So...

They (the infamous 'they' that alays know more than you do) say you should do a thorough pre-flight before EVERY flight.

Of course, we (the infamous 'we' that live in the real world) will frequently ignore this sage advice. I mean, ok, sure...we check our planes thoroughly upon arrival at the field, and always check te control surfaces before and after starting the motor...we may even do a range check before every flight.

But sometimes, on say...our 3rd or 4th flight of the day, 'we' overlook the obvious.

You know...when we're in the pits, diagnosing a throttle travel issue, and start removing wing bolts...only to decide, about halfway through, we can probably resolve this with the radio settings.

So we pick up the radio, tinker with some travel adjustments, find happiness in the throttle travel, and head out to the flight line, plane in hand.

She starts right up, 'we' check the control surfaces, do a range check, set her on the ground, throttle up and check control surfaces again, and then taxi off into a nice takeoff climb...

With, of course, 2/4 of the wing bolts loosened, and one removed.

For those of you educated in Kentucky (I was, so I can make that joke) 4 - 3 = 1 wing bolt.

Out of 4.

For what it's worth, the Hangar 9 Super Stick flies quite well with only 25% of its wing bolts orrectly installed. It even handles loops, hammer heads, and some very aggressive rolls, without so much as a wiggle.

Of course, I wouldn't suggest trying this yourself. You know what 'they' say...Your Mileage May Vary

Gotta admit though...I'm pretty confident in the wing mounting system at this point...I'd say it was safely over-engineered.

Anyone wanna bet I do more thorough pre-flight checks from now on?



P.S. Yeah, I'm pretty sure I owe the RC Gods one now...I have no doubt they will extract payment from me at some point in the future.

quick, right now, find yourself some wood and start knocking!!!!!
Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. Today was one of those days for you!

Oh BELIEVE me 2slow...I thanked the RC Gods in every way I could think of when I saw what I'd done.

Heck, I'm giving some thought to offering up my foamy as a sacrificial lawn dart tomorrow.

Watch it![:@][:@][:@]

Of course I'm only Joking! Hehe I agree find some wood and start knocking!

Admit it, Ice...If you went to school in Paducah, you needed the math help.

Just sent you a PM about flying together some time...I get that way every so often to fly with my uncle and his crowd.

I've always been a "cono-sewer" of pre-flight checks. And it can happen to anyone. A month ago, I was at the field with 3 models.
Upon switching planes, did the usual pre-flight check of servo linkages etc. Launched my Sig Kougar and noticed that it needed some
right aileron trim. Flew the tank and landed. Only to find out that the selected model on my Futaba 9C was a Great Planes U Can Do.
So, I flew the Kougar on the U Can Do's settings. Boy was I lucky!!

Dave...

I also believe in pre-flight checks on every flight. I will admit that I only do a range check once, then make sure the batteries haven't lost their charge before flying. One time this probably saved a plane. I say probably, because I didn't fly it so I don't know for sure. I took my 4*60 out to the field one day and before leaving the house I checked the battery. 5.2 volts....OK looks good so I went. Got to the field, assembled the plane, and did my range check. Looked good, and all surfaces moving in the correct direction. Sat down for about 15-20 minutes to b.s. with the other pilots there. When I got ready to fly, I thought I would just check that battery one more time. Yep......3.4 volts... It had dropped off the edge... Since I only took one plane that day, I left and stopped by the LHS, got a new battery and the 4* is still flying today. That was 2 years ago. I still check the battery level between EVERY flight.

Good to know you got it back in one piece! Did you ever find out what was up with it veering hard right on take-off during the maiden?

Well, sorta...

The method of mounting the wheels (particularly the tail wheel) described in the instructions just plane SUCKS. All 3 wheels will wobble quite a bit if the instructions are followed, with the tail wheel being the worst...I could get it to wobble as much as 45 degrees off vertical in either direction. Fixed that with a bit of re-engineering and some spacers on the tail wheel...it still wobbles, but not nearly as badly. The mains are pretty straight and true now after some re-engineering.

The plane STILL wants to pull right, but it only tends to do it at or near take off speed, and is less violent and more predictable...I SUSPECT there's simply something about the plane (or my build) that causes this, and the wobbly wheels were making the situation far more violent and less predictable.

I flew it 3 times yesterday, and each takeoff roll...while by no means straight...was 'controlable' and safe...so that's improvement.

Now he REAL question, shakes, is how in the HECK you KNEW about that. I didn't think I'd mentioned it here, so you MUST know me from the field. WHO THE HECK ARE YOU?

Looks like you have a stalker!

I need to pick a hobby with more females.

Hahaha

We fly at the same field. I was there for the first flight when it veered off on Monday. I guess I should have identified myself as the guy in the Microsoft shirt

Correction...shakes was there for the first FAILURE to fly...that whole veering off to the right thing. What shakes is NOT telling you is that 'off to the right' = 'into the fence post where we shall damage the firewall'

I got it into the air later that afternoon, shakes...trimmed out pretty easily and quickly. Flew her several more times yesterday, and she's really a hoot.

Having slept on things last night, and getting ready to go fly this afternoon, I think the REAL lesson of this experience is finally sinking in...

I've grown comfortable with the radio and learned to fly capably much quicker than many new pilots. No, that's not braging or even anything special...it's just the truth. So happens I grew up in a manner that prompted a deep understanding and appreciation for aircraft and how/why they do what they do, so there was a certain comfort level there I guess.

Here's the thing though... I've been very afraid that this seemingly 'rapid' progress was....well....dangerous. I'm very afraid that I will build up TOO muh confidence, and fly one into the ground doing something stupid. So, as a result, I'm constantly trying to remind myself, while flying, to stay within my limits, plan moves well ahead, and give myself the altitude for 2-3 mistakes.

In other words, all those safe, cautious things you're SUPPOSED to do in the air.

What I've overlooked, until now, is, as my uncle said yesterday to me, there is a WHOLE lot more to flying than what happens in the air. I HAVE become cocky and arrogant...ON THE GROUND.

I mentioned above...the stability was partially improved by simple mods to the gear. Attention to detail would have seen that before I ever set her on the ground.

Flying with loose/missing wingbolts. Sure, it's a funny story I guess...but it's downright STUPID, unobservant, and potentially very DANGEROUS. Attention to detail would have caught that.

I guess what I'm saying here is this...I bust people at work for 'accepting little things that aren't quite right'.

I need to never forget...in this hobby, 'good enough' isn't...in the air OR on the ground.

gboulton, don't be so hard on yourself. I've done the bouncing wing when there was only two rubber bands holding my wing on. Think of it as being like a speeding ticket... you'll drive slower for awhile. Or in this case, you'll check the wing bolts obsessively.[sm=lol.gif]

Just wait till you plug in your ailerons backwards or forget to reverse them on a new radio
(just in case you haven't....you will)

I've been flying for 6 months and to me ground handling is just as important as flying characteristics. One day at the field someone lost control of the plane on the ground...a tail dragger. It went right then came back left. He never chopped the throttle and it went airborne at an angle toward the flight line. Missed 2 guys by about 6 ft, clipped the wing on the fence and burst into pieces...still, full throttle the whole time. So you're definitely right that it is an important part of it. Granted, the reason the plane I mentioned earlier lost it on the ground was because of haste to take off - not a poorly handling airplane.

ptulmer,

Thanks for the kind words...I still felt pretty darned stupid though.

shakes,

Been there done that with the aileron thing...thankfully, i caught it during the last control surface check (after I'd taxiid to takeoff position)

Now...for today's story.

I THINK (hope) the RC Gods paid me back today, and decided a really good scare was all I deserved...

(Forgive me...this is gonna be kinda long...the end is worth it though, I promise)

After yesterday's last flight, I noticed the slime on the plane was darker than normal...I wondered about it, but chalked it up to having recently changed from 10% to 15% on the advice of my uncle, the former owner of this rather old (10+ years) Magnum XL 40. Didn't think a WHOLE lot about it, especially since the previous plane the motor flew on was my dark blue Telemaster....not the clean white I was seeing the slime on now.

So today, head out to the field...after a VERY thorough pre-flight (go figure), I put the plane in the air...very soon, the motor is acting AWFUL...oughing sputtering, changing RPM's. Odd...it's sounding a WHOLE LOT like it did a few weeks ago when I had a back pressure hose loose...but that shouldn't be it, I think, since I have secured all hoses well, and checked them before flying.

Well, time to land before I have to deadstick an unfamiliar plane...so I come in, head back to the pit. The slime is now VERY dark black, and there's a LOT of it.

"Uh oh...this engine has a real mechanical problem" I think. Start checking hoses, mounts, etc...in the process, I bump the muffler. OUCH, HOT! and yank my hand away...and notice that the back part of the muffler (with the directional port) SPINS in the muffler housing.

Woah...that could explain everything...loose joint there causes exhaust gasses to escape, meaning it WAS fluctuating back pressure...and certainly, spraying out like that, the exhaust would be darker, and there would be more of it on the plane. Ok...let's fix this.

Cleaned everything up, tightened the muffler back end (sorry, i dunno what the technical term for it is) down, put some loctite there to prevent another occurance...everything seemed fine. Took the plane to the test bench, ran a half tank of fuel through it, tipping the plane every direction I could, ran fine through all throttle ranges. Great...fuel up, let's go fly...

Been flying about a minute, pull into a half cuban 8...JUST past the top, inverted, *BANG...BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP...sputter...pft." and a golf ball sized piece of aircraft goes tumbling off...I have a pretty decent idea what just happened, but right now my concern is that I'm 100-150' in the air, inverted, with no motor, at the WRONG DANG END OF THE AIRFIELD, with a 'new' aircraft.

So...first things first...fly the plane (all I could hear was my mentor, who owns the LHS here, saying 'FLY FIRST. FLY FIRST. FLY FIRST')...if the object damaged it, I'll know real quick. Roll to right side up...quickly decide I don't KNOW if I can get to the other end of the field for a landing into the wind (turns out i could have), so decide we're gonna have to do this deadstick downwind. Take her as FARRRRR out as I dare, turn around, and descend quickly to the lowest altitude I dare, start gliding in. I figure if it glides REAL bad, there's flat grass...if it glides 'ok', I'll make the runway...if it glides WELL, I'll be well past the runway, but can get to a nice grassy spot.

Sure enough, it glides like a feather as it turns out (I knew it handled well on landings...but wow), sails past me at about 10' doing what appeared at the time to be roughly mach 12...overshoot the runway, bank right, kill some airspeed, and set her right down on the mains in the short flat grassy area....didn't even tip a wing.

(Forgive me...i'm pretty proud of that landing *grin*)

Anywho, get it back...sure enough, back section of the muffler is gone...bolt was still there, COMPLETELY undamaged...no dinged threads or ANYthing...my ONLY guess is the nut itself had bad threads that I couldn't see due to its small size, and when I tightened up the 'improved' back pressure was too much, and it just disintegrated.

Anywho...I was pretty sure for an instant there that the RC Gods were extracting payment...been an interesting couple of days, but I MUST say, I'm liking this Stick more and more every time I fly it.

P.S. Found I Could get a muffler for the engine for about $25 + shipping...figured a new OS LA .40 was only $70...so, she'll have new power tomorrow

WOW! It came off after you put loctite on it!? I'm not certain, but you are either very lucky or very not...

btw, black oil could be a sign of aluminum in it. The question is where it came from. (the aluminum, not the oil)

As I said, pt, my GUESS is that the nut was damaged, and simply failed, rather than 'coming off'.

As for the black color of the exhaust, I considered that was well...and as old as that motor is, could well be aluminum. I don't THINK it was however...I think i was just getting so much MORE exhaust than normal, AND catching it more directly onto the plane...

In either case, the new OS will be installed tomorrow. I MAY go ahead and purchase another muffler for this one, and pass it on with my old telemaster to a buddy who's buying a radio this weekend.

I've never had a magnum before. Will the LA muffler fit?

Hence It's all in your name Dave ("Lucky"Armpit) You guys took all the luck, A few in my club fool around with combat planes and so far twice the elastics on my Dogfighter Spad decided they wanted no part of my flying and bailed out 100 feet up and turned the fuse into a lawn dart and both times it landed within 15 feet of the last lawn darting and amazingly the darn thing survived and the only fix is the second time it stripped the throttle servo and that was it OK I guess I have good luck with my bad luck..... 8 elastics from the same bag the other guys used....... [X(] I guess I better calm down on my flying HUH

Dauntae

Classic "What were we thinkin" moment. Friend gives you a SIG Fazer. You put radio/engine/servos on(profile) it. You take it out to local fly field. See the original owner of the plane. You ask him to maiden it since he would know how it handles. He agrees and as he does a takeoff roll, he lifts and does a right roll then a left snap roll into the end of the runway,,,Dead silence is broken by the whisper from his lips," Dude, your ailerons were reversed".

An extra check of controls, oh say 30 seconds, woulda saved me 5 hours of repair.'

Moral of the story: just cuz ya think ya/they should know, dont necessarily mean you/they know...