How do you guys deal with crashes? Shrug it off, get mad, indifferent?

Personally I get pretty pissed. I'm a perfectionist so I don't like making mistakes. I crashed a new plane on its maiden flight tonight on a landing in a cross wind. Rashed the wing tip up pretty good. It flys fine but knowing myself, I'm probably going to get a new wing. I know it's part of the hobby but it drives me insane.

I too get mad at crashes. The last two crashes I had, both in a row, I told myself "this is just part of the game". It's just like door dings on cars. You can't have, and enjoy a car, if you let them bother you too much. Because then it will be all about the dings (or crashes) instead of the flights.

My crashes always look worse right after they happen. If I put them aside for 2 to 3 days, they don't look so bad. I've gotten to just picking up the pieces (as many of them as possible, even the smallest little piece. They really can go back together, not like humpty dumpty), put them in a bag, and don't even look at them for a day or so. That makes it better for some reason.

Maybe don't think of a crash as a mistake, but rather an exploration of what not to do.

Regards

Totalled my Lancaster last night, just finished extracting all the usable bit for the next model.

Things happen. I know it was my mistake, the hawthorn hedge didn't really jump up and grab it.

Annoyed for a bit, but then can see an oportunity for a new build.

Thing happen. No one was hurt. I still have the memories.


Ray

As a newbie I have joined a club and it has been drilled into me that the secret of coping with crashes is to have plenty of models on hand - consequently I damaged three planes in one day!

Experience gained - fantastic hobby.

Originally Posted by Fallguy44

How do you guys deal with crashes? Shrug it off, get mad, indifferent?

Personally I get pretty pissed. I'm a perfectionist so I don't like making mistakes. I crashed a new plane on its maiden flight tonight on a landing in a cross wind. Rashed the wing tip up pretty good. It flys fine but knowing myself, I'm probably going to get a new wing. I know it's part of the hobby but it drives me insane.

When I first started flying about 4 years I would get more frustrated than anything when I crashed as I had only one or two planes. Later on I just accepted it as part of the hobby,

What I really hate more than anything is crashing knowing that it was preventable. If I had some sort of mechanical failure, well that happens. I am a little bummed about it but I just salvage what I can and move on.

I used to have trouble with landings. I can't tell you how many times I tore the landing gear out. Very frustrating........ Glad I am past the era.

What I am sure everyone agrees is that nobody wants to crash a new plane on the maiden. A couple of weeks ago I saw a crash on a maiden on a brand new custom built Stik, Probably took many months to build. Some sort of mechanical failure. The owner was not phased a bit. However he has been flying for many years.

I'm not happy when I crash, but then I look on it as an opportunity to do some more building -- whether it's repairing the crashed model, or building a new one to use the working bits.

You must be new here.

No, really, this happens and even after much flying time and experience you will crash a plane now and then.

So you have progressed from a Champ to an Apprentice to - - what is this new plane? Is it the P-51?

I hope you can use it as another tool in your learning to fly RC, make repairs and keep learning.

The more you fly the more it becomes fun to fly and the fewer times you will crash. .

Originally Posted by Rhea

You must be new here.

No, really, this happens and even after much flying time and experience you will crash a plane now and then.

So you have progressed from a Champ to an Apprentice to - - what is this new plane? Is it the P-51?

I hope you can use it as another tool in your learning to fly RC, make repairs and keep learning.

The more you fly the more it becomes fun to fly and the fewer times you will crash. .

Yes, got very comfortable and proficient with the apprentice. So I got a p47 Razorback. In hindsight probably should have waited a little longer or tried a simulator. The 2nd flight, the landing was good. Going to try and build on that and go from there.

And thanks all for sharing.

If you ain't crashen, you ain't tryin!

Failguy, since this is following your "how are my aerobatics?" thread all I can offer is the old saying "those that live by the sword....".....

If it's a pilot error I try to be honest with myself and not make up false reasons to blame. After all if the conditions were such that they can be blamed then it was still MY mistake for trying to fly in them or trying to otherwise push the envelope in such a way that it resulted in the crash. After all, the opportunities for pilot error start on the ground while the model is still in the car or lashed down to the table at the flight line. Evaluation of the flying conditions becomes the first step in what can end up as a control input error that leads to the crash. So instead I try to figure out what I'd do differently and what I learned from it all. And that includes all my decisions leading up to the crash that start even before the wheels start to roll.

The ones that really hurt are the technical failures. Things like when the radio equipment just has a total failure and control is lost in flight. There's absolutely nothing you can do when that happens but watch. But if it's a partial failure, like one servo, then don't give up. Try to adapt and fly it out. It's coming down for sure. But if you can adapt and maintain SOME control then you can at least limit the damage.

There was a fellow at the field I used to go to, who was a really good pilot and he had a lot of nice, mostly balsa planes. He had an unusual plane, two fuselages (not an F82). It was flying great; then one engine cut out. Even with his black belt kungfu flying skills, it crashed bad.

He said afterwards that loss of one engine was difficult to overcome on that plane. In my infinite, barely advanced beginner wisdom, I suggested "that plane is just begging to be electrified".

To which he agreed. Not sure if he ever did it, but maybe.

Point being that we have some options, they may be limited, to survive equipment failures.

One of my worst crashes was maiden of my low wing Clamato. Great plane that did not deserve me. I took off with reversed ailerons, it went in full speed and buried the motor. After that, I thought, "if I practiced for an aileron failure, by thinking to quickly switch to rudder, I could survive this".

Regards

For a twin, electric of IC, if one motor quits, shut down the other one. A gliding 'crash' is usually better than a spinning asymmetric powered crash.

My crash was probably more depth perception, I though I was this side of the hedge and stated to descend, straight in to the top of it, taking the undercarriage and motors out, plus breaking the fuselage in half.

But I have never reversed into something


Ray.

Reverse ?, I bet there are plenty of 3D fliers doing a hover who have. "I'll just see if I can touch the tail on the ground ... Woops! ."

If you don't care about looks or "coolness" , but only care about the fun of flying ..... then build disposable airframe planes out of cheap foam . All my planes ( except for three ) are made out of cheap $1 foam board from the Dollar Tree Store , and if they are crashed beyond repair .... it only costs me a dollar or two and an afternoon to build a new airframe . The electronics almost always survive crashes , and can be transferred to a new airframe .

Originally Posted by BMatthews

Failguy, since this is following your "how are my aerobatics?" thread all I can offer is the old saying "those that live by the sword....".....

If it's a pilot error I try to be honest with myself and not make up false reasons to blame. After all if the conditions were such that they can be blamed then it was still MY mistake for trying to fly in them or trying to otherwise push the envelope in such a way that it resulted in the crash. After all, the opportunities for pilot error start on the ground while the model is still in the car or lashed down to the table at the flight line. Evaluation of the flying conditions becomes the first step in what can end up as a control input error that leads to the crash. So instead I try to figure out what I'd do differently and what I learned from it all. And that includes all my decisions leading up to the crash that start even before the wheels start to roll.

The ones that really hurt are the technical failures. Things like when the radio equipment just has a total failure and control is lost in flight. There's absolutely nothing you can do when that happens but watch. But if it's a partial failure, like one servo, then don't give up. Try to adapt and fly it out. It's coming down for sure. But if you can adapt and maintain SOME control then you can at least limit the damage.

Haha, I see what you did there.

And yes 100% pilot error. No excuses.

Depends on the plane, and how long I flew it. I've had certain models (which I built) be extremely problematic and kept crashing the same way due to usually a control surface or CG issues, which I've repaired over and over, and it keeps crashing until finally I give up and trash whats left of the airframe and start over with something else.

Othertimes I've had planes that flew perfectly fine for years and then one day I had a mechanical failure or dumb thumbs and its just "oh well". not a big deal, was bound to happen eventually.

I finally built a combat wing recently and it's pretty fun not worry at all if it hits anything because it's nearly indestructible. Only thing to worry about is getting it stuck in a tree.