Saw what Flite Test was doing with foam board and it finally seemed like RC airplanes were approachable.
Bought a flite test explorer kit, a DX6e transmitter and receiver, and a power pack C and overlooked the fact that the kit required a 9x6 prop and modified the power pod to use the 10 inch prop. I was excited to get it in the air that weekend so I didn't make the sensible decision and switch to the 9 and stick with the plans. While trying to keep the thrust vector still going through the cg, I translated it up as high as I could go.
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I remember feeling like the plane was a little tail heavy compared to the suggested balance, but let the excitement get to me again. It flew but was way too sensitive in pitch, and after the hand launch it immediately started violently pitching up, stalling and smacking the ground, and the tail boom got a big slash from the prop on impact.
So I swapped to the 9 inch prop that a friend helped provide, threw some wood in the nose, and taped over the slash in the tail boom and got it in the air again! It flew well enough but I suddenly lost power and touched down somewhat gently in tall grass. The prop had come loose.
I tightened the prop, checked my C.R.A.P. again, and launched again. I flew half of a pattern trying to gain altitude at full throttle when my patch job on the tail boom must have come undone. It pitched down hard at full throttle and augered in. The nose was obliterated, the core was torn, the tail boom completely broke in half. It was a sad moment but in the end I knew I could just make another. I already bought spare foam board and all the electronics were in great condition.
Even though I didn't get a good flight in, I've learned a lot about what went wrong, how much of a component my impatient decisions played a part in the loss of my first plane, and I'm already on my way to building my own flying wing with cues from the flite test spear and arrow designs.
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