Spiritwind

My Feedback: (44)

Hey all, I tried to maiden my newly built Top Flite. P47 and had a crash.

I've been flying for more than 30 years but have just got into warbirds. My P47 rolled out very nice and straight, as it started to lift off
it gradually started turning left and didn't come back. I tried full aileron to the right and nothing. It struck the ground with the left wing and broke the cowl with small damage to rudder and wing. Fixable, but I'm very perplexed as to why it did what it did.

I double checked every thing before take off so I know the controls and radio were working fine.

Any suggestions?

Ram-bro

My Feedback: (101)

did you take off with speed? sounds lke a low speed snap. have flown mine and they will take off on ther own once they have the airspeed. A common problem wth warbrds or warbird pilots is not having enuff airspeed on takeoff or landing

Check6

My Feedback: (427)

Sounds like you didn't have enough flying speed when you broke ground. You must use the rudder!!! Engine tourqe will tend to want to roll the plane to the left. You have to control direction with rudder input not aileron and don't horse the plane off the ground . Let it climb gradually. Sounds like a classic snap roll, too slow and too much elevator. Very common mistake with new Warbird pilots. Ask me how I know. LOL
Thanks,
Fred

Ram-bro

My Feedback: (101)

ok Fred, How do you know?lol

Check6

My Feedback: (427)

Hi Tony,
When I was learning how to fly warbirds , I was self taught. The only thing that survived my crashes were the fin and rudder. I used to hang them up in my workshop as a reminder. I had quite a collection. LOL That's how I know.
Were you reading my mind?? LOL Here are some samples. I did get better at it through the years.
Fred

Spiritwind

My Feedback: (44)

You may be right but I used the whole length of the runway and it came up gradually, it didn't hop up. Powered with a OS 91fx.
Will repair but I would really like to not repeat again.

Ram-bro

My Feedback: (101)

its not the length of the runway, its the speed. Whats the old saying? what are 2 useless things to a pilot? Runway behind you and airspace above you I think is how it goes. So if you had airspeed and it was climbing, did you verify everythng was hooked up correctly? Its happened to the best of.....us and the worst of us

2walla

My Feedback: (10)

Are you sure it wasn't something radio or equipment related? I flew my tf p47 for years and it had no bad tendancies. It met its demise deadsticking into a telephone pole after i ran it out of fuel on a low inverted pass. Mine would take off practically by itself.

IFLYRC-RCU

My Feedback: (28)

Of course .. maybe obvious - check for corrrect throw directions.

I have seen that too many times, even with an experienced pilot ....[:@]

Myself "almost" included !

BobH

My Feedback: (2)

I had the same plane many years ago. It was heavy, glassed and painted but flew well. Our field wasnt the longest but the plane had plenty of speed to fly. My engine was an OS 61, if I recall. Nothing super powerful.
Low speed stall, maybe and maybe not. The jug has such a large wing and a thick airfoil it provides plenty of lift. I'm in the camp that look farther into the details of your set up.

Luft-Gangster

Aileron / rudder mix. Turn it on for take off and landings untill you learn to use the left hand for rudder. Easy transition for those going from ticycle to tail dragger.
Just a thought. It worked for me. Still use it early in the flying season.
Also ditto above comments: Let the plane lift itself off, then you know you have airspeed.

91zulu

My Feedback: (2)

One thing I learned about flying warbirds is , you have to be concise and deliberate in your movements. It may be you were over cautious in your take off run and was still a bit too slow when the plane left the ground. It would fly but the wing controls would be either unresponsive or would act in reverse. In other words down aileron slows up that half of the wing causing a stall. That`s why the rudder is used mostly on take off and landing. Now if you are coming in hot then sure your ailerons would work.
When taking off you have to get your speed up and left hand ready to correct.