jessmeister76

I was recently awarded my wings, and unfortunately, crashed my Boomerang 40 today. I believe most likely it was due to stalling the plane on take off.

I took off and got a bit of height, but suddenly found I could not roll or bank as if the aerolons were disconnected. Initially I was in denial and thought it was a mechanical failure but talking to others, I think I have to accept pilot error as the cause as there is no evidence they were broken or not working upon inspection. Others have suggested if you don't have enough speed you simply won't be able to steer the plane. Anyway, the plane kind of banked around to the right (away from people, fortunately) on its own accord, stalled, nose dived and slammed into the deck with a highly audible thud.

The propeller blades were snapped off but it does appear the engine is intact. It is very very dirty (like the rest of the plane) and it appears the carby has taken in some grit, so I am guessing it is likely some dirty has been ingested. Indeed the rest of the plane was covered in blackened grit so looks like the impact really did kick up some dirt, as the impact zone was sandy.

*Can anyone provide advice on how to clean up the engine, and what to do, PLEASE?* How to clean it up - is it necessary to pull it apart or is it possible to flush it?

Fortunately it appears the servos and electronics are intact as well, even the wing didn't sustain damage - it just seemed to break the nose of the aeroplane. Thanks..

Sir_Sparksalot

My Feedback: (8)

Hello jessmeister76,
Best thing to do when it has seen this much dirt is to take it apart. I know it is a bit more work, but you will be thankful that you did so. I have put a few in the dirt myself. That's only the beginning of the frustration.
It doesn't take too long to do though. Buy a couple small bottles of Isopropal Alcohol or Denatured Alcohol. I like to put one bottle into a spray bottle. I then disassemble the main parts. Head, piston, crank, and take the carb off of the engine. I then spray everything down on an old towel. Keeps the mess down. Don't rotate the crank until you are sure it is really cleaned out. Spray down the cylinder walls and piston. Just make sure it is all really clean. Make sure also to spray out the carb thoroughly. If you can, take out the high and low speed needle valves before doing so.
After you do this, rub a little oil on each part, and carefully put it all back together.
Trust me on this one. I have had an engine buried in soupy mud. It was full and covered with dirt. I cleaned it this way and still use the engine today, without any compression loss.
Hope this is of help and you can get back in the air soon!
Eric

Sir_Sparksalot

My Feedback: (8)

One other small thing I forgot.

MAKE SURE TO WEAR SAFETY GOGGLES/GLASSES WHEN YOU DO THIS.
A little bit of alcohol of any kind in the eyes is REALLY painful. [:@]
Eric

VeeAte

First thing you do is not rotate the crankshaft AT ALL until you can get the head and backplate off to see if there is any dirt inside the engine.