Sorry to hear that. I hate to say it but I put mine in 1 year ago today and still haven't repaired it. Really only needs a motorbox and cowl. They were out of stock so I ordered a 48 edge. I need to get her airworthy again. My first balsa plane

Originally Posted by Sammy70

Aileron - 20" long x 3" wide tapering down to 2" wide

Rudder - 9.5" tall x 6" wide at the bottom tapering to 4" at the top

Thanks, that's exactly the info I needed.

Azarr

Been flying for years and never crashed a plane but all that changed this morning. Back in the old day when I was in the hobby I never had this sort of problem. But since getting back on all my planes have half wings held on with wing bolts.

Maiden flight this morning after a long frustrating build with digital servos that burned up on the workbench. But finally got to fly it this morning. It was flying great until a wing bolt came out.

Wing bolts make me very nervous and now I know why. On my 57" I can get my gorilla sized hand in to them to tighten them but I still worry.

On the 47" the wing bolt is right behind the wing tube which makes gorilla sized hands a disadvantage. I did my best to tighten the metal wing bolts. Even double and triple checked but obviously one came loose and once loose the bolts are so loose in the threads it just vibrated out.

Right wing tube and all ribs are toast. Cowl is toast. Motor box and half of fuselage is toast.

I don't know whether to order an entire new kit and start over. Never crashed before so I have zero rebuild experience. I may have been flying for years but I'm really rather dumb on some of this stuff.

I wish I could say I leaded something. I tell myself blue lock-tight might have helped. But I store my planes without the wings on. I have minimal storage and transportation space. I see everyone else take wings off.

What is the trick? The skill I don't have? Is there anyway to have a safety? This is a single point of failure with catastrophic results?

I'd like to hear from experience. How do I keep from experiencing this again?

Really sorry to hear about the crash Dan.

From my understanding the plastic wing bolts are the way to go as they don't (or at least very rarely) loosen and back out. They are almost an oversized fit to the female metal threads in the wing and thus "bite" their way in all the way...

Ahhh what the heck? No spare parts anywhere?

Ya know when I got back in the hobby I picked 3DHS because Ben knocked me over with customer service. He was just a couple of hours up the road in Fredricksberg and always had what I needed in stock and had the answers a new guy needed to hear.

I think the new team in PA try hard. But sure is dissapointing so find the one time spare parts would be nice to have no one has a red cowl and red right wing...

Frustrating Monday. Might have been less distructive to have gone to work today

Originally Posted by Sammy70

Really sorry to hear about the crash Dan.

From my understanding the plastic wing bolts are the way to go as they don't (or at least very rarely) loosen and back out. They are almost an oversized fit to the female metal threads in the wing and thus "bite" their way in all the way...

Hmmm? On my 57" Ben suggested that I buy the metal ones to replace the plastic ones that came with the plane.

Now the 47" came with metal so I though, "how cool, you no longer have to buy the up grade."

But ya know it makes sense. Plastic would not vibrate loose as bad I suspect.

Also, hind site is beating me up right now. Why wouldn't a metal flat washer and metal lock washer secure so they wouldn't back out?

Loose a brand new plane over one bolt...has to be a better way out there.

I also have gorilla hands. I have considered trying to change the setup on mine to make it easier, but for now I use 4mm Allen screws and don't take the wings off. My vehicle situation may change, and if I need the wings to be removable, I have considered making something like putting a headless stud with a hole in it, and using a cotter pin. Or, threaded stud or hex head 4mm screw, so I can get a small ratchet in there.

Or, maybe I just need a 60" Slick that I can fit my hands into.

Does anyone know why there are no red v4 spare parts and if this condition will change anytime soon? This is a pretty "current" product, right?

Originally Posted by DanWard

Ahhh what the heck? No spare parts anywhere?

Ya know when I got back in the hobby I picked 3DHS because Ben knocked me over with customer service. He was just a couple of hours up the road in Fredricksberg and always had what I needed in stock and had the answers a new guy needed to hear.

I think the new team in PA try hard. But sure is dissapointing so find the one time spare parts would be nice to have no one has a red cowl and red right wing...

Frustrating Monday. Might have been less distructive to have gone to work today

I've also heard people putting a tiny o-ring on the aluminum bolt so it is like a gasket between. Grabbing the aluminum bolt as well as the balsa. Seems like it would work.

I too have had my metal wing bolts come loose in flight. I'd tighten them as best I could, but after a couple of flights with lots of violent type of maneuvers, they would work themselves loose. I have nylon wing bolts on my 41 edge. I can fly the snot out of it, and the wing bolts hold true. I went up to my local Home Depot and found some small rubber washers. They work great, I still check the wing bolts every time I install a battery, but I have yet to find a loosened one. I bought three sets to give to friends with the same plane. Here is a pic of the washer on the wing bolt.

Lance

I'm way to slow Tominator

Originally Posted by tominator06

I've also heard people putting a tiny o-ring on the aluminum bolt so it is like a gasket between. Grabbing the aluminum bolt as well as the balsa. Seems like it would work.

+1

Neoprene o-rings and flat washers work nicely; that little bit of compression helps keep the wing bolt from backing out. The bonded neoprene washers are very good also. I purchased some from Trimcraft Aviation and use them on my 48" Edge aluminum wing bolts.

Most hardware stores carry the bonded neoprene washers as well.

I use thin ca on the inside where the bolt meets the fuse. No issues thus far.

I put a drop of locktite blue on the wing bolt and it makes them stay in nicely, but are still very easily removed. It's the same stuff you use on the build when bolting on the motor and landing gear.

I use plastic wing bolts on both my 47 & 87 SHPs, they work great. I tried metal ones on my 47 once, but they were loose after every flight so I went back to plastic.

I had a very short maiden flight on Sunday (it was raining lightly)

Today I took it out again, I lost power to the motor after a couple of minutes on the first flight, I didn't have enough height to do a decent dead stick landing so I parachuted in, I checked everything out after and it all looked fine to me, the battery was still at 70%, nothing was hot and nothing was loose.

I thought maybe all the throttle blipping did it, so I thought I'd have another flight and just stooge around on low throttle, the same thing happened again, so now I'm wondering whats causing this.

Its set up with;

Omega 130
IceLite 50
13x6.5 prop
HS 65MG servos with extension arms
2200 zippy compact 3 cell (25c)

I've had a good look over this evening and run it up with the wattmeter attached, it peaks at around 35Amps, generates just over 400 Watts and I couldn't get it to cut out, although thinking about it I did have the cowl off, maybe I'll try again with it on.

I've changed the timing to "high advance" and I'm going to resolder the esc connectors just in case, any other ideas?