Today, people, we have four lessons for those of you unfortunate to be as dumb as me.

Lesson #1 – recognise that just because this is where you have been flying the last three times you went it might not be so good today because the wind has changed 180 degrees

Lesson #2 – recognise that the fact that the breeze only seems light is because you’re in the lee of the slope, facing downwind

Lesson #3 – all the carbon fibre strengthening you did in the places where A-10’s normally break was A Good Idea because It Didn’t Break There, but next time STRENGTHEN THE NOSE with some CF tow on the inside before glueing the fuse halves together. Oh and recognise that the CG is actually at about 70 mm not the 50-55mm the manual says so I didn’t need to extend the battery compartment (which didn’t help the strength in the crash)

Maiden flight – launch downwind (see above) – but we’re on our way except that I’m discovering what I’ve read – very sensitive to elevator – and then just as I’m wrestling with that we come out of the lee of the hill and into a rolling tailwind slope turbulence and - bingo I’ve lost it – straight in from about twenty feet. But the engines didn’t come off!

BTW C47 (still needs cosmetics) also did maiden (from the far slope INTO the wind) which was fine except wind was too choppy so brought her in safe and sound after one circuit. Put up the outrunner Zero which will, it seems, fly in anything.

A10 is nearly back together again but she ain’t going to be so pretty!

Oh and lesson #4? When you get back back to the vehicle don't put the plane on the roof while you stash your stuff because if it's windy (see above) it could just blow off and you could end up with a new C47 that's done a successful maiden but STILL has a busted up elevator!

Two "before" pictures and two "60 seconds later" pictures - underside view shows nose was really mashed up much worse than top view suggests (in fact when I got home I realised I was a large piece of foam completely missing - don't know where it went!

Sorry to hear that tragedy like that.

Thanks for you are sharing your great experience with others. Wish every one here, learn this lessons and reduce the accident comes again.

Your having fun there Rodger! Sorry to hear of your brain fade/ premature planting. Some lucky people have all the nice planes and bust em up rather quickly for my liking!! Send all bent foam north of the border instead of the bin next time!
I havent been flying all weekend, as the spit still needs a quick repair, and the only other flyable plane is the Lysander, but it was too windy to risk flying it. Balsa and tissue is a lot less forgiving in the event of a wee mistake! Barry.

Well the story has a happy update - finally got the A-10 to do a successful maiden this evening. COG is definitely further back than the book and I still needed 16 clicks of up elevator in low rate but she prowled around looking great. Just what everyone had told me to expect - no high speed, no great aerobat, just cruises round like she's on rails and looking cool - another win!

Pity about her nose though - definitely not the beauty she was!

Looks like a really beautful area to fly. Must be very nice there.

I was thinking the same thing Santini! Actually, didn't I see those hills in the Sound of Music? We are flat as a pancake Desert here, no "windy knolls" to worry about, just giant dust clouds!
Roger, nice looking birds just the same. A little nose rash and repair seems normal for a warbird huh? A little combat action so now its a real warbird!?!
Glad you got it repaired and up flying again.
Good pointers to remember too! A good preflight check, including location and winds seems prudent now.
Happy flying.
Ken

What a great place to fly. If there is a pub within walking distance it just might be perfect.

Sorry about the crash.

Shawn

Originally Posted by Tarpon Shawn

What a great place to fly. If there is a pub within walking distance it just might be perfect.

Sorry about the crash.

Shawn

Shawn,

If, in the top left hand picture, you walked to the far skyline at about 11-o-clock from where the A-10 is sitting (so beyond the near skline) you'd come to a pub called the "Cat and Fiddle" which is one of the two highest pubs in England (says he, avoiding an argument about which the other one is).

These are "park flyers" and this is the Peak District National Park - where better? Mind you - try flying an I.C. engined plane in the Peak Park and you'd have the Rangers all over you like a rash. Hurrah for the joys of (nearly) silent flight

Wow, save me a seat at the bar. I'll have the wife look for plane tickets.

Shawn

And I'll be pleased to have you both stay at my place (about four miles off to the right).

Both? HA. Me, the wife, 6 yr old and a 2 yr old. I'll need to you guys to babysit while I fly.

Seriously, I would love to visit that part of the world. Good beer, nice people, good beer and beautiful scenery. It's all good.

Shawn

Apart from grand-daughter my babysitting days are long over. Offers still there but find your own babysitter

can i come to. It would be an honour to crash in mist of that very beautful area.

Bryan

btw I cant tell you how often i've mad thows same mistakes. sometime i just get to excited :P

One of the things I kept reading when I was researching the A-10 before I started the build was how weak the engine mounts were and how you could knock them off even on a pretty gentle landing. Well, people, note the photograph and mark well. No, I have no idea what went wrong – can’t decide whether I lost orientation or she tip stalled, all I know is she was suddenly going downwards and I didn’t have the altitude to even begin to get her out of it.

The picture is not of the crash site – brought most of the bits back out of the field this morning for a photo and MARK WELL. NOTICE the engines – still fastened on. Maybe I overdid the reinforcement – she was a bit tailheavy…

Good news Mr Lin – I’m going to have to get another one!

This is where the GWS thing kicks in. If I'd spent days, weeks and months building this out of balsa etc I'd really feel pretty sick. As it is I just feel er ... really pretty sick

Sorry to see that Roger. Are you sure that all can't be glued back together? I've had one's that looked every bit as bad, and was amazed with what a bit of time and a half gallon of epoxy could accomplish.
J