Roast me! Pattern video critique request

[Dane Martin]

Well team, today marks the end of my trusty twister. I'd like to pretend I'm not the kind of guy that crashes often (combat is a different story) but it happened. I've felt this plane can't make outside turns very well. At the end of this flight, I was doing figure 8's and stuff to run the tank out. I looped 'er round, and applied the down. But the down, she did not do. And a pile of balsa was all that remained.

[Ken Culbertson]

Well team, today marks the end of my trusty twister. I'd like to pretend I'm not the kind of guy that crashes often (combat is a different story) but it happened. I've felt this plane can't make outside turns very well. At the end of this flight, I was doing figure 8's and stuff to run the tank out. I looped 'er round, and applied the down. But the down, she did not do. And a pile of balsa was all that remained.

Something broke loose.  You can see it start the outside turn then turn inside and...plop.  You didn't kill it, it committed suicide!

Just an FYI. A flapped plane's controls will reverse if you lose elevator.  It is actually still flyable if you recognize what happened in less that the .01 seconds it takes to re-kit itself.

Engine OK?

[Dane Martin]

Yeah the engines cool. That grass is surprisingly soft. We've all hit the ground out there, changed a prop and got right back in the air. This didn't even bend the needle! But it nosed in straight. Really did a number on the wing.

[Brent Williams]

RIP Twister! Sorry to see that! 

[Brett Buck]

Yeah the engines cool. That grass is surprisingly soft. We've all hit the ground out there, changed a prop and got right back in the air. This didn't even bend the needle! But it nosed in straight. Really did a number on the wing.

   That's fixable, the second wipeout on the Skyray was worse than that, and it would certainly take less time than building a new one.

   Brett

[James Holford]

Oh no Dane. I can say the HD quality is stellar tho. 

 Now you can build another!!!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

[Tim Wescott]

It sounds like something was getting ready to go, and it went in the middle of an outside loop.

I'm with Brett -- that's fixable, almost certainly in less time than building a new Twister.  Especially if you don't try to refinish it -- just patch the covering with whatever comes to hand and call it honorable battle scars.

[Dane Martin]

It sounds like something was getting ready to go, and it went in the middle of an outside loop.

I don't like to make excuses, but that's exactly what it felt like. In that video, where it dived in, it looked like I pulled up, but I was in fact pushing down pretty hard.

[Mike Haverly]

I don't think anything let go, or at least until it hit the ground.  Finish the pattern and fly level!  A couple of unwind loops are understandable but all that screwin' around to burn fuel often will end up like the video.  I've been chewed out more than once for the same thing.  Adjust the fuel load to match your flight time.  I've seen some respected high end pilots have similar problems.

Outsides didn't look that bad to me other than the fact you start a little low and hammer it pretty hard.  You fly at altitude, it needs a chance to fly!  FWIW entrance to clover needs to be higher also.

Rebuild and carry on.  All of the pieces are there and good size at that.  Beauty isn't important at this stage.

[Mike Haverly]

I looked again.  Entry height was OK, hammering the bottom is evidenced by the bobble.  Second time through was smaller, not unusual because of the feeling of needing to maintain a size.  Shape at this point is much more important.

[Brett Buck]

I don't think anything let go, or at least until it hit the ground. 

  Maybe not, but my assessment was similar- at about 15 feet headed rapidly towards the ground there was a positive/inside change in direction. I expect it could be a input correction, consciously or not, trying to save it, but far, far too late.

    Doesn't matter, put it back together, it can be flying by Sunday. It's a little more than I would have attempted at the field -  the wing could be fixed in about 1/2 hour using my repair box contents, but the fuselage would require some slow epoxy and multiple steps, and some paint.

    Brett

[Ken Culbertson]

Yeah the engines cool. That grass is surprisingly soft. We've all hit the ground out there, changed a prop and got right back in the air. This didn't even bend the needle! But it nosed in straight. Really did a number on the wing.

Really does look like a "Phoenix" short kit.  MonoKote will hide just about anything and clear Gorilla packaging tape is fuelproof and really strong.  Apologize to your engine and get back in the air.

Ken

PS - Just out of curiosity, was your elevator pushrod still connected to the flaps when the crash truck arrived?  It has been a very long time ago but I have had 2 clevises strip on the elevator horns and both planes did exactly what yours did.  The exception was that I was high enough on the 2nd one to control the crash with just flaps.  I know they are popular and super easy to adjust but I get super nervous now with any control connection that can come undone in flight.  We all underestimate the forces we put on those pushrods.
 

[Dane Martin]

PS - Just out of curiosity, was your elevator pushrod still connected to the flaps when the crash truck arrived?  It has been a very long time ago but I have had 2 clevises strip on the elevator horns and both planes did exactly what yours did.  The exception was that I was high enough on the 2nd one to control the crash with just flaps.  I know they are popular and super easy to adjust but I get super nervous now with any control connection that can come undone in flight.  We all underestimate the forces we put on those pushrods.

The elevator push rod was disconnected at the flap horn, and the pushrod was straight like it hadn't been hit. The little retaining device for the ez-just was missing.

[Dane Martin]

Outsides didn't look that bad to me other than the fact you start a little low and hammer it pretty hard.  You fly at altitude, it needs a chance to fly!  FWIW entrance to clover needs to be higher also.

Rebuild and carry on.  All of the pieces are there and good size at that.  Beauty isn't important at this stage.

10-4. Thanks Mike. Message received, no shenanigans after the pattern.

Now, the outside started low? I really need to fly with someone. That felt like I was flying REALLY high. I'm just gonna drive somewhere on a weekend and get some help in person. I'll try to adjust what you're saying. I can fly my PF today and see where that gets me.
Thank you.

[Ken Culbertson]

The elevator push rod was disconnected at the flap horn, and the pushrod was straight like it hadn't been hit. The little retaining device for the ez-just was missing.

Game, Set and Match.

Ken

My lesson came at the expense of a freshly finished Skylark.

[john e. holliday]

Yes it looked like something  let go from what I could see.     Rebuild what you have and fly.   

[Dane Martin]

Game, Set and Match.

Ken

Yes and before you say it, I'm a ding-a-ling for trusting those little plastic push on retainers. Haha! !

[Ken Culbertson]

Yes and before you say it, I'm a ding-a-ling for trusting those little plastic push on retainers. Haha! !

We all have at least one "been there done that" skeleton in our closets.  You are not supposed to ask why I let it happen twice!

It wasn't the screwing around that caused the crash but it is not a good idea to do more than unwrap your lines.  Depending on your footwork, that will be either 2 or 3 outsides.  Measuring your fuel helps keep you honest but it also trains you on how weather and needle setting affect the fuel requirements.  Comes in handy at a contest when someone is watching.  Look at it this way, it was ready to go and if you had not crashed at the end of that flight it probably wound have given way in the Reverse Wingover next flight.  That could have cost you your engine!

Ken

[john e. holliday]

Now you know why I use ball links or Z bends in the control system.

[Mike Haverly]

Dane, see my second post.  Not too low, just a little too violent!

[Dane Martin]

Dane, see my second post.  Not too low, just a little too violent!

Correction, see that now. Ok I know I gotta work on that. That's where I've been whining about the control on this plane. My insides seem to turn. My outsides seemed to take more than what I could give it.
During my NTSB report, I found that I would never have as much down as up because when I lined up the lead out's and rods, the bellcrank was way off. Like not 90 to the ribs when everything was neutral. I built the PF better so I'll change the gear and practice with that during the twister repairs.
Again, thanks for the input.

[john e. holliday]

Another call for adjustable push rods so bell crank can be set at its neutral.

[Fredvon4]

Dane brother...slip that sucker in the trash and finish the one built for me and practice practice practice....seriously

[Dane Martin]

Dane brother...slip that sucker in the trash and finish the one built for me and practice practice practice....seriously

Well it's your PF. Lol!

[Fredvon4]

Fly it brother I am never gonna get it in the air...seriously!