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Pitts crash - ouch that hurts - 7/14/2003 1:59:44 AM   
rfw1953



Posts: 1346
Joined: 7/9/2002
From: Hampton Cove, AL, USA
Status: offline 		Well, we never stop learning. This one was all my own doing. At our annual Big bird event I improperly used the radio impound procedures by not having the pin for the channel. Got the radio, but didn't get the pin. After the best take off I have ever had with this airplane, I was climbing out and then another pilot, using the proper impound procedures, by having the channel pin for the same channel I was on, turned his radio on to check out his airplane, while in the pit area. I took multiple hits and was fighting in and out of fail safe on a PCM RX. I lost control and went in hard. Plane is a total loss, but maybe the engine and the servos can be used in a future new Pitts project. Fortunately no one was hurt and I was the pilot with one in the ditch. This could have been very ugly....... Man that hurt........I really really liked this airplane. Moral to this story. Never turn on your radio without the channel pin. Gee, I know that......... Expensive lesson

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Good Luck and Good Flying,
Roger
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Pitts crash - ouch that hurts - 7/14/2003 2:16:41 AM   
Big_Bird



Posts: 3186
Joined: 12/18/2001
From: Arlington, TX, USA
Status: offline 		Roger, it takes a good man to admit all of that. I would be willing to bet that it will never happen to you again.

Ken

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Ken
WACO Brotherhood #70

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Pitts crash - ouch that hurts - 7/14/2003 2:28:07 AM   
TT2



Posts: 648
Joined: 3/19/2002
From: Osborn, MO, USA
Status: offline 		Roger, I know this comes a little late but have you ever considered flying on ham bands? The tests aren't very difficult...mainly antenna design and Ohm's law over and over again. It is certainly worth the trouble. I've been flying 50Mhz for almost ten years and have NEVER been hit. I almost never have to impound my radio at fly-ins because I'm almost always the only person there on 50Mhz.

Just something to consider. Sorry about the Pitts. On the bright side (if there is one), at least you didn't have several hundred hours invested in building it...I mean, that WAS a GP Pitts right?

-Tom

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As complexity approaches infinity, mean time before failure approaches zero...

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Pitts crash - ouch that hurts - 7/14/2003 9:43:57 PM   
MHawker



Posts: 2581
Joined: 3/1/2002
From: San Diego, CA, USA
Status: offline 		You're not alone

A fellow club member told me that he ran his Pitts (S2 Weeks Special) out of gas last weekend and it crashed into a tree and tore the wings apart.

This plane was one of the nicest big bipes I've seen. It was probably 10 years old and looked brand new. He is an expert pilot and admitted to "having so much fun flying around, I just forgot to check the timer".

It happens to the best of us.

_____________________________

Mike

Anyone know any good blonde jokes? I'll start- "There was this blonde customer service rep..... "

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Hey..... - 7/14/2003 10:44:12 PM   
Pugsley-RCU



Posts: 1081
Joined: 12/20/2001
From: Kennesaw, GA, USA
Status: offline 		I did the same thing the day before the INET FI.....

Flet real stupid at the time....but **** happens. I am just so glad I didn't shoot anyone down......and only tore up my stuff.....otherwise I would have flet much worse.....

Pugs


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Jon Uhler
aka. Pugsley - Battlefloydflyer

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Pitts crash - ouch that hurts - 7/15/2003 12:35:09 AM   
RightThrust



Posts: 396
Joined: 1/9/2002
From: Ocala, FL, USA
Status: offline 		My 40% Extra was almost lost for that same reason yesterday. There is a glider portion of the club behind the parking lot and there was a misunderstanding about pins and my plane and a glider we flying at the same time. My plane was going in and out of failsafe (throttle to idle) and it got down safely while STILL getting hard hits believe it or not, I am one lucky man. The glider also came out fine. Man what a wake up call...

-Kelly

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       Post #: 6

AUTOPSY: - 7/15/2003 1:00:40 AM   
ROGER RUSSELL



Posts: 948
Joined: 12/16/2001
From: Jacksonville, IL, USA
Status: offline 		I know this must hurt, BUT, how does the construction look after the AUTOPSY was performed.
Anything that us PITTS owners should look at, glue joints etc..................

Thanks
and once again
Sorry


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Remember to FLY HARD and LAND SOFT

(in reply to rfw1953)
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Pitts crash - ouch that hurts - 7/15/2003 7:40:17 AM   
rfw1953



Posts: 1346
Joined: 7/9/2002
From: Hampton Cove, AL, USA
Status: offline 		First of all thanks for the condolences from you guys. I am still frustrated with myself after this one. Like I said, still learning, thought this one was expensive.

Roro, good to hear from you. Funny you asked about an autopsy. Just before I went on line I performed the autopsy and took the picture below. The good news is that all the things we have heard about being problems held up very well. The engine took a beating by breaking off the spark plug and three cooling fins on the head. It appears she nosed in at an angle and then flipped hard on her back. The cabbane crumbled, but the all the connection joints held well. Take a look at the firewall picture below. Hows that for assembling for strength? Thanks for the advise on RCU about pinning, adding corner stock and then fiberglass to the firewall. The firewall didn't give or crack at all.

I had used stock hinges and brackets with no failure. This crash test proves that if assembled, per directions, the past points of failure will hold together very well. I had to break the wood before the hinges would give way. I did use an ample supply of CA when attaching all movable surfaces. No noticable joint problems at all.

I ordered a new Pitts this morning. I will be back, but I have to finish the Giles that I working on.

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_____________________________

Good Luck and Good Flying,
Roger

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       Post #: 8

Pitts crash - ouch that hurts - 7/16/2003 11:15:23 AM   
jack01



Posts: 808
Joined: 5/3/2002
From: Memphis, TN, USA
Status: offline 		I'd like to thank you all for putting on a great event. If this helps any, don't feel too bad about your plane going in though. There was a 33% and a 40% that both went in later on that day. Both were electronic falures though. The 33% went in at full power after one of the rudder servos shorted and dumped the battery system as it melted... The engine will fly again after some work by Desert Aircraft since it bounced about 100 feet, but the plane is in several million pieces.

The 40% had both reciever antennas fall out of their respective tubes in the fuse, and then it lost too much range and went in. All it needs is a new cowling, engine box, and landing gear though.


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Jack Estes

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Pitts crash - ouch that hurts - 7/16/2003 11:55:01 AM   
RCLIVIN



Posts: 721
Joined: 3/29/2002
From: Rayne, LA, USA
Status: offline 		Hey fellows:
I had a very bad experience this past week, my father passed away, we were very close, a few days after the funeral I decided to go fly my pitts. The g-62 was pulling great, it actually runs better every time I run it & I have in the neiborhood of 50 flights on this plane with no serious mishaps. I guess I shouldn't have gone flying yet, this close to my dads passing, when I came in to land I was not square with the runway, it was running @ an angle with the runnway & I ran it into a fence & had small amounts of damage to the top wing & fuse. It is easily repairable & I will repair it when I get in from offshore. I just felt like sharing this with you guy's. Don't go flying to soon after a traumatic experience.
Happy flying
Gil

_____________________________

MARRIAGE IS OPTIONAL, FLYING IS A
''NECESSITY''

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Pitts crash - ouch that hurts - 7/16/2003 5:26:54 PM   
awesome


 

Posts: 109
Joined: 4/4/2002
From: adelaide, AUSTRALIA
Status: offline 		Hey Gil , Leon from Australia . Read your post and wish to offer my condolences on the passing of your father. Hope your o.k. buddy.

(in reply to rfw1953)
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Pitts crash - ouch that hurts - 7/18/2003 3:15:57 AM   
rfw1953



Posts: 1346
Joined: 7/9/2002
From: Hampton Cove, AL, USA
Status: offline 		Jack,

I heard about the losses which happened after I left for the day. Honestly sorry to hear about them. You guys sure were flying the stew out of these big birds. A real 3D demonstration. Was glad to have you and sincerely appreciate you coming to visit us during our Big Bird event. Thanks for the nice comments about the event. Hope you will consider coming to the Alabama War Bird event as well.

Gil, very sorry to hear about your Dad. I lost my brotherinlaw last August after a short bout with liver cancer. It was very aggressive and took him in five months. Family is still hurting. Life goes on. It just takes a little while to realize it.

Glad to hear your Pitts wasn't damaged too bad. I ordered a new one and already looking forward to assembling this one even better.


_____________________________

Good Luck and Good Flying,
Roger

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RE: Pitts crash - ouch that hurts - 2/13/2007 3:21:52 PM   
topguntone


 

Posts: 6
Joined: 10/23/2006
From: swansea, UNITED KINGDOM
Status: offline 		read your thread on the web about your Pitts that you built and I was wondering if you could answer a few questions that I ahve.

I am looking to bolt my fuji 50 onto the firewall of the great planes pitts whiich I am building and I noticed when looking from above that the front flat section of the firewall is sloping off to the right and is not parallel to the back of the firewall. Is this correct and if so why is this. If this needs to be parallel, how do I remedy the problem and get it parallel to the front mounting face of the engine mounts onto the firewall at exactly 90 degrees to the plywood face? I would have thought that this mis alignment with the engine kinking off to the right would make the plane trun to the right? Just my logic.

http://images.fotopic.net/ylz32w.jpg
http://images.fotopic.net/ylz320.jpg

Did you drill a hole in the middle of the firewall to accommodate the drive shaft of the engine? In doing this did your fuji generate heat whcih would pass into the main fuselage?

how did you mount your wheel pants onto the stems. The instructions are very poor regarding this assembly section and so I was wondering how you did it? There is only one axle which extends into the wheel and other side of the pant, but the only thing holding the pant on is a nut on the stem side of the inner pant? Does not make sense to me somehow

How did you get around the mounting of the rear wheel in relation to the rudder?. ow did you set yours up?

Where can I get a pilot from to go in the cockpit?

did you fix a smoke machine to your plane? I got one just wondered how you fixed it up if you had one?

How did you manage to hide your upper wing ailron servo wires?

speak soon

tony

(in reply to rfw1953)
       Post #: 13

RE: Pitts crash - ouch that hurts - 2/13/2007 8:01:03 PM   
badazzbusa


 

Posts: 908
Joined: 12/12/2004
From: Mechanicsville, VA, USA
Status: offline 		Tony, I don't have this plane so can't answer all your questions. In regard to the firewall, it's angled for right thrust. Don't mount your engine (on all planes) to the center of the firewall. The prop shaft needs to come out the center of the cowl. With the engine mount angled to the right, the engine is mounted left of center on the firewall, with the engine left of center and the firewall angled to the right, it allows the prop shaft to be in the center of the airplane. Without the proper right thrust, the torque of the engine and prop will not allow the plane to fly perfectly straight. To check this, pull vertical and see if the plane climbs true. If the tail is left or right of center then your right thrust is off.
Generally, you can epoxy a small piece of ply in the wheel pant above the axle, cut a slot in the pant to slide over the axle, between the wheel and the gear. Drill a hole thru the gear and ply plate you epoxied. Remove the pant and install a blind nut in the ply. Install the pant back on th