but is a multi-use town park that actually allows RC flying. We were beside a double soccer field and using a paved stretch to take off as the field was muddy. Actually, it's a boat launch. He was now 15 feet up and dead sticking into the swollen Chenango River. He did a beautiful 117º turn; which is a 180º interupted by asphault. Broke a prop and bent a needle valve but no lasting damage. As he collected his thoughts I took my turn. On taxiing out , it didn't respond well, and for unknown reasons I took off anyway. Stupid miskate #1. I knew I had a problem and eventually gained enough altitude to start troubleshooting. I looked down at the tx the dreaded “for-just-a-second” and, sure enough, the rudder trim was full over. Stupid mistake #2. I looked up just as the noise stopped. My airplane managed to dig a hole big enough to plant a rose-bush in. The engine was 6” underground. Eight large pieces and dozens of smaller ones. Luckily, it was soft mud and so the engine and all of the electronics are reuseable. They will move into a Big Stik 40 soon.
I just found this crash site and am happy to see some scale and warbirds mentioned. I had been pawing through those sites and it seems all problems are battery or receiver related. No-one ever makes a stupid mistake that costs them an aeroplane. ;-)
Hello, I'm Charlie and I sometimes do stupid things.
D'oh!
04-28-2003, 01:56 AM
#2
My Feedback: (4)
Don't look down
A-a-a-ah, the dreaded "look down for a second" syndrome. Cost me one nice flying plane. (Removes hat and looks at ground.)
I was on approach. Talk about a stoopid time to look at your transmitter. Just crossing over the threshold, about twenty feet in the air, glanced down for just a second and heard, thud, silence....
Not sure exactly how it hit, but the fuse was snapped between the tail and wing, the firewall was ripped out, and both wing tips were touching earth. :stupid:
Haven't glanced at my transmitter since. Learned to do everything by touch instead.
Dennis-
I was on approach. Talk about a stoopid time to look at your transmitter. Just crossing over the threshold, about twenty feet in the air, glanced down for just a second and heard, thud, silence....
Not sure exactly how it hit, but the fuse was snapped between the tail and wing, the firewall was ripped out, and both wing tips were touching earth. :stupid:
Haven't glanced at my transmitter since. Learned to do everything by touch instead.
Dennis-
