Campgems

It looks like I'm going to get a second chance to correct and change some things in the 4*-60 kit. I wasn't happy with the plastic motor mount, the landing gear mount was very weak, and the wings looked kind of weak also. I'll now get a chance to address these areas, as well as side mount the engine and come up with a cowl for it.

It was a bad bad day flying today.

Don

buzzard bait

Oh, that's the pits--sorry it happened to you.

But is the motor intact? Maybe broken motor mounts isn't the worst result. Beefing up doesn't always work the way you hope for.

Hope the new build goes well.

Jim

Campgems

I have hopes for the motor. I am astounded that both mounting beams are intact. One screw was still hanging in the right beam and it had a 10 degree bend in it. I'm sure I'm going to have to do some file work on the end of the shaft, I can see where the end thread is mashed over. Once I get the nuts off, I can set up and do some dial indicator work to see if the crank is salvagabale. I'm guessing it is righ now. No pushrod damage is another susprise. I missed a fence by inches, and the battery and some wood splashed through, but the fence and intact model didn't come into contact.

I got jacked out of shape comming in for a run down the runway, got into a knife edge and then kicked the ailerons the wrong way and went inverted. Panic set in and I pulled full up elevator and did and inside roll, clearing the runway by about a foot. Big sigh of relief untill I realized I was headed straight into the peanut gallery, the awning with the chairs full of guys watching. Well, I yanked it arond as hard as I could but couldn't recover from that and it went into the bank at the base of the fence full throtle and hit perpendicular the the ground. The ground is dried clay and rocks, to the only thing that gave was the plane.

One of the guys watching has a 4* kit with the wings already built that he doesn't want, and I have two supper chipmunk kits and he wants one, so we make the trade Sat at the club meeting. I was just getting so I could handle it well I thought. Well, I've got to get the radio in the plane I put in the pond last week so I can fly tomorrow. It's that or chance the Ruperts. I'm sure that one would come back a pile of sticks also though.

Don

Tee Bee

Ouch. Sorry for your loss. I just spent the last 6 hours in the garage working on my 4*60 wings. I was all enthusiastic about the project, then I logged on and saw your pics. Sort of took the wind out of my sails a bit. Good luck with the rebuild.

Campgems

Deleted Duplicate post

Campgems

Tee Bee, don't let my dumb thumbs get between you and getting your bird in the air. You are going to love it.

I'm not sure where you are on the construction, but I'll offer a couple suggestions to maybe head off some problems later.

First, back the landing gear mound with a piece of 1/8" Aircraft Ply and extend it an inch or so to the front. Cut some 3/8" square sticks and round one side to match the curve of the bottom of the fuse and add them to each side of the new doubler above. I also used a Dubro composite landing gear and changed over to four #10-24 nylon bolts to hold the gear on. The stock landing gear and the mount are weak, and the three steel bolts almost assures you will pull the landing gear mount out of the fuselage on your first hard landing. This mod was still in place after todays crash althoug there wasn't much fuselage left around it.

The second thing is to add some 1/4" square hardwood to the bottom sheeting, filling the bottom to sides in the first bay behind the wing. I also added some 1/2" tri stock behind the bulkhead just behind the wing and a piece of 1/2" square hardwood between the wing hold down blocks.

These two mods came about when I mis-judged how far out I was on my first solo landing and hit the farm road at the end of our runway. It took out the stock landing gear and also snapped the fuselage in half right behind the wing. This mod also was rock solid after todays crash, although the fuselage did break just in front of the rudder.

Be prepaired to add some weight in the nose. I had a Magnum 91 four stroke in mine and I used 1/2" square steel stock behind each side of the motor mount to get it to balance out. On my next one, I'm going to go with the Dubro Viberation mount. They will push the engine out a bit futher and they will also weigh more than the stock mounts. As long as you have to add weight, it may as well be useful.

Hopefully, by Sunday night, I'll be building the replacement. It is a fun plane to fly if you can keep your thumbs under control. The Mag 91 provides great power and most flying was done at 1/2 throttle or so. The plane would fly level with full up elevator at just above idle on the throtle. When if finally stalled, it was clean, not dropping a wing.

Get back and build . I'll race you to the runway, hows that for a chalenge.

Don

Tee Bee

Wow. Thanks for the advice. I'm just getting started on this kit and will sure consider the mods. I've decided to clip the wings by one bay each as well. I just finished building my first kit(a Kadet Senior converted to a taildragger) and have started building the 4* so it will be ready to fly when my skills are up to par. I'm powering mine with a Mag 91 as well. Can't wait to hear that 4-stroke run. Never had one before. I've already purchased some 1/2" stock, 1/8th" ply, and a Sullivan tailwheel after reading other posts here. Now adding Sullivan pushrods and Dubro vibe mount to the wish list.