My first BIG crash
 

Rescently, I had a crash that will force me to buy a new airplane. Let's start from the beginning. The engine was cutting, so my instructer deciced to make the takeoff. The engine died ab9ut 2 feet in the air, so the airplane ended up making a carg wheel. It looked fine, so We took it into the air again. At about 200 feet, the wing can off! The fuselage went nose down like a rocket. I'm now looking for a new trainer, because half of the fuselage is gone. I'm hoping that the servos and engine are ok. I'm looking at the kadet LT 40 (had that one before tbe crash) and the Alpha 40. Thd alpha is $100 cheaper, and would leave me more room to buy anything else that broke.

Get a new instructor.....what ever issues you have on the ground only get worse in the air. Then to fly an airplane right after a cart wheel without a good inspection is unbelievable. There was major structure damage.

Your instructor should never have let that aircraft leave the ground.

Ok so the instructor decided to make the take off since the engine was not running properly then it quit two feet off the ground during the take off. This of course caused the airplane to cart wheel.

Really!

How did you get involved with this instructor? Was he a Club instructor? Was he a perhaps a friend or relative who also flys? Maybe Someone who just sold you the airplane?

John

Well, the instructer is qualified, and according to the CFI is one of the best. I have never met him before, but I think he just slipped up there. I attempted 2 takeoffs and he insisted that I was pushing the throttle too fast.

Anyways, do you guys think that the alpha 40 would be a good replacement? I was also looking at the greatplanes avistar elite which is similar in price. What would you guys recommend? I heard that the avistar is more aerobatic, but im not sure if tnat was this avidtar or the discontinued one from hobbico.

Also dies anyone know what exactly comes in the arf kit for the alpha 40?

If you want a 40 size airplane, one of the best is the Great Planes PT-40.
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...P?I=LXJ557&P=8

Build it with the 'sport' wing, and it'll do what you need it to until you outgrow it.

"I heard the Avistar is more aerobatic", really? Your last plane could do cartwheels, how much more aerobatic do you want ? :) You need a new plane, a new instructor, and a new path to learning to fly.

The alpha 40 would be a great replacement. I have taught a guy to fly with one. As with most ARF's out there it will have everything you need except the radio gear and engine. The engine you had on the last one will work nicely. If you would like to go even cheaper the tower trainer is a very decent trainer too. The tower trainer is a lot like the PT-40.

I have an avistar Elite and it is a really nice plane. If you are taking off and landing on your own then that would be a nice plane for you as well. I think the avistar would be more interesting to you longer than the others will.

Well, bought the avistar, since I am able to takeoff and land no problem, and it seems like small step up.

The engine is quite dirty, any ideas how to clean it? I don't think that there is any dirt inside the engine because the throttle was closed during the crash, but I can't be sure. Is there any way I can check this without taking apart the whole thing?

Take the back cover off (4 screws) and inspect inside of crankcase for dirt or debris. Clean oil and fuel residue should be what you see, not dirt from the crash. Clean if needed, check and clean carb throat and barrel. Make sure the small air bleed hole in the front of the carb is clear. Clean outside with Dawn "Power Dissolver" or Dawn "grill Cleaner", same product with different labels.Lube engine with after run oil. Mount engine in test stand and test run it. If you don't have a test stand, put one on your shopping list and just install in new plane and test run it there. Oh, also test the glo plug as they sometimes don't like impacts. Replace if questionable. Make sure the crankshaft isn't bent. Now, after readying the new plane and cleaning, inspecting, and testing the engine this is where you find a new instructor that has better judgement. Even If you can solo yourself, get a good helper to mentor the test flight on the new plane so that it lasts for a while. All "common sense" stuff. Good luck.

Well, i decided to check if the carb is clean first. I took it out and there is no dirt in it, but the CFI (not the guy who cart wheeled it) told me to take out all the needles, than clean it with degreaser or WD 40. Then, use compressed air and pump some fresh fuel through the needle openings. However, the tine screw in the tnrottle arm(low end I think) wont come out all the way. Shoukd I still use the WD 40, or will that damage the low enc needle? Also, I need to buy after run oil, but is there some oil that eill do as a replacament for now? I have lots of kitchen oils and 2 stroke engine oil, aswell as hydraulic oil.

Just flush it out good and reassemble and run it. WD 40 won't hurt anything. Air tool oil, or automatic transmission fluid are good after run oils and a lot less expensive than the after run oil from the hobby shop.

Marvel, ATF, or air tool oil are the standards. WD40 is fine but thin so it does a better job flushing than preserving. If nothing went down the carb or the muffler it should be fine. keep the throttle closed block off the exhaust and clean the dirt off the outside. Almost every trainer on the market flies just fine. Make sure all the wires are ok on the flight pack.

Alright, I cleaned the engine, ans since the carb was not dirty, I figured that the inside is not either. It turns over fine, so I think it will be ok.

Also, do you guys recommend to use the reciever after the crash? Thr case popped open, and a bit of plastic came of from the shorter antenna. I have no gotten the new plane yet, but I will do some fsrther than usual range checks from different angles. Especiall since the avistar does not self correct (i think), so incase of signal loss i would lise another airplane.

For me I draw the line at physical damage such as you described for reuse of the Rx regardless of any range test. Damage such as that often results in two things either a cracked ceramic filter or a cracked circuit board/trace that may be intermittent .


Its important to understand the so called self righting tendencies of some airplanes is perhaps only in the first 15 or so degrees of roll. And will certainly not save an airplane if the signal is lost. If signal is lost that airplane is going to crash.

John

What John said without exactly writing down the words is "Don't reuse that RX". I fully agree. To put that RX in your new plane would be a crap shoot with bad odds. "Smart money" would only install a new RX in that Avistar. Fly smart.

What are the limits these 40 trainer airframes can handle? I was flying my Hobbico Superstar today doing rolls, loops, etc then when it picked a lot of airspeed the wing separated in flight. At first I thought I exceeded the airspeed limit but after recovering the wreckage from the scrubs I found that the previous owner used too little epoxy in joining the wing halves. Now I don't know if i should get another trainer or perhaps a low wing plane like a Goldberg Tiger? My flying is still amateur grade. I can take off and land safely but my turns are still a bit sloppy.

Sounds like a case of sloppy building rather than over stressing the airframe. I always use plenty of 30 minute epoxy on the wing joint, the use a 2-3" wide strip of fiberglass all the way around the joint. It won't come apart. If you can take off and land safely and well, you may be ready top move up to another plane, maybe a shoulder wing or low wing plane.

[QUOTE=AllModesR/C;12231920. Now I don't know if i should get another trainer or perhaps a low wing plane like a Goldberg Tiger? My flying is still amateur grade. I can take off and land safely but my turns are still a bit sloppy.[/QUOTE]

It is my opinion AllModes just not only from this post but also your other posts that it is indeed perhaps time for something else and another basic trainer is certainly not necessary. The Goldberg Tiger is an ideal small step up and if not an original Goldberg then one of the China clones such as the CMP Low Wing Trainer . Almost an exact clone but cheaper covering and cheaper hardware as well. But flys just as well.

John

Thanks gentlemen. I always loved the look of the Goldbergs. I'll check out the Chinese clones.

"Real" Goldberg Tiger kits, not ARF's, are still available if you want an original that you will have control over the quality of the build. The old "if you want it done right, do it yourself" approach. Sig 4-Stars, both 40 and 60 size, are also available in kit and ARF form. Both the Tiger and the 4-Star are excellent first low wing planes.

Indeed, I just did some research and saw that when Goldberg products was still around they did offer the Tiger in an ARF. Now they're sold as Great Planes Tiger 2 and only available as a kit. The problem is that I have little to no building skills and may have to settle for the Chinese ARF clone.

At some point in your R/C flying you are going to want an airplane that is not available as an ARF, jumping in with both feet and building either a Goldberg Tiger or one of the Sig 4-Stars is the best thing you can do at this point, I might even recommend the Sig Mid-Star as a next step, all very easy to build and extremely great flying aircraft....Just think about the pride and enjoyment of saying "I built it myself" and learning how to build also will help you, should the need ever arise to have to repair an airplane, you will have the skill to do so...... "Come on, jump in and enjoy this hobby to the fullest, build a kit!!!!!!!!

Bill D.

AllModes if I read correctly you lost your only airplane/trainer yesterday. If so it is very important that you do not stop flying to build an airplane while I totally agree with the fellows about building yes it is a great experience but and here is another of those big 'Buts' If you stop flying now to build a replacement you run the risk of losing interest and we lose you entirely.


Building your first build you can count on it taking at least at a minimum of three times longer or more than you estimated. Don,t run the risk of losing what you have gained do not stop flying especially now to build. Get an arf or anything to keep flying while you build. Far to many fade away when they stop flying to build.

John

Get a better instructor, if you have a good instructor you can then just go get a ugly stik and then you will not outgrow and be bored by your trainer. The stik can be setup and flown trainer like and then when you progress you have your 2nd plane already; of which you already are familiar with since its the same plane.... just flown sport instead of training.