Strike Tree and you are Out!

[Ryan O.]

I really like the paint scheme.

 

[Marty72]

I'm enjoying the replies, everyone is having fun with this which is awesome.

I really didn't think that plane was going to dislodge and fall to the ground ever, hence the rocks. My core is still sore today from all the throwing I did. I can't ever remember that happening.

So the tail feather are in really bad shape, the pictures don't really show what is going on under the surface. A lot of paper delamination, cracks in the foam under paper and the hinges were junk. I was trying to repair it, but decided I'd never be happy with the control surfaces........ So I removed the complete elevator and vertical stabilizer, building new ones from scratch.

A tip I just learned doing this (other may already know), an iron works great for removing damage glued components. I ripped the foam from the paper (elevator/vert stab.), the paper is glued to the fuse. I then place the iron on the paper over the glued sections and easily pull the paper free.

The Scout 2.0 had 68 flights, and 2 crashes (both from taking off on a curbed street), plus 2 tree encounters.

As far as toughness, it can't compare to the Sportster, now that's a tough plane!

 

[Marty72]

I checked the battery that was in the plane, after 48 hours in the tree, it had no measurable charge.

It appears all the receiver, servos and motor are all in working condition. Another hack I just I thought up and implemented (I'm sure I'm not the first for sure). I pealed off the painted paper from my tail feathers, cut out circular patches and using hot glue I bridged the deep white gouges in the foam with the painted paper, a patch. It requires very little effort but provides a major aesthetic improvement.

 

[CapnBry]

That's awesome that you got it back! I haven't ever had the luck of a model falling out of a tree on its own, happy to see that it sometimes happens. I had an FT Explorer stuck in a tree for a week, with high winds and rain in the mix too. I even showed up at the field with an airsoft gun and put easily 100 rounds into it. Apparently cutting a plane into pieces with a machine gun isn't as easy as they make it look on TV.

I've had the best luck with an old fishing rod and reel with a 1oz sinker tied to the end of the line and the cheapest slingshot from Walmart. Shoot the sinker up and over the branch and lower it down, then use both halves of the line to shake the limb. I've lost half a dozen sinkers from breaking the line or getting them wrapped around a tree branch, but it sure beats trying to throw rocks at it. I threw about 10 rocks before I realized there was no way I am even going to hit the plane trying, so clearly you're much more athletic than I am.

An upgrade would use an arborist throw weight ($15) on a bit of paracord rope ($5), but I am too cheap to buy that. I'm with you though, I don't care about the plane I just want my electronics back! Looks like that Scout will definitely fly again too.

 

[Marty72]

So I returned to the sign of the crime this morning to fly the Scout. Did a bunch of take offs and landing on the road, with curbs and crape Myrtles lining one side of the street (long road going to the church parking lot). I feel like I'm playing with found money, so I'm taking more risks, plus the plane is pretty banged up. Great practice, had fun with it. Also flew the UMX Timber some, and did a few take offs and landings with it. Getting much more competent at it, that's for sure. I did my first touch and goes with the Timber, on the pavement. I didn't fly the Sportster, the lot is pretty small with tree obsticles. The Super Sportster is so fast, I'm hesitant to fly there (plus there are a lot of eyes on me there).

 

[FL_Engineer]

I know your not staying in the area long but I do recommend the park we talked about. Flew there yesterday and it has a nice open area and hardly any visitors; the oak trees are smaller too.

 

[Marty72]

I know your not staying in the area long but I do recommend the park we talked about. Flew there yesterday and it has a nice open area and hardly any visitors; the oak trees are smaller too.

I went there a couple of weeks ago and didn't fly. The soccer fields were locked up until 9 am, the other areas had sprinklers running. Where exactly is it, you fly? I typically fly right after sunrise, because the winds are as calm as they are going to be all day.

 

[FL_Engineer]

I went there a couple of weeks ago and didn't fly. The soccer fields were locked up until 9 am, the other areas had sprinklers running. Where exactly is it, you fly? I typically fly right after sunrise, because the winds are as calm as they are going to be all day.

We flew SE of the soccer fields between the two ponds; there is a large open area. Pro tip if you go, watch for fire ants.

 

[Marty72]

Ok, thanks for confirming the location. I found that field but the church field I use is better (and closer), so I went there. The housing development was much better, you could fly as far as you could safely see without a tree. The Super Sportster is way faster than the Scout with a B pack, so I got spoiled with my large, treeless housing development field. I can only fly the housing development on Sunday's now (non work day). I'm pretty sure you can't fly the church field on Saturday, if you did, you'd be asking for trouble. 7 Day Adv. Saturday is church day, I believe.

 

[FlyingWithRyan]

I did a crepe Myrtle as well with my Sport Cub S. Yeah, it would have been better if I didn't have landing gear on it. Another thing to snag onto. ha. I think it's all part of it, I imagine everyone loses planes in the trees. The depth perception problem when flying is real!

If it wasn't near a 6 line road, quite a distance but close enough to see , I'd take my pellet riffle and shoot it down. But I'm pretty sure that would end really badly........these days. "I drove by the church and saw a man shooting a riffle".

Haha I've clipped trees with wingtips but haven't gotten one completely stuck..... YET. Light poles..... those are my kyptonite.