WJCJR1
08-29-2009, 07:01 PM
I buried my Power15 enhanced T-28D today. Being a bit gutsy at our neighboring airfield Fun-Fly which my Airfield was invited to I made an error.
The winds, however relenting now, were roaring nicely this morning with a constant mid to upper teens with gusts to mid 20's and higher. Complicating the winds a stand of tall trees was resulting a swirling unpredictable wind.
Enough with that though I made an error in judgement in how fast the plane was approaching the ground as I descended from a previous vertical blast to~350'. WOW can this thing cook with that Power 15 mated to a 4S swinging a 8X8 prop. I descended from this aforementioned rolling climb and did so in an inverted narrow descent and as I rolled out the inverted position the wind caught the wings now 90* from the wind and began blowing the plane's track towards the pit area. I banked away from the pits, leveled and turned about 50* away from the pits and as I begin my travel away from myself I did not judge how fast the wind would push the nose to the ground as I was still in a slight nose down atitude and as soon as I realized my error it was over.
This thing REALLY cooks, WOWWY. Off of test data I am turning the prop at a phenomenal rate and even with the only 8" diameter it is a rocket ship and the 8" pitch propels this thing into the wild category.
I actually believe all parts except the motor mount are salvageable. I retrieved the motor and cowl, about 20 feet from the rest of the rubble and then energized. All electronics work, motor shaft is not bent. Could have been a lot worse but given this is my first time drilling a plane it is a significant disappointment I do not intend to repeat. This was totally preventable with some pulling back on the go stick as I knew it was turbulent and windy as heck.
End result,
Fuselage is nearly snapped in two longitudally,
Wing mount is torn clear off wing with about an inch of material gone from wing,
Rudder hanging by a thread,
Left aileron servo arm snapped,
Servo rod broke,
Cowl is broken in three places,
Horizontal stabilizer snapped in two,
Motor mount ripped clean apart.
I have purchased a new Horizontal stabilizer, fuselage, wing, motor mount, cowl, servo horns and aileron rods.
As mentioned above all these pieces are fixable but I need to be flying tomorrow morning so I purchased new replacement parts and will piece these back together as backups or a second piece together plane.
Wayne
The winds, however relenting now, were roaring nicely this morning with a constant mid to upper teens with gusts to mid 20's and higher. Complicating the winds a stand of tall trees was resulting a swirling unpredictable wind.
Enough with that though I made an error in judgement in how fast the plane was approaching the ground as I descended from a previous vertical blast to~350'. WOW can this thing cook with that Power 15 mated to a 4S swinging a 8X8 prop. I descended from this aforementioned rolling climb and did so in an inverted narrow descent and as I rolled out the inverted position the wind caught the wings now 90* from the wind and began blowing the plane's track towards the pit area. I banked away from the pits, leveled and turned about 50* away from the pits and as I begin my travel away from myself I did not judge how fast the wind would push the nose to the ground as I was still in a slight nose down atitude and as soon as I realized my error it was over.
This thing REALLY cooks, WOWWY. Off of test data I am turning the prop at a phenomenal rate and even with the only 8" diameter it is a rocket ship and the 8" pitch propels this thing into the wild category.
I actually believe all parts except the motor mount are salvageable. I retrieved the motor and cowl, about 20 feet from the rest of the rubble and then energized. All electronics work, motor shaft is not bent. Could have been a lot worse but given this is my first time drilling a plane it is a significant disappointment I do not intend to repeat. This was totally preventable with some pulling back on the go stick as I knew it was turbulent and windy as heck.
End result,
Fuselage is nearly snapped in two longitudally,
Wing mount is torn clear off wing with about an inch of material gone from wing,
Rudder hanging by a thread,
Left aileron servo arm snapped,
Servo rod broke,
Cowl is broken in three places,
Horizontal stabilizer snapped in two,
Motor mount ripped clean apart.
I have purchased a new Horizontal stabilizer, fuselage, wing, motor mount, cowl, servo horns and aileron rods.
As mentioned above all these pieces are fixable but I need to be flying tomorrow morning so I purchased new replacement parts and will piece these back together as backups or a second piece together plane.
Wayne