First flight on rebuild
 

At 63 years old, I can't believe that I get as nervous a kid on his first date when flying the first few minutes then it seems to go away, is it always like this?

Well finally got her back together after a battery failure crash [see other post]. The covering is not very good but you can see her and she flys pretty good for an almost 30 year old dame. Don't know what she is, but I believe she was a kit from SIG. My neighbor and old club member gave her to me to fly using my engine. There are alot of very nice and helpful people in this hobby.

Gary

RE: First flight on rebuild
 

Viagra helps with that first date thing!!:) Great times we live in!!:D
Anyway, I had to run out to the shop because yesterday I was given some really old kits and that looked like one of them. Nope, the big V isn't worth spit for the memory.[&o]
My knees quit shaking some years ago when flying, even on maidens. I miss that feeling but can't seem to get it back even with big planes or long builds.
Wish I could, it's like something is missing.
Anyway, nice to see the old gal back in the air. I'm doing reapirs on old wall hangers right now myself. They seem to fly better after A reapir or two??
Havent figured that one out either.

RE: First flight on rebuild
 

RooMan
They say when you knees quit knocking you brain has stoped working. mine still nock and I am ;)And the plane looks like something Hobby Lobby put out in the 70:eek: the mind goes first.

RE: First flight on rebuild
 

I went out to the field today with a rebuild of my Ruperts Dad. I had a radio failure about six months back and it ended up landing on the wrong side of the shore on the pond behind our field. Not to much damage, but the lower leading edge sheeting was completely blown out on the water landing. I got everything back together and fixed some things I had done badly on the build. I spent a few hours yesterday setting up all the servos and linkage and I was ready to go today.

I got out to the field and there were only two other guys there. I got things ready and had to make some adjustments on the throttle servo. Ready to go and I get out to the flight line. One of the other guys was just ready to land and I told him to go ahead, I'd wait. Darn, if he didn't snag his landing gear on the fence across our runway and really screw up his 1/4 scale. I shut down and went out to help pick up the pieces. I felt bad for him. After clearing up the runway, I decided to go on up. Started up and out to the flight line. The wind was kind of quartering the runway, so I was going to have to ease up on the right rudder for take off. Just as I'm about to lift off, the right wing dips, I pull it level and I'm airborne. It a touchy plane on the elevator and I went through some bug gulps trying to get it level. I couldn't hold it level, and I was having trouble with the elevator getting it to gain some altitude. It sure looked like a pick up the pieces flight. I finally got it heading up and picked up some altitude. I relaxed the sticks and it did a right roll. Fought it back to level again and kind of took a quick look at the sticks and I about had the ailerons almost pegged to the left holding it straight. By now, I getting up kind of high. I cut throttle and got it on and approach. I don't think I've taken more than two or three breaths this whole flight. I made a fairly good approach and just as it about to touch down, a wind gust his from the left and it weather vaned into the wind, heading right back to the pond. I just pushed it over and popped it on the ground. The only damage was a broken prop.

Back on the bench and I started checking things out. DUMB DUMB DUMB, I had swapped right and left aileron when I plugged the plane together. I had about 10 up and 10 down giving an aggressive right roll when the stick was neutral. I completely missed that on the preflight. It also pointed out that my linkages were not setup correctly, there shouldn't be much more than a couple clicks different if you swap the servos. Oh yes, I have a flaperons setup, Right aileron on CH1 and left on CH7.

So, preflight checklist now included making sure both ailerons are at the center when the sticks are in the center. Even though the plugs are color coded so I don't switch them. I must have switched them at the receiver when I put the harness in.

Time to drag out the trainer again. The last month has been nothing but white knuckle flights.

Don

RE: First flight on rebuild
 

Maybe you need to spend more money on your planes?:D Have you tried a turbine jet? I imagine if that doesn't get your knees shaking you should be flying for the USAF.:D


But what the hey do I know, I only solo's 'a couple of weeks ago'.

RE: First flight on rebuild
 

At our field we call it the pucker factor. :D

RE: First flight on rebuild
 

Campgems,

"Back on the bench and I started checking things out. DUMB DUMB DUMB, I had swapped right and left aileron when I plugged the plane together. I had about 10 up and 10 down giving an aggressive right roll when the stick was neutral. I completely missed that on the preflight. It also pointed out that my linkages were not setup correctly, there shouldn't be much more than a couple clicks different if you swap the servos. Oh yes, I have a flaperons setup, Right aileron on CH1 and left on CH7."

I know the feeling, my dumb and dumber usually come when I am in a hurry. Really tried to slow down this week end but still almost crashed without leaving the ground. I had started my plane and had it set to idle and was moving around to the side to remove the glow starter and hold plane for run up when the neck strap caught on the throttle control and opened it, I got it stopped about 6" from our flight line fence, very lucky. It seems there is always some new challenge, I wonder when we will see them all.

Gary