Over a year since any posting. I'll change that with a little update on my crashed Fleet and it's upcoming rebuild.
After a 10 year retirement, I got my Concept Fleet back and began to update it. First off was to send the engine off to have it looked at. I knew the front bearing was rusty but.... I'm embarrassed. Second, was to give it a good look over and dusting then re radio the bird with newer 2.4 stuff.
After some engine issues (trying to dial in the idle rpms) , servo issues (new servo was intermittently inop), I got her airborne and nearly forgot how to fly. The idle issue got me ruffled as I had a dickens of a time trying to slow down for landings. On the last circuit around the close in field, I got a dose of dumb thumbs when rolling into final approach. At least I got some nice touch and go on a short field.
Had I 10 more feet of altitude, I could have saved it from the very soft and recently plowed cotton field. Anyway, pix of the aftermath and some pix of the overhaul beginnings.
Having decovered the wings looking for major damage to the Concept spar construction, I was most surprised to see them in tact. Wrapped in fiberglass tape proved an important task not to forget. The plywood spar blades where the wings slip onto each other or onto the fuselage proved to be a necessary weak point that fractured first and took the brunt of impact. They were a dickens to get out of the pockets as the hex head screws that held them in where sheared off and cause much angst to remove without any more damage.
I'm jazzed as I could have this old girl up and running next Spring.
Ray W.
