dmac852

I live out in the country, well sort of. There is a big field out in my back yard that has something like 100 acres and no trees. So I took my plane out for a spin. A very short one. After running tests on the engine, getting the gremlins out of it, it was time to fly it.

Bad idea.

The take off was good, until about 20 feet off the ground and the engine quit. I still don't know how or why. The plane did a nose dive into the ground. Not as bad as some of the crashes I've seen.

I picked up the pieces and put it away. I didn't even want to look at it. I have to keep in mind that I bought this, didn't build it, so I can't even begin to share the pain that some of you have when your plane or helicopter goes down.

After about a week I decided to get what I needed and start the rebuilding process. It is coming along, and I am putting in better bracing in some areas. Still, there is a something I can't get out of my head. After I get this done, will I want to fly it again?

If I don't fly it again, why rebuild it? I wish I could answer that but I can't. As I stated before, I've seen worse crashes, and on a scale from 1 to 10 this might be a 3. So alot of work and it will be ready to go. So my next question is, what keeps you guys and gals going after something like this?

f2racer

I've crashed 2 of my models pretty bad, and each time right before the inevitable, I say to myself "sh*t, wonder how long this is gonna take to fix". Both times, I got the plane home and started repairs immediately, and that actually made me feel better. Crashing will occur in this hobby. It's just the nature of the hobby. Everyone I know has crashed a model here and there, from beginners to seasoned experts. The beginners really have a tough time (probably due to the emotional attachment that comes from wreckin' your one and only trainer), but the veterans shrug it off without even wincing. There are 2 folk who fly at my field that crash for the lack of a better word, often. Both are slightly older gentlemen that got into the hobby recently. Both are good sports when they crash though.

bgorham

dmac852 ... welcome to the crash club. Everyone told me when I started that it would be an eventuality, and of course being cockey I didn't believe them. Well, I was quickly humbled when I crashed my trainer the first time ... on a buddy box, with my instructor on my first landing attempt. Put her back together and back to it again. Since then, my trainer has hit the ground 4 more times, and each time I have been able to put her back together. More importantly, I learned a lesson after each mishap, and it has made me really pay attention to what is going on. All I can say is fix it and fly it again. The trainer is a learning tool, and if you are as stubborn as me, just refuse to let all the evil forces win!

Get back in there ....

PS ... I have done allot of bashing to my trainer as a result of the mishaps, and now think I have a much better airplane.

Bo

vegas mossie

To put it simply, it was like falling off the bike for me. At first it really hurt. But as time went on and the repairs began, I realized that if I took my time and learned as I went it began to get really fun. Not that I look forward to crashing, but I don't fear it anymore. To me building and repairing are just as fun as flying. Hope this helps. Loren

lownslo

bgorham said something important...... "each time he crashed he learned a lesson".
Sometimes I have a hard time figuring out what went wrong. I have been flying about 15 months now....have had 5 planes...(3 still in action) .. All have had small mishaps.
I assume you don't belong to a club from the wording of your post. Do you know any experienced pilots that could watch/help you? Do you have a flight simulator? That is a great learning tool too. I don't know how experienced you are and general building or set up knowledge you have so EXCUSE me if I mention something that is common knowledge to you.
On your rebuild... be sure you balance your plane. Not just the CG but also lateral balance. The manufactuer has a reccomended CG for beginners. Try to use this setting. If you don't know it, you need to find out. Post it on the forums, or contact the manufactuer... but you will need this or you will be rebuilding again soon!!! (don't let anyone tell you a trainer does not need to be balanced laterally...but thats a different story!!)
From your take off description, depending on the type of plane, you should have been able to land dead stick by just LOWERING the nose slightly and just glide to a landing. UNLESS YOUR PLANE was into a tip stall pulling too much up elevator. (I know all about those)!!!
You might want to post some other details for more help. ... Good luck... lownslo

PS. You said your engine quit just after take off. Again... you may know this....but make sure you are not too lean. (engine at peak rpms. level and on the ground). Turn the needle valve out, rich, several clicks till the rpms drop, because it WILL lean out in the air and may quit. (There is a lot more to this but that is basic procedure) A post on the engine forum will get you more knowledge than I have to offer here.

DSJBEAN

My Feedback: (1)

Crashing is part of this wonderful hobby unfortuneately. It is something that you will get over. When we experience a crash, I pick up the pieces, assess the damage and start making the repairs as soon as possible so not to have time to think about it. My sons 4*60 has had the leadiong edge of the wings erebuild about 5 time so far because of deadstick landings gone bad. Do the best job you possibly can, be proud of your repairs and get the plane in the air again. You'll be glad you did.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Due to the fact that my Dad was an R/C flier, I started at the age of 5 and have been flying ever since (I just turned 48). I have experienced more crashes then I care to think about. Most you get over, some you don't. Some you say, "let's pick up the pieces and get out the glue". Sometimes you need to let the pieces sit in the shop for a few weeks until you can work up the courage to go down there and face it. And some are a total loss. A lot of the emotions have to do with how good a plane was and how old it is. I've had many an old favorite bite the dust and just say, "Oh well, it gave me years of pleasure, Rest in Pieces old friend". But probably the most painful one was my Twin Engine, Royal Cessna Skymaster which took me 2 years to complete and was decked out as the O-2 military version. It crashed on takeoff due to radio interference and was a total loss. (my girlfriend had to take me out to dinner that night to console me)

The bottom line is, If you fly them, there's a chance you're going to break them. But if you don't take that chance, you're going to spend all of your time on the ground.

dmac852

It was stupid to think that it wasn't going to happen. It's kind of like speeding. You might do it all the time but sooner or later your going to get caught. So I guess if you keep flying, sooner or later your going to have a crash. I guess what I figured was that the crash would come from loosing control, which I guess I did. What I didn't figure was the engine quiting and then snowballing into what happened.

On the upside I have it put back together for the most part, and the frame is stronger than it was origionally. I still am waiting for the new engine, but I have a heli to put back together in the mean time. I didn't crash this one, it needed to be overhauled after sitting for 10 years.

Thanks for all the words of encouragement, and the insight on some things I need to pay extra attention to before the next flight.

GeeBeer

In the past 10 years... I have destroyed 13 planes Some due to radio hits, some due to a deadstick with no altitude... one died due to structural failure, and some due to stupidity. Everyone will crash, it happens, I hate it... but oh well

vegas mossie

Just remember not to take any pictures of your planes until after their maiden flight. Murphy does not like that...

ebeygin

that makes me wonder:
WHO HASN'T CRASHED?

answers from people who flew for a long time would be interesting.

-eugn

SigPiPup

I was gonna ask that one ebeygin . There has to be at least one person in the entirety of this hobby who has flown alot and hasn't crashed once.

Also, what circumstances make up the majority of the crashes that do happen. Are they mostly pilot error, or equipment failure, or poor construction?
Has anybody "accidentally" hit a bird before?
It's a dumb question but the odds are that it has to have happened before.

krayzc-RCU

My Feedback: (31)

love the Hobby!!!!!!!!

krayzc-RCU

My Feedback: (31)

the sheep told me his hip was sore the next day something about dam$ insects....

Kallikrates

depends on what you consider a crash but I haven't .... so far but I have come close many times
two years ago we recovered my trainer after 2 years and 2 students with no crashes (well we did shear the landing bolts of once) and were going to donate it to the club see how long the luck on the plane would last but its still sitting in a crate in my parents' basement i wish i had room for more planes in this apartment.

Acually wait no i had the elevator horn rip through an elevator of another plane during an outside loop and lost total elevator control while pointing straight down ... Then there was that flame out..

But the trainer story is true its still sitting there packed away waiting to be flown again.

But so far ive never dumb thumbed a plane into the earth all of mine have been equipment failures as i have pretty good luck on my frequency and rarly get hits (knock on wood)

Ghostbear

You didn't say if this was your first flight or if you had experience.

Johng

My Feedback: (4)

Tough sheep!

pinball-RCU

My first plane was a GP Trainer 40. Took a LONG time to build it and cover it, just about every evening for a month. My first crash I came down in a swamp, and there was almost no damage due to the thick mud. I cleaned out the engine and flew again.

My second crash was hardly a crash, just a hard landing, and the fuse broke near the tail. I glued it back together and flew again.

A few flights later, I hit the ground again on an approach, and the tail broke off almost entirely. Everybody said it was easily repairable, but I had had enough. Why on earth were we flying these delicate flowers? Why were we building trainers out of balsa wood? In my mind the punishment (hours of repair time) did not fit the crime (a slightly hard landing).

I bought a U.S. Aircore trainer. I took a little ribbing, but absolutely nothing hurt that plane. In fact, the design is so good, it's almost impossible to harm the engine or the radio equipment. The ribbing ended when a club member shot me down at 100', went for his wallet to pay me for the plane, and I told him not to worry, there wouldn't be any damage.

After I soloed, I found www.spad.org, and have built a bunch of spads so I could improve my aerobatic skills. The planes cost almost nothing in material, and I've learned how to build them so they protect the engine and radio as well as the Aircore. I'm good enough now that I'm thinking of going back to balsa, but really, no novice should be flying a wood plane.

troyp

I know exactly where you are coming from Dmac852 as I too have just crashed my plane and didnt even get to fly it properly as I crashed it on my first take off. I managed to put it back together but now I am worried that I will crash it again and this time it may end up costing me a new engine or some other expensive part. The posts in this thread have helped though to give me the courage to try again and I hope to have my plane back on the field soon.

regards,

Troy.

Tattoo

I'll second Pinball's statement about Spads http://www.spad.org

I fly combat and have destroyed probably close to 100 airplanes in the last 5 years.

That's why I build planes that cost about $5 to build.

These planes also make great sport planes to get really good with, without the fear of loosing a ton of time and money in a crash...not to mention their survivability is higher than balsa.

After several of these, you can then build the beauty you have always dreamed of, and will have the confidence and reactions to fly it.