I have 3 of 10 planes flying leaving myself with 7 more maidens. I was wondering, how often do you crash on your maiden?

I have crashed one time on a maiden but it wasn't my fault the plane had already landed and rolled to a stop and before I could walk out to pick it up the wind flipped it on its back and broke the verticle fin. The only other bad thing to happen on maidens were a few hard landings in the field due to dead sticks. I prefer to get over confident before I really wreak an airplane

Well, I'm not a beginner. So, maybe I'm not the person you expected to hear from. But I do test airplanes for other people regularly. Very often, the owner of a new ship is very nervous. So nervous, in fact, they prefer that a trusted friend take their new ship up and even suggest adjustments to suit their tastes. Over the years, I have test flown many airplanes. I can tell you this. If it looks anything like an airplane, then it will fly.
If you tend to experience crashes on the initial flights of new airplanes, then you might consider having someone else test them for you. ITs just a matter of nerves. ( and maybe a little matter of experience)

I lost a battery once on maiden, that was my only one.

HOWEVER...

I am smart enough to know my abilities (or lack thereof), and I always had a good pilot maiden my planes before I was ready to do it myself.

You are the type of person I want to here from.

Never have. Lost 3 planes in ten years. One was a mid air from both of us fooling around. Another was a switch failure and the last one was---oh yeh that was a maiden --from flutter and it went in gooooood .

landings?arent those controlled crashes.............or is that just on aircraft carriers........

I look at it this way; Once you complete your takeoff and turn to Down Leg, enjoy your 10 to 20 minutes!

Hi Dave,

An interresting question. I guess it is difficult to crash more than once in a single flight, maiden or otherwise, (but perhaps not impossible?). An other answer could depend on how good looking the maiden is/was. AHHHH Different cultures different idioms.

IMHO most crashes occur after shouting "Watch this". Not on the knee knocking first flight but then I have seen one go in with reversed ailerons after the pilot forgot to change the model selected to the one he was now attempting to maiden[&o].

If you are nervous to the point of not being able to fly your new pride and joy by all means have one of the experienced flyers maiden it. It always helps to have a second set of eyes check all linkages, throws and don't forget to range test with the motor running.

Have Fun,

Colin

You did not have the option to vote "once". I crashed once on maiden. It was my second plane and I was not ready for it. It was a Seagull models Decathlon. and I got airborn to soon and tip stalled on take off. If you don't learn after the first and continue crashing on maiden (pilot error not other failures) then maybe you need to have another experienced pilot maiden for you. It sounds as though you may be past the stupid mistakes phase though

Most people crank up the adrenalin for the maidens so they are more attentive. Besides, why would you want to crash on the first flight? So wasteful.

When I get nervous, I let someone else check over my plane for me, to assure that I've not missed something.

This greatly reduces the jitters while increasing the chances of success.

Often you are so focused on not crashing that you can easily overlook something simple which a calmer experienced eye can pick up on.

When I 1st got in the hobby I let other people maiden my planes; the 1st one I maiden was a super playmate (.25 size) and reversed the ailerons just flipped over on take off and broke the vertical and prop. I repaired it in 15 minutes and flew it. Same day a fellow club member ( i won't mention his name because he is a well known flier) tried maiden his Yellow Aircraft P-38 with the ailerons reversed and totalled it.

Now I always let another flier check out my plane before I maiden it.

So far, 1 crash:7 maidens due to engine failure. Put a new prop on and away it went.

As for having others maiden your airplane...

I could not fathom letting someone maiden something I spent hours on end building. I also build within my flying abilities, I guess. The idea of someone else crashing my airplane on its first flight is unacceptable. If I ever build a jet, I might reconsider.

Edit: Or a helicopter.

thanks for your replies everyone.

sorry I only do test flights boats do maidens

Hi Dave,
When I was still new to this great hobby I got my first semi scale plane, a Spitfire.
I asked one of the guys that tought me to fly to test fly it. I had also purchased a new computer radio, this was back in the early 90's.
Unfortunately the Tx had an intermittent fault on power and it switched off while the model was in the air. About 20 seconds before I was to get the Tx, as it happened. I watched the pilot hold the elevator sitck fully back as the model fell from the sky.
Now I always test my own models, and other peoples, and even though I only took up helis last August, I have just test flown (successfully) the first heli I built myself.
Unless you have control reversal, or a CG in the wrong place, of control throws way off those recommended, things SHOULD be OK.
Please apply a heafty amount of SOD's law to that last sentence.
I have around 17 years experience to fall back on, but the way I look at it is this, My plane, my money, then I am sure going to be the person to fly it, even if that is only for 2 seconds.

If you are going to test your own model then if possible do it at a time when your club is quiet, and take your time. Even go so far as asking the others to give you some space and time to pre flight it so you can concentrate. They will understand. I built a prop driven F15 once, I had a servo on each elevator, and each aileron. I had mixes set up for flapperons. Took ages to programme. In pre flight at the field I spotted I had the ailerons reversed. ALWAYS preflight the model with no one distracting you with well intended questions. That is when you miss silly things and bin a test flight.

Good luck

From Wikipedia, [link]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maiden_flight[/link]
Ken

Never never never never never, don't even, that would suck

Funny you should ask. I just had my first one a couple weeks ago. Until now I've been very lucky in that I have allways maidened my own planes wth great results. But this time I had my ailerons switched & didn't catch it in the range check. Stupid, stupid, stupid!!! Luckily I rolled it left just after take off which my ailerons read as roll it right & I dumped it right there about 3 ft off the ground. 5 min. & a little thin CA & activator & we were back in one piece. Then took it home to strengthen it back up right with a few thin coats of epoxy. She's good as new again now.[sm=71_71.gif]

hi all,

Interesting forum....I have lost a few planes over the years, only one on a maiden. I used to fall fowl of being too enthusiastic on the second or 3rd flight, without realy feeling the end of the flight envelope at higher altitiude...

Now i'm older and a little wiser, i like to keep the thing high up until i know what the flight characterstics are like...

JR flight modes are a great way to have all your bases covered in terms of throw and expo, theres nothing worse than having an over / under sensitive model on its first fllight!!

Happy landings

Wavy

I usually crash on the last flight.

It is one thing to maiden a plane you just built from a proven kit design. It was always exciting for me and I have crash a few. My last 4 planes have been SPADS that I designed and built. The maiden flight adrenalin rush is unbelievable since these planes have never been flown by anyone and were designed by the TLAR (That Looks About Right rules of aeronautical design). Only one of the four crashed on the maiden flight; a J3-Cub of proven design. I had forgotten how different a cub is on take-off. Snapped rolled it right in. Being a SPAD, there was no damage even though the crash was severe.

Once I snapped a top flite gold texan on takeoff. Rebuilt, had a VERY experience flier do the second "maiden." ended in a controlled crash landing. repaired the landing gear and wing bottom. Then, through RCU, found out that the kit recommended CG was about 1 1/4 inch too far aft. I moved the CG up by that much, and it's been flying ever since--so I don't claim that one, although it did happen....

International excuse book page ????