Building Tips and technical articles. > 1/2 A building.

Demise of the LittleAxe

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minnesotamodeler:
Well, I discovered something today...flapped airplanes won't fly without elevator control.  Flying my LittleAxe for what was gonna be (and, as it turns out, was) the last flight of the day--testing different props.  Just put on a 3-blade 5x3 and it seemed to be pulling pretty well; unfortunately, the wheel collar I was using for a pushrod keeper at the elevator horn took a leave of absence; on the back side of a lazy eight, just as the plane was turning up.  Forget any nonsense about the pitching properties of wingflaps--no such luck.  I had plenty of time, as the plane headed over the top in a majestic wingover, to try full up and full down--repeatedly--not even a waver...the airplane had suicide on its mind.  It had become a UFO--Uncontrolled Flying Object. Flying over (hard) grass, so it could have been worse: Outboard wing folded, fuselage pretty much shattered over and behind the wing. I THINK the nose is OK, seems solid, but rest assured I will go over it with a fine toothed comb during the rebuild, if there is one. At least the engine survived intact.

Such is modeling!

--Ray

Larry Renger:
That was a very pretty plane.  Take what you have learned and do it again, better!  Especially the pushrod end  HB~>

Bill Smith:
I thought I had it bad when I lost a wheel Sat. and tore off the gear landing.
You are going to fix or replace it right?

minnesotamodeler:
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

   

frank carlisle:
Bummer Ray.........I think I'll go back to the models I built with wheel collars for keepers aand add a little solder.

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