Disaster strikes

[RC Storick]

Ted and then gang were out flying today. I brought along 2 Tbolt. I went home with one. Seems that the flap pulled out of #2 outboard wing. It rolled over the top in a gracefully arc and hit on the other side of the circle. It was turned into toothpicks instantly. First crash in 16 years. Couldn't have come at a worse time. The bright side is it didn't claim #3 the one i was taking to the NATS. So it will be #3 and the S6B as a backup this year. Guess its time to build another.

[proparc]

You can tell that you are a seasoned pro by the fact that you have more than one as back up, just like Paul Walker, Dave Fitzgerald etc.

Also, this points to the need to be a good builder. I've notice down through the years, that good builders don't seem to get so bent out of shape when they lose a plane. For them, it just means another trip "down to the basement".

I am working very hard on getting my next ship "lasered up" to expedite quick building and the anticipation that I will lose some for one reason or another.

[captcurt]

Thats a real sad note Robert:

did you get an idea of the actual cause of the failure?

Curt

[RC Storick]

Yes I know what caused it. I used the wrong glue on the hinges. I will never build another plane again with out using Epoxy on the hinges.

[Bootlegger]

 Sparky what glue did you use that failed

[Ward Van Duzer]

Sparky,

Not being a wisenheimer here but...

Did you rough up the hinge surfaces so the glue would have something to grip on?

Do you punch holes, or punch the edges to provide additional gripping surfaces? See below...
(Also lightens the hinge!)

And lastly, Don't get angry here...
       Did you remember to ACTUALLY glue the hinges in all parts? This is not funny. I know of 3  instances where 3 different folks (including myself) forgot to glue a row of hinges along a flap or wing, or... Check you hinges for traces of glue on them (or none!) Two weeks ago we actually pulled the OB flap off one of our clubbies new 60 sized stunt ship!

And if all of the above was done, what glue DID you use? Important to share that info...


Ward

[Peter Nevai]

OUCH.

This is why I started pinning the hinges with round tooth picks. No need for alot of glue that can get into the hinge joint. just make the slot and then the hole in TE and hinge, tape bottom of the hole insert glue, push tooth pick through hole. let dry, trim toothpiick, sand cover and finish.

Granted this method means installing the flying surfaces before covering (unless you pin the hinges afterwards) but you will never have a flying surface seperation ever again.

[Shultzie]

My deepest condolo's Bob!
Yeh...turts' really bad and like salt or Sig thinner in a wound....words about skuffin & drilling holes  (for poxy pins should really be waaaaaaaaaaaay more than needed to hold most hinges?

HINEEEEE-BUTT SIGHT IS ALWAYS SO EZ!

[Dick Byron]

Robert,
       That is bad news. Your work is just to good for that to happen.
  I had an experience where I stored my old ship in a car rooftop carrier in 1974. I had glued the hinges with Sig tite bond type glue. The moisture let the hinges go and the ship just would not turn at all. When it landed I just put the hinges back in place and never let it stay out over night again. I got rid of it a few months later. I was lucky it did not crash, Lesson learned, I doubled pinned and epoxied them in place. Not another problem.

[Bill Little]

Well, Sparky, you have the best one in good shape.  It hurts to lose one, but 1 in the past 16 years is not a bad ratio. 

I hope that everything else has smoothed out some what for you.

Bill

[Shultzie]

At least you didn't lose it like my friend Tim Dunlop did in 1967 just minutes before we were to leave for the 67 nats.

I was just minutes from  arrriving at his house in East Portland.

He had been packing all gear in that huge wide track Pontic-horse of his. He sat his model down behind his car...
while he went into the house to get a few more pieces of foam to stuff around the wing. We often stacked back to back...our models when traveling and he didn't want that StingRay stab with the "antenna thingeee' of mine slippin forward and stickin his new little light weight bright red model that he so carefully built to take to the nats.

Just as he was about to return with the foam to the car trunk...the phone rang. It was the firehouse where he was Staff Captain.
 After a few minutes he ran out to the car, hopped in...thought he would back the car out of the garage in order to see better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 PUT THE WIDE TRACK P.HORSE INTO REVERSE!!!!

AT THE SAME INSTANT, HE REMEMBERED WHERE HE HAD PUT THE MODEL...

INSTANTLY HE  HEARD THE CRACKING SOUND OF HIS BEAUTIFUL NEW NATS MODEL'S RUDDER SNAPPING OFF AS HE BEGAN BACKING OVER IT.

Tim always way sooooooooooooooooo coool, calm....and collected! He just raised his arms.. Looked up to the heaven and uttered a little prayer somethin' like-----------------
LORD...YOUR WILL BE DONE!!

I drove up just after the  accident...as he and Vance were pulling the model OUT FROM UNDER THE CAR!
HIS PRAYERS WERE ANSWERED...(not like yours Sparky!!!OUCH!!!

Tim's model  was repairable. He worked at night in the motels on the way to California from Portland.
He made the repair with instant glue and 5 minute Devcon and GOD BLESS THAT MONO COAT WAS VIRTUALLY THE SAME COLOR AS HIS BEAUTIFUL RED FINISH.

The UP side...at least he got to fly that model at the nats...but due to little practice,  Still Tim flew that beautiful maroon modified Thunderbird of his in competition. He just didn't think the stab and elevators were strong enough...(He might have been right!)

Look at this shot I took of Tim-------REBUILDING WHILE THE REST OF US TWEAKED AND TEST FLEW!

[Joe Bowman]

Always hate to hear about a loss.  But stuff happens.  We go on.  I know you can get-r-done though. 
Good Luck

Joe Bowman

[Jim Pollock]

Robert,

My Condolences.  Actually, if you used any kind of white glue, it should have been either Titebond II or III.
I wouldn't trust much else.  Also, enlarging the holes in the hinges is imperative to get bonding between
wood with the glue.  There's just a bit of a technique to getting it right and it doesn't include sparing glue
in this particular area.

Oh yes, the flaps on my 67 ounce Intrepid X/L are glued with Titebond II, it has flown since 1999 without any
hint of the flaps loosening.

Jim Pollock   

[Randy Powell]

Sorry to hear that, Spark. I know what you mean. I bounced the Novi off the pavement at the NW Regionals. It's repairable, I guess, though I'm not very motivated to fix it. We'll have to see. But it didn't upset me much. Just another thing.

[Vincent Corwell]

A PERIOD OF MOURNING IS CALLED FOR
POSSIBLY COUNSELLING ALSO!!

SORRY FOR THE LOSS ROBERT



VINCENT

[Ward Van Duzer]

I don't understand why we are not getting more info from Sparky here.

Perhaps he's busy or...

But I really think we deserve more.


W.

[Larry Price]

Well since it been a couple of days, my guess is he's got a new ship framed up and ready to cover.  Cut the guy some slack... he'll be around soon enough.... 

[RC Storick]

I am still fairly busy with personal stuff and getting ready for the NATS. I used White glue. That airplane was built in 04 (doesn't seem that long ago) so it had quiet a few flights on it. My mistake. I wont dwell on it. Press on. I was proud of myself!! I didn't yell scream or kick, I Just started flying #3. Ask Ted. Calm cool and collected. With all the other @#$% going on in my life it didn't seem like much.