Author Topic: Prop came off, let magic smoke out (Read 2958 times)

Bob Reeves · « **on:** August 25, 2015, 03:45:11 PM »

Joe Gilbert was flying an electric SV today and had a little ouch. Prop departed right at the bottom of an outside corner in the square 8. When you are only 5 feet off the ground, not much of a chance to make corrections.

Chancey Chorney · « **Reply #1 on:** August 25, 2015, 04:30:34 PM »

Ouch is right. That really sucks.

Bill Johnson · « **Reply #2 on:** August 25, 2015, 05:41:27 PM »

You weren't kidding about the smoke!

Randy Cuberly · « **Reply #3 on:** August 25, 2015, 07:20:40 PM »

Tell Joe I said I'm really, really sorry...Now go fix it!

Randy Cuberly

Steve Fitton · « **Reply #4 on:** August 25, 2015, 07:46:41 PM »

Ouch! That's a really used up plane!

CircuitFlyer · « **Reply #5 on:** August 25, 2015, 08:13:58 PM »

Dang, that sucks. Pusher prop?

Joe Gilbert · « **Reply #6 on:** August 25, 2015, 10:26:22 PM »

Man that happen so fast, felt little vibration then pow prop off right in middle of hard turn. It seemed like about half of the line tension instaneously went away and I just pulled back on Handel and pow into ground at a 45. If you look close the motor is in the hole it made when it hit. Catastrophic hit.

Dan Berry · « **Reply #7 on:** August 25, 2015, 10:30:52 PM »

Did the prop come off the shaft or did it break apart?

Motorman · « **Reply #8 on:** August 25, 2015, 11:06:15 PM »

I had a prop loosen up on an Eflight motor. The acorn nut bottomed out and was just barely holding the prop. It was ok until I had a minor ground strike that stripped the drive side of the prop. The motor revved up and cooked the insulation off the wires.

I now put the collet on the shaft with some loctite and if the prop hub is not thick enough cut the threaded prop shaft shorter. I also noticed the counter bore in the prop hub bottoms out on the shank of the collet so you have to bore the prop deeper.

Sorry to see that. Did your prop snap off, what happened?

MM

John Cralley · « **Reply #9 on:** August 26, 2015, 06:51:20 AM »

Joe, Wow that's really bad luck!

I have also had pusher props come loose and off several times but never toasted the motor. What ESC were you using? I generally use Castle Creations ESCs and have had no smoked motors with them.

Joe Gilbert · « **Reply #10 on:** August 26, 2015, 07:08:25 AM »

The prop collet and spinner all came off the collet is wallered out now ,was right when I put on, my guess is I didn't tighen it enough. The smoke came from battery, it hit back of motor and hurt it bad. The ESC was un plunged at hit, I don't know if it is ok or not. Motor does not look to be hurt. All comes down to my fault not tighting prop enough and if I would of stayer with the down input I could of landed the plane inverted and not lost the plane. The prop coming off and sticking it in happened in milia seconds. The instant the prop came off the line tension changed a lot and the planes rate of turned changed dramatically. Makes sense though because the drive was taken away at time when needed most. Looks like Forest Gump is right again it happens.

John Cralley · « **Reply #11 on:** August 26, 2015, 07:42:34 AM »

Ok, I understand now. Damaged battery smoking makes sense.

Motorman · « **Reply #12 on:** August 26, 2015, 07:55:39 AM »

There does seem to be a smallish window between tight enough and snapping the prop shaft. If the collet/shaft was steel you could tighten it more.

MM

Tom Taylor · « **Reply #13 on:** August 26, 2015, 08:21:32 AM »

Joe,

That really stinks.

Jason Greer · « **Reply #14 on:** August 26, 2015, 09:07:47 AM »

Oh my, sorry to see that, Joe.

Bob Reeves · « **Reply #15 on:** August 26, 2015, 09:31:07 AM »

Quote from: John Cralley on August 26, 2015, 07:42:34 AM

Ok, I understand now. Damaged battery smoking makes sense.

We were sorry about Joe losing the airplane but wished I had a camera ready when it first happened, the smoke was spectacular. By the time Joe snapped the photos with his phone the smoke had diminished quite a bit.

John Cralley · « **Reply #16 on:** August 26, 2015, 12:22:04 PM »

Hey Joe,

There is good news! There is a picture of you in the September issue of Model Aviation!

The bad news is you're totally out of focus!

Tim Stagg · « **Reply #17 on:** August 26, 2015, 06:16:09 PM »

ITS DEAD JIM

Goodbye Charger SV....it was featured in Stunt News Appearance Point a few years ago...... if anybody is interested in what it looked like before Joe killed it....Sorry Joe just kidding

I wrote it off 2 years ago.....Joe you performed a true labor in trimming, you have a gift my friend

Steve Fitton · « **Reply #18 on:** August 26, 2015, 07:25:55 PM »

I bet Scott Richlin could have that plane back in the air in minutes!

James Mills · « **Reply #19 on:** August 26, 2015, 07:55:49 PM »

Joe,

Really sorry to see that my friend.

James

Douglas Ames · « **Reply #20 on:** August 26, 2015, 08:16:56 PM »

Well, that sucks... Hope the motor's salvageable.

Joe Gilbert · « **Reply #21 on:** August 26, 2015, 08:58:46 PM »

Tim I sure wish it had not happened raised the battery up another quarter inch and had the vertical just about right the plane was flying good. Should of left well enough alone I took prop off to check motor screws to be sure they were tight and they were ,just did not tighten collett enough. It was a nice built plane.

Andre Ming · « **Reply #22 on:** August 26, 2015, 09:29:26 PM »

We're all having a moment of silence for your loss, Joe.

Losing a promising, or favorite, airplane is a bummer. To put as much work into them as you stunt guys put into them... wow... I'll bet that's really tough to lose one.

Andre

Wade Bognuda · « **Reply #23 on:** August 27, 2015, 06:25:28 AM »

De Hill has been telling for quite some time, "Wade, you're gonna crash". I didn't really believe him, after all I don't crash R/C planes. Guess what? I am crashing. De was right. Now Joe crashed? I better finish that trainer. Sorry Joe about your plane. It was gorgeous.

Brett Buck · « **Reply #24 on:** August 27, 2015, 06:38:51 AM »

Quote from: Joe Gilbert on August 25, 2015, 10:26:22 PM

Man that happen so fast, felt little vibration then pow prop off right in middle of hard turn. It seemed like about half of the line tension instaneously went away

Lots of drag, but suddenly, no thrust, rapid speed loss, stall, crash. Nothing you can do about that. Shows how much the engine, er, motor is helping in the corners, and why getting a better motor/engine/prop makes so much difference in the cornering capability.

Brett

John Cralley · « **Reply #25 on:** August 27, 2015, 07:22:10 AM »

Well, although rear mounted motors have some disadvantages, one advantage is that on many (most) motors you don't have to deal with a collet when you use a rear mount.

Jim Kraft · « **Reply #26 on:** August 27, 2015, 10:09:07 AM »

Standing here with a moment of silence with my hat on my heart. But, it is easy to see what happened Joe. The plane rejected being flown by electric. It just spewed that prop and spinner right off in disgust. Sorry Joe, just had to do it.