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ORIGINAL: pippip

The fuse is completed . What size servo arms and engine standoffs did you end up using?

Thanks,

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ORIGINAL: WacoNut

Went flying this morning. I took my Stick 30 and my 33% Cub. 1st up was the Stick 30. I did about 5 circuits of the field with a couple of loops and rolls then shot a practice approach. I throttled up to go around and climbed for altitude as I turned cross wind, all of the sudden the Stick pitched straight up and the engine died. I immediately noticed the engine hanging from the fiewall by the spark plug wire . I leveled the plane out and made a gentle turn towards the runway when the spark plug wire let loose of the engine and it dropped straight into a soybean field as the plane once again pitched straight up due to the severe change in CG. The plane immediately stalled and was at an altitude of about 75ft. I held in full down elevator and the plane dove towards the ground. At about 15ft of altitude I went full up elevator and the plane again pulled up and stalled about 8 ft above the beans and then just dropped straight into the beans in a flat attitude. I found the plane sitting on it's gear in the beans with the main gear slightly sprung and a couple of minor dings on the top wing surface from the engine. The engine was found approx. 100ft away in the bean field. The engine hit the ground on it's side and bent one of the standoff bolts. The interesting thing is the prop. One blade was split right up the middle and the other blade was delaminated. This was a Xoar 18x6 laminated prop.

I know the engine was tight before the flight. I have put 12 flights on the Stick since the last time the engine bolts were installed. This was the 3rd flight with this prop on the plane. The prop blade that was split up the middle appeared to be from the impact but the delaminated prop blade looks alot different. Is it possible the blade started to delaminate during the flight? I did tach the engine before the flight and it was pulling 8700rpm on the ground.

I am still puzzled at how all 4 bolts could come loose enough that they would all completely back out in just a 5 minute flight. The prop was well balanced and there wasn't any excessive vibration during runup before the flight. All 4 bolts were thru the fiewall and into the stand-offs with washers and lock washers and thread locker.

Anyhow I feel very lucky to get the plane on the ground in one piece. I will get some new bolts and change the bolting of the engine to a more bulletproof method.
I will get some pics of the plane and prop later.
Anthony