Diamond Dust don't need no stinkin tail!
12-07-2006, 03:49 PM
#1
Diamond Dust don't need no stinkin tail!
Ok, maybe one, but not both...
I know, I know. I shouldn't have been flying today in winds forcast 25-30 gusting at times to 40MPH, but I had been buried all morning in a book studying for a final exam tomorrow, and needed an hour's break. Besides, I just finished working on a clipped prop and "needed" to see how it affected my speed. I take off (more like throw it into the hurricane) head upwind, roll over and come out of a sweeping dive for the ever popular speed plane pass downwind. Pull up, victory roll- wow! Something doesn't look right. Kill the engine and land (you know. dive out of the air and skid in before the next 40MPH arctic burst...) to find one fin broken loose and leaning on the other, held on only by a drop of glue that strayed onto the covering. [X(] It didn't seem to affect it's flight performance other than increasing the pilot's blood pressure. I guess I'm fortunate it didn't come loose and turn.
I've never really cared for the fins on the Dust anyways because they've always felt flimsy. You guys ever have a problem with losing parts in the air?
I know, I know. I shouldn't have been flying today in winds forcast 25-30 gusting at times to 40MPH, but I had been buried all morning in a book studying for a final exam tomorrow, and needed an hour's break. Besides, I just finished working on a clipped prop and "needed" to see how it affected my speed. I take off (more like throw it into the hurricane) head upwind, roll over and come out of a sweeping dive for the ever popular speed plane pass downwind. Pull up, victory roll- wow! Something doesn't look right. Kill the engine and land (you know. dive out of the air and skid in before the next 40MPH arctic burst...) to find one fin broken loose and leaning on the other, held on only by a drop of glue that strayed onto the covering. [X(] It didn't seem to affect it's flight performance other than increasing the pilot's blood pressure. I guess I'm fortunate it didn't come loose and turn.
I've never really cared for the fins on the Dust anyways because they've always felt flimsy. You guys ever have a problem with losing parts in the air?
12-07-2006, 05:01 PM
#2
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RE: Diamond Dust don't need no stinkin tail!
On a Dust, no. don't own one.
Fluttered the ailerons off a low wing sport job once, got it down on rudder. Found the ailerons too, sod helps. I don't use bellcranks anymore though.
Elevator once on a Mini Fledgling with OS .15 (unthrottled). I wouldn't define what it did as landing although it did involve the ground..
Fuel tank once, no problem, dead stick in.
Left wing panel on a Sweet and Low Stik - sliced it off on the thin wire that (now I know this, needed glasses at the time but didn't realize it) runs a good distance above the power lines on large transmission towers, as I banked left to final at our community center. Kind of messed up my approach if you know what I mean.
Engine hanging on a single loose radial mount bolt on a Hots once, engine rotated 180 degrees hanging off the right side of the firewall. Ran like that for a bit. Got it down fine.
Hmm, what else.. broke the down line on a 1/2A ukie combat model once. Let go of the handle and it spiralled up a couple of hundred feet before quitting. Not the first time that's happened to anyone of course.
MJD
Fluttered the ailerons off a low wing sport job once, got it down on rudder. Found the ailerons too, sod helps. I don't use bellcranks anymore though.
Elevator once on a Mini Fledgling with OS .15 (unthrottled). I wouldn't define what it did as landing although it did involve the ground..
Fuel tank once, no problem, dead stick in.
Left wing panel on a Sweet and Low Stik - sliced it off on the thin wire that (now I know this, needed glasses at the time but didn't realize it) runs a good distance above the power lines on large transmission towers, as I banked left to final at our community center. Kind of messed up my approach if you know what I mean.
Engine hanging on a single loose radial mount bolt on a Hots once, engine rotated 180 degrees hanging off the right side of the firewall. Ran like that for a bit. Got it down fine.
Hmm, what else.. broke the down line on a 1/2A ukie combat model once. Let go of the handle and it spiralled up a couple of hundred feet before quitting. Not the first time that's happened to anyone of course.
MJD
12-07-2006, 08:42 PM
#3
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RE: Diamond Dust don't need no stinkin tail!
Lost the trim lead in the nose of my first plane ever, a powered glider. Well I didn't actually loose it, it just moved into the tail area. Can you say TAIL HEAVY? I think I did the most stall turns anyone ever did in one flight... 
I once nearly lost an aileron on a competition funfly plane... it was dangling from the control rod. That says a lot about the rigidity of my links, but it also tells you something about my hinging technique back then. Luckily these things have two aileron servos. I got it down in one piece and it was back in the air after ten minutes.
Lost the tail on a competition funfly plane. Again it stayed attached to the plane by the linkage. Bottom line: always give your plane a good once over after a cartwheel.
The thing I've lost most in-flight over the years is CONTROL... that one is an absolute killer
I once nearly lost an aileron on a competition funfly plane... it was dangling from the control rod. That says a lot about the rigidity of my links, but it also tells you something about my hinging technique back then. Luckily these things have two aileron servos. I got it down in one piece and it was back in the air after ten minutes.
Lost the tail on a competition funfly plane. Again it stayed attached to the plane by the linkage. Bottom line: always give your plane a good once over after a cartwheel.
The thing I've lost most in-flight over the years is CONTROL... that one is an absolute killer
12-07-2006, 09:44 PM
#4
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RE: Diamond Dust don't need no stinkin tail!
I had one of the fins come off my Diamond Dust that has the Jett Fire 60 LX engine. No problems with control, one fin is enough, the second fin must be for insurance in the event of a failure. I reinforced both fins at the mounting point with a small piece of plywood.
12-07-2006, 10:59 PM
#5
RE: Diamond Dust don't need no stinkin tail!
GOLDBERG FALCON 56 MK III OS .46FX
Flying downwind I heard a buzz. The guys yelled "hey Bob you got flutter slow down".
I back off the throttle and the noise got LOUDER!
So I asked the guys " it got Louder shall I speed up??"
A resounding NO! was heard.
By then 75% of the coveering on the top left wing panel departed.
The falcon banked hard left, holding aileron and I held right aileron and some rudder against the bank a slow left spiral turn decent in to the tall grass for landing.
Flying downwind I heard a buzz. The guys yelled "hey Bob you got flutter slow down".
I back off the throttle and the noise got LOUDER!
So I asked the guys " it got Louder shall I speed up??"
A resounding NO! was heard.
By then 75% of the coveering on the top left wing panel departed.
The falcon banked hard left, holding aileron and I held right aileron and some rudder against the bank a slow left spiral turn decent in to the tall grass for landing.
12-08-2006, 12:14 AM
#6
RE: Diamond Dust don't need no stinkin tail!
I've seen one side of a horizintal stab come off of a fellow's plane (twice actually, same plane, same side) without incident, but this is the first time it's happend to me, as I can recall.
I take that back. I had a GP Viper (old version) that blew the wing off on a high speed pass.... Really cool to have a plane that does the quarter mile faster than a top fuel dragster
What wasn't cool was how the fuselage burried up in the mud beneath a peach tree back to where the wing used to be[:@] RX wasn't hurt, throttle servo was literally shredded, and I never did find that battery pack, which was surely a projectile the instant it hit.
The coward wing, however, fluttered down for a soft plop on the runway, coming to rest on its wheels. The only sign of wear- the bolt holes had ripped out. I still have that wing hanging in the shop to remind me how important the front-end dowels are.
I take that back. I had a GP Viper (old version) that blew the wing off on a high speed pass.... Really cool to have a plane that does the quarter mile faster than a top fuel dragster
What wasn't cool was how the fuselage burried up in the mud beneath a peach tree back to where the wing used to be[:@] RX wasn't hurt, throttle servo was literally shredded, and I never did find that battery pack, which was surely a projectile the instant it hit.
The coward wing, however, fluttered down for a soft plop on the runway, coming to rest on its wheels. The only sign of wear- the bolt holes had ripped out. I still have that wing hanging in the shop to remind me how important the front-end dowels are.
12-08-2006, 12:15 AM
#7
RE: Diamond Dust don't need no stinkin tail!
The extra fin area is most important during low speed, like at launch. On a model with marginal fin area, or with flimsy fins, it will wiggle-waggle as it tries to fly straight. those fins should be glassed on both sides and made into a structural unit.
12-08-2006, 12:25 AM
#8
RE: Diamond Dust don't need no stinkin tail!
This dust is in serious need of new covering and a little tweaking. I think I'll be doing that, as well as fixing the fins over the next several weeks of bitter cold (In southern Alabama we call the mid-40's bitter cold, although, tonight it's in the low 20's with a 30MPH wind- BRRR)
12-09-2006, 12:14 AM
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RE: Diamond Dust don't need no stinkin tail!
Oh yeah, I forgot... I once lost a wing on my first "low-wing" trainer... I was WAY up there, doing some seriously violent stuff. The rubber bands didn't hold... the fuse was a rocket. The sound of that engine(OS 40SF) coming down without a wing was one of the first things that got me intersted in pylon. I remember steering with the elevator and rudder on the way down, but it never even occured to me to throttle down. I still have that wing... it landed about 5 minutes after the fuse dug a hole....
I should build a trainer on that wing for the young people at our club.
Thanks guys, for reminding me! Now that wing has a purpose.
I should build a trainer on that wing for the young people at our club.
Thanks guys, for reminding me! Now that wing has a purpose.
12-09-2006, 05:59 PM
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RE: Diamond Dust don't need no stinkin tail!
Guys:
Carzy crach. Scooting along out of a dive with my new first flight composite Q-500 V tail/Jett 50 8.5X8.5apc, about 19,500k on ground, around 150 give or take. Saw the left elevon fly off, ----------plane did a very tight circle into the plowed sandy ground. Thinking all was gone, went out to pick the bird up. Prop not even broken, no sand in the engine. Only damage was to the fuse that broke behind the wing from the side forces. The elevon mount fixture was still in place, it just worked out somehow, found undamaged. Would have been funny if it were not a $500.00 airframe.
Carzy crach. Scooting along out of a dive with my new first flight composite Q-500 V tail/Jett 50 8.5X8.5apc, about 19,500k on ground, around 150 give or take. Saw the left elevon fly off, ----------plane did a very tight circle into the plowed sandy ground. Thinking all was gone, went out to pick the bird up. Prop not even broken, no sand in the engine. Only damage was to the fuse that broke behind the wing from the side forces. The elevon mount fixture was still in place, it just worked out somehow, found undamaged. Would have been funny if it were not a $500.00 airframe.
