Raining Airplanes!!!!!
 

I was at the field yesterday, watching a club member fly his Creek Hobbies Sukhoi, when suddenly I heard a loud POW-- like the sound of two 1/4 scale airplanes having a head on-- but only ONE plane was flying. The sky started raining airplane parts and all the guys were yelling "HEADS UP!!" and running for cover. The firewall, cowl and engine came hurdling down to the runway. The wing and assorted pieces were coming down like confetti. The fuselage, less the cowl and engine, was hovering about 100 feet in the air, traveling in a small circle with everyone underneath it running for their lives. No one knew where it was headed next. Finally it crashed with a loud THUNK-- 15 feet from the flyer's truck, right along the flight line. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but very easily could have been. On examination, the firewall, cowl and engine pulled away from the fuselage, due to the SHODDY construction of the ARF. Has anyone else had any of these Creek Hobbies 1/4 Scale planes fall apart or disintegrate in the air, or was this just a fluke??

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First question would be what size engine was being used and what size engine is recomended by the manufacture.

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Do Creek Hobbies put there planes together with hot clue like VMar does? I hate it when they use that crap!

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What you mean is the front and the heaviest bit fell off just like this one but only my luck had it happen while getting it on the ground.

You gotta be lucky sometime. This was a glue failure and the plane has less than 20 flights on it. First the box failed and I fixed that. This failure has been subsequently repaired and strengthened but I will fit a SAITO 180 this time and use my Brison 50cc in a frame built to take it.

Cause!!!. I would say over powered for sure but then again the hot glue in these things is bad news. Trouble is you cannot get into them ( Pitts especially without cutting them up considerably.) The glue failure was very obvious and I think it was not helped with high ambient temperatures we have here. There was no penetration into the wood and the bond was purely surface and no more.

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Same things also happens to SIG Extra 300XS ARF's. As you can see I also got bit real bad when the firewall tore loose on the ground.

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OUCH!!!! HOLY CRAP?!?!?

Did it hurt?

RE: Raining Airplanes!!!!!
 

Uh! Yes! Hurt like nine kinds of hell. 100+ stitches later and about three months of healing and I'm back to abusing myself. Shoot, I've already had several crashes since then.

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Man, that's scary! If you get bit because of something you did, that's one thing, but shoddy construction in an arf causing the injury is unacceptable!

Hope everything healed o.k.

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Exactly when did the firewall 'come loose'? What were you doing when it did? Any idea of the RPM's at the time?

Jerry

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Had flown the plane a couple of times that day, refueled, and started engine, friend was holding the airplane while I ran up the engine. 20X8 APC prop turning 8000 which I verified with a tach, IN FRONT OF THE ENGINE, firewall came loose, engine and firewall flew into my hand and the rest is history. Moral of this story? Don't get in front of the dang engine EVER! Tach from behind.

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I have always reinforced my firewalls on any arf I've owned. Its definately a pain in the ass but I have never had a kato. I agree with all you guys about these manufacturers doing bad work, it is not acceptable. So far Hangar 9 have been the best afs for me.

Nathan

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I have the Creek Hobbies Katana 1.20 with the 1.60 OS. I haven't flown it yet but I did some modifications to get the servos in the center and out of the tail. Balances great now and as soon as the temp gets above freezing, I'm going out to try it. While I was inside the plane, I looked at everything and was surprized. Every joint had triangle stock glued in on both sides. It looks very secure.

I have always tach'ed from behind the prop. Even the .40 size props scare the he!! out of me!!!
[X(]
Hope your hands are better Jim.

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i got my finger whapped at slightly above idle on my os46fx with an 11x4 apc sport prop. My finger hit the tip of the blade and made the engine come to a dead stop. I swear I almost blacked out from the pain because it was cold outside. I probably shoulda gotten stitches but i hate hospitals. I started to get tunnel vision from the pain. Is the tip of your thumb gone, or i just cant make out whats what of your hand. That look real bad. I always do my tach check from behnd the engine anyways, but that will just reinforce me always doing it from behind....ouchy....

sean

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there is no reason to be in front of an engine after it is started.....

i see a lot of people do what you did ( screw with the engine from the front)


eventually the odds are going to catch up to you....if your in back of the engine once started, you greatly decrease the chances of an accident !!

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I own the Hobbico Extra 300 60. Its a great plane but about the 5th or 6th landing the gear plate came clear out of it on a not so rough landing. When I went to inspect everything, I noticed the firewall had come loose from the crash that resulted from the gear ripping out. Now, I've put in a plane or two in, in my day and never had the firewall come loose from such a minor shock. It makes a guy wonder if safety has ever been a factor in the construction of some of these planes. Anyway, with a few hours of work and some serious hardware, the plane has seen many more flights and I've never had another problem. The thing I got out of this, is that you should never trust an ARF on landing gear or firewalls. This thread only strenghens by hypothesis.

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This thread should be compulsory reading for anyone who dabbles with this hobby. I whacked my finger a year or so back when trying to flick start a 91 FS. I vowed from that day on never to get my fingers near but there has been times when I got in front of the prop. Heck that was just a backfire and it hurt like hell. After reading this forum I promise myself never to mess from the front end again. NEVER!!!

Hope your hand gets back into shape but mostly thanks for sharing the accident with us. WHOW!!!

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JimRoss, some 20 years ago, I saw a .45 engine with one of those plastic props, literally cut off the middle finger off a fellow R/C`ers hand. We found the finger about 30 feet from the accident spot, but the man lost it because the Doc`s could not put it back on time. His hand got hurt in many places also. Since them I have never, ever, ever used anything but wood props. I have gotten hit by wood ones many times, and all they have done to me is a bruce and really heavy pain, but barely no cuts. I do not know how many hundreds of times I have tried to convince friends, beginners, or just anybody I`ve seen, but have never been able to make anybody change their mind about plastic/fiber props. ( There are other benefits to wood props, they make you a better pilot, you may know why ). I feel bad about your accident just sitting here maybe 3000 miles away. A serious question, as I always jump into advise talk when possible, could I show your picture to other people ? Hope you get better soon.

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My thumb was amputated at the first knuckle. Partly by the prop and partly by the plastic surgeon. At any rate it's one knuckle shorter than the other one. No big deal now, I can do anything that I could before the accident except pick up really small things. Buttoning my shirt has become a comedy of errors too.
Anyone that wants to has my permission to show any of my pics to anyone they like. If it promotes a safer situation for others then this is a good thing.

Motocross,
Wood props suck! JMHO! I have tried them and the fiber Master Airscrews and they just don't perform like the plastic APC's. I get better rpm's and thrust out of the APC's. It's just that now I don't hand start anything, I use a Hobbico 180 Starter, and as soon as it's running at idle I get the lleH behind it.

Thanks to everyone for their kind words and sympathy.

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Did Horrace give you heck over this?

Jerry

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Not really, actually he was very kind and sympathetic. He waited until I was healed up and then got in a few digs. All in good fun though. No one has been harder on me than I have. It was about the stupidest thing I have done in LOTS OF YEARS. The people at my club are really fantastic people. All are willing to help or just lend moral support when it's needed and mostly all of them keep track of how each other is doing. I've learned a lot of this by just keeping my mouth shut and ears open. I'm glad I joined this club instead of the others around the area.

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JimRoss, I have learned a lesson today. For years I ran away from the great APC`s but I knew they are better in most ways. I am putting together a Funtana w/.91Saito, to get into the hover mode, and I know APC is the way to go, your positive attitude towards your accident makes me realize that we can deal with danger if we learn to handle it. Believe me I even had nightmares about that memory that I told you, I will not forget your advise and courage to "stay on the race". THANKS for sharing your experience.

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Ah Jeez Louise that's bad!!!![X(] It almost makes me want to take up basket weaving...........................well I said almost!;) Thanks for sharing that and I know I will catch it for this statement but that's why I build my planes, sorry.

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"Don't get in front of the dang engine EVER! Tach from behind."

Jim,

I will remember that...I promess! Very sorry about the accident.
Glad you're ok now. But damn what a "live and learn" lesson!!

:([X(][:@]:D
Serge

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Oh no Artie, not basket weaving! And what, GIVE UP KNITTING?
What would the blue haired girls down at the retirement home do without YOU, their illustrious leader?

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Dam, thanks for sharing, Id like to laminate that picture and put it up on the clubs run up stand. Thats the kind of stuff that makes you think. Sure been hearing alot more ARF firewall failures lately.