Molnar142

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Anyone happen to video the last flight of my 1:6 scale F-16?
It occurred on Friday (12th) around 5.

RCKen

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Do you have a picture of your F-16?? I shot video of several F-16's, but I don't know if one of them was yours.

Ken

Molnar142

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Mine is the same scheme as B1 Bob's but I have no tail markings. His has "SP" on the vertical.

Smitty caught this picture of it on its last takeoff...

Thanks,
Mike

AndyAndrews

Mike,

I missed it. What happened?

RCKen

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Mike,
I'm sorry. I don't have any footage of that plane. Sorry.

Ken

smchale

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Mike,

So sorry to see you lose this F-16. Kris and I were sitting on one of the pick-up trailers during that flight and moments before we were marveling about just how well it was flying and how you seemed to really be enjoying the model. It looked very authentic. Perhaps that was the kiss of death right there. [&o]It appeared you had control in one of the stabs let go? It was truly gut wrenching to see.

It was great to meet you and pit with you for the first few days. I have no doubt you'll be back next year with another F-16 or equally impressive jet.

Roger Shipley

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I also missed it MIke......WHAT HAPPENED.....man you had what humpteen flights on that Falcon ! ! !

Molnar142

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Sean,

Thanks for the kind words. It was a pleasure to finally meet you after reading your articles in RCJI. I'm also sorry about your F-104. That is still one of the most impressive 104's I've ever seen. I really hope we can see her fly again some day.
Perhaps you, Kris and the Cincy Jet guys can pit next to each other next year. Speaking of Kris, I can't believe how often and well he flys that F22. I swear every time I see him fly it I want to call Shaun Evans up and order one! Truly impressive.

Sean and Andy,

I know I'll never know for sure what caused the crash but based on how it reacted and from other eyewitnesses, it seemed to indicate a stab problem. At the crash site, the right stab shaft was severely bent but still connected in the clamp/control horn. The left stab while also having a bent shaft was some 10' away from the aft end of the fuse. Interesting to note, when I was removing the right stab it didn't seem all that tight...not anywhere near as tight as I remember tightening it during the build. Probably the most telling however is the ID of the left control horn. It was clearly galled and all of the black paint was worn off. This was not the case on the right side where almost all of the black paint was present.
In the end, I suspect that the two allen bolts that apply the clamping force on the stab shaft had loosened up and allowed the shatft to turn within the tolerance provided between the slot in the shaft and a steel pin that serves to reset the stab position when removing and reinstalling. This play allowed the stab to flutter slightly eventually allowing it to work its way out. Once the end of the stab shaft slot cleared the pin it was game over. I didn't loctite these bolts because I wasn't sure if I wanted to be able to remove the stabs for transport. I should have still added a third locking feature like a set screw into a detent in the shaft and checked the tightness. My error.
:-(

I'm really glad no one got hurt or caused a fire. Never again will I fly any jet (foam or otherwise) that doesn't have a positive captive locking feature on the stab shafts.

Molnar142

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Nope, this was my big (1:6 scale) F-16. It was on its 7th flight. So cost per flight was..err don't even want to think about it.

My 1:8 scale Cermark F-16 is still doing well. Over 700 flights on it now between Terry Jacobs and myself. Need to send the little P60 in for its third bearing change after Michigan Jets!

Gary Szetlak

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Why does it seem that the beater planes fly forever and our pride and joys don't? Sorry she went in. See ya'll at Michigan.
Gary

gunradd

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Mike we for sure need to pit close next near! Sean is right I feel like the crash was our fault. I was like dam Mike is tearing it up with that F16 flying it very scale like! Then about 1 second later I saw it heading down. Almost positive you lost control of one stab. When I saw you try and pull up the plane rotated like it had another aileron.

Thnx for the compliments on the 22. One guy I talked too at Kentucky ordered one the week after the event and we have been talking on the phone helping him with the build.

Are you going to do another big F16?

afterburner

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Is that a Fei Bao?

Marty

Molnar142

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So true Gary. Why is that???[&o]

Kris- thanks for the compliments on my flight as well. Nobody's fault but mine. I should have thrown an allen wrench on those bolts...I'm still kicking myself over that.
As you probably can tell, I love F-16's. So yea, I'm sure I'll do another but it won't be before my Yellow F-18 is done. Im also going ahead with my favorite military plane of all time, the F-15, and going to build a 1:7 scale Fei Bao. I already purchased a P200SX powerplant for it.

Marty- it was an early Jet Legend.

Mike