Wow, back from the dead!

First I have to say, the jet is no longer On flight # 4 or 5, I had a flame out while doing a high speed pass fairly low to the ground. I tried to get the jet turned around and headed back for the runway but I was too low and flew right into some tree tops. The jet was completely wrecked (fuse broken in a number of places and one wing smashed. I felt it was too far to rebuild.

I am happy to say, the engfine was fine and I ffound out the problem (I am certain) of the cause of the flame out (and that of a few others using the same controller).

My GB Hobbies controller uses an in line fuse. The fuse holder was making intermitant contact. I later discovered this by bench running the engine, and shaking the wiring on the test stand. Every time I touched the fuse holder the ecu would turn off and back on quickly. Upon closer inspection, thecontacts inside the holder were corroded and the fuse itself slightly oxidised. It cost me a jet, but at least I figured it out.

I wont have time this winter to rebuild - just too many other projects and commitments. But I am hoping some day to take what I learned from this one and build another.

As for the design, in the few flights I had I discovered this:

#1 the engine in the tail design is sound, the fins didnt get too hot and it works fine.
#2 I needed to lighten the entire construction, and make the nose longer to have the batteries further up front, to avoid adding lead to balance. I had initially about a pound or so of lead in the nose. My first two flights were slightly tail heavy, it was stable but pitchy. I later rebalanced and the last few flights were very groovy.
#3 overall the delta style wings with the traditional style tail, even being so close coupled, worked fine. The elevators were very strong and the roll rate was awesome.

One other thing, I had a previous dead stick and glided right back to the runway, so I knew also the plane was a decent glider. However, after inspection I figured the cause of the engine out muct have been an air bubble. RUnning on the ground after was fine (but I guess in flight, with some bouncing around or abrupt maneuver, the fuse would break contact for a split second and reset my ecu which of course flamed out.

WHen I checked the parameters afterward the engine rpm, temp and so on were all within god running conditions so I couldnt figure it out. It was not untill a fellow Canadian jet flyer suggested it may be the style of fuse holder I was using, that I checked it out and he was correct.

Live and learn! I will make something else some day...

AJC