gboulton

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Events last night prompted me to post this.

Now, by "save", I'm NOT talking about "I almost lost it, but kept it flying at the last minute". I'm thinking more along the "Bill Hempel one wing" lines. Where something goes HORRIBLY wrong with the airplane, and you manage to get the plane home with only minimal damage.

The events of last night that prompted this whole thing:

Was flying my poor, abused, completely disrespected H9 Super Stick, and the elevator parted company with the airplane. Yep...no elevator.

Got off the ailerons, flew rudder only, and managed power for climb/sink rate. Managed to put it down ON THE RUNWAY, wings level and flat, at, as you might imagine, a VERY high rate of speed.

The result?

Took the landing gear off, and broke a prop.

Maybe I shouldn't be, but I'm AWFULLY proud of that one.

Let's hear yours!

bkdavy

My Feedback: (1)

I'd love to contribute, but all my best saves have occurred on the build table after the carnage.

Brad

Deadeye

Flying a Four Star hybrid (4* wings, coroplast fuselage), when 3/4 of the top of the right wing's monokote went POP and started floating down. I cut throttle, and headed downwind. I managed to keep it at high alpha, and brought her in with no other damage.

r2champion

Flying a new kit built bi-plane for the first time on a fairly windy day, I had a throttle servo go out. It stuck open about 1/2 throttle from what I could tell, enough to keep flying but what about landing?! I continued a few circuits contemplating what would be the best option to get it down. I figured that running it out of fuel and trying my best at a dead stick landing would be the best option, even though it was not a floater, more of a brick with lots of drag. Then I though about having never flown the plane before. How much time will I have to float it in? I hadn't even got to test the stall characteristics or stall speed. With all of this rushing through my mind, I made a 2 touch and goes to get the feel of trying to land with power, but it was simply too fast. After a few more ciruits at high altitude, a huge cross wind came out of nowhere so I thought I would give the hover landing a try. I pulled the plane into the wind perpendicular to the runway, slowly eased it down, slowed up nicely to the point it was barely moving forward into the wind. It eased down, slowly, and settled nicely onto the paved runway with the wind holding it in place. I ran over and pulled the fuel line from the carb and wiped my brow! [sm=tongue_smile.gif]

I should have just risked my chances with a deadstick, but having no clue about it's glide or stall I left that as plan B. It turned out that the throttle arm was not tight and the servo was moving, but had no effect to the carb.

gboulton

My Feedback: (15)

Brad:



Deadeye,

That's a nice one. Thinking to go high alpha to protect the giant hole in the wing...well done!

RC,

LOL. Had something very similar happen with a giant aeromaster once...like you say, glides like a brick. adding to it, being a US 41 gasser, i figured I was gonna have to fly for about 3 WEEKS to burn fuel off. *heh* Happened to stumble across the fact that if I rolled it inverted, the engine would nearly die...so I planned a pattern carefully (thankfully, I'd flown this bird a bunch, so had a pretty good idea), rolled, waited for the engine to die, came back upright, and deadsticked home. *heh*

I can't IMMAGINE trying that 9especially with a draggy bipe) on my FIRST FLIGHT. Nicely done.

vmsguy

My best save... Hmmm..

Technically, it was my first solo flight. But I don't really count that I soloed.. It was also the last time I flew.

It was late last fall.

My plane: Sig Kadet LT-40, with electric power.

My teacher and I took it up for a flight with me on the buddy box. I did a bunch of circles coming in over the field. It was bit breezy, so I was running about 70% throttle to fight the wind. My teacher brought it in for a landing on the field. So far so good. It was my turn for a complete solo. I took off, but the plane was reluctant to get off the ground. The batteries were nearly dead. I said aloud. "The batteries are nearly gone, I'm bringing it back." So I circled, made the best final aproach turn of my 1st summer of flying, and lined it up perfectly for the runway (It came out of the final turn perfectly aligned). Meanwhile it was loosing altitude constantly. Short of the runway was a cornfield. I wasn't going to make it onto the field. Trying to keep it in the air, battling the wind. I didn't make it. Technically it landed in the cornfield. The beauty of it.. It landed where the tractor had smashed down corn stalks. It landed on it's wheels, stopped against a cornstalk. Absolutely no damage. No cornstalk poking through wing rib, nothing. I could've charged the batts and flown again.

Alas, the sun was going down.. I thought fate had graced me with a safe landing. Time to count my blessings and go home.


Maybe it'll see the sky again this weekend....

VogelHund

During a pylon race midair... broke the main spar of a kaos just barely visible in flight.Rules were to land after any midair tho it was visible damage as the wing was moving up and down ever so slight... like a bird heheh .Airplane never raced again tho.

Managed to save a Midget Mustang after a midair with a Minnow at a pylon race only slight damage from the hit collapsed one landing wire..
the save was very scary tho got within 5 feet of the ground before getting back wings level from violent toss to inverted...
landing was ok as well lost a prop and the airplane is racing again.

MuSo

This is not me, bud every one need to see this.

http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=au2IkYLF7rc

Hes my new Hero.

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

I was flying my Goldberg Tiger 120 one day this past Fall when I heard a pop noise. I flew it around and didn't notice anything in particular, no handling problems, so I went around again and set up a landing. Then, shortly after entering the downwind leg, a stream of covering started to peel back and streamed back behind the plane. It was a long stream, about 8 inches wide.

Oops.. now what!! I shut down the engine, then glided in, turn to base, then final for an absolutely picture perfect dead-stick landing. The plane ended up right in front of me about 10 feet away. The right wing covering, on the top, was just about completely gone by the time it landed.

Wphew!!!


This one is not my story but what I observed while in England for work a few years ago. I went to a local club sponsored RC air show at the "London Constable Polo Club". (quite a place, I must say!!). I was invited by the local club by the way. I was in the pits, also invited down to take some pictures and chat with the crowd. A club member was flying a warbird, I believe he was preparing for their usual "Battle of Brittain" demo fly by, he was flying a Spitfire. Well, the elevator popped off, followed by the horizontal stab that broke away from the fuselage but was held in place by linkage. When this happened, the plane was headed toward the crowd in the grand stand.

Don't ask me how he did it, but he managed to turn it, line it up, land it without problems. I was awestruck, mouth open, goose bumps on my arms, the whole works.. he saved the plane and didn't crash it.. what a save THAT was!! BUT, he managed to keep his cool and turn it away from the crowd before trying to land it. And land it he did!! WOW!!

CGr.

Cyberfyn

A couple of years ago I had a 'save'

I was really getting into the groove with my Weston MagnumR one day, by doing huge loops and gradually getting closer to the ground and blasting down the runway to try and break the club speed record (218mph) I was on the fastest loop and kept it on the deck too long and went into an oak tree (fondly named the killer) at the bottom of our field at 197mph [X(]

She ripped out the other side in a blast of oak leaves and a startled squirrel without ANY damage apart from having no prop.......... I managed to continue the loop and landed downwind. My clubmates are still having digs at me to do it again so they can video it



Ian F.

gboulton

My Feedback: (15)

While I'd wager it wasn't QUITE "without problems" *heh*, I REALLY have to jump in here and chide you just a bit, CGR...

You do TOO know how he did it. Same way I did Wed night. (Although, admittedly, sounds like he did a better job and kept the gear in it *heh*)

Tango Juliet

I had a similar issue with my ex-Father-in-Laws Kadet Senior. He had done a two color scheme on the wing. A beautiful shade of green from the leading edge to the spar, and white aft. I was about 250' high when I saw a big white sheet depart the aircraft and it immediately dropped the right wing and was loseing altitude in a hurry[sm=omg_smile.gif]. I applied full Left Rudder and the wings came back to level. Let out some rudder and the right wing dropped again. I throttled back, and cautiously started circleing to the deck using the rudder and managed a beautiful three point landing.

When he covered the wings, he applied the leading edge color first and left the overlap into the slipstream[:@]. There were two rib bays of covering left at the tip of the right wing allowing just enough lift to keep the wings level with full opposite rudder. I was pretty proud of myself for that save.

kid chuckles

Was flying inverted about 20ft. off the ground with a Frenzy 100 a gust of wind hit it and pushed the front down. I immediatly pulled elev [sm=bananahead.gif] I did however hold it and cut the throttle. This plane came around upright and rolled across the ground about 5ft. and stopped still running and all. It could not have been a more perfect landing. I got lucky lucky lucky. Drove it back to the pits and the guys about fell down laughing and congratulating me for the great save. I ate it up never mentionining the fact that really all I did was cut the throttle and wait for the bang[sm=cry_smile.gif] that is exactly what i thought would happen I might have even closed my eyes lol. But let them think what they will lol. AHHH they knew rofl.

Bob Mitchell

This doesn't quite meet your criteria, and may be considered dumb luck, more than a "save".

I solo'd last week, and was signed off by our clubs safety officer on Tuesday evening. Due to too much going on this week, and too much wind I didn't get back to the field until early this evening when the wind died a bit.

Our club field in on land the city allows us to use near the county land fill. We have a grass strip and a 700' paved strip. One of the approach ends is over the landfill which has a fairly significant berm around it. You can't see the landfill, just the berm. First flight was several low approaches and then a few touch and goes.

On the second flight I let the plane go too far downwind, out over the landfill. I'm almost 60 and the eyes aren't what they once were. Starting my crosswind turn I lost orientation and ended up inverted. Didn't realize it untill the plane nosed down under up elevator. Rolled the plane to what seemed to be upright, added full power and up elevator. At this point the plane disappeared behind the birm with about a 30 degree down angle. Counted 1.......2.........3.........and the plane popped back into sight at about a 45 degree up angle. Made a very gradual climbing turn to bring it back to me and landed uneventfully.

I made several more flights before going home, mostly filled with low approaches and/or TandG's. I certainly learned what the limits of my vision are, and to turn before I think I need to just to make sure that I keep it in close enough to CLEARLY see it. I don't know if this plane was born with nine lives or not, but it certainly lost one of them tonight.

Bob

Tango Juliet

Check out the "tree trimming" done by the Fokker DVII in the Mint Julep 2008 thread in RC Scale Aircraft. A save of a very expensive aircrft.

brewski

My best, actually lots of luck, happened this week. I was flying my 4* 40. I have clipped the wings and have a 46 thunder tiger stuck on it. This is supposed to be my beat around and relax plane. Not this time.

I made a normal high speed pass with it when I heard really loud flutter. The ailerons were flopping in the wind as the gears where destroyed in the servo. I started using rudder to hold the plane somewhat straight but it was going away from me and I could not turn it around. I then pulled a half loop and had it comming back inverted. Rudder steering while inverted is very uncomfortable! When I got it to a place near enough to the runway I pulled another half loop to get the plane landing gear toward the ground and then cut the throttle. I was able to land it in high grass with do damage at all. I was glad to have a witness and someone to laugh with!

I now have a servo under the wing for each aileron. Much better.

gboulton

My Feedback: (15)

I dunno, Bob...sounds like a save to me!

The big point here, imo, is that when things went to **** you didn't panic. You kept flying the plane, kept trying to do things that you reasoned would improve the situation....and they did!

Doesn't matter that it might have been a "rookie mistake" or whatever...you stayed with it, did the right things, and still have a plane to fly. That's a save in my book.

Switching to rudder, thinking to do a couple of half-loops, all the while guiding with rudder WHILE INVERTED??? That ain't luck, buddy. That's cool-headed flying. Well done!

VogelHund

cool thread guys keep em coming...

through a tree and still landing that has to be a first... bet that was a loud impact as well fast airplane!

Cyberfyn

Lol. It did make a nice 'thwacking' sound. But it missed every branch in the tree and just hit leaves and twigs. Although the prop was totally gone and the engine was screaming when it came out the back [8D]

Ian F.

Bob Mitchell

Saw it and the photos. Amazing.

Bob

kid chuckles

Real luck was flying my Trainer type plane with a OS 60 on it. Flew around and this plane is always just so easy to fly it is great. But this time it flew akward and was really hard to fly. Tried trimming and thought I have never had to touch the trim on this plane. I knew something had to be wrong. I landed not easy went over picked it up and the motor fell off right there. Some of the wood behind the firewall and covered by fuel tank had over time rotted and let the entire firewall come off. How it flew to the ground and then decided to fall off is beyond me. I guess the wind against it was holding it in
place lol.

Nathan King

I've been watching this thread for some time now, I'll bite. I was flying my Brio 10 after training (I'm an instructor) on a dark evening. Everybody was watching this. Anyway, to understand the save you must know that our field is on the top of a hill. About 150 feet out from the flight line the hill begins and you can see the tops of trees. Well, I was doing some pretty neat aerobatics when I completely lost orientation on the aircraft (too dark). I knew I was upside down, but that was about it. When I figured out orientation I was going below the hill upside down! I could no longer see the aircraft but put it into what I thought was a hover and slowly lowered the throttle to set it down gently (I hoped). It was odd because you knew it went down but didn't hear any noise. I walked down the hill expecting to see pieces, but was greeted with the airplane sitting perfectly nose up in some knee high grass. My hover from inverted below the hill had worked!!! I inspected the airplane as I walked back up the hill, no damage. As I got to the top of the hill I set the airplane back on the runway and took back off. Everybody was shocked that there was no damage. Of course, I circled right back to land because it was too darn dark.

Skill? I don't know, but there was a lot of luck involved.

gboulton

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I think this thread is now over.

Nathan wins.

Nathan King

Nah! Quite a few people have good saves here. Keep 'em coming. Plus, I seriously doubt I could do it again if I tried.

gboulton

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Ok...but this thread is now a PGA event...all of us mortals are merely fighting for second place.