Very true as is the rest of your post. Anyone who has been around long enough is aware of that and is not puzzled as some folks are after a model blows up in spite of the fact that it had sealed hinge lines, big fat push rods, perfect geometry and super duper servos. Good post.

I wonder over the years and to how many modelers, flutter has claimed aircraft?

There's a video on U-Tube showing a jet turbine smashing and exploding into a treeline. When the video slows down, you can see the flying surfaces flapping up and down like some mad bird just before impact.

I think vibration is another factor. Some of these ARF's are built so light and with such minimal structural integrity that they have to "resonate" while flying. Add more muscle up front and I believe the situation increases expotentionally.

Anyway however you evaluate it, losing one's airplane for any reason, (including pilot error) is never a fun thing.

PM

I think flutter indeed was the cause of losing the wing. The servo's I was using did not have metal gears which may have been the issue. That said; does one buy another ST 90 or try something else? Ill try something else. I am not really sad about losing the plane. I am sad about not being in the air and the time it will take to get another flying. In the great frozen north flying days are at a premium.


Nathan

No way, given your stated flight envelope (i.e., gentle) up to and during the failure.

I've had one of these for a long time... many flights. I have an O.S. 1.08 up front, and nylon-geared digital servos. I do not thrash the modl (so-called "3D"), but I do fly it aggressively.

Mine has been a great pleasure, even though the wing incidence was off and caused me to nearly lose it on the first flight... the one time I didn't apply an incidence meter during assembly; go figure.

My point is that, while it is lightly built, the design is not fragile. Like someone else said, yours had weak/bad wood or no glue somewhere.

My experience with Horizon customer service is that you generally have to "persuade" them to do the right thing; like when the rudder departed on my Extra 260. The first guy on the phone said all they could do was sell me a new rudder. Excuse me??? I told him fine, let me talk to a supervisor please. That worthy hemmed and hawed, so I went up the food chain another notch and finally got a new rudder sent to me. I have other, similar examples. I guess many folks like you, take the first "no" as a final answer. I wouldimagine they are counting on that.

I understand completely your desire to avoid throwing good money after bad. Your solution is simple; avoid Horizon products from now on. There are plenty of other vendors out there, and life is too short. Hey, the power company rapes you every month, yet you put up with it, eh?

You lost this round; the next model will probably be just fine. Sig ARFs, while a bit pricey, are excellent. Goldberg used to be; although I haven't seen one since Lanier bought the company. Great Planes ARFs are usually good too.

IOW, Horizon doesn't have anything you cannot live without.

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Please post some detailed close up pics of the wing failure!
I have seen a ST90 fly with a Saito .91 (No good for 3D) great pattern plane with this engine
and one with a YS 110 (Great 3D set-up) The ST90 is a Hybrid aircraft, it is not the best 3D
plane and it is not the best pattern plane either. What type of flying do you like? 3D or Pattern
Pick one and find an aircraft made for that type of flying style only. Hanger 9 has a very bad
track record when it comes to Wing Failures i.e. 27% Edge 540T, Funtana 90, Funtana 100 & 50
maybe a little carbon fiber would not hurt?? H9 or a dual Aileron servo set - up per side???
I wonder how much stronger a wing would be covered in Genuine MonoKote vs UltraCote???

AFAIK, the Funtana 90 wing is covered in genuine UltraCote. I KNOW the big Edge and the ShowTime 90 are covered in genuine UltraCote.

The covering is not the problem. Lack of adequate glue and/or poor fitting parts (ribs & spars) has been the main culprit. On the big Edge, a buddy's pulled the entire motor box out of the plane in straight and level flight; the cowl, engine, and tank simply dropped off the airframe. It was the oddest model airplane failure I'd ever seen. Took some "coaxing" and a half-dozen phone calls to get THAT one taken care of, too.

If we look at this objectively, we should know that, given the very high volume of these things that Horizon brings in, and the fact that it would be impractical for Horizon to detail-inspect every kit, a few "bad" ones are going to get into the consumer's hands. Doo-doo occurs.

What I have an issue with is the sometimes-recalcitrant attitude of Horizon's customer service. At times, they cheerfully take care of the problem without a whimper. Others, its like pulling teeth to get them to even acknowledge their culpability. Nowadays, I prefer to buy from dealers like WildHare. He's basically a one-man show, and he DOES personally inspect every imported kit. Yes, I pay a little more. But if there is a problem, he will handle it; period.

We are our own worst enemy here. Our incessant demand for the "best price" has driven these big firms to cut corners wherever they can. I recall the "modeler" at my field who expressed amazement and dismay that I paid over $300 for a certain Goldberg ARF; he had a similar model that he paid $179 for. He conveniently overlooked the shoddy construction (lots of white glue, ill-fitting parts, bamboo parts) and pathetic covering his model had. "Sure flies good; as good as yours!"

You bet, pal. Enjoy...

Anyway, I too would like to see some pix of this failure. Come to think of it, I've still got pics of that big Edge somewhere. Talk about a bizarre deal...

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