ORIGINAL: gjhinshaw
I think they had already found what the problem was..... I think its on page one
ORIGINAL: VF84sluggo
ORIGINAL: why_fly_high
One thing I find interesting is that FEJ seems to think they have the problem figured out...it is very possible that they only found the weakest link.
This very point was suggested by a trained, qualified, and practicing engineer.
As he stated to me, it is possible, perhaps even likely, that the touted ''solution'' simply relocated the failure point elsewhere along the load path. Without thorough and professional testing, how to know? Perhaps it is cheaper and more expedient for FEJ to simply let their buyers serve as production test pilots.
Now, in fairness, I wasn't present at JOK every flying minute after the Hawk failure, so I cannot claim that FEJ did
not conduct an extensive ground and flight test program on the ''fix'' while we were at supper, or back at the hotel hitting the pool, and therefore was able to have it announced with certainty, at the conclusion of JOK, that the issue was solved.
Sluggo
That is the point. They may have found the problem this time. As gently as it was being flown and had a failure, they may find the next weakest link up the chain. I am not saying they can't figure it out, I'm saying that this plane is not ready to be released to the public until it has been thoroughly tested. RC flight test programs I have been a part of will often load the plane 10-20% above expected weight and then fly the heck out of it. If it holds together then it is ready for the public.