Aileron Roll
 

Last night I was 5 or 6 minutes into a flight when my plane when hands off level flying went into a full aileron roll on its own. Clear to the ground. I had at first thought that something mechanical had gone wrong. But after inspection of the wreckage it does not appear to be the case. Both aileron servo trays in the wings were broken loose from impact. But both control rods were still connected on both ends. Could this have been a glich in the transmitter or receiver? Maybe battery problem. Had full charge before flight. Checked with volt meter. Have not checked voltage input after a discharge. Has anyone had anything like this happen before.

RE: Aileron Roll
 

How fast were you flying? Could it have been a stall? Sometimes, especially when flying down (with) wind stalls happen at higher speeds. If there wasn't sufficient air flowing over the wings one of them will drop, looking like the plane rolled on it's own. The first two times it happened to me I thought it was a glitch or I got 'hit', then later realized it was just a stall.

RE: Aileron Roll
 

I would turn on the radio and Tx and make sure that a servo didn't go bad. Then do a range check to make sure your Rx and Tx are working properly.

If that's not the case, I might suspect you were hit. I have been hit when flying at a dump. Is there anyone else at your field on the same frequency?

RE: Aileron Roll
 

You failed to mention what radio you were useing . Doesn't sound like a stall to me, as you said level hands off flight. I suspect a radio problem of some sort. Did it respond at all prior to planting it? Anyhow do thorough radio range check of all equip.

RE: Aileron Roll
 

I was at 3/4 throttle. I had been flying for 5-6 minutes with no indication of a problem. I will try the range check and the also run each of the servos to see if there is a problem with one of them. With the use of a y cord on the ailerons could it have been one servo brought it down. The plane acted as though both ailerons deployed for a left roll and when I tried to correct got nothing.

RE: Aileron Roll
 

Any chance someone else turned on a transmitter and shot you down ?

RE: Aileron Roll
 

Sounds like a radio hit to me. I have also seen switch go bad and cause things like this.

David

RE: Aileron Roll
 

Even that it looks like a hit in your frequency channel I would also think on thermals, depending on the weather, sometimes thermals turn one wing up, it happens suddenly and take you by surprise, then when you are trying to correct sometimes it is too late.

RE: Aileron Roll
 

...can still have level hands off flight at just over stall speed, and a slight tailwind gust can cause a tip stall. I wouldn't rule it out yet.

RE: Aileron Roll
 

if your flying at 5 knots above stall speed and a tail wind comes up you're still 5 knots above stall speed...however your ground speed will increases...if you turn around your airspeed is still 5 knots above stall speed and the ground speed slows.....so the wind will not cause a stall.....
Either a glitch or some kind of failure...however checking voltage with a volt meter might not tell you the condition of the batteries....if the voltmeter you used doesn't but a load on the batteries then all you are reading is voltage without a load..... once a load is applied (receiver and servos) then voltage can drop to unacceptable levels quickly....
SDorry to hear of the loss
Good Flyin

RE: Aileron Roll
 

Keep reading and learning GaRCield

RE: Aileron Roll
 

Technically a wind gust could cause a stall if the air mass (gust) moves faster than the plane can accelerate thru the air mass (inertia of plane.) I’d think you’d need to be on the brink of a stall and have a pretty wicked gust come by to realize this with most planes, but it can happen, but I don’t think this is what happened to lippitdoo. My money is on onboard failure of some sort.