RE: Your most memorable R/C moments
OK Guys....time for true confessions... I took off with my GB Extra 300, Webra 120, and JR 10, all of which I had flown for a number of years. A few minutes into the flight, the noise suddenly got loud, and a low, slow fly-by showed the $40 Pitts style muffler hanging loose in the cowl, and the possibility arose that it could fall out and be lost. A landing would be a good idea. Several attempts were made, but with the lack of muffler back pressure, the idle was too high to land. We considered putting it down hot, then tipping up to break the prop and stop it, but thought that the wheel pants would drag first and flip it.
I took it up for a little altitude, and throttled down as well as possible, and decided I could solve the problem by getting into the radio programming and increasing the throttle throw so that perchance I could kill the engine. The JR 10 has a touch screen, a little hard to see in sunlight, and difficult when you are taking a quick glance, then eyes back on the plane, but I managed to put in my three digit code to allow me into the programming page. Intending to dial up Code 12 (total servo throw), I put in Code 11. Which happens to be Servo Reversing. About this time my good flying buddy Wolf said "you program it, and I'll fly it", so he reached over and took the main stick and circled it over the field for me. Noting that the screen said "Servo Reversing" I knew I didn't want that, but instead of going back to the "Home Screen" and dialing in Code 12, I just put in "12", and pushed "Enter". I had just accomplished a reverse of the throttle servo and aileron servo. Whereupon the engine went wide open, it started slow rolls, and buddy Wolf yelled "Whoaaaa!" and promptly gave the stick back to me.
Well, great pilot that I am, I figured I had reversed the throttle and elevator (not aileron) servo, so everytime it rolled upside down, I gave it a healthy shot of UP elevator, and as it rolled right side up, I gave it a healthy shot of DOWN elevator. All of which resulted in some amazing barrel rolls and other undescribable maneuvers, attracting the attention of every eye at the field. This all ended with the airplane in a smoking hole in the desert, and I am a living legend for programming radios in flight!
Clair