Mr. Canadian

This is what happens when you put a trainer through it's paces and lose elevator in flight. Was just coming out of a loop when it came off, was able to keep it flying for a couple seconds then loss it. Here's some before and after pics.

JunkYardDawg

My Feedback: (1)

Too bad ya gotta burn the remains in the fireplace?? It makes great fire kindling LOL Better luck next time flying

kregan

The plane look salvagable, but that fireplace
hearth is a total loss!

[X(]

foodstick

These pictures make me ponder the question..is it POSSIBLE to REKIT an a.r.f ?

Dr1Driver

Buy the kit version and build it yourself next time. Then you'll KNOW how well the control surfaces are installed.

Sorry for the loss.

Dr.1

2slow2matter

My Feedback: (1)

Even though it's an arf, I bet he installed the elevator on it himself.....Properly installed CA hinges should not fail all at once like that. There should have at least been some flutter warning beforehand that was either missed, or ignored.

Mr. Canadian

the plane never was an arf, i had bought it off a guy used for $50. He had built from a kit and converted it to a tailwheel. The elevator came off when I was in a loop so i never actually saw any flutter. I just going to take the engine and servo's and some of the pushrods and put it in my citabria that I'm finishing, the plane was good while it lasted, could float like a glider all day

somegeek

My Feedback: (2)

Oh man - that blows! Sorry to see. Least you're not down 90+ hours from building it.

rlipsett

too bad about the plane. You never know how someone else builds. In the future though you should consider tugging securly on all control surfaces before you fly a model you never built or for that matter on ones you did build to ensure that the glue holds tightly.

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

Does THAT arf come already hinged elevator, rudder, and ailerons?

Most come with them not connected requiring the builder to hinge the thing.

Using CA hinges poses issues that should be taken into consideration.. like not double gluing the things in place.. glue one side with 6 drops of CA while carefully watching the glue wick up into the hinge. Then turn it over and use 6 more drops of CA on the other side, again closely watching it wick into the hinge... but NEVER re-CA a hinge after it's been glued into place. The CA can actually cause the thing to de-bond and thus will cause a failure by coming un-done at the most inopportune moment.

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

Ah, I should have read further before puting in my 2 cents worth earlier.. so you did not hinge it yourself... The only way around such an accident is to give the plane the yank test.... pulling.. yanking... on each control surface to check the status of the hinges. I had one come out this past weekend on my Excelleron 90 on the left aileron. I ended up re-hinging the entire aileron in the field. I cut the aileron off at the hinges, removed it, trimmed the old hinges down to the wood, then re-slotted in a new location, and put 5 hinges on that aileron. The initial problem was probably never glued in correctly, is all I can figure out.

DS.