How many flights until you retire a model?

[Mr NCT]

My Tiny Trainer kept flying through liberal applications of hot glue, then packing tape and in its final iteration, duct tape. It was a bit of a FrankenPlane at the end. I think that you have a chance at repair up until the rear of the fuselage loses integrity- then it just becomes just a pain to keep readjusting the control rods. At that point it’s time to build another.
View attachment 229394 View attachment 229395

That is persistence!!!! Now build another before anyone else sees it

 

[JasonK]

But you have a very happy fence post there!

did you reply to the wrong post?

 

[Mr NCT]

did you reply to the wrong post?

Nope, he got it right. Very happy fence post.

 

[JasonK]

Nope, he got it right. Very happy fence post.

but you replied to me, not that post:

 

[Mr NCT]

That post was already happy so I posted a post about the post.

 

[luvmy40]

did you reply to the wrong post?

Yes, somehow I did.

 

[Yankee2003]

I have also attached the tail surfaces. Easy…no drama.
I embedded some yard flag wire to stiffen up the horizontal and vertical surfaces. An idea that was shared on The Aviation Noob podcast discord. Thank you my friends.



Yard flags I bought at Lowes for $9. Looks like a years supply. I hope to use them as pushrods as well, but don’t know how that will work with the 9g servo arms. Insert your experience and constructive advice here.
I know….weight…weight…weight.
But this is about learning and improving. The benefit is hit and miss…I’m not above starting over again if I learn something valuable.
Perhaps this is a good time to put my order in for a new SBK…🤔.
Sorry wrong thread…

 

[Matthewdupreez]

For myself. I've been flying for nearly 12 months now, and my average plane lasts about 30-40 flights. But it is more of a conditions thing that determines the age. For example I don't have a runway (yet) so I land in a field of shortish very hard, sharp and scratchy grass, along with plenty of mini thorn trees.
And I generally build my planes from bare foam( foamboard but peel off the paper essentially) and that stuff slowly breaks away from my rough field and gets worse and worse no matter how nicely I land them.
But yes, it is mainly pilot skill.
Looks like I've got about 89hours of flying under my belt.

 

[flyinsparky]

My Tiny Trainer kept flying through liberal applications of hot glue, then packing tape and in its final iteration, duct tape. It was a bit of a FrankenPlane at the end. I think that you have a chance at repair up until the rear of the fuselage loses integrity- then it just becomes just a pain to keep readjusting the control rods. At that point it’s time to build another.

If this plane had a theme song it would definitely be this one: https://tinyurl.com/bdek7yru

 

[mastermalpass]

My Su-34 V4 (my first plane) made likely no more than 15 flights (and 8 nose cones) before it was retired. The Su-35 V5 that replaced it has already reached 15 flights with the only repairs patching up wear and tear.

My Bipe Pipe hasn't had all of its flights recorded, so I'm gonna have to guess; at least 25. It's looking a bit rough, but it still has plenty left in it. It's essentially become the workhorse of the hobby for me - with no means to build new planes, the conveniently sized, rough-going plane has been taken everywhere!

 

[DbleDuce]

I think it depends on the plane. A trainer, heck, keep it flying as long as you can, use it to try those new or hard maneuvers until they become second nature. Don't worry about what it looks like.

On the nicer planes, the ones with custom paint, decals, etc. I keep those flying as long as they look sharp in the air, once the dings and scrapes became gashes, cracks and rips, then they get retired.

 

[Tench745]

I think it depends on the plane. A trainer, heck, keep it flying as long as you can, use it to try those new or hard maneuvers until they become second nature. Don't worry about what it looks like.

On the nicer planes, the ones with custom paint, decals, etc. I keep those flying as long as they look sharp in the air, once the dings and scrapes became gashes, cracks and rips, then they get retired.

The way I look at it, once the nice planes have gashes, cracks, and rips, you can fly them even harder because there's no reason to cry when then go down. I don't need a scarred up hangar-queen taking up space, and if I'm going to get rid of it, it may as well go out in style.

 

[Hvon11]

I usually get 25 to 30 flights and average about 5 good crashes. I finally sheared the wings off the Tutor flying through a tree branch. Fuse was still

good. I wrecked my Spitfire fuse adding a spin to the end of a hammerhead stall that I couln’t recover from. The wing was fine. I put the Spit wing on the bottom of the Tutor and got 3 more flights before I hit a tree. 😀

 

[mayan]

This is a great discussion! One which I have brought up recently on a few WhatsApp groups I am on locally. I honestly have that debate with myself often… I do agree with @Aslansmonkey that if I like it, it stays I don’t it goes. If i like it I’ll repair it for as long as it flys ok and is SAFE. That is key to me.

 

[dangermouse650]

Your first 1 or 10 planes may not last long while you are learning, but their life starts to get longer as you get better at the sticks. Although, at 7 years in i still make some stupid mistakes and fly them into the ground or a tree will reach out and grab them. The very first plane i bought was a mistake, a warbird that never flew except out of my hand and into the ground. Then i found rcpowers, i built an su-30 and it flew, i was so proud of myself, it lived maybe 20-25 flights,by the time i retired it it was mostly hot glue.

I built a few more planes and destroyed them, then i built a profile Mig29 out of coroplast/corflute and it was virtually indestructible, yes the nose crumpled and the glue gave out but it was easily fixable.

I also built another rcpowers plane, an Su-34, it was such a sweet plane and here we are 7 years down the track and i have only just decommisioned her, took her electrics out today and hung her on the ceiling. She would easily have 100 flights, it was always my favorite plane, like my first plane, lots of glue.

I am currently working on build number 63, honestly i love building almost more than flying.
Keep em flying people and have fun

 

[flyinsparky]

Just hit 100 flights on my Tiny Trainer today. Although I'm pretty close to the Theseus' paradox as I can't recall what has and hasn't been replaced. My favorite "upgrade" is the oversize ailerons and shortened wing with no dihedral. Along with the 2204 motor, she does constant rolls and loops.

 

[JetCrafts]

I have 84 flights on my Tiny Trainer, it has been such a fun progression from the dihedral wing to the aileron wing (basically an entirely different plane) putting an APC 6x4 prop on it (amazing performance difference) and then from 2S to 3S (another huge jump). With more speed and capability comes the possibility and likelihood of harder crashes. Last week, I stripped my elevator servo and drilled it straight into the ground. Although it wasn't the worst crash it has sustained, the damage assessment report shows significant history of structural damage and it looks like a retirement for the airframe and a full rebuild is the answer. It seems like the belly landings also take their toll over time as well.

I was planning on upgrading to a 2204 size motor and making a couple changes to the wing for a bit more acrobatic ability and to keep the bands from slipping into the aileron slot, so it's not a bad time for a replacement.

I absolutely love the Tiny Trainer, I'll always have one in the hangar.

How many flights do you usually get out of a model before you retire it?

until it crashs and burns