GeeBeeMan21

My Feedback: (110)

My Pirate 35% extra was flying great today. I decided to start hovering and playing around. This was after a very lengthy flight. I ended up hovering and trying to torq roll about 60 feet high. Then the engine died. I got it heading straight down and pulled all elevator. It just kept falling!!! Then it flattened out and WHAMM!! I figured it was going to be aweful...My buddy and I headed out and picked it up. It ripped the nose off and ruined my smoke mufflers on my 3w100. From the wing tube back it is spotless. It will get rebuilt, atleast thats what my builder (Dad) said. The plane is about 5 years old. I have owned it for alittle over a year. I have about 100+ flights on it. I would say its payed for. Live by the sword, die by the sword! I didnt cry too hard, it wont get you anywhere. Enjoy the pics!

GeeBeeMan21

My Feedback: (110)

Here is another

GeeBeeMan21

My Feedback: (110)

here is a great view

GeeBeeMan21

My Feedback: (110)

here is the last one

screamindemon69

man, any update on the cause of this accident??? tell your dad i said good luck with the repairs, and same to you. hope it gets back up in the air.

GeeBeeMan21

My Feedback: (110)

yeah, I forgot to mention that it was pilot error! I ran it out of GAS! lol It sucked alot more fuel hanging around on the prop! It should be back in the air in a few months. Depends on how hard i stay on Dad. I am glad he likes to build! Thanks for the luck! We will need it!

Todd

screamindemon69

well everyone does things like that. don't be too hard on yourself. glad to hear that it'll get repaired. if there's one thing i've learned about r.c. flying, it's that even though the crash sucks, it'll probably live to crash again. hope you can get her in the air soon!

stuffer

My Feedback: (11)

shoot, 3 days max on the repair and back up she goes! I had a stall landing with my giles202 and took the nose off. 2 nights and it's back on her feet and waiting for this weekend! This is the second time. After the first time I took best in sport at a fun fly! It looks even better this time. I make modifications each time it happens. Heck, I don't know if thats a good thing or not!!! Maybe the 25+ years in full scale repair that helps!

jack01

My Feedback: (3)

Just a note on hovering and tourqe rolling, there is a no mans land altitude. You need to be either very high, or very low to hang on the prop. You don't want to get so high you can't see it, but you don't want to be so low that you can't make a single mistake and still have a flyable plane.

Most people try to learn how to hover just high enough for the nose to drop on the plane if the engine quits. You want to be high enough to get the nose down, speed up, and then get the nose up again.

I've seen 3 crashes from prop hanging. (1 dumb thumb, 1 solder joint on the ignition failing, and 1 run out of gas). The dumb thumb one doesn't really count, but the one where the solder joint failed, was just high enough for the nose to drop, and plow in. The guy that ran out of fuel was about as low as you can get. It crunched the rudder, and the canopy since it landed inverted, but other than that it was OK.

Bottom line, either be high enough that the plane can tailslide, and get flying speed again, and still have altitude to spare, or be low enough so the plane can't gather enough speed to destroy itself. I'd reccomend the first one untill you trust yourself

screamindemon69

that's pretty good advice. in the case of running out of fuel, if your kinda in the middle and make a mistake, you can't get enough speed to make a dead stick landing but it'll get enough speed to hit the ground pretty hard. just a thought.... if your high up and hovering, watch out for thermals and winds, because your plane has very little forward speed. it can't fight the wind as well and it can send your plane spinning out of control. this is especially true if you have a plane with a big wing area.

bob_nj

My Feedback: (62)

Sorry to hear of your misfortune! It happened to me in April with my 105" Edge. A very old ignition box decided to give it up at the most inopportune time. Pancaked it in much like you. While I was in the repair process I noticed that the fuel line in the tank was stiff and not falling to the bottom of the tank while inverted. Re-plumbed the tank and repaired the rest of the plane. After about 3 weeks of repairs I took it out for some test flights. First one went well. On the second flight the engine quit again. Naturally I was having fun at low altitude :stupid: This time the clunk line slid off of the brass tubing inside the tank. Yikes
I couldn't take it. More repairs... It's finally back in the air and I'm more careful about which fuel line I use. Seems that there are different ID's on the yellow line I had hanging on the wall. Now if it would only stop raining here, we could get some real flying in...

GeeBeeMan21

My Feedback: (110)

The Extra is back in the air! I flew it 8-2-03. It flew great! I am so happy to have it back again. Did a couple more torque rolls, but alittle higher this time!! The only thing lost was the wheel pants. I am going to order a new cowl and some new wheel pants! Anyone have any Pirate or Powerhouse models cowl or pants laying around??!!

antslake

My Feedback: (1)

Ah, the sound of popping balsa!

Iceman30

My Feedback: (14)

I destroyed the wings (with shotgun sound effects) to a Somehin Extra, hovering, engine dies, flat spin into trees BOOOOOMMMMM...still don't have her back up..had extra 300L in works and flying that now....just LOTS higher...


ALTITUDE IS FRIEND !!!

Strykaas

Can someone explain to me why people who crash their (expensive, time consuming when building) aircraft often smile (See start of post) when the photo shot is taken ?

Seems strange.... :bananahea


I'm aware of the "Cheese" effect, but honestly ....

screamindemon69

maybe they want to be nice??? maybe they're proud of crashing???

GeeBeeMan21

My Feedback: (110)

Well I figured I only have myself to blame. Why be pissed and frown?? Crying and whinning wont get you anywhere?? So smile and make the best of it.

Johnnylightning

I think crashing due to pilot error, as opposed to mechanical failure, has a different affect on an R/C pilot. I've had both happen to me (I'm sure most of us have) and I've often noticed that the "emotional impact" after a pilot-induced crash is much less stressfull than a mechanically-induced crash. Especially after you had one of those "really good, all-out, rung the hell outta' the plane" flights! Needless to say, the damage isn't too bad either (good plane-saving job, GeeBeeMan21) and that's always something to smile about.

GeeBeeMan21

My Feedback: (110)

The plane really doesnt look too much different. I last the wheel pants and removed my smoke. I will hopefully soon get a new cowl. That should help the overall appearence. This picture was taken 8-6-03(wednesday). I am very pleased with the results!

Johnnylightning

U GO, BROTHA!

Strykaas

Great job !

GeeBeeMan21

My Feedback: (110)

All the credit should go to my dad. He amazes alot of people with his ability to cover, build, and rebuild models. He started flying in the early 60's. He said he learned how to rebuild many times before he learned how to fly. I am so glad he likes to do that kind of work. All my planes are at his house and if I have a kit or something broke, he cant stand to look at it. He just gets it and starts working! I am very lucky and very appriciative to him..

screamindemon69

my dad dosen't know the back from the front of the plane but he's a good guy and he likes to watch me fly my planes.

Blue_Moon_

GeeBeeMan21, is that GeeBee yours? How is it to fly? Tell us about it!!

GeeBeeMan21

My Feedback: (110)

Yeah thats mine. Its a North West Hobby Tech kit. It has an 85" span and weighs 18lbs. It is a wonderful flier. It floats very well and has excellent ground handling. I have a US41 engine that has caused me some problems with being reliable. It is more than enough power. This plane really gets going and is a good mild aerobatic plane. I wanted something that looks like a good Geebee but flies like a sport plane. I didnt want something that is a pain to fly. The picture i added is with my plane on the left and my buddies wendle hostetler plane on the right with me in the middle. The Wendel has never been flown.