Ok... haven't written in a while cause i was licking my wounds after all my previous crashes... that and putting together my new Hobbistar 60.

I was so excited to finally get it that i was obsessively building for 3 days... i was upgrading this and that and making sure everything was perfect. You guys know the drill i'm sure.

Well.... yesterday i got up to the field at about 11 and after tuning the engine (old kraft .61) i takeoff north in very light wind. 10' off the ground and off the runway the engine dies... for a beginner i think i landed pretty well. Only damage was the nylon nosegear mount. Back to the pits where i fabricated a replacement.

After fiddling with the engine to make absolutely sure it wouldn't die out... i get ready for take off again but wind is now coming from the west. Our field is on a small mesa near aspen, co. Surrounded by lotsa mountains, obviously. Smooth take off and up it goes and maybe 15 feet off the ground wind shifts HARD back from the north and literally flips this big bird over and SLAMS it into the ground totally destroying everything. Even engine is toast.

Man, I tried everything to get it to turn back over and nothing worked. Full throttle, Right rudder, right ailerons, full elevator... nothing. I can't say exactly what happened but i'm assuming the wind must have gusted out where it was and i stood no chance. I have no idea. Of course, after it happened you could have dropped a feather and it would have fallen straight down. Figures, eh?

You could say i was a teeny bit discouraged, after all... i have destroyed two planes in as many flights and this one hadn't even flown yet. This field is jinxed. No one is ever there and i think i know why now , lol. It's possessed. I noticed the cows all started mooing in unison right after that. Hmmm. Makes me wonder. Actually, unless it was a radio problem, which i seriously doubt, i should have not taken off in the first place. I think a better pilot would have known that.

Luckily i have a friend that has a paved airstrip though its farther... but the way i figure it, the cost per flight at this one justifies the extra travel time/expense.

Anyway ... i just wanted to *****. I'm already looking at another plane. HA HA...

I dont think the field is jinxed. I am not supersticous.
I dont know if you have been trained by a trainer.
A reliable engine is a must for a beginer.
Not flying on windy days rule should apply for beginers.
Radio range check rule should apply for beginers and anybody else.
If you havent been trained . Then you can exspect to
be crashing. I know of people that trained there self
and it cost them more money/planes than it would
have if they had been trained.

Taking off/landing on pavement is not like taking off/landing on grass.

Not trying to be sarcastic but if the wind flipped it over at an altitude of only 15 feet I doubt very much that you had time to do all the things you've described. If it was indeed inverted on you that low to the ground you should have simply pushed down elevator as you were more than likely already at full throttle. Never try to roll out of inverted flight that low to the deck. Once it got inverted (that must have been one heck of a wind gust), any aileron or rudder input is very likely to only worsen the situation. If you panicked and mistakenly pulled up elevator, well, that was over with in a hurry. Crashes suck any way you look at it, but try to learn as much as you can from it so it's not a total loss.

I have they plane except i have the older version it's an amazing plane except and i know for a fact it can do a half loop outta inverted since I was flying inverted for a long time last time at the field and i was doing half loops out everytime!

I'm still a beginner... but i've soloed quite a few times now... and my instructor is unbelievably good... I did do extensive range checks with motor running and not running and as far as engine reliability ... we're at 9k feet and it's a common problem. Less window of forgiveness between lean/rich. When engine stalled first time i had it running (i thought) really well. I did pinch test and held model in every direction and who knows why it conked out... perhaps a piece of dirt thru carb? I couldn't figure it out.

When it took off it Immediately started to lean to left... obviously i had elevator up and compensated with right aileron... when it continued (at about 15' high) to roll over i then gave it right rudder w/ right aileron ... but nothing responded. As it inverted it was diving and i admit that i didn't give it down elevator but at that point it was maybe a second from heading almost straight down and i don't think it could have pulled out anyway even though it has a semi-symetrical wing. The whole thing from wheels leaving ground to abruptly returning was perhaps 5 seconds.

I think what i learned was to stay off that field... and not to fly after 1 oclock when the winds get nutty and to have my instructor w/ me at all times.. lol

Lol. It's the aliens man. It's all those damn aliens! (twitch)

EHHE

Hey, don't get discouraged. My first 'true' solo this year resulted in my engine dying at telephone poles height on takeoff right before my first turn. It should have ended up disasterous, but thankfully the wind was blowing the opposite way it normall does and a slight turn ...tried to keep it level as it fell...and BOOM. Lost my gears, punch a 1 inch hole through the wing, and ripped the Fin right out from the fuse just from the force. Oh and lost a prop. Took me less than an hour to repair it and test everything. After takeoff it drops down so I couldnt see it crash but of course I had to hit the ditch on the hillside which of course made it worse.

Anyway, the next day out was about 2 or 3 days later. I hadn't had anyone to help me, and the wind was a strong cross wind and the park was heavily populated with walkers. But I was sick of sitting around. I was going to force the issue and eventually get up...if not this time, the next or the next or the next..on my own. I am stubborn. Luckily I took off nicely, kept my throttle up all the way and made my first turn. I was shaking bad so after 3 circles I finally cut the throttle enough to bring her in. This is where things get shakey. I turned my back and look over my shoulder a bit to make sure I didnt screw up the direction of controls when I landed. Brought it in , missed our tiny runway but was happy as heck.

So, the moral of this story is. Keep going for it. I flew a few times since then, and on Friday was engaged in high speed tight circle low level dogfight manuevers with my brother on his trainer. Even the guys at the airfield thought we have flown for years. Together total we have less than 2 hours.

S

Sounds to me like a tip stall.

My guess is that you were climbing too fast for the conditions. (You richened the engine so it would 'remain running no matter what', so you may have had less power than usual.)

Anyway, if applying right aileron did not correct the left roll then the wing was stalled, and the only thing that MIGHT have helped at that point was down elevator in the hopes of getting the airspeed up.
Dennis-

Sounds like maybe you didn't let off on the "up" elevator as it rolled over which definitely would put it nose down as it inverted. It's possible in this situation that your aileron and rudder inputs were responding but there was simply not enough time to notice as it's obvious that you didn't have sufficient altitude for the plane to right itself. At low altitude, if the wing is level, (upright or inverted), use elevator to get the nose up. Once you gain some altitude, then right the plane.

Not being there, I am going to give you my opinion.
You may not have had enough deflection in your controls to prevent the crash. I have seen beginners bring their planes to the field and when you look at the controls they look like they are enough, but in the air, you can barely control the plane with full deflection. I would say that this is your problem