The Champ goes down.

Capt_Beavis

Posted a thousand or more times
I am new to RC planes. I somehow came across Flite Test and it inspired me to try them out. I started out with a Hobby Zone Champ since it seemed like a good starter plane.

My plane arrived yesterday and it was a bit windy but I decided to try it at the park, planning on trying a quick low flight. I hand launched the plane right as a gust came up. The plane gained altitude rapidly. I let the controls go neutral and the plane turned with the with the wind. The plane glided a good 50 feet into a tree :(

Time to brush off my tree climbing skills. I came home with twigs and leaves in my hair but the plane was intact.

It was a little better at lunch today so I took the plane out to a bigger park on the way back to work. The first flight was short but I landed it on the wheels. The next flights I got a little higher and stayed up a bit longer. The next two all ended in crashes. On what was planned as my last flight I was trying to bring the plane down when a gust of wind slammed it into the ground. The tail section of the fuselage broke off and the bottom of the rudder tore off.

Thanks to Josh B I knew how to handle the disaster and the glue is now drying.

I need to stay out of the wind and fly a little higher.
 

ViperTech

Member
Little Champ does'nt like the wind! As a new pilot keep to lower wind days and altitude is your friend! Welcome to the forum! Glad you got it back from the trees.
 

Capt_Beavis

Posted a thousand or more times
I kept telling myself to wait, but I just couldn't. Hopefully the repairs work. I have a new tail on order but I really don't want to replace the body. We will see.
 

Capt_Beavis

Posted a thousand or more times
IMG_0967.JPG Broke my beak today. I had a good first flight until the engine started cutting out, maybe it was on the edge of the range. It was a gentle tip stall crash. I then had a couple of straight into the ground crashes. I hope I can salvage it without getting a new body.
 

con244

Senior Member
That'll buff right out Capt. I have had similar damage on my Champ and it glued back together. Try using a hair dryer to puff the dents out. (go easy with the heat) When glueing, try and strengthen the joint with more foam or if you have it, some fine carbon fibre rod. Check around the wing and the elevator for cracks especially near the control horns as well as sometimes a crash like this causes weakness elsewhere as well. Make sure you check the cg as adding extra reinforcement (even just glueing with no reinforcement) to the front will make it nose heavy.
Good Luck
Con
 

tb_and_j

Junior Member
I've had very similar experiences in the wind also, it's hard not to fly when you're anxious. Just keep the glue flowing and the tape rolling and you should be good.
 

Stradawhovious

"That guy"
With those foam construction planes, grab yourself a bottle of white Gorilla Glue. The stuff is a godsend. It's light, expands to fill cracks and voids and has similar properties as many foams used for airframes. A tiny little bit goes a long way, you can use masking tape as a clamp and it makes foam literally good as new.

If your foam has compression damage stick it in some hot water for a few moments. That will help get rid of any dents or wrinkles.

Remember, ANYTHING can be fixed. It's just a matter of cost effectiveness.

All in all your plane may not be perfect looking when you're done fixing it, but if you take your time and do a good job it will fly. Besides, a trainer isn't supposed to look pretty, it's supposed to fly correctly. ;)
 
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Capt_Beavis

Posted a thousand or more times
I think I got some of the gorilla glue onto the rudder servo. It lockup and started humming non-stop, crashed and broke the tail and the push rod. time for a body with electronics kit.
 

OrcaSea

Member
That's one reason to love the FT DT foam planes. It's cheaper and almost as fast just to build a new one than to fix the old one ;)
 

Capt_Beavis

Posted a thousand or more times
Well, the Champ is finally flying again with all new parts. Everything is now on this plane, it is my first kit build! I left one of the servo pushrods too long and the guy really like to turn right, but the elevator is perfect and it flies controllably.

The plane does fly nicely. I was out a breeze today and my skills have improved to the point where it wasn't an issue. It is nice flying without AS3X once in a while. I can now see the appeal of this little bugger.