When covering goes Bad

[bassfisher]

These are pictures of my CMPro T-34. She is about a year old. It is an ARF and flys very well. The covering graphics look really good. These pics were taken about three weeks ago on a beautiful morning. Stallwart (see profile on RCU) and I were flying together, he was flying his TF T-34. THis is before take-off

http://i751.photobucket.com/albums/xx159/rcflier_97/DSCF0158.jpg


After a few minutes of chasing each other, I was ina shallow turn when there was a loud bang. I thought that I had blown off a elevator half as I saw a piece of white fluttering down behind the plane. It was still flying fine, so I dropped the gear and did a fly by to see what was gone. As I flew overhead at about 50 foot, I saw everything was still there (or so I thought). After an uneventful landing, I taxied back to the pits a saw this.

http://i751.photobucket.com/albums/xx159/rcflier_97/DSCF0163.jpg

Luckly, the piece recovered was in one piece and all I have to do it reapply it.

Lesson learned for those less experienced, it its flying, don't panic, assess the situation, and get it down in one piece.

[bassfisher]

Stallwart and bassfisher's T-34s earlier this year

http://i751.photobucket.com/albums/xx159/rcflier_97/DSCN2147.jpg

http://i751.photobucket.com/albums/xx159/rcflier_97/DSCN2148.jpg

http://i751.photobucket.com/albums/xx159/rcflier_97/DSCN2145.jpg

http://i751.photobucket.com/albums/xx159/rcflier_97/DSCN2146.jpg

[WJCJR1]

Nice story good advice!

Wayne

[pinchflat]

It is amazing that it flew fine without the covering on the top of the wing. It seems that at least it would yaw to that direction. I guess that with the bottom covering still in place there was enough defection lift to keep it up.

[bassfisher]

I have the feeling that with as much sheeting as there is on the top of the wing, that's what kept it up.

[WJCJR1]

If the bottom covering came off it may have been a different handling plane as she would've been cavitating and capturing air withing the wing.

Wayne

[bassfisher]

I should have flown her again that day, but I thought better of it. Now to just get off my lazy behind and get te covering back on. Balsarite should do the trick!

[tkrahlin]

I’ve heard it said so many times regarding how to deal with ‘incidents’ when full scale flying and it’s just as appropriate for RC flying…

Aviate, Navigate, Communicate (and when all else fails, Aviate some more).


Good Job.

[bassfisher]

I guess over of flying RC that if it can happen, it has happened to me. I can't thing of how many times that parts have come off in flight, dead sticks, covering coming off (this was the 1st time that I've lost the entire piece off the top of a wing), etc. I've had wings blow apart (in that case, just throttle back and watch it go down) had that happened twice in 25 years (once pylon racing, and one early this year on rebuilt plane - it was given to me to rebuild the fuse and supposedly the wing was not hurt in it initial crash it was pretty cool watching the plane go in!) I try to assess the situation and react accordingly. 8 times out of 10 I usually win out. I guess the worst part is that usually its flying someone else's plane that does the bad things to me.

[WJCJR1]

I guess the worst part is that usually its flying someone else's plane that does the bad things to me.

Yes this is a real issue. This is a large reason why when training a new pilot I woudl prefer to use my plane. Could my plane have a failure, sure, but you KNOW what you got way more than just jumping into someone else's plane blind. In particular a newbie's plane.

Wayne

[bassfisher]

WJCJR1 - I agree with you for the most part. I usually always double and sometimes triple check a new student's plane. I have had a beginner's plane go in, but that was because the battery lead uncoupled during the latter part of the flight. This is not to say that I have not grounded a newbie's plane because of airworthiness issues (discovered during pre-flight) The majority of the issues that I have had were with well "conditioned" planes. My T-34 has had over 50 flights. I think that the ChinaCote just came loose at the leading edge and just peeled off (I never have liked ChinaCote). Can't say I had any bad issues with electrics, just nitro birds. But I'm sure that there will be a first for the electric planes too. Just a part of the hobby!