Yep, a KITE!!! a BL#*@y KITE of all things REDUCED MY PLANE TO MATCH STICKS.

I checked as well, I looked and I looked, these are very very common out here and I have canceled flying before due to BL@@*Y KITE'S.

MY WM SS40 s was going great I had been up for about 6 or 7 minutes when BAM the plane went into a rapid role at a 45 degree nose up attitude, rapid deceleration and 18 inches of right wing separated from the plane. It came down fron about 150 feet onto a concrete path. [&o]. I thought it was a structural failure in the wing because I could see nothing, Until, an extreeeeeemly anoid Kite flying, arogant Chinese guy came over to where I was and KICKED the debris of my plane. [:@]. As you can imagine, I was shaking him warmly by the neck in the blink of am eye. My translator, who very luckily for the miget dangling off the end of my arm was close to hand and stoped me raming the verticly challenged person into the path on top of my plane. Niether him or me was going to calm down so my translator took him for a walk. They returned 20 minutes or so later when I had salvaged the bits of my plane that could be of use elswere and put them in a very small bag. My translator presented the frayed end of 1/8'' nylon braid. Perplexed and still furious with the little guy, he pointed skyward to help him explain. As it turned out, this Chinese guy was an ex- district champion Kite flyer and maker. He was flying his KITE from a flat roof top of a disused factory about 4 floors high. The only building for two miles. I had severed the rope on a kite that was floating at around 2000 feet. My reaction was. NEVER, NOT IN A MILLION YEARS. They both pointed skyward to make me look HARDER, and there it was, like a string of beeds, the offending article was barely a micro dot heading off down wind, and apparently still going up. As it turned out this thing was 100 feet long and was made up of 50 kites all linked together. This guy was obviously serious about his chosen sport. Now knowing the facts I calmed down. We talked for a while through my translator and agreed that the losses were even, but very unfortunate for us both. He has flown his kite's there since the factory closed, 15 years before. We parted company and both went home to count the cost. My kit was completely totaled apart from, wing servo,rudder servo, reciever and battery.
I asked a couple of people at work about the Kite he lost and they explained that he had lost considerably more than me. I am feeling guilty now, so I have arranged to meet the guy and see what I can do to help him out. I think cash will probably do the trick.
So now its back to my old trainer until the postie brings the next project.
Sorry its so long but I had to share this with someone who speeks English.

That guy's kites sound like a threat to full scale aviation. Wonder if there are any laws he was breaking putting something so big into the air.

Piper,
The very same thought crossed my mind, but the nearest airport is a 31/2 hour drive. Aviation as a method of transport has'nt caught on yetaround here. I am going to get some pictures of one of these things next time he is up.

2000 feet would be the altitude most small planes fly at plus that of the biulding

I am in central China, pretty much all that flies aroud here are birds and kite's, small aircraft, that would be me and my SS 40.

Ouch.......Sad for both of you. You lost an expensive plane and something you really liked, and he lost an expensive kite that he really liked. I'm glad you guys finally calmed down and understood what happened, and are making the steps to correct the problem. I commend you for taking the initiative of meeting him again, and offering extra compensation for the accident. Thank you. You're a good guy, and good for the sport. (Except for the short fuse at certain stressful times. LOL[X(])

Cheers Grant, I think what did it was the way he kicked the recage of my plane. It was a bad moment for me. He already knew what had happend so he directed his anger at my plane and me, at the time I had no idea of the cost to him.
Needless to say, it did'nt get out of hand, and we will meet again on better terms in a couple of days.

I understand...It would seem like he just totally insulted you and the unfortunate crash of your plane before you knew the extent of his damage. Not the best way to meet a person for the first time. LOL Glad you're getting things worked out. I'd be interested to see some pics of these contraptions this guy flies.

I am going to post some photographs of these giant kite's some of these guys fly as soon as they are up again. I suppose its like this sport, some people like them as big as possible. I mean, this guy had a electric winch with hydraulic brakes and a drum that holds 1000's of meters of nylon briad. Serious stuff.

Sad loss, for the both of you...

I thought it was hard to transport 3 60 size models in my truck, how does he carry a 100 foot long kite, and 1000's of meters of rope, and a winch?

Considering where he is, probably on one of those 3 wheel flatbed pedal trikes. If you've spent any time there, you'll have mental image of it immediately. If not, you haven't lived till you've seen an entire living room suite piled up on one.

[sm=idea.gif] meet for lunch, disscuss the facts, [sm=thumbup.gif] by then the three hour rule for eating Chinese food will be in effect and then you guys can order dinner for more disscussion time

I don't understand why you feel that you owe him something. It was an accident and unless you broke some kind of rule or law why do you feel compelled to give him money? Just because his loss was greater than yours doesn't make you at fault.

I would think that the incident would go as a lesson to you both. At least now the two of you know what to look for before flying.

Tukkus,
You are probably right, I do'nt really owe him, but these people out here make pennies to live on. It could take him a very long time to replace his loss. BTW, when I said help with some cash, about 150 rmb ($18) should ease the blow for him. As for me, the ARF was about $40 and the engine $30, so I can not complain. His loss far out wieghs mine when it come to recovering from the accident, a little cash will help.

Piper,
It's good when semebody knows what its like out here by experience. You are correct. They fix these things down to a bed plate and slide them on the back of thier flatbed trikes. These things are'nt so hard to believe, when you consider the extreams people go to in our chosen sport. These kites are low maintenance and very simple and we are all aware of how serious the Chinese are about Kite flying.

I just got back from China, went there in February, and I know exactly what you're talking about.

Smoggyboy, you need a different type of plane. I love the WM SS40S, but you have the worst luck with them.

Gravity,

You have just said what I have been thinking. I did not want to say it in a forum incase some of the guys on here think the I am daft to say a plane can be bad luck.

The first one went in just after takeoff. Pilot error
The same one repaired, went in after 2mins. Radio interference. A friend who is also learnig lost his trainer with the same problem two days later. We have moved to another field now.
The last one, well you read that story.

I have just got a WM Sky Raider II. SS40 with a differant finish. Not because I like it, it was all they had at short notice. She will be ready to maiden this week. Might be a bit fast though with a .46. We shall see. There is now way all these knock backs are going to stop me.

I could have got hold of the WM clipped wing Cub but not sure if it is a step backwards from the SS40. I have just put one together for a friend, they are a big old lump.

In China, they have those flatbed trikes with the weirdest pull-start motors.

They coil a long rope over something that looks like a flywheel and they yank. They do this for quite a while before the motor starts!

(Or that is what it was like when I was 6. That would be 7 years ago.)

Hey Smoggy- If you can, you should try to make friends with the guy and maybe even let him fly on a buddy box. That might ease relationships a bit and make you a new friend. He would certainly understand you a little more. Just a thought. I know you are on that weird (to me anyway) mode 3 or something like it, or have you switched by now? He would never know the difference, having never flown before. [sm=bananahead.gif]

Any cf samples yet?

Good luck over there.

Acutally, I was talking about pedal powered ones, not the ones with engines.
But I do know what you are talking about. Once they start up they just keep chugging along at about 200 rpms. Fortunately, they banned the things from Beijing not too long after I started living there.

You must have a little girl plane if that kite kicked your behind, its probly good that your plane broke that way there is one less piece of crap out there.

Bruce,
I have spent the past four weeks or so re-training myself on the G3. Once I am up its fine, ground handling is hard for me because I have raced 1/5 scale cars for so many years, steering with my left thumb not my right. Anyway I seem to have taught an old dog a new trick. So I think I now fly Mode 1, Elevator/Airlerons on the right stick, Throtle/Rudder on the left. I have just developed a bad habit of flying without using the rudder[X(] I suppose that will have to be a skill I develope over time. I seem to be recycling aircraft pretty quick through one thing or another so I am moving away from the SS40 and trying my luck with the WM Super Stunts 40 or 60 varient next.

Chuck,
They should be banned from the whole country, they run without any sound supreshion so the DBA is horendous, plus they never seem to sleep. They are actuly based on a rotovator with the blades removed and a tow hitch.

Smoggy- you are now flying Mode 2, Sorry to be the one to tell you. I know because that is the mode I fly and prefer. Mode 1 has the throttle on the right stick, elev on the left. I like to think of the right stick resembling the stick you would see in a full scale plane like a Cub or P-51 and then they have the throttles on the left cockpit wall or a panel adjacent to there. Obviously the rudder pedals on the floor would be hard to duplicate on the box. Some maneuvers are easier in Mode 1 and others in Mode 2, PLEASE LETS NOT START THE GREAT DEBATE HERE AGAIN, I'LL ADMIT THIS IS A MATTER OF OPINION, OK??? Lord, I'm tired of arguing over that.

Better luck with your next

I know exactly what you mean about them never sleeping.

Bruce,
This issue about MODE'S has confused me from the start. Thank's for the heads up. I won't feel like a donkey next time I tell anybody.

I am maidening my WM Sky Raider tonight[:-]. I hope it goes well.

I will be shaking like a little dog having a big ****[X(]