Hondo76251
Legendary member
Finally got the video of my last Lithium Ion battery testing/crashing put together...
It's difficult when flying line of site, but you use the rudder to keep the plane flying at the same heading no matter which direction the wind is blowing so the plane may even be flying sideways but keeping the same heading. It's a lot easier to do this flying fpv or lots of practice line of site. I'm actually amazed at how much easier flying is FPV than line of site, almost like flying a real airplane as I am a private pilot too.
Crashed the Sportster this morning. Absolutely no wind, so I put it up at Sunrise in the fog. Lost orientation, death spiral, augered into the ground. I had brought the P 40 out today to maiden but was waiting for the fog to clear. The big yellow bird is pretty easy to see in all conditions, that's why I put it up. I still can't figure out why I couldn't pull it out, I was pretty high. I never even chopped the throttle, I was fighting until the last moment. I heard a horrible thud across the field and street after it slammed straight into the ground. I hopped into the truck and drove over to get it, expecting it to be totaled, it wasn't. But it did dent the battery and motor is either damaged or jammed full of sand.
Question: The C Pack motor, if you remove the small Allen screw, will it pull apart allowing me to serve the bearings? I do not have an allen key that small. I did all I could to clear it out, but it's still very rough.
More pictures will be on my Sportster thread https://forum.flitetest.com/index.p...re-and-maiden-thread.61353/page-4#post-535195 View attachment 154577
Oh you didn't chop the throttle, I bet it was a left hand spiral too. If the motor was running it probably wasn't loss of signal then. You got hit by the fixed wing gremlin buddy.Crashed the Sportster this morning. Absolutely no wind, so I put it up at Sunrise in the fog. Lost orientation, death spiral, augered into the ground. I had brought the P 40 out today to maiden but was waiting for the fog to clear. The big yellow bird is pretty easy to see in all conditions, that's why I put it up. I still can't figure out why I couldn't pull it out, I was pretty high. I never even chopped the throttle, I was fighting until the last moment. I heard a horrible thud across the field and street after it slammed straight into the ground. I hopped into the truck and drove over to get it, expecting it to be totaled, it wasn't. But it did dent the battery and motor is either damaged or jammed full of sand.
Question: The C Pack motor, if you remove the small Allen screw, will it pull apart allowing me to serve the bearings? I do not have an allen key that small. I did all I could to clear it out, but it's still very rough.
More pictures will be on my Sportster thread https://forum.flitetest.com/index.p...re-and-maiden-thread.61353/page-4#post-535195 View attachment 154577
If you can't get it apart run it under water and spin it at the same time and then if you have a compressor blow it out really good. If it is still rough you will need to get it apart, you may have damaged the bearings . Bearings are cheap, any motor I take apart I will order a package of 10 through Aliexpress, Bangood or even Amazon that way I can service the motor properly. . You should get yourself a small metric allen wrench set, 99.9% of these motors are all the same size.
Nope, not a loss of signal, a loss being able to correct the situation exacerbated by poor visibility and stupidity.Oh you didn't chop the throttle, I bet it was a left hand spiral too. If the motor was running it probably wasn't loss of signal then. You got hit by the fixed wing gremlin buddy.
Are you still gonna maiden the P-40?
Usually to be safe they aren't good to depend on anymore. You could charge it and do a run up test to check voltages but chances are is it's done. It may run but then the danger of it catching fire not only in the plane but at home on the charger would be taking chances. What can happen is that even if it doesn't look to bad as it sits it could be punctured on the inside where you can't see it. I would just dispose of itWhere are you guys on dented batteries? If I follow the guidelines, that battery is no longer safe to use. Here's the pic, what do you think?
View attachment 154590
I am starting to build up the plane collection now. I have 5 that are flyable, one is being built as we speak and there are plans for another coming up after this one. Thinking either the Mustang or the Racer, haven't decided yet, leaning more towards the Racer though. I have done that in a day where I crash the first plane I take out, quickly head in and change out the motor and set up another plane and 20 minutes later take up the new one. I have crashed two in a day then even take up a third. Makes for a lot of fixing for the next day though
THROW THAT BATTERY OUT. That is a fire just waiting to happen.
Where are you guys on dented batteries? If I follow the guidelines, that battery is no longer safe to use. Here's the pic, what do you think?
View attachment 154590
Same, I have one that is puffy and one that has taken some damage from a nose in but not as bad as what @Marty72 has. I have used one that took the in-runner shaft into the middle cell and I used that for a little while until I did a voltage test with it under load and noticed the voltage drop on that cell significantly compared to the other two. It wasn't performing so I scrapped that oneMe personally would use it take a little extra care at first I probably have at least 3 batteries that are worse then that and going strong after a year. If it was punctured it would be puffy and even those work just not as strong. But that is me.
I have NEVER had a battery catch fire in the air or on the charger and I charge as many as 12 batteries at a time. But as I said that is me.
Me personally would use it take a little extra care at first I probably have at least 3 batteries that are worse then that and going strong after a year. If it was punctured it would be puffy and even those work just not as strong. But that is me.
I have NEVER had a battery catch fire in the air or on the charger and I charge as many as 12 batteries at a time. But as I said that is me.
I have batteries that look that bad and are totally fine. The important part is to check the voltage of each individual cell. If they are all the same, charge it and then check the voltage and if everything matches the battery is 100% ok. I smashed my brand new 4s on it's first flight and was worried it was shot, but upon checking the voltage it's pretty good. I still keep an eye on it and check the voltage of each cell everytime I use it, but I do that for all my batteries. It's been doing great!Where are you guys on dented batteries? If I follow the guidelines, that battery is no longer safe to use. Here's the pic, what do you think?
View attachment 154590
Yup, sounds about like me too.Me personally would use it take a little extra care at first I probably have at least 3 batteries that are worse then that and going strong after a year. If it was punctured it would be puffy and even those work just not as strong. But that is me.
I have NEVER had a battery catch fire in the air or on the charger and I charge as many as 12 batteries at a time. But as I said that is me.
Where are you guys on dented batteries? If I follow the guidelines, that battery is no longer safe to use. Here's the pic, what do you think?
View attachment 154590