Just had our club BBQ on saturday - about sixty people turned up for glorious weather and superb food. It really is the highlight of our clubs year. Anyway I have a CAP 232 breitling which is a gorgues plane i really love to fly; it tracks great trhough loops and looks so good in inverterd low passes. Anyway just took off on the club BBQ with all the people beghind in the pits surrounded by a wire fence did one circuit, just throttleing up and *CRACK* off comes the left had portion of the elevator! I have never seen anything like it, anyway after a (very smooth considering) circuit brought it back ito wind (i was okay aslong as i didnt bank left) and dumped it just short of our patch to a cheer from the crowd! woo!

The problem was traced back to appaulin wood selection in the elevator, its like sponge cake! and also the new prop that was fitted. I went from a 14x10 (model flew far too fast) to a new carbon 16x8. The rubbish wood and massive torque from that prop pulled off the elevator - definatly not flutter all hinges are close fitting and wasnt travelling nearly fast enough. Also the join was VERY clean though not along a glue joint as there is no residue, there also was no through brace to speak of.

Anyway the point of this post is this: after my experiences with losing half an elevator does anyone else have any similar miraculous stories? and also to point out that i always thought ARTF's with poor wood selection were bought by other people and that it never would happen to me - well i was wrong! You guys check out your wood selection!

I thought as soon as you lost a vital piece of your plane you were toast - you would be looking for all the pieces - however again i was wrong! Just shows; i love this hobby its so engaging and i read upon eveything i can but you never can stop learning!

This is 60" span powerd by a SC91 fourstoke (just purrs along) and a 16x8 carbon firbre prop (yum! cost me a weeks pay - im 16) dual conv rx 6v rx pack etc etc...

Here's some pics: will get better ones ASAP, will try and get one of grain of wood.

Anyway i welcome your ideas and comments,

Rich

Hey,

Years ago I lost the right half of my Four Star .60 with Saito 91. There was a huge wind that was on an angle, when I started to do the second loop of a vertical 8 someone shouted that something fell of my plane. Landed it like as if it were 100% airworthy and the whole section was missing. Lucky for me that the elevator control horn was on the other side, or I would have been toast. I had built the kit my self, so it wasn't a lack of glue that caused it. I rebuilt the elevator and rudder from solid balsa core, with hardwood inserts for strength and then sheeted it with balsa. 5 years later, still flying.

Cheers,

Sebastian

Several years ago a couple of the local 'Hotshots' were having an 'Inverted Touch and Go' contest (very unofficial ).

The idea was to come in inverted and see who could touch their rudder to the ground and keep flying..

There were a number of successful runs and several that did a 'Touch and Stay'

- THE WINNER was declared when one fellow did a touch and go and LEFT his ENTIRE RUDDER, behind! [X(]

He then completed his circuit and landed without incident...

The only thing left of his vertical Stab was the 'Strake'