SOLO!!!!
 

Well,
Today i went out with my instructor and we were on the buddy box for a while. He made em shoot some landings and then he took away the cord. Now i flew around did a circuit and landed. And then refueled and flew around doin loops and just havin fun while he was off talkin to people. So i brought it in and landed it and we went to fly in the real plane now. So, We flew around and had a great time. I came home and told my parents about it and asked them to take me back out.
It goes downhill here.
I was completely ready to solo so don't think i wasn't. I was just over excited about going out by myself to show the rents.
I fueled up and eveyrthing and got ready to go started the engine checked control surfaces. everything worked. So i was no ready to fly her without my instructor there. I took off and pitched up too much tip stalled and lost control. Into the ground she went. I will post pics and vids in a couple of minutes. But i did solo.... So i am happy. I just got over excited and pulled up too much on take off and down she went.
Repairs needed:
Reglue firewall and reinforce wing. Also need to glue some other pieces in. Should only take a couple of days to get her back up in the air.
It was totally my fault for the crash. I got so excited and boom she went. My instructor did good letting me loose. I in no way blame it on him. I know someone will flame him and say he shouldn't have let me loose. But i had mastered takeoffs and this was the first one that was bad.
I will upload pics in about 30 mins

RE: SOLO!!!!
 

too bad. Everyone crashes sometime(s) after solo, your's just happened to be the first flight after [:o]
Get her fixed and get back up there.

RE: SOLO!!!!
 

2slow, I am ready to go. The guys at the field were very nice about it and helped me pick it up. They were very good pilots and i look up to them. They all told me not to get discouraged and i won't because i am still smiling right now ebcause the solo totally overrid the crash. The solo was AWSOME. I am uploading the pics and vids as we speak

RE: SOLO!!!!
 

Heres the pics. I think my instructor has some of me flying I have vids too but odn't know how to post them

RE: SOLO!!!!
 

Ouch but fixable

You cannot post videos directly to RCU but if you can host then somewhere else you can post links to them

Otherwise congrats on the solo.

RE: SOLO!!!!
 

bill,
attaboy?:D

RE: SOLO!!!!
 

easily fixable! One suggestion--epoxy that wing together. The plane will last longer. When you get to where you're diving and doing snaps and other aerobatics, those metal straps won't do. It needs to be epoxied together with 30 min epoxy. jmo.

RE: SOLO!!!!
 

What really sucks is that you're up to 400 posts now, and at some point you're going to have to change your screen name because you wont' be a noob anymore:D:D:D
Pick a name like 2slow--people really listen to you then:D:D:D

RE: SOLO!!!!
 

2slow, What about gorilla glue? I and using wood glue for the pieces on top and plan to use gorilla glue for the things that need a really strong hold. It's my faveortie kind.

RE: SOLO!!!!
 

Minn,

Attaboy time?

RE: SOLO!!!!
 

Congratulations! I saw your post last night that you were going to solo this weekend. Sorry for the crash but like the others said, it doesn't look too bad.

RE: SOLO!!!!
 

I don't use anything but 30 min epoxy on things that matter. I think it's a little more gap filling than gorilla glue, and I think it cures out stronger. The things I use 30 min epoxy on include (but aren't limited to) firewall, wing halves, tail feathers, and landing gear blocks. As far as gluing the top of the fuse back onto the sides--I'd just use some medium CA for that. Sand it down a little, put some med CA on on the sides, and put the top back on it--done. Don't put the top on until you are finished reinforcing the firewall and such. Reinforce the firewall by putting some 1/2 by 1/2 inch basswood in the corners behind it--with some 30 min epoxy. It looks in one of the pictures like one side of your firewall might be splintered. If so, you might need to just make a new firewall. Go to the LHS (the one you hate:D) and get some plywood for this. You might need to glue two pieces together (with 30 min epoxy) to get the thickness--just make it the same as the original one. Put it on the front and glue it in with the support I mentioned before. Instead of the square basswood, another option for suring it up would be some triangle stock--but make sure it's hardwood triange, and not balsa. Again, nothing but 30 min epoxy in this area!
On the wing, make sure the leading edge is not broken. If it is, you'll have to take some covering off and redo this. There are many ways to do this, just try and not add too much weight to one side or the other on the wing. Some ribs or the spar might also be cracked--fix the ribs with some thin CA, and fix the spar with some 5 min epoxy. Also, the sheer webbing might need a dab of CA as well. If the covering is ripped anywhere, just iron it back down. If need be, iron some new covering over the hole to fix it (especially if it's over an open bay), or you could put some clear packing tape over it--works just as well. When you are all done, don't forget to check the balance just in case, and you might have your instructor take it back up the first time in case it has developed any bad tendencies that need to be worked out. Remember, it's called a hobby for a reason!

RE: SOLO!!!!
 

2slow,
Can you get me some tower part numbers or links for the wood you are talking about. I am deciding to order from there because I would rather order from there then the unmentionable.

waiting on ym instructor to post about today....

RE: SOLO!!!!
 

Tower only carries traingle in balsa (at least that's what the search I did came up with). You have to buy so much wood from them at a time that it's expensive, then you have to pay for shipping. Go to hobby lobby (or equivalent hobby retailer in your area) and pick up some square basswood. It isn't hard to find. I wouldn't pay shipping on wood--especially considering you don't need very much at all.

RE: SOLO!!!!
 

ok, will do 2slow. What about new nosegear. I was gonna just get the hardware needed, but it is cheaper to get the whole new gear. I looked and saw some but didn't know what size and such.

RE: SOLO!!!!
 

nose gears are tricky. If you're going to get just the mount (which is probably all you need), then take the whole thing with you to make sure you get the right thing. You could look up your plane on tower (if they sell it) and probably order the nose gear assy, but again, you'll pay an addition 7 bucks shipping. Usually you can just replace the mount, unless the wire is bent too bad. You probably broke the piece that hooks to the control rod (control horn), didn't you? You'll need a new one of those, and a new nylon mount. If you are making a new firewall, then just get any old mount and control horn as a set, and you'll be fine. If you aren't replacing the firewall, then you'll need a mount with the same bolt pattern. If the gear wire itself is bent all out of shape, it may be eaiser to just get a new one of these as well. You'll need to make a new flat spot where the set screw on the control horn goes--do this with a metal file. Isn't this fun?????
I went flying Friday, and had to fix three planes before I could go out again on Sat. On my twinstar, I had a CA hinge break. Don't ask me how, but the inboard hing just broke. Had to take the aileron off and completely re-hinge it. Also, on the twinstar, had a firewall come loose--fixed that as well. Then, I had to fix the wing mount on my big stick--it had wore to much, and the wing was loose in the saddle, and I had to finish a little .10 sized chea pass I had been building. But, they all flew again on Sat without problems....

RE: SOLO!!!!
 

yea... I want to take it out so bad this weekend if i get a chance, but my instructor will be out of town. I hate riskin it again but i have soloed . I could just wait though. All i need is hte moutns by the way which i will go to the OTHER LHS to get.

RE: SOLO!!!!
 

You don't have to have your instructor. Just have someone else at the field that you trust take it up for a spin real quick--just to make sure it still flies the same. Then you're all set! Also, make sure nothing on the tail broke....

RE: SOLO!!!!
 

una mas pregunta
How do i know if i should replace pieces? In the side of the wing that got like 0.000001 damage there is a small hol in the balsa. Should i replace this piece or leave it be?

RE: SOLO!!!!
 

Maybe you got it over with early, and are no longer nervous about it. Stick with it, you will keep on improving from here, you will see improvements and things that you didn't notice before now that you will start relaxing a little. And don't worry, the uglier the plane gets, the longer it will live.....

RE: SOLO!!!!
 

which piece has a hole in it? The root rib? If it's a rib, and it's a small hole, don't worry about it. If it's cracked, just wick in some thin CA. If it's a hole in the covering, just tape over it, or put a small patch of covering over it. No worries on that....

RE: SOLO!!!!
 

it goes from spar to leading edge.

It is like a covering piece of balsa. Just don't know weather to patch it or not. Still is strong.

RE: SOLO!!!!
 

ok, the leading edge sheeting? That's not a problem either. Hardly worth fixing. Again, if it's cracked, some CA will fix it. If something just punctured it, just re-cover it.

RE: SOLO!!!!
 

o one wing i have a big rectangle to replace, but on the other i will not worry about it. The covering will be good cause then that will mean i am almost ready to fly. But, I have plenty of time and will wait to my instructor is back to fly her

RE: SOLO!!!!
 

ok, one more question.
I have some holes in the bottom of the fuse under where the fuel tank will be. The covering will cover these up. Do i still need to stick some balsa in them?

BTW Reconstruction has began. The firewall is drying right now of the wood glue and the bottom of the fuse is being glued back. I will probably take her to the field this weekend and see if one of the experienced guys there will take her up.