marti314

My Feedback: (1)

I would like to know from those of you who have got to know the ground at high speeds why the planes crashed? Was it because you were trying to do too much with it, or is the task of landing the plane that difficult. I dont see how coming in at <20 mph on a trainer would make landing that difficult. I may be being ignorant and please correct me if I am because I am yet to take flight with my trainer, but can you guys give some advice of what to look out for in terms of WHY the planes crash?

Sawyer692-RCU

My Feedback: (6)

Mostly "dumb thumbs", meaning I should have gone left when I went right. My first crash was due to disorientation, second crash- spun a cub and couldn't get out in time, thrid crash- rolled too low to the ground, fourth- aileron servo pulled out. Thats it so far.......

Jim_McIntyre

In a word: Stall . Learn it (theory), practice it (at height) know the signs of it's approach and and avoid it when on approach.

Orientation is often a problem. you may have no problem when flying figure eights at height but, add the pressure of being low to the ground and it's amazing how quickly you can confuse left from right.

And, it's a controversial subject but, I feel you should be learning to use rudder to adjust your heading on approach. When airspeed is low, ailerons do cause tip stalls (another term to become familiar with ... at height of course).

As an instructor, I may take longer to graduate a student becasue I require them to explain and demonstrate these skills but, when I do, they don't make these mistakes (at least not without knowing what they did wrong).

Three

My Feedback: (2)

RC planes crash for the same reason as full scale planes. Pilot error, mechanical failure,lack of airplane upkeep & maintenance, weather(wind), act of god. Inexperience.

ajcoholic

My Feedback: (10)

I am a self taught RC flier (wish I could go back and get some help!) and it took me 5 years during my high school years, and countless planes untill I finally learned how to do it. After crashing MANY MANY planes for the following reasons:
1- takes off before flying speed reached, stalls and spins in
2- get disoriented with plane coming at you
3- loose it in the sun
4- WAY too windy, stubborness on my part
5- failure to set engine properly (too rich, or lean)
6- failure to be able to judge approach due to lack of landing attepts- another crash!

And more, I think that there are far too many reasons to list, why you can crash. Now that I am an experienced pilot and have also taught others in my club, I would have to say the most common problems are (1) overcontrolling and (2) failure to be able to judge approach and speeds.

As simple as you think it is, GET SOME HELP!!!! Liek I said, as a self taught flier, I can say with some help you can learn to fly in a summer, easily, and not crash your plane! Join a club, find a good teacher and if you can get some time in on a simulator. It helps!

Good luck and happy flying. This is such a wonderfull hobby you are entering into...

AJC

AirplaneDan98

In my experience, it's mostly dumb thumbs that takes my babies out. I've had over controlling and lack of right rudder on a rudder only plane give me some boo boo's to. The one I like the best is the one that wasn't my fault!! That's right, one out of ten wasn't my fault, lol. My elevator control rod snapped in flight. What a sight, lol. Diving, diving, diving. Faster, faster, faster. Oh well, life goes on. Dan

JohnW

My Feedback: (6)

I had a similar discussion with a flying buddy a few weeks ago. It started when Mr. I'm Hit put another one in due to another "radio hit"... funny, looked like he stalled an spun in to me.

I firmly believe that it is possible for anyone at any skill level to fly with crashes being a very rare event. I have managed over 200 flights this summer on my 35% with no flying incidents. And yes, I pushed the plane hard, 3D down on the deck, blenders, etc.

But that has not always been the case . In the past, I have crashed more planes that I can count. Most crashes were not when I was learning the basics. Instead there were when I was learning aerobatic and 3D moves. I'd say 95% of my crashes were due to pilot error and the other 5% was due to mechanical/electrical failure... however, if I had checked my equipment properly first, I could have avoided 95% of the mechanical/electrical failures.


The key to making crashes a rare event as I see it.

1. KNOW YOU LIMITS. Have fun and push the envelope, but know your limits. For new maneuvers and/or learning, get a spotter (or buddy box for beginners) and only try new maneuvers up high. Don't be embarrassed, the best pilots in the world use spotters.

2. MAINTENANCE. Keep your plane in prime operating condition at all times. DO NOT fly if your plane has a issue. Even the smallest mechanical/electrical issue can become major quickly in the air.

3. LEARN YOU PLANE. If something feels funny while in the air, you probably have a problem... LAND NOW and ask questions later. For example: I've had servo failures I could detect in the air. I remember a flight I had about a month ago... I suddenly detected adverse yaw when rolling. I remember thinking, "That's funny, my tail just kicked out a little during that axial roll." I immediately landed and found I stripped the gear train on one of my four aileron servos.

4. PREFLIGHT. Every plane, regardless of size, should be preflighted before EVERY flight. There are some things I check EVERY flight. Control movement, batteries, switches, engine and propeller attachment. There are some things I check once per session such as range, hinges, linkages and structural integrity. If you find something wrong, ground the plane. I know it is hard... you've fueled up and you want to fly sooooo bad... but you need to ground the plane.

5. DOING THE ABOVE IS BETTER THAN REBUILDING A PLANE. This is possibly the most important rule to remember, and was one of the hardest for me to learn. I've got the addiction bad... I need a flying fix about three times a week and I fly a minimum of three times per session. It is very annoying to drive 30 minutes to the field, 30 more minutes to unload and setup up only to find a small mechanical failure in my plane. Sure, it will probably be fine... NO! Don't think that way. Fix it! There is nothing wrong with field repairs as long as they are as good as what you could have done at home. I keep glues, extra bolts, gear trains, extra servo, etc in my flight box for this very reason.

Hope this is of some use to some.

Robby

My Feedback: (18)

I have to agree with Monkeyboy <gawd I love that nick>
WHOLEHEARTLY..
If I may add to his #1: KNOW YOUR LIMITS.. In addition to
what he listed, Just because you fly a hot type of plane, if
you are not up to it, 'fly down' for the day.. If you still have
your trainer, and feel the need to fly, but not up to a trick
plane, GO FLY YOUR TRAINER.. You will be surprised how
much fun you have doing so, and how much longer ALL
your planes last.. I know I do... :sunsmiley

Robby

blabree-RCU

My Feedback: (2)

Some of the things that have caused my planes to crash:
Learning curve
Failure to listen to experienced pilots.
Building flaws or techniques.
pushing the plane too hard.
FLUTTER which is the result of all of the above.
Disorientation
Radio equipment failure/interference/sloppy frequency control.

Never forget that some guy named Murphy invented R/C flying so he could have an unlimited source to draw his laws from!

Your radio has four axis of control for a reason, learn to use all four from the beginning, the rudder is your friend.

Crashes are inevatable, you will crash. Any one who says they dont is lying. But, you can minimize it by doing what you are doing in this forum. Ask questions, then listen to the answers and try to apply what you have learned to your specific situation.
The other side of the coin is: You will learn to fly and have a lot of fun and comradare with other guys or girls who enjoy the same thing.
There is nothing like the feeling provided by seeing your plane on it's maiden flight lift off and climb out then land in one piece. It is addictive, and wholesome.
Good luck.

blabree

Tattoo

I see flying R/C very much like water skiing. You could stay behind the boat, inside the wake as long as you wanted and be just fine...but sooner or later you're gonna jump that wake and test your limits, and the results are that you usually find them

Mike James

As listed above, lots of reasons for crashes. But...

Watch a bunch of RC videos in a row, and you'll find that the most common cause is the stall/spin/snap issue. On takeoff, people tend to yank the plane into the air. On landings, people tend to correct roll errors AND heading errors with ailerons, when rudder is a better choice. On go-arounds, people tend to jam the power on without applying rudder, and most planes will snap to the left under these conditions, even with full opposite aileron deflection. Even pilots who should know better, at top competition events, still occasionally panic and make these errors.

I always take my planes up and do a lot of slow flight at a safe altitude, to get a feel for how it stalls/spins/snaps. Fly at low throttle and hold full back elevator, controlling your rate of decent with throttle, and correcting against a wing drop with rudder. Do simulated go-arounds too, to see how the plane reacts when flying at stall speed, when the power is vigorously applied. Correct with rudder before ailerons. Note how much altitude is required to recover from all these situations, and remember that, when you're low. Planes can be stalled/spun/snapped from high speed too, using abrupt control movements, so check your aircraft for it's particular characteristics. Speed alone won't necessarily protect you from disaster, but it helps.

If you do this, and don't forget about it when you're low, your planes will last a lot longer.

Tattoo

There is one more thing that I have seen cause more crashes in the last couple years than everything else combined. That is taking off with the wrong model set on computer radios, resulting in reversed control surfaces.

visioneer_one

My Feedback: (506)

... the "One More Flight" issue.

NEVER say the words "I'll make one more flight with my xxx." If the plane hears you it thinks that you're planning on abandoning it, gets all despondent and commits suicide.

CHassan

My Feedback: (13)

All but one of mine have been a combination of poor judgment, and dumb thumbs. (in other words I thought I could!).The other was due to a pushrod disconnecting from a servo. All boil down to pilot error.
Pilot error is the largest reason for plane fatalities, however equipment, interference and god can play a roll as well.
The best way to avoid a noseplant is to make sure your p[lane is capable of what you ask it to do. Make sure your gear is all tested and retested, and test it periodically again. Radio interference is the hardest thing to avoid because that is the only time it is not your fault.

banktoturn

Marti314,

I have about 10 flights past soloing with a nice easy trainer. I think that if you start with a good trainer, have an instructor, and pre-flight your plane, you will have no serious crashes. You have a pretty good chance of a hard landing or two, with the accompanying scrapes and broken props. I think the bad crashes are more likely to come later, when you try to do more difficult things with a less forgiving plane. My experience with my Goldberg Eagle is that you don't need to worry about problematical aerodynamic events like tip stalls, which is part of what makes a trainer a trainer. I have always been a little skeptical about all the 'radio failures' that I hear about. I think the most common radio failure is a failure to make sure that receiver batteries are charged.

My 2 cents' worth is that if you are careful, you will fly your trainer for a long time with no major repairs.

banktoturn

SamD

New member, here.... Also, a relatively new solo pilot....

Knowing your limits would rank high on my list of things to watch out for (in addition to everything else). Within this category I would add fatigue. Fatigue, at least for me, has played a part in a couple of crashes. Maybe it's just me but when I fly, I find that it's mentally tiring and that I start getting sloppier as the day goes on. Knowing when to say "enough" and come back another day, when I'm refreshed, has helped me.

Sam

JohnW

My Feedback: (6)

Robby ("not up to it") and SamD ("fatigue") make a good point. There are days I receive taunting from the peanut gallery to push harder, go lower, etc. While the gallery knows I can push harder and go lower, some days I really don't have the zen feeling of being one with the plane, or I'm tired, or maybe the winds are just a little too gusty to be any lower, etc. Both Robby and SamD got it right... know when to stop flying (or change to a calmer plane), and when tone down your flying.

Someone mentioned experts. I'd have to agree that taking advice from experts is keystone in becoming better. The hard part is figuring out who is really the expert and who just likes to talk like an expert. At my club it took me about a year to figure that one out.

Vissioneer_one: That explains it!

marti314

My Feedback: (1)

I apprecaite everyones feedback in this forum. At the current time I am just getting my trainer all set for testing all the moving and non moving parts. I personally, having never flown RC before am quite excited about just the simple tasks of flying, and being very conservative, that I do not think I will push my limits for quite some time. Sounds to me that with proper training and knowing your limits you can keep your plane in flying condition without major crashes. A 3 dollar prop here and there is no biggy, I just want to avoid the crashes that render your entire plane unusable.

Jim_McIntyre

I find it's quite easy if you take the "show me, don't tell me approach. In my book, no one is an expert until I've seen them demonstrate the skill they profess. And I don't mean simply boring holes in the sky but precise maneuvers with evident speed control (and that's not just throttle management).

Tom Jones

My Feedback: (4)

Something that know one else has mentioned that may contribute to crashes, especially for newbies, but with experienced pilots also, is the intimidation of onlookers, causing loss of concentration or distractions. There are people that I feel very comfortable flying with or around, and others that I don't feel comfortable at all with. It's just the person. For example, I just started flying again after a 20 year layoff and solicited the help of a friend(pilot) that hs flown forever. No problems with intimidation. Another fellow in the same situation as I, no problems being around, yet another kid (16 years old) a really nice guy and a good flyer, I just feel nervous flying in front of. Several friends have expressed the same feelings. Something to think about

KCFlyBoy

My Feedback: (12)

1. Tail Heavy.
2. Too much control throw.
3. Not enough control throw.
4. To many turns on the spin not enough altitude.
5. To many flights not enough battery.
6. The trees just Grabbed it!
7. Man the ground came up fast.
8. Did not sell it before the crash came out.
9. New Glasses bad depth perception.
10. I Got it! I Got it! OH! $#!+ I don't Got it!!!
11. Who put the sun there!
12. Two objects can not occupy the same space with out both pilots needing to do some repairs.

Omurru

Yeah um knife edge soooo to close to the ground with a plane I only had a few flights on and yeah let go of the rudder, and nah I don't recomend it

Ummm when coming into land I reckon that the worst thing you can do is land short, though depends what ya runway is like, ours has trees at the end and then long grass all the way round.....

Flutterlick

If your worried about crashing on landing. Just remember that nobody is forcing you to land. You can always go around and try again. As long as you still have gas that is. Don't stuff an airplane because you think you have commited to landing it. Call it off sooner than latter if you think you wont make it.

A4HawkPilot

My Feedback: (3)

You will crashing your trainer, and I will put a guarantee on that. Landing is always the part that gets you, even on a buddy cord. You are so low that sometimes the instructor doesn't have enough time to pull it out. Turning on to final, lining up, and knowing when to flare is what always gets the new people. Even when they do get that down and are off the buddy cord there are always occasional slip ups. There is one thing that would save so many airplanes. A control surface check right before take off. When I was learning I took off once with the ailerons backward. I knew it right away and poof! From that day on EVERY TIME I pull on to the runway I STOP and move all the surfaces to check for proper direction and if it check out I hit the gas. This has saved $$$$$ in airplanes and it really comes automatically to me for every flight. I don't see why this is so hard for everyone else. I drill it in to everyone I teach.

Visioneer, I know the "One more flight" rule all too well. You got me thinking about how many airplanes I might still have if it wasn't for that!

Tom Jones, I think after you become comfortable with flying the airplane and it becomes second nature is when the jitters will disappear. I decided to give pylon racing and pattern a try this year and I know that before a competition my nerves are going crazy. When I am at a pylon race it slowly builds until I am at the start line where I am having a hard time keeping my fingers from shaking and my heart is beating right through my chest. All 4 airplanes are at the line with throttles wide open. All the pilots are at the ready waiting for the drop of the flag and the callers to release the airplanes. This is the point where I feel like I am ready to explode. But then a funny thing happens..the flag drops and I'm flying. I am calm, cool, and collected and my well practiced laps are perfect time and time again. I don't hear the other airplanes or callers yelling "TURN!" All I hear is my own caller and my own airplane. Before I know it my caller tells me the race is over, I just got 1st place, and its time to land. As soon as I am back on the ground then it all comes back, I'm shaking, and my heart is racing. It goes the same for pattern. I am sooooo nervous but soon as my airplane breaks ground it all shuts off and I turn into a robot. I think of nothing else. Its like I turn into a different person. Soon as I land and shut down then its back to being myself. I think I have just been flying so long that just FLYING the airplane is what calms me down. I have seen many people at the races who just can't get the nerves under control and they are all over the damn place. Or at a pattern meet and the guy is so nervous its being translated into stick movements and his flight looks horrible. I don't really have a problem with people watching me fly. I am the only person at the club that owns jets and you bet when I am ready to fly everybody else lands and gathers around for the flight. I look at it as a way to show what your made of.

Anyway, glue is dry, back to the shop!