Frustrated noob needing help with repair and/or suggestions

[amlee71]

I bought my first RC plane just yesterday. It was too windy to fly yesterday so I waited. This morning I was very pleased to see no wind. I drove to a near by empty field. With a battery fully charged and the pre flight checks completed it was time to get airborne. Everything was awesome! That is until I attempted to turn right. The plane will not turn to the right. So I landed the plane in some tall grass, surprisingly with no damage. I inspected the plane and performed the pre flight checks again. I noticed that the left motor is not as strong/fast as the right. With the throttle on the lowest possible setting that allows the props to turn, the right prop turns and the left does not. The hobby shop I purchased the plane from informed me that all sales are final, no exchanges no refunds. So, now I don't know if i should eat the money and buy a new one or build a Flite Test plane and purchase the electronics separately or repair this one. I'm guessing that the motor needs replaced. Is it worth repairing?
I'm not ready to give up on the hobby. Any and all suggestions/advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[RAM]

It's too bad about the all sales are final approach of your hobby store. If it's an internet store there probably isn't much you can do at this point.

If you are stuck with it then you might want to take it apart and look for poor wiring or a backwards prop on the left side. It could also be a problem in the transmitter. If you can swap motors do it. At least you will know for sure if it's the motor or something else.

If it's a walk in store it still might be worth taking it in to show them the problem. Most stores I know of are small business and you will probably be talking to the owner. If the plane is undamaged and you can show the fault they may change their mind and take care of it for you.

 

[BridgeInspector]

What plane did you have?
Also I would try to take it back to the hobby shop for help. They can not take it back but they should atleast help find what you need to get it flying again. If they dont then take your business else where.

I had an issue with my first RTF plane and the hobby shop was happy to help as it turned out it was faulty equipment that was covered and not my noob skills. The hobby shop also won my future business with the customer service.

 

[pgerts]

..informed me that all sales are final, no exchanges no refunds. ...

Sounds like defect planes sold at wery low prices as "bargains" for experienced hobbypeople to take part from or repair.

Troubleshooting and repair are not the easyest.

Its is hard to give advice in this case - a nearby club might be smart to use for
help.

 

[stay-fun]

It would be helpful if we know which plane you have. Apparently it's a twin engine - the Duet?

Check the slow prop to see if there is any unnecessary drag in the system. With the battery disconnected, turn the props by hand, and see if one spins more freely than the other.

 

[Balu]

It would help to know what plane you've got. Also if it was RTF, ARF, BNF, etc.

One motor spinning and the other not at low throttle input might be an ESC issue. Did you calibrate the ESCs?

 

[amlee71]

First of all, THANK YOU for all for your help already.
It is a Hobbyzone Duet RTF. I went with this model because of price and RTF. I was just trying to get in the air to see if I even enjoyed flying.

 

[Ron B]

check out the tail of the duet. Mine was off when I bought it and got more erratic the more I flew it. Turned out the fuselage was cracked at the tail then broke clean thru so I used reinforced tape to put it back together and straightened out the tail while I was at it and that cured the problem.

 

[RoyBro]

When you approached the hobby store, did you ask for a refund or exchange? Remind them that the plane was defective out of the box, and ask for a replacement duet. If they don't have one, ask for store credit. If they won't do anything for you, there's not much you can do. If your town has a Better Business Bureau, you can tell them what happened.

That said, I think you would learn more by building an FT Flyer. You'll learn about control surfaces and electronics and stuff. You'll also be using a real transmitter that you can use with other planes, and not just a 2 channel. And if you need help. There are lots of folks here more than willing to help.

 

[amlee71]

I asked the store about a replacement and was told that all sales are final. That's the last time I'll be inn that store. Oh well, it is what it is. I'm not giving up on this plane and I'm not giving up on the hobby. I've decided to build the FT Flyer. I wanted to get into building anyway plus I need the education and experience. I'll have to save up to buy a transmitter. But that's fine, I'll appreciate the plane and finally getting in the air more after going through the process of building and saving for the transmitter and electronics to go into the plane. Maybe I'll gain some knowledge and figure out how to make this model work. It's all good. But I have learned that there are lots of wonderful people on here willing to help. Someday I hope to be as helpful to a noob as you all have been to me.

 

[Craftydan]

amlee,

you might still be in luck -- the Duet is a Horizon hobby product. If it's *GENUINLY* a defect, they've got a great track record of standing behind their products and offering technical support.

Give them a call.

They're one of the few leading OEMs that take good care of their customers.

 

[amlee71]

Thank you Crafty Dan! I will definitely contact them and see what they will be willing to do.

 

[stay-fun]

Check the slow prop to see if there is any unnecessary drag in the system. With the battery disconnected, turn the props by hand, and see if one spins more freely than the other.

I think this is still something that is really easy to try. The prop may have had a little bump and just too close to the fuselage, rubbing against it. A lot easier to check than to send your product back to HH, let hem put the prop in the right position (which would literally take 2 seconds) and send it back.

If this is the problem, ofc