Oh, sure, Bill, I'm a firm believer in the Modeling Mantra--"If you're gonna fly, you're gonna crash." I really like the way the LA flies...I had just taken it through some very respectable triangles the flight before...I'm not a stunt pilot, remember! But a capable plane sure makes it a lot easier.
Not sure yet if it'll be a "fix" or a "replace"--I never make that determination right after a crash...I'll let it sit a few days and then start cutting into it and see how extensive the damage is. Meanwhile I guess I'll resurrect the previous prototype, pig that it is, and keep practicing. I would like to be able to become comfortable flying the AMA pattern, unlike the moments of panic that currently occur at certain spots (square eights, overheads, triangles, hourglass-es)--maybe even a recognizable one.
If I do trash it and build a new one it will indeed be better, Larry. I learn something from every plane I build. For instance, I learned from this one that I'm still overbuilding--a crash like today, straight over the top and directly into hard dirt, should have shattered the thing into a kazillion pieces--but it's still largely intact, though pretty thoroughly broken. So I can make one even lighter!
Thanks, guys, for the comments.
--Ray