It was just one of those bad days at the field that make you want to just pack it in and take up stamp collecting. After a "walked away from it" crash on the maiden flight of my Seagull Spacewalker about a month ago, I finally had a chance to get back out to the field for a second attempt (this time with the CG a bit further forward, smaller throws, and larger wheels). But it wasn't until I got out to the field and tried to fuel up that another bit of crash damage made itself know: investigation of a fuel leak revealed a crack in the tank. No problem. I got in the car and drove home to pick up an extra fuel tank. An hour later I'm back at the field and me and a couple of the guys are working on getting the new tank (which is a bit different than the old one) set up. OK, so we get it in and find that I can't fuel up. One of the lines was being pinched off by the firewall. OK. A little quick thinking and some foam and 30 minutes more of work in the hot Japanese sun that problem is finally behind us. It's been almost 4 hours since I first arrived at the field and I'm finally ready for a first flight of the day. After taxiing up and down the field a bit I finally figured it was time to take to the air so I goosed the throttle and gave it just a bit of elevator -- as t turned out just a bit too little elevator as the left wingtip hit some tall grass and the plane proceeded to cartwheel into the ground.

Once again the sturdy yet clever construction of this ARF was demonstrated as the wing was immediately ripped off the fuselage taking with it the seating bolts and crossbar from the fuse. The rear stab also got pranged. No damage at all to the wing. It only took 5 minutes to get the wing crossbar back in place with some CA (I'm a bit hesitant to epoxy it since its tearing out has saved my bacon on each of my crashes) and a couple of bits of bracing hardwood on the stab fized that but left me with a hole in the covering that I couldn't patch at the field.

So it was home after almost 5 hours with a total flying time of about 3 seconds. Some days are just like that. I suppose by mid-week I'll be ready to go again.

Hey, we've all had bad days at the field. Before you have another bad day, I suggest you epoxy that wing brace in place.

A bad day at the field is better than a good day at work... or something like that. Hey, look at it this way, you took a plane home, not a bag of balsa, and you did get a little flight time....

Are you sure you feel comfortable with CA on that wing bolt crosspiece? That part gets a LOT of stress in flight, and really should be epoxied.

Andy

OK. It's two to one. I'll epoxy the brace! I'm beginning to wonder when I'll ever get this Spacewalker into the air for some of that "casual flying" it's famous for. In fact, I'm beginning to think it may be JINXED. Luckily I've got a LUCKY STIK waiting in the wings!

Just one other suggestion, while you are mixing epoxy, add a dab or two to the landing gear brace. A friend of mine had his gear "retract" on his third takeoff. Come to find out that there was only a couple of drops of hot glue applied at the factory.
Happy flying.

Seagull models are famous for the "couple drops of hot glue" trick. My Seagull Extra 300's firewall was put in with hot glue. Can you believe that? The wing mount plate was hot glued. I thought you use hot glue for making little crafts out of popsicle sticks..not for use on high stress critical areas of model planes. I'd check my firewall Abufletcher..if that thing breaks loose and you are in front of it you could have another Real bad day.

WCB

I don't really think you're ever going to get "casual flying" out of the spacewalker. It's a little too aerobatic and heavy to just poke around. You want to poke around at 1/4 throttle all day, get a Rascal. You want a nice sport model that's very capable but not very relaxed, keep that spacewalker.


BTW, I met a guy this weekend who has owned both the GP 1/4 scale SW arf and the seagull model. He said they fly completly different, like a whole different airplane. So take it for what it's worth......


Andy

Just an update. Took the Spacewalker back out to the field and after fixing only one problem (wow!) I actually got the plane into the air and did a couple of easy circuits around the field just to get the feel of it. Flew well at 1/2 throttle even with just a Magnum 40. Not powerfully mind you but a lot like the underpowered WWI A/C I long to model and fly. You definitely have to fly it off the ground and not just drag it kicking and screaming behind the propeller. The landing was perfect (well as close to it as I tend to get). I'd call this an easy flying plane and a suitable second plane.

So I fueled it up and sent it out on another "mission" and this time got through about two circuits when it went deadstick on the outbound leg. Now our field is very small and on a terrace so if you don't get back to the field you hit the side of a 12 foot stone wall so my main concern was just to get it back over the field but it lost altitude quickly and was clearly just barely going to make it. And it just did. Only to catch a wheel in the "rough" ground and weeds which sent it cartwheeling (it seems to like to do this).

And I hate to admit it but I didn't end up epoxying in the crossbeam (just got lazy) and lo and behold it save the plane once again with the wing ripping out cleanly. No other damage to either the wing or fuse. I know I'm just asking for it in an aerobatic move but it's sure saved the day three times in a row.

Well at least now I have the confidence that it DOES fly and the I CAN fly it. Now all I have to do is go out day and day and prove it (to myself).