Finding a lost plane  
View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Tower Hobbies
Enter up to 4 keywords or Tower stock numbers
Logged in as Guest



Users viewing this topic: none
  Printable Version
       


The JETLEGEND L-39 (3 COLOR SCHEMES) We now offer building & Special Paint scheme
Seller:  FlyingboyD
Details:   $2,600.00   |  8/16/2008   |  Classified Ad
We will rotate YOUR AD in this spot if you select "Forum Featured" when placing or editing your ad!

All Forums >> RC Airplanes >> Questions and Answers >> Finding a lost plane
Page: <<   < prev  1 2 [3] 4   next >   >>  

Login
Message << Older Topic   Newer Topic >>
Finding a lost plane - 5/7/2003 9:59:24 AM   
Grampaw


 

Posts: 496
Joined: 10/31/2002
From: Opelousas, LA, USA
Status: offline 		Some time back flying out of our horse pasture "testing" it's feasibility as a flying site, I lost the plane. I was flying a Sig Kadet with an old engine that should have been junked, but as most of R/Cers do, we run 'em till we can't. My pasture was adjacent to a 500 acre bean field, and yes, the Kadet went down in the beans when the old motor shut down. I knew I'd never find that Kadet before dark alone, and as God was busy I turned to the animal kingdom for help. We lived a half mile away, so I drove home and asked my youngest daughter to take a ride with me. Always ready to ride, she said "Let's go!" We saddled two horses and rode out into the beans. The horses had stronger and longer legs for the walking bit of the search, plus sitting up top on them gave us better vantage points. Cross ditches are cut throughout fields about 50 yards apart for drainage. We each took a cross ditch and rode a parallel tack across the area where the Kadet went in. We had visual with each other and could look down the rows from both ways. It took about 20 minutes to find the Kadet. It wasn't hurt. Plus I got to spend some quality time with my kid, the horses got exercise, and we were home in time for supper. By the way, we decided not to fly out of the pasture until after the beans were harvested.

(in reply to aeajr)
       Post #: 51

Finding a lost plane - 5/8/2003 10:05:21 AM   
visioneer_one



Posts: 2414
Joined: 12/12/2001
From: St. Thomas, VIRGIN ISLANDS (USA)
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by AEAJR
Now, if you had a plane locator in that plane, you could have saved youself a slog in the swamp....... blah blah blah.

See how boaring I can be? [/QUOTE]

Heh. I did put a plane locater in the *replacement* Zagi-EPP. I've put that one into the tall grass a few times... the pinger helped.

Odd. Because EPP foam absorbs sound so well you can barely hear the pinger if the plane goes in at an odd attitude, or inverted

(in reply to aeajr)
       Post #: 52

Finding a lost plane - 5/8/2003 4:26:48 PM   
aeajr



Posts: 5519
Joined: 1/14/2003
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Status: offline 		Hearing the locator

Glad to hear the locator has helped you find your plane.

I don't know which one you have, but can you put it on the outside of the plane? A couple had rounded shapes and could go inside or outside.

Another thought would be to open a couple of small holes in the foam so that the sound has a better chance of getting out. Or, if there are air vents for cooling the interior components, put the locator near the vents.

Just a thought.

_____________________________

Clear Skies and Safe Flying!
Ed Anderson
Moderator
Park Pilot Program Partner

(in reply to aeajr)
       Post #: 53

Finding a lost plane - 5/8/2003 7:22:41 PM   
visioneer_one



Posts: 2414
Joined: 12/12/2001
From: St. Thomas, VIRGIN ISLANDS (USA)
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by AEAJR
Hearing the locator

Glad to hear the locator has helped you find your plane.

I don't know which one you have, but can you put it on the outside of the plane? A couple had rounded shapes and could go inside or outside.

Another thought would be to open a couple of small holes in the foam so that the sound has a better chance of getting out. Or, if there are air vents for cooling the interior components, put the locator near the vents.

Just a thought. [/QUOTE]

I don't remember who made my pinger. Its a pretty simple device - it measures approx. 1.5"x.75" and has a big piezo beeper sticking up from the PCB.

I mounted the pinger in a shallow depression I carved in the foam. I made it just deep enough that the beeper was flush with the top surface of the wing, then I covered the PCB with some scrap foam and covered the entire wing.

After covering I cut a tiny hole just over the speaker to let the noise out.

Its plenty loud, but very directional - one time I muffed an inverted launch and landed inverted in the tall grass (pinger pointed at the ground). Between the sound-absorbing properties if the EPP foam, the tall grass and the soft ground I could just barely hear the pinger over the breeze!

(in reply to aeajr)
       Post #: 54

Yet another reason for smoke. - 5/12/2003 6:58:16 PM   
herc75



Posts: 37
Joined: 10/23/2002
From: Columbus
Status: offline 		Even when I am not in the mood for heavy smoke and a show. Anytime we have more than 2 models in the air at our field I usually fly with a light smoke (I hooked my smoke valve on my 91 4c to a knob for heavy/light flow) on. This makes the plane AMAZINGLY easier to track and spot for yourself and others.

Besides its so cheap and easy to set up using check valves and dubro on/off valve and bushing servo...why not.

Well unless its overcast.

Nick

(in reply to aeajr)
       Post #: 55

Finding a lost plane - 5/18/2003 9:50:06 PM   
Ian M Emery



Posts: 5
Joined: 12/8/2002
From: Remsen, NY, USA
Status: offline 		Well, Upstate NY has lots of trees but humans do the most damage. We lost one over the fence at a local high school and the thoughtful S.O.B destroyed it right before the kids eyes. So we found what we thought was a more isolated spot. Whilst we were it the woods on another recover caused by an overstressed spar, we returned to find all of our equipment was gone ! Everything! Radios, tools, they even took our last beer. Then there was the time I think I siezed one and it went down pretty far away. I liked the plane enough to put a sonic alarm locator in it. That day was sort of windy and we could here the buzzer but enedently someone else did also cause by the time we got there to the crash site it had been carted off. What is AMERICA comming to? Needless to say I now carry conceled and am considering a "silent" Direction Finder. P.S if anybody happens by one of downers Please think twice...I may have installed a claymore. And would rather get it myself.
}wJc{

_____________________________

Push me:Pull You

(in reply to aeajr)
       Post #: 56

Finding a lost plane - 5/19/2003 7:22:13 AM   
aeajr



Posts: 5519
Joined: 1/14/2003
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Status: offline 		If you want something that only responds when called, try the keyringer that I use on my aerobird. [url]WWW.Keyringer.com.[/url]

On a windy day it may only have a response range of about 30 feet, but on a quite day I can usually get about 100 feet of range. Often when I land the plane I try it just to see the range if I had lost it.

I mount it on the wing under the rubberbands.

_____________________________

Clear Skies and Safe Flying!
Ed Anderson
Moderator
Park Pilot Program Partner

(in reply to aeajr)
       Post #: 57

Finding a lost plane - 5/20/2003 7:36:08 PM   
hawkrider



Posts: 94
Joined: 11/17/2002
From: Richmond, VA, USA
Status: offline 		Yep lost a ultras stick in the swamp/briar patch/woods all rolled into one... tried three different times for a couple hours... no luck.. Had five flights on the plane..last tank of gas cause my 1 gallon can was empty... yep last flight alright... Fairly new 46FX engine.. okay I have a model tech magic 3d now..flys great... seriously considering the keyringer...
excellent idea...

(in reply to aeajr)
       Post #: 58

Finding a lost plane - 5/24/2003 3:08:14 AM   
GYANNI



Posts: 65
Joined: 10/20/2002
From: RESTON/, VA, USA
Status: offline 		At our field we don't have such a problem like looking around in search of airplanes.
We are surrounded by thousands of trees, acres of woods, but we always hit the same tree.
I'm not kidding.
About 10 months ago I had a dead stick and after a hour or so of searching we found the airplane 50 feet up on a tree. On the ground, right at the base of the trees, old pieces of balsa and plywood covered from monokote. A closer examination showed that they were not from the same airplane. At least two.
Last week: a guy had a dead stick, landed on the woods.
After a hour, he found the airplane. He said it was 50 feet up on a tree. We got some long sticks and went to help. I was the same tree I had hit months before. The airplane was sitting in the same branch where my airplane was sitting months before. I found more debris from other airplane on the ground, like if some other modeler hit the same airplanes during this 10 month period. Now, consider this.
This is not the tallest tree, it's as tall as the others.
It's way off the line you keep on final, and way off the base leg.
My airplane and the airplane of the other fellow, 40 size , where almost unharmed, so I cannot tell this tree hate us!
But still, I cannot explain why more than 2 people have his airplane landed on the same tree when there ore another 2000 available!
It save a lot of time in searching for the airplane, though.

(in reply to aeajr)
       Post #: 59

Finding a lost plane - 5/24/2003 7:53:54 AM   
green river rc



Posts: 870
Joined: 6/18/2002
From: Raywick, KY,
Status: offline 		I lost my first plane in the woods. (Cowboy .15) It was early evening and we searched for an hour. I suddenly realized the plane was still on, so I started moving the sticks as I walked. I could barely hear the servos moving In the distance. I walked right to it, and it was perched in top of a big ceder tree.
For all you non-squirrle hunting fliers out there, sound carries much better in the woods. Just ask anyone that hunts. If it ever happens to you try it, it's worth a shot!
I have seen 3 planes go down in the woods, and only 1 made it to the ground. DON'T FORGET TO LOOK UP!

_____________________________

With the parts left over, I'm going to build a motorcycle.

(in reply to aeajr)
       Post #: 60

Finding a lost plane - 6/10/2003 10:15:35 PM   
speedy3do


 

Posts: 48
Joined: 6/3/2003
From: beaverlodge, AB, CANADA
Status: offline 		Just thought I would add my $.02
When I was first learning I was like a lot of other folks and tended to fly a little to far away, anyway I did manage to lose one in a barley field, Myself and another flyer saw about where it landed and set out to retreive it. The barley was about 4ft high and had flattened spots from wind damage so this made it hard to find. After searching for about 3hrs and it was getting dark I thought I would turn the transmitter on to see if I could hear the servos, there was noise from a near by road that didnt help but you know I managed to track the servos sound and found the plane about 100ft past where we thought it went down. Now after that I also purchased a locator but never installed it, just dont fly that far away now. :

(in reply to aeajr)
       Post #: 61

Finding a lost plane - 6/11/2003 12:07:13 AM   
hawkrider



Posts: 94
Joined: 11/17/2002
From: Richmond, VA, USA
Status: offline 		Yep lesson learned... up nice and close is the key...

(in reply to aeajr)
       Post #: 62

Out Flying on the beach. - 6/11/2003 12:29:53 AM   
Tara*Starr



Posts: 20
Joined: 6/10/2003
From: U.S.A.
Status: offline 		I was out flying on the beach. It was a beautiful day, and I decided to test my good luck. BIIIIG MISTAKE!!! I started running out of fuel, and my dumb self decided to see if it could stay out longer, and fly it until it totally ran out , and it started to as I was about 50 out in the ocean. The engine totally shut off and it started falling. I of course started panicking, and it crashed in to ocean. I then even saw it get torn up by a progressing wave.


_____________________________

Max-"It needs wings."
Derik-"No it doesn't. It's perfectly fine on it's own."

(in reply to aeajr)
       Post #: 63

Finding a lost plane - 7/27/2003 6:24:27 AM   
aeajr



Posts: 5519
Joined: 1/14/2003
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Status: offline 		Started flying my Great Planes Spirit last weekend. My coaches have brrn teaching me how to launch from a hi-start and a winch.

Did a lot of practice hi-start launches today. Then I would come around the field and land. Just practicing.

One flight almost ended in disaster. I was coming around the field but I allowed the plane to over some woods and wanted to get it out of that area. Bad move. I stalled the plane and it went down in the woods. I was sure it was a kit plane again.

I was no more than 20 feet in the woods when I hear what I wanted to hear. Beep Beep ..... Beep Beep!.

I LOVE THESE PLANE LOCATORS. Heaven knows if I would have found it as it was not near a trail and could not be seen from a trail. Best $15 I ever spent!

_____________________________

Clear Skies and Safe Flying!
Ed Anderson
Moderator
Park Pilot Program Partner

(in reply to aeajr)
       Post #: 64

Finding a lost plane - 8/13/2003 10:14:26 PM   
airbatic