JimoCooper

Trash bag.

I think it was in Model Airplane News "hints and kinks" column years ago...a reader sent in his tip.

When you build your plane, before you sheet it up, glue in a couple of pipe cleaners into the rear fuselage, and put a folded trash bag down the length of the fuse, tying it in with the pipe cleaners.

WHEN you crash your plane a half mile away, remove the trashbag (it's probably easily accessible now) and put your airplane in the trashbag to carry it back to the flying field. You can also put it straight in the garbage can if it's that bad.

Honestly, I used this tip many times...to the point that my club gave me the nickname of TRASHBAG...seeing as how that's what I take my planes home in so much.

nothinbetr2do

that's funny and also cool, thanks for sharing. i would have never thought of that

wjvail

My Feedback: (3)

Three pieces of advice that have saved me over the years:

1. NEVER take a picture of a new plane. It's the snapping of a photo that causes most new airplane crashes.
2. After you finish a new plane, blood must be let or bad things happen. A small Exacto in the finger will do.
3. Take some 100 grit sandpaper and sand a hole in the covering in one wing tip. It all but guaranties doubling the life of an airplane.

Bill

Walt Thyng

My Feedback: (9)

Keep your best buddy's girlfriend locked in the car --that way she won't step on your model before you've even flown it(-:
WT

RCPtero

Actually, I find that giving blood at any point during any of my projects, be they woodworking, computer building, home repair, or airplane building, usually brings success. Although I'm not certain I've ever tried a project without giving blood...


--
Tom

fozjared

if you have a cowl that needs cut to fit the plane, save it for the end of the project (when the cowl gets cut most of the time anyway) by the time you get to the end of the project, you rush yourself, creating the best opportunity for cutting yourself! another helpful hint for cutting yourself is wait until a pretty day that your club is supposed to all get together (usually sat. or sun.) and then wake up just a little before time to go to the field and cut your cowl then, instead of at the end of the project.. you will be rushed by the beautiful day and the prospect of maiden-ing and totally forget safety! you will fly better with a terribly cut thumb and forefinger anyway.. not only that, you will probably get mad and throw the cowl down and fly without one for the first few flights, which can be helpful in fine tuning the engine after the first flight, the cowl is off already! unfortunately, you now only have one good hand to work with as the other is cut up!

carrellh

I've seen a variation of the 'trash bag' tip before.

It was in response to one of the many "I've never flown before and I'm going to maiden my giant scale xxxxxxxx tomorrow. Any advice?" posts that flow through the beginner forum.

The best reply I've ever seen was, "Stuff a trash bag inside the plane when mounting the wing; that way you won't have to remember it when you head for the crash site."

carrellh

I've always managed to puncture the covering in multiple places before the plane leaves the house; no need for sandpaper if I'm around.

saramos

When heading out to fill the trash bag, don't forget to turn off your Tx and shout "Channel 54 clear!".

Scott

Dai Phan

My Feedback: (2)

Here's my tip: If you accidentally put a dent or hole on a wing, duplicate one to the other side. First, it will balance the airplane and second, it looks like an intentional decorating job and not an accident. DP

khodges

My Feedback: (1)

I still take my chance with the camera. I want a picture of the plane in its original, unshattered glory as a keepsake, and that's probably the only chance I'll get. I'll take my chances with the crash.

Does sticking a spinning drill bit or a cut-off wheel at full boogie into your finger at some point in the construction count? If so, I'm covered there.

My alternative to sandpapering a hole is to trim the little screws holding the control horns with a Dremel cutoff wheel. The end of the screw invariably gets away from me and falls onto the covering, and immediately melts a hole through BOTH sides of the surface. Well, at least it cauterizes the wound

tommy s

My Feedback: (55)

That's what decals are for !!

tommy s

KitBuilder

I save the fancy additional covering until after the first days flights at the field... (just in case). On my 4 star. .40.. when I got her home after her first flights.. I added checkerboard on the bottom of the wing and some other details (pin striping, etc) after knowing she was good to go!
Mike

Achilles_

My tip

Never love your aircraft.

I did and when I crashed that my fisrt trainer, I cried like a baby. I loved that trainer and crashing it damn near devistated me out of the hobby.

*LOL*

JimoCooper

I only have one picture of my 60 size Ugly Stik....and one flight. One radio range check, one fueling (zero defuelings), one charge of the RX pack, one trip to the field, one trip home. Zero trashbags in the fuselage...harumpf...arfs!!! (all arfs should have a trashbag built in). The ONE picture I took was of its scattered remains in the empty bed of my truck.....going to have to dig that one out and upload it onto here...a definite case in point for the trashbag. I'm sure some of the pieces are still in the cornfield. By the way, not all arfs have very good control clevices...plastic ones...DON'T put those on your elevator. There's a tip for ya.

By the way, I DID buy an arf...had to get my fix...was desperate and had just crashed my plane, whipped out the credit card. Got my fix...crashed the arf, whipped out credit card again...got fix...


I bought flightsim...doing that for a while...kind-of rehab... RCAA (RC Addicts Anonymous.) I'm doing ok now...got married, and wife took credit card. There's another good tip....get flightsim and cut cards. Here's another tip...don't give wife credit cards. haha

frenchie79

THIS IS WWAAAYY FUNNY-LOVE IT LAUGHED FOR 5 MINUTES GREAT ADVICE!

I'M STILL LAUGHING!

exeter_acres

My Feedback: (2)

Good bye, Go High
Hello, Go Low


Best tipp I had when learning

JimoCooper

here's another good tip... crashbashing!!! C'mon, you have all done something like this.

Here's how you crashbash;

Take a nice plane, say...40 size CAP 21 ... then crash it. Save the best parts, like the wing (chances are, the fuselage is toast.)

Buy some kind of other plane because you believe the ads that it's indestructible, say... AIRCORE Biplane. Fly that one...(even build the clipped wing version and REALLY Load up that wing loading)...crash it...defying the manufacturer's claims. Keep the fuselage around (because you split the perforated plastic space-age packaging material cardboard composite wing). You may need that fuse some day.

Look in your workshop, see the Cap wing, and then see that old aircore bipe fuse, and say to yourself "Hmm, I wonder if that wing would fit that?"

Crash-bash them and wa'la. Give it some pseudo-kamakaze paintjob and give it a vortac bomb release. Fun times right there, let me tell ya.


Go ahead and crash that too....it's the plane's destiny.

Here's the other tip...don't get mesmerized watching that bomb, once released, follow its trajectory to your ground target...taking your eyes off of your plane.

UH34D

My Feedback: (3)

Don't ever say or think " Ok, I'm just gonna fly once more, then go home". We ALL know what happens after that and it ain't pretty!!
Jim

BillyGoat

The trash bad idea is kind of like a self fulfilling prophecy. If you set yourself up for crashing, you will.
Put a trash bag in an airplane then the airplane wants to be in the trash bag.

Bill, I have exact opposite position about taking a pictures of new airplanes. My theory is if you don’t get pictures before the maiden flight, you greatly increase the odds of NOT getting any after.

JimoCooper

That's profound, Billygoat....and so true. HA HA

LDM

My Feedback: (15)

I love the original post with the trash bag , I am going to use that but alos tape in a 12 oz beer . This way I can pick up the pieces , and pop a cold one for grief .
I cant believe that I did not think of this before , its a great way of adding useable weight

fredscz

My Feedback: (47)

My alternative to sandpapering a hole is to trim the little screws holding the control horns with a Dremel cutoff wheel. The end of the screw invariably gets away from me and falls onto the covering, and immediately melts a hole through BOTH sides of the surface. Well, at least it cauterizes the wound.

My variation of this is to have the cut off end of the screw melt thru just one side of the surface and then bounce around inside the wing/stab forever.

JimoCooper

I don't know about that whole "putting a beer in it" thing. What happens if you crash so bad that your beer in the fuse busts open? Don't you think you should rubber band shock mount it, wrap it in foam, and epoxy it in? Maybe use a couple of coolie huggies?

Well, at least you could pick up the can and put it in the trashbag....doing your part to not litter.

John Sohm

My Feedback: (9)

I watched a guy do almost exactly that at a pumpkin fun fly about 30 years ago, just before I went into the Air Force. He had a gorgeous Sterling Stearman done up in a white finish. Well he wanted to get in the bomb drop event but you guessed it, his plane wasn't equipped. So. using the old popsickle stick thru the coffee cup and rubber banded to the upper wing trick, he placed a handy golf ball in the cup and after 3 or 4 attempts to get airborne without the ball coming out the cup, he finally got in the air.

Now to get the "bomb" out of the cup... he tries a loop hoping it will fall out at the top. Well that didn't work so well since he was pulling positive G's all the way through. So he gets the idea of doing an Immelman and it will definitely fall out now. So he go into the maneuver, gets to the top but concentrates on the ball and forgets to roll out. Well he realized too late and then before he could react to the plane going in by pushing up on elevator, he pulled back for a near perfect figure 9. The plane just missed where the ball landed by about 3 feet.

I'll never forget the look on his face... I thought he was going to cry for sure. I don't remember the guys name but this was back when Frank Tiano of Top Gun fame was still a member of the Kingston Aero Modelers because he was flying that day with a Top Flite P-47 Red Box kit and a Profile ME-109. I don't think the guy who crashed his bipe had a good day but the rest of us had a blast.