Sheesh, what a bad late winter. Went to Milton Frank Stadium parking lot where we have permission to fly. I put up two flights with my Miss America painted Cavalier. Full patterns, all trimmed with minor things to adjust. Ready for third flight and a gust of wind got under the tail, prop gets real short, running in circles, no air born laps. I pulled full down hoping to catch the prop and kill the engine. HA, Prop gets ground off and engine goes to 35,000 rpm, or it sure sounded like it. I have never heard a stunt engine go up like that one. Thank goodness it was An Aero Tiger .36 and no harm They are tough little engines. However, when the prop broke into several pieces, it cut through the LE, TE and main spar on both wings. I could not believe the damage for a plane that never left the ground. Took it home and disassembled it saving parts.
Then Sunday I was flying my red, orange, white and maroon Cavalier, painted like a Reno racer. Nice flights until the third. I have a problem getting a full third flight it seems. Up wind, inverted and a gust caught it. It literally stopped in mid air. Lines were slack, I even had full down and tried to run back to get tension, but stumbled over my feet in the grass and down it came. Blam, into the wet grass/mud. Broke off the nose, tail and both wings. One thing about Cavaliers, once they crash not much you can do as to repairs. They are very lightly constructed of almost totally 1/16Th balsa. Light, but strong structures, but not crash proof. Well, I guess I best get out my last Cavalier kit, all one thousand toothpicks and get it built.