rowdyjoe

My Feedback: (9)

Sadly, I have to report the demise of my H9 Camel. Imade the wrong decision to fly it without double checking the CG. Ihad installed a custom Jtec muffler on the RCG 15cc gasser and it was evidently much lighter than the stock muffler. I surmised that it shifted the weight further forward ....wrong! Long story short ...it was waaaay too tail heavy and after wresteling it in the air for a couple of minutes Ifinally lost control and and it turned inverted and crashed nose first.
I brought the wreckage home but, haven't had the stomach to inspect it yet. The fuselage is broken in half as well as the lower wing. It's not a pretty sight and Idon't know yet if it's repairable.

RJ

Mustang Fever

My Feedback: (2)

That's a heart breaker, Joe.

Azzir325

So sorry to hear, Joe.
Rick

Azzir325

So sorry to hear, Joe.
Rick

rowdyjoe

My Feedback: (9)

Thanks for the sympathy guys but, I don't deserve it. It was entirely my fault. As Isay ....stupid always finds a way.
When Iget nerve to take a closer look at it I'll be able to dertermine if it's repairable. It looks pretty sad though.

RJ

ToolJoint

Dang Joe, That's tough. I'm pretty sure we've all been there. There are several ways to rationalize your way through it though....you definately learned something and added to your experience in this great passtime we all enjoy so much...You get the challenge of re-building or salvaging what's left.....and lastly you get to take a far more serious look at some of those new kits or arfs you've been browsing...Pretty sure theres a brand new Camel on EBay right now.

At least thats what I do, and if anyones been doing this awhile they have been through it. Sorry about the Camel, regardless.

On another note, I'm reading "Winged Victory" by V.M. Yeats. It's a story about WWI told from a Camel pilots' perspective...so far it's been good reading and a good study on the real Camel...he even talks about frequent nose-overs on landing...ha. I suggest a look for all fans of the Camel and WWI.

TJ

rowdyjoe

My Feedback: (9)

TJ,
Thanks for the encouragement. I'm always looking for that next plane anyway but, this wreck gives me added incentive. Idon't like having an unused engine sitting around.
New Camel? I doubt I'll be able to pick one up any time soon so, if it's on ebay it will be gone before Ihave an opportunity to grab it. My hobby budget has been severly curtailed now that Ihave a car payment again. I had been without a car payment for over 5 yrs but, the old truck was wrecked and totaled so, I had to buy another one. That means I'll have to plan new acquisitions well in advance and shop harder. Besides, Ihave one a bird on the bench now that's only 2/3 finished and a new one in the box that I just got in a trade. I'm not hurting for airplanes. Ijust hope Ican afford to keep them all flying now.
I'm hoping it's rebuildable and within my capability to do it. However, I have an H9 Fokker DVII so, I still have a WW1 replica if it turns out it's not.

RJ

Bob dunlop

My Feedback: (1)

Bummer Joe, always a drag to lose a good plane...flew mine for the first time in a while on Sunday...forgot how much fun this plane is to fly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89ia...e_gdata_player

handyman 220

My Feedback: (54)

Rowdyjoe I sent you a PM if interested let me know

ToolJoint

Great Video Bob...I like the red wheels, really makes her stand out, and the white tires set it off as well....very scale looking. I also was able to find some sky time this last weekend. As per Mustang's recommendations, I also moved some lead out of the nose. The CG is now right at the factory recommendation. No real noticeable pitch stability issues, but out of 4 landings, she did not nose over once. Of course, the runway had been drug (smoothed out) as well and the winds were calm which also made everything seem much easier.

Eyes UP!

TJ

Bob dunlop

My Feedback: (1)

Thanks TJ...the Camel actually likes to be a little tail heavy

ToolJoint

Well...bad news folks....I am joining Joe in the busted camel crash bunker[:@]. Mine was bad but not too severe and the rebuild has started. Bottom wing is bashed pretty good but (I think) repairable. Upper right aileron broken, Stab and elevator..broken but not destroyed...break out the balsa, ply, and ultracote. If anyone has any of those pieces and would like to sell or otherwise get rid of then...well by all means let me know!

Crash details to follow:

Thanks,

TJ

Azzir325

So sorry TJ! I hate to hear about damage to these treasures, especially since we owners have been left orphans by the manufacturers. "Discontinued," they say. Good luck on the rebuild. I'm sure you will be able to do it!
Rick

rowdyjoe

My Feedback: (9)

Dang TJ ! You're supposed to be learning from my mistakes not copying them.
Sorry to hear about your crash. It's just another challenge, right?
Eventually, I'll get the nerve to look mine over real well to determine if it's repairable however, Ineed to get at least one finished first. I've been doing too many repairs and not enough original assembly. My Ultimate 160 is still not finished.
I'm thinking about taking an extended break from flying (maybe a month) to see if the bad juju will wear off.

RJ

ToolJoint

Funny you should mention the Juju as I was just thinking the same thing. I fly with my nephew pretty consistently and we attend events together etc. He has a 20 CC Yak, an Edge 540 with a 82 Four Stroke and a D VIII with a 46 two stroke. In addition to the camel, I usually fly a H9 Extra 260 with a 50 cc gasser. The day the Camel was cracked, Saturday last, I was by myself, warming up for a fly in to be held Sunday. I had just wrung the Extra out pretty good and was feeling good when I hit a runway light on roll out, ruining a $35 wood prop. I was angry with myself for being so dumb, but looked forward to taking the Camel up and " Straightening things out". Well...

My nephew joined me, shook his head at the poor Camel, and pulled his DVIII from his pickup. He lost control on Takeoff, and busted the wing and mounts. He then pulled his Yak from the pickup and took it up for a pretty good aerobatic routine. When he was landing he felt it was flying so well, he was going to Harrier it in close and "drop it in". He stalled in the Harrier from about 8 ft. or so, and pancaked it in hard, breaking the gear off, snapping the pilots neck and ripping the covering on the Belly. Out of the 4 birds we put up that day, 4 were going home badly bent. We had flown the entire spring and summer until that day with only one broken prop between us. We spent the rest of the day in our respective shops making repairs for the next day... except the Camel of course. So the next day at the fly in, I took the Extra up early in the day, and on the top side of snap roll, we saw something fly from the plane...I still had full control and quickly brought her down the flight line for a low pass inspection. It was a wheel! I flew for a while longer then decided to put it in the tall grass beside the mowed grass runway...stalled her about a foot off the ground, she dropped, the gear leg dug in and the grass flew. Badly bent gear, prop, and broke the fuselage behind the canopy! My nephew made a couple of flights with his Edge and returned it safely. He then took the freshly repaired Yak up and put on a nice routine. When he was landing, a strong crosswind came up. He became preoccupied with the cross wind, got too slow stalled while cross controlled, dug a wing and cartwheeled violently, destroying one wing, canopy, fire wall and vertical stab. He is a MUCH better flyer than this...I was calling for him and we just looked at each other stunned. On that weekend my last 3 flights ended in wrecks, ad he bent three as well. We had about a two hour ride home to think things over, and we decided that we had used up our share of bad luck for the year in one weekend, and we are not going to let up. You may question and comment on the wisdom of that thought process, but that's all we have, and we are both "glass half full" types. I had to travel this week for work, but I am picking up the needed balsa, wood, wheels, covering, etc. to repair my birds and I got word last night the structures on the Yak are rebuilt and ready for covering. The Extra won't be too bad and I anticipate a couple good evenings at the most to return her to flying status. The Camel? I think I am looking at about 2-3 weeks of spare time in the shop, but that is one of those deals where more surprises usually pop up in the process, so we'll see.

So regarding the Juju, there ya go. But that type of juju is not welcome around here, and we are going to fly through it, but you can bet the pre-flight inspections will be about 10 times as thorough as before, we will not be quite as cavalier about the wind, and the maneuvers will be quite tame...for awhile[>:][>:]

Bob dunlop

My Feedback: (1)

Dang...that's a bummer...I would strip it...fix and cover with Solartex

rowdyjoe

My Feedback: (9)

TJ,
Man, after the trouble you guys have had lately I'm not going to complain anymore. Well, Imay still moan and groan a little. When the gremlins strike they can be contagious. I'm going to the LHSto buy a huge bottle of "Gremlin-Be-Gone" and see if it works as advertised ....or maybe I'll just spray little Fabreeze around. I hear they hate that.

Good luck,
RJ

Bob dunlop

My Feedback: (1)

Had fun Sunday being chased by the Red Baron
Also..first time in a couple years since I rolled my Sopwith over LOL...damaged the rudder...it was an easy fix
Never mind the video title...my camera man only knows Yaks and Extra's and things
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DESb...e_gdata_player

rowdyjoe

My Feedback: (9)

Very nice video Bob. Ienjoyed it but, why did you turn the sound down on the engine? Could barely hear the prop spinning. Uh oh, don't tell me you've gone to the "dark side"? You, you haven't gone "electric" have you? GASP !!!

RJ

Bob dunlop

My Feedback: (1)

Thanks, it was fun flying my plane with my old DR1 at the same time.
Actually Joe, I haven't owned any IC planes since the late 70's ...they were nitro and have never owned any gas planes.
I enjoy electric...quiet, clean, starts every time so on and so on...not to mention the planes will last much much longer

rowdyjoe

My Feedback: (9)

I'm mostly gas and glow these days but, still have a few electrics. I like them all but, the electrics tend to be too light to fly in the winds we have here in the DFW area. Around here, if you don't have something that will fly in 15mph + winds, you'll be sitting on the bench a lot.
It's all flying and flying is all fun.

RJ

Bob dunlop

My Feedback: (1)

Well we fly rather large electrics here in Virginia!
Here's my buddies 12' completely scratch built ( no kit,no arf) electric Telemaster
Tacon Power 160 on 10s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JvS...e_gdata_player

rowdyjoe

My Feedback: (9)

Beautiful plane and beautiful flight. Kinda short flight though. The biggest problem with eletrics is flight duration. If you can add more mah to fly longer but, you eventually reach the point where the added weight negates the added mah.
I don't dislike electrics. I was all electic until about 2 yrs ago when Idiscovered the benefits of liquid fuel ...especially gas.

RJ

Bob dunlop

My Feedback: (1)

Video was edited...he gets about 10 minutes

rowdyjoe

My Feedback: (9)

He should. It's a big plane with lots of wing area and lift. He could probably thermal that thing for an hour.

RJ