The Vector repairs started

[Paul Taylor]

Started the repair of the holes punched by wheel paints.

It should be in the air next week.
 

[Wynn Robins]

and just how did it get to that state?

[Noel Corney]

Wynn , You haven't been reading the Brodaks reports have you. Noel.

[Paul Taylor]

and just how did it get to that state?

Did a real nice landing on the take off pad at Brodaks. Guess they are for take offs only not landing.  When it rolled out to the end hit there is a trench that caught the gear and ripped it out causing the wheel pants to fold into the wing.
Just lucky it was only a practice flight.

[Avaiojet]

Paul,

I see you're using tape to save that edge. Clever.

What are you using for patch material and applying it with what?

Looks like a nice model.

Charles

[Paul Taylor]

Silkspan and dope. Filler to raise the low spot.

[Brad Smith]

Hey Paul same thing happened to me only mine happend on takeoff had to use tiewraps to hold it on for the contest it work ok i have to redo where they attach to fuse beef it up some.

[Paul Taylor]

Hey Brad,
Was good to see you again at Brodaks.
Gear block is back in place. I will be putting the paint on tomorrow.
I should be flying it again by early next week.

Stay tuned....

[Paul Taylor]

Primer coat on today. Tomorrow it turns RED again !

[Zuriel Armstrong]

Looks good Paul.  I have some paint if you need it

[Paul Taylor]

Looks good Paul.  I have some paint if you need it

Thanks for the offer Zuriel, but I will never put PINK on a plane. It is just wrong on so many levels.

[kenneth cook]

       I'm glad your getting it fixed up Paul. It was difficult for me to watch that. I do have to say you had quite an expression on your face after that happened. I hope the cowl wasn't damaged to bad. Ken

[Paul Taylor]

Yea. It was shocking to see my brand new stunter flip off the end of take off pad and the landing gear retract into the wing. And knowing I had to put in another flight the next day. 

But after a closer inspection I saw it was not that bad.   

[Dick Pacini]

Paul, is that a Vector kit?  If so, would you consider that a weakness, or just a fluke?  Did you beef it up in the repair?

[Paul Taylor]

Dick,
This Vector was built from a kit. It was built per the plans.

I feel that it would have done this to almost any plane. If the plane lands as a fast rate of speed and then you reach up and grab the landing gear bad things will happen. If the gear block was in the wing it would have ripped out sections of the wing.

The end of this launch pad (I'm calling it a launch pad because I will never land on another one.) had a very sharp tapered drop off, and the grass was trimmed very well to match the height of the pad. So from a distance everything looks level. But if you see it up close you would know right away not to drop your wheels into the space between the pad and the grass. Lesson learned.

I do know of a ARF Vector that was flying off a baseball field and landed on the infield and rolled out to the edge of the outfield grass. About a 2 inch lip was created at the start of the grass. Same thing happened.
I do not know how the ARF's are built, but I do not see how you can beef up that area without adding a lot of weight to the plane.

A new gear block cut and glued it back in place. I don't know but it might be better that it rips out rather then taking more of the plane with it when it does depart the aircraft. If that is the design then I would suggest that you do not make sharp points on the back of the wheel pants.

[EddyR]

What happened to your plane is rather common to many of us. You need to add material under the gear pad and then use glass cloth and epoxy to secure the gear pad .
  Let this one be a lesson for the future.
Ed

[Paul Taylor]

What happened to your plane is rather common to many of us. You need to add material under the gear pad and then use glass cloth and epoxy to secure the gear pad .
  Let this one be a lesson for the future.
Ed

Noted.
Thanks Ed.

[EddyR]

Paul     I broke a gear leg in my Juno last year so I made a quick body gear just to try it. Two flights and quess what