CAUTION!!!!!!!!!!! CHECK YOUR AXLES

:disappoin Finally got my first and only flight in tonight. What would have been half way thru the left wheel bomb dropped to the ground. Hate seeing things falling from plane, especially on first flight. Well I figured I just found out what it was I had forgotten to do (lock tite the wheel collars) that had been bothering me on the drive to the field. I love to fly off grass but today I was glad I was on asphalt and the rudder and ailerons are very effective on this aircraft at landing speed. Landed on rt. wheel and used rt. aileron to keep lt. wing up long as possible and when the grinding started used full rt. rudder and up elevator. To my amazement it stayed on the gear and didn't flip on the nose. Anyway when I got home and checked out the gear the axle shaft is pressed in. Lost the wheel collar and the axle. Found the wheel. Screwed up the gear floor (not much glue here) and the landing gear has a nasty bend in it where it bolts to fuselage. Used a plier and pulled the axle out of the rt. side on the bench. Not a good press fit. I will drill all the way thru and weld, braze, solder new axles in the retainer bolt. Oh yeah, my wheel pants still look great as I haven't installed them yet. Got lucky there.