dvaughn11

Some food for thought... I am new to flying R/C air. So I just joined a club to learn to fly. NOW here is the kicker. The club I have just joined 4 weeks ago will not even consider allowing a nonmember’s equipment to be used on our field. That rule is there to protect us from this type of problem. I have a trainer now and have ordered a Tiger II kit and a LANIER STINGER 60 kit. I have never tried to fly a low wing before but I will, so good for you shawn. On test flights we spend most of the day testing all of the sysems and engine break-ins. Most planes that come from a kit will not fly the first day you take it out due to all of the pre flight test anyway. Now if we do that for a trainer or $300 plane what do you think would be done for a $1400 plane. Most of all no responsible person would ever agree to take another mans woman out to dinner without the significant other there also. So what makes you think for a second that shawn would allow a test flight with out him there to say, “stick with split S’s for now.... I don't want to see any hot shot stuff right now... just the basic's. Please�

shawn, man I am sorry for your loss, I would have buried this guy in paper work by now.


Keep us informed I would like to know if justice has been served.

Scalebuff

I LOVE THIS GUY LOL

P-51B

My Feedback: (5)

Gee, EVERYONE who flies RC must use RCU?!?!?!

P-51B

My Feedback: (5)

That's why I specified a 6 volt pack, since he referenced 5.9 volts. I would say your 5.65v on 4.8v pack is pretty close =/-.

P.S. I'm no battery expert either!

Edge 540

My Feedback: (2)

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daveopam

My Feedback: (9)

Cuti has smartly and maybe accidently put a period on this post.
LAter David

SeacretsOceanCity

Shawn there has been 18 posts since your last, keep us updated on the developing situation.
I would love to see how this pans out. Nothing gets my blood boiling like STUPIDITY.

SKYPYRO

Ok, seems no one here is a battery expert. Being almost purely electric (shutup, they are 3D ) and knowledgeable on batteries, I will input the facts. The 4 cell 600 mAh pack should not have malfunctioned like that. 7 servos and a receiver draw maybe 8 amps at the most! I am not all that familiar with giant scale servo draw, but I don't think it would be much more or less than that. The battery sounds like it was in good condition. 8 amps is just fine for those batteries. I have drawn 17.5 amps out of the same kind of batteries with no ill effects, and probably 100 flights. A few minutes should not have been enough to drain those down to a point where they could not provide enough power to the servos. It should provide at least 30 minutes until a charge is recommended. So, don't blame the batteries "just because they are 600 mAh", this has absolutely nothing to do with it. Check the receiver, switch harness, wiring, and weld tabs on the batteries. Also, please realize I am not siding with the guy that crashed your plane. Actually, I am undecided on this, since the facts seem very spread apart, and there is no way to verify them.

Dan

vnelson191

How in the world did he get your radio. You do share some of this responsibility. You leave the keys in your car and some kid comes up and drives off with it. That is your fault. Sorry about your plane, I've just ordered me one. See if anyone flies my plane.

Scalebuff

KEYS? if this were true we wouldnt have planes being shot down at the field

as long as the RX and TX are compatable (in most cases) and are on the same freq you have control..

i have over 15 planes but 2 TX's its not that hard really

shawn43068

Hi everyone...

Hey VNELSON have fun with your Pitts! Its a awesome plane and I hear it is a great performer. Good luck with yours.... Put a lock on that thing! Don't give it to no one because they could fly it without your permission and this could happen.

The reason he had the radio is so that when he was building the NEW wings TOP SET BOTTOM SET its had alone 4 servos in the wings one on each aileron. He needed that to set the servos/ailorons up throws/high rates/etc.... I'm over 40min away from his property so that would be a pain if he called me and needed it so I left it thinking he would need it. If I knew beyond the shadow of a dount that he would fly this plane without my permission I would have never even left the plane!

Tired Old Man

My Feedback: (1)

Everything else aside, and for future reference, the 600mAH batttery was WAY to small. If all the servos in the plane were pulling their maximum draw in a stalled condition, the battery would not have had enough capacity to have supplied any usuable current to the receiver for signal processing.

That battery would supply 6/10 of an amp with a total servo count that could draw over well 2 amps.

I really feel for you due to the loss of your plane, and the manner in which it was lost. Befeore you fly your next plane, it wouldn't hurt to do a little research about battery capacities and servo types with their associated current draw.

SKYPYRO

Sir, I do not know where your information was supplied from, but it is incorrect. NiCd batteries can supply at least 10C before starting to even feel an impact. 10C of a 600 mAh pack would be 6 amps. Of course, you can even draw more, but then the batteries get run times that are shorter, and the pack will get warm, and require cooling.

I say forget about everything that happened in the past for a few minutes, and get yourself a nice, cheap, easy to fly plane. I reccomend the GWS Tiger Moth or GWS Slow Stick. (no, I'm usually not GWS Pusher ) You won't even need to rely on someone else to teach you to fly, although it would certainly help. I am not saying give up on getting some compensation, just get something to take your mind off of it for a while. The Tiger Moth is a semi-scale biplane, so you may take a shine to it.

I wish you luck,

Dan

teefly-RCU

Having others take responsibility for YOUR planes is risky to say the least. The hobby HAS changed so much in the last few years. I think the ARF's are really a compliment to our hobby......BUT......having others assemble them hinges on being a joke. They, especially GP planes, are so well engineered in the instruction manuals that I can't imagine passing up the process for at least assembling. I see it at the field more and more, people confused about even the simplest of maintenance requirements to keep these thing "in the safety zone". Yes, I own a GP Pitts and being a gasser it takes full time maintence, as all gassers do from the simple nature of the beast (vibration!). Slow down, enjoy the hobby, and many years of enjoyment are ahead. Have fun

Columbo

My Feedback: (9)

Did your plane have an electronic ignition? If so what type of battery and where was it placed?

Greg

MTT

My Feedback: (8)

I belive these guys are responsible, and should replce Shawn's plane, since they did not have authoriztion to fly it.

However, regardless of that, and what caused the crash, I agree with the ones who say that a 600mAh pack is way to small for a plane this size !

600 mAh is something I would put in a 2m , 2 channel glider, like the gentle lady.

Michael

Tired Old Man

My Feedback: (1)

A couple of thoughts;

Who is dumb enough to leave his plane and radio with someone else, enabling them to fly the plane without the owners presence or permission?

Who is dumb enough to leave a plane and radio with someone he doesn't know well enough to have complete trust in the other persons level of responsibility?

Although I agree that if a person takes someone elses' property and uses and destroys the property without the owners permission for use, the user becomes liable for the loss. I also would stipulate that the owner bears some responsibility for being stupid.

Take the case to small claims court with the evidence and witnesses and see how it comes out. The possible spread of the word to other clubs is no big deal.

I do believe, though, that everybody should take responsibility for their own action, or lack of, action. I get really tired of everything being someone elses' fault.

kwelz

My Feedback: (6)

I have left my plane and transmitter with someone who was working on it before.
Perhaps I am a bit to trusting. But the guy came through. He finished the plane, set it up and had it back to me in a week. I doubt he even gave the slightest thought to taking it up without my permission.

SKYPYRO

Silversurfer- that is a bit harsh. Shawn didn't know how to set the radio up, and what other way to do it without the plane and radio present. I don't really think this is anyone's fault, just a misunderstanding. Shawn may have kind of insinuated that he would like it to be flown, but not meant it. The builder may have thought he wanted it test flown.

Guys- I can't say this enough! The battery size has nothing to do with that plane crashing! The reason that people like to use a larger battery in big planes is that the servos draw more, and reduce flight time. It would be a good two 20 minute flights before he would have to think of charging. The batteries were 5.9 volts after it crashed!!! Under load, that is maybe 5.5-5.7 volts! This is plenty safe! It was either a receiver or a switch problem! It is easy to blame something that you don't understand on a crash, like the battery.

Dan

Combat Addict

Skypyro is right to a degree. A small battery of the same voltage will be able to power the same stuff. It is just that it will run out faster than a bigger one, MaH.

Strykaas

Pilot error ?

SKYPYRO

Thank you, Combat Pilot! I didn't learn all of this stuff to watch people misdiagnose it. Of course, there is cell resistance, but I doubt that was in issue with a 600 mAh NiCd.

Dan

daveopam

My Feedback: (9)

Dan, I'm not being a smart ass, I really don't know. Is it possible to pull a 600mah down enough to where it wont function. And then have it spring back by the time you pick up the pieces and put a battery tester on it. This thing had 7 or 8 servos afterall.
I dont think it caused the crash i'm just curious.
Later David

Combat Addict

I ain't dan, but it could be possible. The batterys will lower after use, then produce a higher voltage with out a load. But I don't think it would be that much.

MTT

My Feedback: (8)

Maybe. I won't argue with you anymore on that, after all, I wasn't there.

Be that as it may, I still think that a dinky 600 mAh pack has no business in a 6-8 servo plane like this.
I mean, you spend $ 1400.- ( number posted by Shawn ), on a plane of this category, servos, engine, the works, and then save on the battery pack ? Come on !

I'm not implying that it was Shawn's own fault, because of the undersized battery pack, but please, if you get your money back somehow, and get another Pitts, next time, put a dedent battery pack in it !

Michael