Fear of crashing

WyreUK

New member
Thank you guys for the advice. Sorry my replies are so late I have head problems that take me a while to figure things out lol that's one of the reasons I'm doing this. As I build my head is how it used to be, I get lost in the construction! It calms me down and centres my being. I know that sounds strange but doing this with my hands is like yoga for me lol. And as I watch you lot fly the joy on your faces and in your voices is awe inspiring! I want that! I specially want to get into fpv but that is a long way off lol

I'm off out tomorrow with a tiny trainer 3 channel, an ft flyer, a simple cub, and i got angry with myself so i built a pun jet with the biggest motor I have and it is built for one purpose and one purpose only and that's to destroy it! Hehehe we have a field well away from people where we can fly safely. I will video my flights and let you know what happens. I will try putting the cg a little bit further back because of the heavier foam board and see what happens! Or should it be further forward? Only one way to find out hehehe
 

rockyboy

Skill Collector
Mentor
Put the CG a little further forward!!

A nose heavy plane might fly poorly, but a tail heavy plane only flies once! :eek:
 

Tench745

Master member
The CG location on the plans is the CG. If you build out of a heavier foam board you'll need more weight up front to balance it, but the CG location will be the same. Balancing a little nose-heavy will be much better than tail-heavy.
And as far as destroying a plane, the punjet will definitely deliver on that goal. ;)
 

jamboree1

Active member
The CG location on the plans is the CG. If you build out of a heavier foam board you'll need more weight up front to balance it, but the CG location will be the same. Balancing a little nose-heavy will be much better than tail-heavy.
And as far as destroying a plane, the punjet will definitely deliver on that goal. ;)
heh, yeah, even expierienced fliers have issues with the pun jet
 

WyreUK

New member
WE FLEW! WE ACTUALLY FLEW!

I sorry for shouting but it was amazing! We were both so hyped it was unreal! It was a little too windy for the FT Flyer, But we both flew it and crashed it hehehe! The Tiny Trainer flew U.N. till the firewall fell off in a crash lol but the Simple Cub was amazing! It took hit after hit after hit and just kept flying! Straighten the wing, check my C.R.A.P lol and back up she went!

The one thing we did discover is that a rolling take off is so so so much easier than a hand launch. On the hand launches we were like.... oh crap I'm flying! Aargghhhhh! But on the rolling take off it wad so gentle and you had so much time to correct things and figure things out! So we have some planes to fix and then we have a tarp ready to make a runway for tomorrow.

Now the Pun Jet was totally amazing for all of 5 seconds! It was so feckin fast I had no time to correct anything! It was amazing! And if did what it was supposed to it cleared my mind and heart of all the bad stuff hehehe

We found that cg on the planes was the same but had to be perfectly level. If it wad slightly nose or tail heavy they wouldn't fly.

Thank you so much people! WE FLEW! HEHEHEHE😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😁😁😁😁😁😗🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
 

WyreUK

New member
Plus we also get what you mean now about feeling what the plane is doing! It's weird, you can actually feel what the plane is doing though the remote! Its a bizarre feeling lol
 

PsyBorg

Wake up! Time to fly!
Well done!!
Guess that whole.. "There is nothing to fear! but fear ITSELF!!" thing holds true huh. (y) (BALU!!!! wheres the applause emoji!!!)
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
Congratulations on your personal achievement!

Just a recommendation for the beginner with a TT. Make a number of power pods and the BBQ skewer pieces, so you can swap the motor ets after a power pod destroying crash and relaunch in a short time. Additionally a couple of spare nose sections is advised as after a number of crashes the nose section gets a bit ripped where the power pod skewers are fitted.

Have fun!

*WARNING* Flight success can be habit forming and lead to chronic addiction!
 

sprzout

Knower of useless information
Mentor
Congrats!! Sounds like you had a couple of crashes, and some fun, and probably quite a few laughs doing it!!! You'll find that the more you fly, the more practice you get, the more fun it is.

My dad's noticed that I'm starting to get really comfortable flying, after I've built the Bushwacker, a MiG, and the Sea Duck. The MIG was fun and FAST, and had to be flown fast in order to keep it from wanting to stall and fall out of the sky; the Bushwacker was something that was just super easy to throw up in the air and land with almost no runway, and the Sea Duck is just a big, well gliding plane that will roll, twist, and fly SO easily...

Now he wants me to move up to his Mister Mulligan that he's got sitting in storage...We shall see!
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
After a few incidents with hand launching at our club, some of them rather expensive, I took the basic design of bungee launchers and made my own using what we call here SHOCK CORD.

Went out this morning to see if I could get a plane to rise off the ground. With a small hook fitted forward of the CG point, (60% of the distance from the CG to the nose). I laid it all out, removed the safety pin, and stomped on the release.

The plane, (A KFM4 wing design found on the FT pages), sped across the grass and lifted into the air whilst I had the throttle off and full control. NO MORE nervous tosses hoping that it will not spiral in under motor torque or P factor. NO MORE glide tests into the long grass! just hook it up and AWAY!

Sadly after about 20 launches including a number of extreme crosswind launches it started raining and so a hasty retreat was made.

If you fear the hand launch or any of the myriad of other issues which are almost in plague proportions on the forum posts I highly recommend the GROUND level bungee launch. No more launch fears for me!

Have fun!
 

sprzout

Knower of useless information
Mentor
After a few incidents with hand launching at our club, some of them rather expensive, I took the basic design of bungee launchers and made my own using what we call here SHOCK CORD.

Went out this morning to see if I could get a plane to rise off the ground. With a small hook fitted forward of the CG point, (60% of the distance from the CG to the nose). I laid it all out, removed the safety pin, and stomped on the release.

The plane, (A KFM4 wing design found on the FT pages), sped across the grass and lifted into the air whilst I had the throttle off and full control. NO MORE nervous tosses hoping that it will not spiral in under motor torque or P factor. NO MORE glide tests into the long grass! just hook it up and AWAY!

Sadly after about 20 launches including a number of extreme crosswind launches it started raining and so a hasty retreat was made.

If you fear the hand launch or any of the myriad of other issues which are almost in plague proportions on the forum posts I highly recommend the GROUND level bungee launch. No more launch fears for me!

Have fun!

How well would that work with something like the Versa Wing? That's the one *I* have worries about hand launches with, and losing fingers...
 

FoamyDM

Building Fool-Flying Noob
Moderator
Regarding the Versa wing and mighty mini Arrow - Launch it by grabbing it by the wing front end and hurling it like a discuss (with a twist only, see the mighty mini arrow videos, the one on the dirt pile for great examples.) I have used this method for any sketchy pusher launches and it tends to work well. It moves your hand away from whirling blades and is easy to get it some speed.

Have continued fun.
 

basslord1124

Master member
A member at my club said all planes have an expiration date. Very true. Crashing is part of the hobby. I think once it happens to you a few times you become somewhat immune to it, just as long as you are having successful flights too. Glad to hear things are going good for you though.

Funny story with me: I have an FT Super Bee that is souped up for speed...fast motors and even a 4S battery. I have crashed the thing once, repaired it, flew it again, and then lost it b/c it got far away and I lost orientation. About 6 months later...someone at the club found it and I have it back now. So, it's kinda cursed me...it's like I'm not quite ready to master it yet BUT at the same time I can't get rid of it lol.
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
How well would that work with something like the Versa Wing? That's the one *I* have worries about hand launches with, and losing fingers...
It would perform so well you would wonder why you hadn't tried it before.
I used to launch my KFM wing at full throttle, (a pusher swinging a 7x6 prop on a 1400kV motor running 3S) and as it has winglets and no fuselage a hand grip has hard to find. Being an older person the idea of my performing ballet maneuver to launch just does not appeal.

Heck- I can now launch it or any other hand launch plane sitting down in my chair or even on the ground. As for launch force it tested my version to 5 kilograms of initial thrust and with the tow hook forward of and under the CG what even I launch will fly.

Each to his own I suppose but I want to fly my creations not practice my hand launch techniques!

YES! It will launch almost anything that can fly and it does not require and special techniques or physical dance. If you can stomp on a gas pedal you can launch perfectly every time.

Just what works for me!

Have fun!