So many crashes, So little time

[Ken Lapointe]

Ok, Yes I have been know to crash a plane or 2

My Pucara.

Lesson number 1 : Use rudder to counter the wind direction

Video at
http://rcgroups.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=7836&sort=1&cat=500&page=1


more info on Pucara at
IA-58A Pucara Build
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=185407&highlight=pucara
- Ken

[Ken Lapointe]

Lesson number 2 : Make sure the wings are not warped

[Ken Lapointe]

Lesson number #3 : Keep the speed up

My RBC Panther

More info at
RBC F9F Panther Building hints and photo thread

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72518&highlight=RBC+Panther

- Ken

[Hogster]

Ouch and double ouch! :eek: That video was wholly unpleasant! .... and on the take-off too! :( Were either of these planes repairable? What happened in flight to the second one?

No doubt these pictures are cheering someone up who's just done the same thing with one of their models! :rolleyes:

Thanks for sharing! :)

Edit: AAGGH!!!! I didn't see that third one until I posted! Oooh it looks like a bomb went off in it! Ohhhh what a depressing site! Silly question possibly, but was that repairable?! :o

[Ken Lapointe]

Well.........

The Pucara was repaired only to crash again a few flights latter when the wing folded in flight

The Mustang was not repairable. The wing was much worse than it looks. Besides it was the third crash. And they say the 3rd times the charm.

The Panather could have been repaired I guess, just not worth the effort the way it flew.

- Ken

[GaryMC1]

Ken,
"Not good." Uh, yeah! And then the other two...whoa!

I'm just getting into this hobby. I already have nightmares that my stuff is going to end up looking like that. You don't know how sorry I feel for you.

Gary

[Skullder]

you know, i always figured once a plane is off the grass its in the safe zone

[Muxje]

i always figured once a plane is off the grass its in the safe zone

It is! As long as you can continue to keep it off the grass :p

Erm, and out of the path of other model airplanes. Or birds who want to mate with your aircraft. Or the dreaded 'model magnet' trees....

Ok, maybe it isn't quite so safe up there.

[Steffeo]

Well, I've seen the video...what happend there? Was the plane full house or did you just have a rudder? Looks like it could have been saved with some right aileron...

EDIT: Really sorry for your loss. Really...

[Flyin' Falzee]

Really when you are at a slow speed you should always correct with your feet (rudder). Using airleon can make the wing stall worse since you are increasing the angle of attack on it. Where as with rudder you increase the airspeed on the wing that is down and decrease the airspeed on the upper wing since you are yawing. When i got my pilots lincense they drilled that in my head, especially on approach always use rudder to lift the wing that dropped!!!


Shawn Falzarano

[Steffeo]

I suppose the basics are about the same, but I still think that would have worked better. Using the ailerons that is... But, it doesnt matter...

[Ken Lapointe]

Plane had ailerons. I was trying to correct for the wind but did not get it pointed back into the wind before it got flipped over.

- Ken

[Steffeo]

Well, lets be glad that thing wasnt carrying 50 passengers... :D

I hope you were able to repair it? It looks like a really beutiful twin...

[Steffeo]

I also saw that the cameraman relized that you were going to crash just after the takeoff...if you study the video, he zoomed in alot half a second before it crashed...

[Hogster]

Looking at that video again, which way was the wind coming? It looks like it was coming at right angles to your take-off path - as soon as the wheels left the ground it seems like the wind got under the right wing and flipped that side up .....

'Tis quite shocking how much balsa can bend! :o

[Ken Lapointe]

Yep the wind was at right angles. Pilot error on my part. I had not checked the wind direction right before take off. Wind was coming from the right.

I actually fixed the Pucara after that crash.

- Ken

[Dustoffer]

Ken, what size and power was the panther?

-Kevin

[Ken Lapointe]

Kevin,

The Panther was the RBC Panther Kit. Uses a 90 mm fan like the Midi Fan. I had the Midi Fan with Ultra 930-6 motor on 20 1950 FAUP cells.

More at
RBC F9F Panther Building hints and photo thread
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72518&highlight=RBC+Panther

- Ken

[Flyin' Falzee]

For cross wind take off you should always roll towards the wind as speed picks up slowing put less into the wind but keep it towards the wind (more speed less airleon needed). The reason for this is the wing on the wind side gets more airspeed, there for it wants to fly before the downwind wind. If you dont bank towards it it will start to fly before the other causin it to roll over. If you roll towards it the wing on the wind side will stay planted on the ground until you are sure you can fly...When i fly models i always try to take off into the wind.....Sometime i will cross wind land though...

[Tomcat Fan]

Holy Jesus, man!
Those are horrific!!!!
I had white castle for lunch yesterday and i almost just booted what little of it was left in me when i saw that!
The poor panther! The rest of them were pretty bad, but the panther does look like someone put a cherry bomb or something in it.
Are you just blowing up planes to have upsetting posts?

[Ken Lapointe]

Nope, just having fun trying to fly

- Ken