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03-11-2009 | 09:10 AM

#10

gboulton

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From: La Vergne, TN

RE: Most idiotic thing you have done

3 come to mind for me:

1) First trip to the field with my new DX6i, my first 2.4 radio. Did my normal preflight, got to the "extend antenna" portion, and dutifully tugged on the antenna. Wouldn't budge. Without thinking, I tugged a little harder...it budged...right out of the transmitter.

2) Decided to go fly my 25% PW Extra one fine spring day. Got to the field, unloaded everything from the truck, and began assembly....slid wing tube into fuse, reached for left wing...left wing notably absent. Right wing also notably absent. Returned home for wings.

3) This one was recent...reposted here from the KEN/TEN thread...sorry it's long, but worth it

:

Quote:

ORIGINAL: gboulton

One of the morning shows I listen to on the way to work has a thing called "Show Code". if you do something incredibly stupid, you are honor bound to call the show and share the experience, so everyone may laugh at you.

Call this "KEN/TEN Code".

==========

So, I decided I'd run a couple tanks through the new OS .61 on the Splat, sloppy rich, before going out to the field with it tomorrow for its initial test flights. Got everything together, set the needles appropriately, and began the process of trying to start the thing. I'd expected few, if any, problems, based on past experience with OS's FX line of engines.

Ok. Radio on, plane on, check surfaces, full throttle, prime carb with a few flips, throttle to idle, glow driver on, grab chicken stick, flip...flip...WHACK...

"Whack?? That acted like it locked on me, and tried to kick back."

Check prop...sure enough, small nick from the chicken stick.

"Huh...that's odd. Shouldn't be hydro-locked"

Pull off glow driver, spin prop through a few times...no problems.

Reinstall glow driver...flip...flip...WHACK!

"Uh...this can't be right."

Take off driver, remove plane from holders, turn upside down...no, no fuel running from muffler. Remove glow plug, drain cylinder, nothing. Spin prop through several times, still nothing coming out.

"Ok...absolutely NOT full of fuel."

Reassemble, check for fuel in fuel line, fine, put on driver, flip, flip, WHACK!

DANGIT!

Ok, fine. Frustration gets the best of me, and I grab the electric starter. "Be that way, you tight SOB. I'll get you started."

Whirrrr *sputter cough sputter* WHACK.

Ok...wait...it TRIED to start, but then backfired again. WHAT THE HECK???

At this point, I notice that the prop is pretty chewed up. "All those times it snapped back against the stick, I guess...". Figuring it was dinged enough to throw the balance off, I put a new prop on, and this time attacked it with the starter straight away.

Whirrrr *sputter cough sputter* WHACK! And a prop tip flies off in a random direction...

"Uh...what?"

*smack forehead*

Note to the assembled masses : When starting a plane, do not push down on the plane hard enough that the prop HITS THE GROUND while you're trying to start it.

===============

(For the record, a THIRD prop and removal to a more suitable starting location solved the problem. Started right up with a couple flips, and has had its first tank through it)

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