Tree - 1, Bronco - 0
03-27-2006, 08:55 PM
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Tree - 1, Bronco - 0
Question: What do you get when you try to fly through a tree?
This happened Sunday morning, around 8:45. I was flying at the local community college, an absolute beautiful morning, next to no wind, crystal clear air, brilliant sunshine and very blue sky. I was alone or so I thought. Until the jogger made the turn from Main St.
I really did not intend to stare but what was going on under that jogging suit was just too interesting to ignore. It wasn't until the OV10 was slightly behind me when I regained my senses.
I turned to follow the plane and ended up looking directly into the sun. It was at that very instant I knew she (the plane) was a goner. Full throttle, hard right, full up elevator. Just missed the corner of the church but not the tree.
There she was (the plane, not the jogger) about 35 feet off the ground, the aerial snarled in some branches, wing broken in half, lots of other damage. The jogger was an eigth of a mile from me at this time.
Knowing full well I wasn't about to climb the tree to retrieve the plane, I headed for home. Later, I made two trips to the field, hoping the wind would have dislodge the plane. No luck on that.
This morning I went back to ECC. She (the plane) was still in the tree; alas, the jogger was no where to be seen. I drove over to the maintenance building and explained my plight to Marty, an ECC employee (he and I have had many conversations about R/C over the last few years). We drove to the scene of the crime and Marty decided it would be "no problem". We agreed to meet at 4:00 PM after his shift ended.
At 4:00 PM, Marty arrived with an aluminum extension ladder and three 10 foot lenths of 1.5" aluminum tubing plus a roll of duct tape. In 15 minutes, she (the plane, not the jogger) was on the ground. Well, almost all of the plane. The 2S2P LiPo battery is still in the tree, one vertical stab and the canopy are MIA.
I don't know what did more damage; flying into the tree in the first place or Marty poking it with the aluminum pole. Or perhaps it was the final twenty foot drop to the ground.
The good news (for me) is the receiver, speed control and servos function just fine. One motor seems to be OK, the other has a bent shaft. The bad news is I lost an $80 battery. Well, maybe not lost as I know exactly where it is. I just can't get to it. That plus the air frame is trashed. Plus I never did see the jogger again.
This happened Sunday morning, around 8:45. I was flying at the local community college, an absolute beautiful morning, next to no wind, crystal clear air, brilliant sunshine and very blue sky. I was alone or so I thought. Until the jogger made the turn from Main St.
I really did not intend to stare but what was going on under that jogging suit was just too interesting to ignore. It wasn't until the OV10 was slightly behind me when I regained my senses.
I turned to follow the plane and ended up looking directly into the sun. It was at that very instant I knew she (the plane) was a goner. Full throttle, hard right, full up elevator. Just missed the corner of the church but not the tree.
There she was (the plane, not the jogger) about 35 feet off the ground, the aerial snarled in some branches, wing broken in half, lots of other damage. The jogger was an eigth of a mile from me at this time.
Knowing full well I wasn't about to climb the tree to retrieve the plane, I headed for home. Later, I made two trips to the field, hoping the wind would have dislodge the plane. No luck on that.
This morning I went back to ECC. She (the plane) was still in the tree; alas, the jogger was no where to be seen. I drove over to the maintenance building and explained my plight to Marty, an ECC employee (he and I have had many conversations about R/C over the last few years). We drove to the scene of the crime and Marty decided it would be "no problem". We agreed to meet at 4:00 PM after his shift ended.
At 4:00 PM, Marty arrived with an aluminum extension ladder and three 10 foot lenths of 1.5" aluminum tubing plus a roll of duct tape. In 15 minutes, she (the plane, not the jogger) was on the ground. Well, almost all of the plane. The 2S2P LiPo battery is still in the tree, one vertical stab and the canopy are MIA.
I don't know what did more damage; flying into the tree in the first place or Marty poking it with the aluminum pole. Or perhaps it was the final twenty foot drop to the ground.
The good news (for me) is the receiver, speed control and servos function just fine. One motor seems to be OK, the other has a bent shaft. The bad news is I lost an $80 battery. Well, maybe not lost as I know exactly where it is. I just can't get to it. That plus the air frame is trashed. Plus I never did see the jogger again.
03-28-2006, 07:07 AM
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RE: Tree - 1, Bronco - 0
"I really did not intend to stare but what was going on under that jogging suit was just too interesting to ignore."
And you deserve everything that happened from that point on.
Dr.1
And you deserve everything that happened from that point on.
Dr.1
03-28-2006, 10:57 AM
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RE: Tree - 1, Bronco - 0
Dr1DriverYu are correct. I got what I deserved...
Piper
Not of the jogger but this is what the Bronco looked liked afterwards...
Piper
Not of the jogger but this is what the Bronco looked liked afterwards...
04-17-2006, 07:02 AM
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RE: Tree - 1, Bronco - 0
After visiting the offending tree everyday for a few weeks, my perseverance was rewarded.
One morning last week, after a night of high wind, I stood at the base of the tree, looking for my LiPo battery. It was not in its usual perch about 35 feet above the ground. I searched the grass around the tree, figuring I would find the battery, probably ballooned out. If nothing else, I wanted to retrieve so some unsuspecting lawn mower operator would not hit it and have some sort of problem.
Lo and behold, there it was, about 15 feet away from the base of the tree, opposite the side the plane went in. Other than one end buried about an inch into the soft mud, it did not seem to be any worse for wear.
Once home I checked each cell using the TANIC tap. They all were within .03 v of eachother. I set the charger for 0.4 amps and proceeded to recharge the pack very slowly. The pack took the charge with no problem and I've been using it since.
So, other than the loss of the plane, I guess I came out of this in pretty good shape.
One morning last week, after a night of high wind, I stood at the base of the tree, looking for my LiPo battery. It was not in its usual perch about 35 feet above the ground. I searched the grass around the tree, figuring I would find the battery, probably ballooned out. If nothing else, I wanted to retrieve so some unsuspecting lawn mower operator would not hit it and have some sort of problem.
Lo and behold, there it was, about 15 feet away from the base of the tree, opposite the side the plane went in. Other than one end buried about an inch into the soft mud, it did not seem to be any worse for wear.
Once home I checked each cell using the TANIC tap. They all were within .03 v of eachother. I set the charger for 0.4 amps and proceeded to recharge the pack very slowly. The pack took the charge with no problem and I've been using it since.
So, other than the loss of the plane, I guess I came out of this in pretty good shape.
