What did you crash today

Ratcheeroo

Legendary member
Here is my AP Super Tucano after an epic flight on Sunday, rookie mistake coming in for a landing forget right is left and left is right and rolled myself into what I thought were just bushes but lo and behold there was a rock ledge there LOL:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:. Looks bad but actually should be an easy repair job, can't wait to get this back in the air!
IMG_20210823_215314270.jpg
 

Burnhard

Well-known member
Crashed my Spitfire MS today. That aircraft is driving me nuts.

First flight battery came loose and ejected the aircraft, aircraft did a loop and feel from about 2m. No major damage other than a broken spar.

Second flight, got the CG completely wrong. Plane is barely controllable. Eventually the prop comes off and I manage to glide it to the ground. This time no damage.

Third flight. Try to start from the grass field. Not that easy as the wheels sink into the grass and are not big enough. Loose a wheel and abort start. After that a friend helps me to hand launch the aircraft. Manage to do a turn and than the motor dies. Manage to glide the aircraft to the ground.

Today, new motor, new carbon prop and new 3D printed spinner. Starting from the grass is not possible as the grass is to long today. Decide to go for a hand launch. Go full throttle, throw the plane and it goes down into the ground. Not sure whether the spinner exploded after launch or at impact. Again, only minor damage, lower side of the nose is a bit bruised, part of the wing came loose but nothing you cannot fix with a bit of hotglue. Will start repairs tonight but am slowly loosing my patience with this one.
 
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JasonK

Participation Award Recipient
Before (apparently didn't get any 100% completed build images)
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After maiden:
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It had to much roll authority (even with 30% expo and 70% rates on roll, it was very touchy on roll) and really anemic pitch authority. I suspect that I had my CG to far forward, as it took quite a bit of up elevetor to keep it flying level, even at some appreciable speed. Managed the first turn after launch (straight out into the field, needed to turn to not hit the far field trees), but when I went to turn it around to come back to us, I got it nose down somehow [no video to be sure exactly what happened] and even full up didn't get it to pitch back up and it was throttled up as it went down.
 

Ratcheeroo

Legendary member
Before (apparently didn't get any 100% completed build images)
View attachment 207346 View attachment 207347

After maiden:
View attachment 207348 View attachment 207349

It had to much roll authority (even with 30% expo and 70% rates on roll, it was very touchy on roll) and really anemic pitch authority. I suspect that I had my CG to far forward, as it took quite a bit of up elevetor to keep it flying level, even at some appreciable speed. Managed the first turn after launch (straight out into the field, needed to turn to not hit the far field trees), but when I went to turn it around to come back to us, I got it nose down somehow [no video to be sure exactly what happened] and even full up didn't get it to pitch back up and it was throttled up as it went down.
Wow I really thought you had that plane dialed in, you put a lot of thought into that one . I have nothing to offer as to what problem could be , almost seems as you describe that somehow the CG shifted in flight?
 

JasonK

Participation Award Recipient
Wow I really thought you had that plane dialed in, you put a lot of thought into that one . I have nothing to offer as to what problem could be , almost seems as you describe that somehow the CG shifted in flight?
I had it at the highest static margin recommended (fairly far forward) I don't think the battery shifted as it ripped out the 3d printed thing that I made to hold the battery strap. It was rather windy, so I might have set the CG incorrectly from wing messing with the balance.
 

JasonK

Participation Award Recipient
Wow I really thought you had that plane dialed in, you put a lot of thought into that one . I have nothing to offer as to what problem could be , almost seems as you describe that somehow the CG shifted in flight?
I glued it back together (including a few new bits of foam) and marked out 15%, 10%, 5% MAC static margin positions for the battery. With it at 7.5%, it handled glide tests fairly well - as best as I can test something like this. So I need to get it airborne and tested again.
 

JasonK

Participation Award Recipient
second maiden with the CG moved back to only 7.5% MAC... Still something off, crashed same cause, got nose down and couldn't pull up to get out of the dive. I also noticed when rewatching the video that I was high alpha near the ground and it took a bit before it started getting enough lift to actually get 'up' even at that level of high alpha. I think the wing (all together, drag from kfm, Coefficent of lift, etc) just needed more speed then I was getting out of that prop/motor combo to really keep it under control and I was flying to close to the stall speed even at 75% or so throttle.

 

Byrdman

Well-known member
Flew my Simple Cub this morning off the lake and the receiver (I think) or maybe esc starts cutting out. Throttle dies, then comes back on, controls are acting the same way, etc. Didn't want to cause any damage to anything else, so I brought it in for a semi-hard landing. Maybe this receiver is ready for the garbage, its only about 10 years old, lol...

Just ordered 2x 6ch Lemon RX's from FT. I hope they get shipped out today so I'll be ready for the weekend!!
 
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dap35

Elite member
Great weather, almost 60F and minimal wind. Today was both the maiden and retirement of my Mirage 2000C. I went through several attempts to hand launch, but it just didn't get enough airspeed before it hit the ground. Plenty of thrust. A club member suggested I just put it on the runway and let-'er rip. Thankfully I built this with a rudder. She took off fine, but the sun was setting and I let it get too far out. Loosing orientation, the GPS registered ~56MPH and a somewhat vertical descent. This was the outcome.

I am so glad the farmer has finished the soybean harvest.


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The Hangar

Fly harder!
Mentor
Great weather, almost 60F and minimal wind. Today was both the maiden and retirement of my Mirage 2000C. I went through several attempts to hand launch, but it just didn't get enough airspeed before it hit the ground. Plenty of thrust. A club member suggested I just put it on the runway and let-'er rip. Thankfully I built this with a rudder. She took off fine, but the sun was setting and I let it get too far out. Loosing orientation, the GPS registered ~56MPH and a somewhat vertical descent. This was the outcome.

I am so glad the farmer has finished the soybean harvest.


View attachment 211839
Oh no, I’m sorry - that really sucks! Are you going to rebuild it?
 

SSgt Duramax

Junior Member
I crashed this over the weekend.

A poor build job coupled with me ignoring a chronic right bank problem I didn't land and diagnose, coupled with my mediocre pilot skills and doing aerobatics near the ground (while the plane was somewhat underpowered and with the unfixed bank issue) led to me stuffing my chipmunk on its maiden.

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A new one with a straight fuselage is currently under construction. I was able to fix that one pushed in section on the wing and save it.
 
M

MCNC

Guest
Great weather, almost 60F and minimal wind. Today was both the maiden and retirement of my Mirage 2000C. I went through several attempts to hand launch, but it just didn't get enough airspeed before it hit the ground. TE]

Looks like she was full of roe.