mikes68charger

My Feedback: (34)

Am I the only one who has a big pity party after they crash there favorite jet?

I haven't crashed in a year, but after today I feel like I shouldn't even be flying again.

I'm more low budget than most of you guys, but I got my dreams jet last chistmas. Skymaster F86 with P80.jetcat

I have been having issues with the nose gear getting stuck on the big door behind the nose wheel.
Well I finally fixed it, (put that door on its own valve)

Today took it out for a test flight, while getting it ready the door on the nose gear broke,( its attachment to the strut and acts as a air brake. I thought no biggy I didn't drive all the way out here to just go home.

Today there was no wind vs every day since I moved to IL 4 months ago. I got the gear to work for the first time and feel in love with this jet, or acted my Scale Master pattern. Amazing

Go to land like the other times and she just blows right buy, major overshot. So next attempt I go farther out pull the power all the way back and glide her in, she was going to land towards the end of the runway, I thought I have never landed it that bad and floored it, but I was only 5 feet up, (I fly on a huge Sod/grass farm) no trees except for the 4 3ft tall bushes next to the creek, that I hit as it too so long for the motor to spool back up.

It was all my falt, my pride in making nice landings, my being cheap and not getting a better / newer fast thottle response motor bit me.

I love fiberglass repairs but this is to far gone I need a new fuse and left wing, I was told by my boy Skymaster will not sell me these parts that I will need t o get a new jet without - retracts, pipe, tanks.

It's going to take me 4 months to come up with the $ due to the holidays, I'm so disappointed I feel like I should not be aloud to anymore, Ashamed

How do you guys feel after a crash (if you guys do)

One guy who helped me carry it back said I thought jet guys never crash......

sailing1

My Feedback: (134)

Happens to all of us, well at least to all of the guys that I know that fly jets or anything else with some assigned value. Always seems strange to me that crashing a couple of relatively cheap foam models doesn't have the same shock factor.
For me, I just have to wait a few days and get over being miffed at myself. After that you just have to formulate a plan to get back in the air with a new model or start looking for whatever you need to get your baby back in the air.

FalconWings

My Feedback: (57)

I no longer love my jets..........makes it easier to let go.

What does get to me when I lose one, is the amount of time, bullcrap, and actual work to buy another one, build it, rebuild it, test it.........overwhelms me. For every hour I put on my jets, I easily have to put 5X on my family. You know, take em to Chucky Cheese, Shopping, Fix crap around the house, cook, go to playground...........just so that I can get an hour by myself in my garage.

.......hence the reason I really prefer to buy RTF second hand models from RCU. (as I will never.........ever........pay PNP prices for cheap chinese labor at US profit margins).

David

rhklenke

My Feedback: (24)

Have you talked to John at Skymaster? I put my Xtreme Jets F-4 into a tree (turbine problem, but I should have landed two circuits earlier) and John is hooking me up with just the main fuselage section and the wings - for much less than the whole kit...

Crashes suck, but the only way not to crash is not to fly...

Bob

Len Todd

Jet Guys don't crash??? We have had 4 go down at our field this year. Stuff happens!

DrScoles

My Feedback: (18)

I dumped two $10K+ warbirds within a month this year. Stings. Like David alluded to, for me, its more the time lost. Two little kids at home, I get minutes at a time not hours in the shop. It sounds contrite, but it is "part of the hobby." I bought a jet about ten years ago. Built it, had it all ready to fly. Sold it. Wasn't ready mentally to absorb the financial hit at that time in my life. You have to be in the position that crashing one of these things doesn't make you mental!


And Mike, it is a horrible way to learn, but I bet you never do it again.... Both the warbird crashes were my fault, and I feel like an idiot. It will not happen again ;-)

Dr Honda

My Feedback: (4)

Sorry to hear about the loss. But as the guys above said... stuff happens. The last event I was at... there was 2 major crashes. (Basically, nothing left) So, yes... jet guys crash. I even lost one last year. Fortunate for me... it was kind of low speed, and the damage was only airframe. Also... the year prior... I lost my favorite gasser. (A Frenzy 100 with a 20cc engine) The funny thing is... when I crashed my jet... I kind of laughed it off. When I lost my (cheap) Frenzy... I was crushed. I had it for 7~8 years, and it had hundreds of flights. It was like loosing a good friend.

I know it takes it out of you when a crash happens... but it's just part of this hobby.

I don't think I have any real words of wisdom to make you fee better, but I know exactly how you feel. Maybe, just take a step back... gather your thoughts... and go out and fly a bunch of mini-foamies. The E-Flight stuff flies amazingly well... and they carry a ZERO worry level. For me... they are great for warm-ups, and just getting the confidence back. (FYI, the little Habu is just a hoot. The new F16 isn't as much fun)

CARS II

My Feedback: (7)

It happens then we get out of it and back on the saddle, I lost two jets the same year, it still hurts to think about it, first one, I think a flap servo gave up on down wing ( maybe ) second totally my fault, went too far away, lost orientation.


Davis is right, you got to stop loving your jets to some degree in order to keep flying without fear, I know.

It will pass, fly something different, regain your confidence then get back with the program.

invertmast

My Feedback: (23)

I look at crashes as a learning experience. I look at it and go "what Should i have done that would or prevented it". Most of the time i have had crashes its bc of one thing.. I was so worried about flying when the model was saying no (something wasnt as it should of been). Now, if my model isnt how it should be, i dont screw with it at the field for hours trying to get it up and running, it goes back into the vehicle and the backup gets flown.

Gary Szetlak

My Feedback: (13)

Like FalconWings said "don't love your planes" I have loved my FBJets Panther since day 1, and that plane has always hated me back. It if it wasn't an engine problem it was a gear or gear door problem, always something. It got to the point where I pulled everything out and just let it sit. Well last winter I got it back together, sorted out the gear put in a reliable engine and got it back out. There were still a few minor things that came up and after a day here and there at the field I got those sorted out. It took until the end of September when I felt everything was good to go. Took the plane to an event in September had a perfect take off and 1 lap of the field later WHAM straight in no warning just lost radio and she went in COMPLETE AND TOTAL DESTRUCTION! everything destroyed I couldn't even determine what was the ECU and what was the reciever. Worst crash I have had. I guess the Panther decided to comit Suicide rather than go home with me one more time. Moral of the story **it happens. It's part of the hobby, it's why flying a simulater is no fun. Take a deep breath step back and remember why you decided to fly jets in the first place. I for one feel your pain, and I hope you get back in the fight.

raron455

My Feedback: (38)

Well Mike,,,,
Sorry you lost your bird,,It sux,,I hate hearing about modelers losing their planes, and I had losing one myself. I have lost two jets,, one my fault, the other due to an elevator servo going out. Either way it is really depressing. I do as Thomas says, I try to learn from it,,and I can tell you now, if ANYTHING is not right I DONT take off, but the truth is stuff happens, I learn from every flight,, I can tell you this,, READING YOUR POST,, you are fine, you already know how long its gonna take to buy a new one, which is great, Don't let it knock you down, get right back on it, and keep on flying.


Now to answer your question, keep your calm, pick the pieces up, make a plan to rebuild or repair, get the jet home, explain to the wife, then when you get time,
Cry, just a little, don't go sobbing, and throwing yourself on the jet screaming why,, just a lil crying,, nobody will know unless they sneak and take a pic,,,
How I Looked after loosing my 1/6 f16
~

Terry Holston

My Feedback: (1)

A couple of years ago my engine did a pop and a puff of white smoke and I thought I had a flame out on my KingCat. I called dead stick and set up quickly for a landing. needless to say was too low too fast and landed long. bounced a couple of times went over a small ditch and planted the nose thru a fence at he end of the field. Messed up the landing gear and ruined the nose cone. Busted the fuse and the front formers. When we got to the site of the crash the engine was still running. What???? I called BV and three days and 500 bucks later I hand all the parts I need to fix it. i have over a hundred flights on it since.
Moral..................Mess ups happen! Bite the bullet and fix it.

sherlockshah

My Feedback: (1)

I had a mishap yesterday on the skymaster f16 1/6th scale. The stupidest thing happen i was about to land and u know i fly with a tray for the radio. The stupid 8000 2s battery develcro and fell off the tray and disconnect the radio
No control the plane went in. But because i was going to land the throttle last input was down and little left on the bank. It actually crash landed on 5 feet tall grassy bushes. I got so lucky and the engine was still on. So quickly put the battery back the radio and shut the motor down.
Damage front intake duct, mounting plate for retract, and the plastic for the canopy.
People thought i was the lucky guy in the world to get the plane back in one piece. It could of been alot worse as in catch on fire etc..

Hopefully my friends will get it back up for next year

mikes68charger

My Feedback: (34)

Thanks guys, I just got my quote for $1850 with shipping, Told the wife, she cant belive the shipping is $450. I told her that is why I usly buy 2nd hand from my boys. LOL While my boy order this jet, but got scared to fly it, it was my first New only me fly jet so it was important to me. Its odd, I have a FEJ 1/7 F16 that I had very low exspectations for, it was at a great price (Free) and if it ever gose in, I will lose less $ than the replacement F86 will cost me. I am glad the turbine and all the other parts are good to go.

Ill move on, Unitill I get the $$ I got a Zirol Panther that needs built...

Thanks Im glad Im not the only one, the thought that once you are a jet poilt you should not be chrashing was really beating me up...

JSF-TC

My Feedback: (2)

What is so very wrong here.........?????

essyou35

My Feedback: (11)

I don't normally say this, but how many jets have you lost in the last 2 years? Isnt it like 2 or 3? Not trying to be a jerk just hear me out.

The reason I ask is that if you have crashed as much as I am thinking, you may want to take a step back and see what you can do to prevent more crashes. Anyone can lose 1 quickly for whatever reason, but more than 1 is a bit much IMO and may require re-evaluation. If I am incorrect please ignore, Im not keeping track I just remember you have popped up a couple times with threads like this.

Flying jets is not hard, landing them can be. The challenge as you now know, is knowing how much energy your jet is carrying from way far out. Too fast you blow by, too slow and you crash into bushes. On short runways that are typically at clubs, this is the greatest challenge. Many jet guys have very long runways and can get away without much energy management. How long is your runway?

On the good side,
YOU build/assemble your jets.
YOU fly them.

That's respect in my book, too many are too chicken to fly their own stuff or pay someone to build them. Also an f-86 is one of the harder to land due to the dutch roll so props there.

Perhaps telemetry would help? Something that can give you speed?

essyou35

My Feedback: (11)

The 2s lipo would be for the radio.. The turbine should have shut off if set up correctly. AKA Fail safe. Im guilty as well.


QUOTE=JSF-TC;12110420]What is so very wrong here.........?????[/QUOTE]

sherlockshah

My Feedback: (1)

I have had 66 flights with this jet. This was just a odd fluke. Ive had this set up for two years. The 14mz has poor factory battery life. I modified to use a 8000mah pack so dont have to charge as much. As stated things happen and am fortunate no one got hurt. Also got the jet home in one piece a miracle in itself. Just need to fix the intake duct.

jws_aces

My Feedback: (33)

Mike I feel for you....I had a Land and Burn event. MAN it SUCKED.. but I guess I am in love :0) cause I am doing it again.

Oh yea that was my second one I lost this year. The first was a Crash and Burn F4...Dumb move. I am pretty sure the Gyro was backwards on the rudder. I should have never flown it for the first time with the Gryo hooked up much less not disabled. I had it preset and setup like the previous owner.

No i don't own a money tree. i just work my butt off to be able to enjoy this hobby also the great time of hanging out with the guys and gals that we meet at different events and places.

Live and learn. That is why I like flying the models. You still live

why_fly_high

My Feedback: (19)

I have become a firm believer in airspeed telemetry. I started using it on my jet after using it on some UAV's I was testing. It makes a night and day difference in consistency. It helps in general but one place that is really helpful is on final and things get slow. Ho many times have you started to get slow, hit some power, and then go flying by too hot? With the airspeed sensor you can tell you are getting slow sooner and can just bump the power and then get out of the power sooner knowing what is going on. I don't know about everyone else but on a flat final with the plane coming straight at me I can't see the difference of 5 miles an hour but with the sensor I can tell the difference.

mikes68charger

My Feedback: (34)

Your right, I have had some issues landing a Byron F16 conveted to turbine, and I have "Crashed my Carf Rookie" like 6 times, that thing was a beast! LOL Every time it was becouse I got into a flat spin I could not get out of. So No more 3d For me, Im sure the real root of that problem was lack of thrust, as a P120 putting out 27 pounds is not enogh to pull it out of the situwations I got into. But to its credit, every time it flat spin in there was hardly if any damage even the time I lost into the lake.

I was actuly trying to do exsactly what you said, I know Im still new in this hobby and very excited only been fly a l little over 4 years or so. When I show up to the feild I usly have at least 3 turbine jets and 2 war birds with me, as when I first started this hobby flying was not just fun, it was very hard for me to get more than 4 hours a week (only 3 weeks a month, as Im in the Army and have to work one weekend a month) at the feild and I could not stand showing up with 1 jet and something go wrong and not even get a flight in.

They guys I fly with were telling me that I have to many planes, and that I bring to many to the feild that its got to be impossable to keep up with the service of all these things and keep up with how diffrent there set ups may be and that I rarely fly the same plane from one weekend to the next that I must make it hard to get real confortatble with any one flyer.

And Im finily at a point I think they are right, I relized I had more jets than motors, and heck 2 years ago I didn't even think I could aford one jet now I have 4 flying (now) and 2 in the build stage all with there own motors. I have been trying to decied what planes/jets I could get rid of to try to get my whole fleet down to say 5 really really nice planes vs the 13 or so large ones I have now (my smallest jet will be the Ziroli Panther and all my war birds are Gaint Scale) Im not trying to say I got a lot of stuff, but somewhere in my desire to learn to fly and seeing all the cool stuff others were fly and wanting the same I have gotten carried away. Heck I cant belive I just got the rest of my parts in for my 138in B17 Im building when I hardly fly my Big B25 as Im always flying jets it seems. It just seems so hard to look at your fleet and figure out, if you were to go down to 5 planes wich would stay and wich would go. As I love my war birds, jets, 33% bird, and kit built scale birds for when I compet in NASA scale.

Sorry for the rant, but its kind of a slap in the face when you lose one of the birds you always really wanted and in the end realize it may not have crashed if I was not so carried away with all my planes to.

Kim Couturier

My Feedback: (120)

curious as to where you bought the jet, that they couldn't get parts?? wouldn't be chief aircraft by chance?

mikes68charger

My Feedback: (34)

I got it directly from my boy who got it directly from Skymaster, I have never bought a jet new, He was the one telling me that Skymaster would not want to sell me just a fuse and wing as it will be to much work for them. I sent Andy an email today asking if he would sell just a fuse and wing, but I have to wait and see what he says. My boy emailed him for a completly new kit with out all the internal goodies, retracts, pipe etc and the price was $1850 shipped.

So I guess I should ask has anyone got a replancement fuse and wing from Skymaster before?

The good thing is this paint skeem dose not have any color that gose from the fuse to the wing so there is no worry of the paint lines maching up with new and old parts.

rhklenke

My Feedback: (24)

Yes, as I said above, Skymaster (John) is building me just a new fuselage center section and two wings for my Xtreme Jets F-4. The unpainted parts (I want to repaint it myself) were $1300 vs. $2500 for the full kit. My parts are coming via Chief Aircraft in their next container - it is saving me some $'s on shipping...

Bob

[email protected]

My Feedback: (1)

when you crash dont worry just get another one and go right on>if you want to be with the big boys you pay for it