The Red Baron is down!

Gregor77 · October 30, 2010, 07:15:52 PM

Well as some of you know I picked up the Great Planes Fokker DR-1 (Electrifly version) from Pinnicle last week.

I bugged Ron for a very long time! Well he gave in and now it is sitting in my hanger.. At least it was till today. So I looked outside and noticed that the trees were not swaying back for forth as they have been for the last week. I had some time and eagerly packed up my stuff and headed to the field. Weather seemed ok with some South west light winds. Well my intention was to play around a bit doing some taxing and getting a feel for the DR-1. As most of you are aware. These things are a mother to control (at least rumour and every web stie has it). Andy was also at the field playing with his Pitts (very nice plane!) We talked for a bit and I though now would be a good time to try this thing out. Well my intention as stated before was to just lightly taxi around, well would you not guess it! Mr Fokker (or should I say something else) desides to take off towards the wind and get airborn!

Well not being that experienced with this plane and now being it's maiden for me! I found myself fighting flight characteristics that I never considered possible. I banked left and banked right, tried to keep her straight and level. Things started OK, but all of a sudden the wind picked up and the little bugger ended up on the North side of the field. I thought, ok this is good, I can head towards that south wind and come in.... Well let's say at MAX throttle, I could only hover towards that south wind... OK, that's not good. [V] I needed to get that plane down.. but how? [?] Oh if they only didn't just harvest those beans, things would have been much better. At this point the only thing that I could do was get the DR-1 as close to the field as possble and try to put it down. So much for coming in for a smooth landing and impressing Andy. The winds were picking up and it was getting throw all over the place.. it was now or never... So I got to about 6 meters from the field and it came down... thump.... I knew that this was bad.... I could feel it... It almost made me a bit sick in the stomach. I walked over and I could see that top wing had come lose from the supports. I picked up all the bits from the fresh mud and headed back. Loaded up the plane and said my failwells to Andy.

At home I assessed the damage and realised it was not that bad.. I fixed the supports and fixed some holes in the covering that occured to the fact that it was cold and some beans were sticking out of the mud.

So I was frustrated at the fact I crashed, maybe being young and cocky I promised that I would not lose a plane. So as everything dried. I recalled the plane seemed tail heavy, I added 1 oz of weight to the noise and rechecked the CG. I looked outside and guess what.. no wind again...

So this time I headed to the park... Ok, it's across the street and this thing is rather small.. I tried again! Well guess what... 20 min flight and it was fantastic! [:0] A bit of up trim and 50% throttle.. Fokker is really fun! You really need to use that rudder...

So Andy, it's fixed. I am happy that I finally mastered this thing at least for now.. But Greg H was right and to not rush out to try something right away.. These electrifly's are fun, but need ideal flight conditions for a maiden. I have learned my leason!!!![xx(]

wollins · October 30, 2010, 10:55:55 PM

Kudos to you for getting right back up on the horse and trying again! [

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Colin

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Three things are certain ... Death, Taxes and CRASHIN'!

Gregor77 · November 15, 2010, 11:40:50 AM

Crap, I crashed again! It's fixed, but someone explain what might have happened?

So I had about a 5 min flight. Everything was good. But at the North corner of the field, the plan did a bit a wiggle in the air that was unexpected and scared me a bit. I then said forget it, bring it back. Then coming in against the wind on the North East corner, it just spun around in the air and none of my controls could do anything. I was about 1/2 throttle coming out of a turn. As I walked up the plane, I noticed that my DX5e was showing on green bar above red. Could I have lost signal? Glen mentioned that I might have stalled it in the air and caused the spiral? She hit very hard and I broke the 2 lower wings, the nose shattered and the top wing had a hole in it. Anyways, all fixed and I added another 1/4 of wieght to the nose. It really made me feel down as I loved that plane! [

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wollins · November 15, 2010, 12:14:58 PM

Hmmm ... I'm assuming that this was at TEMAC? If so that's exactly where my Yak went in (sorta north east corner) and where another member's plane went in the other day as well.

I first attributed my crash to a failed elevator but now i'm wondering if it could be radio problems since everything sorta just stopped responding. The other guy's symptoms were similar as well.

Colin

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Three things are certain ... Death, Taxes and CRASHIN'!

Michael · November 15, 2010, 12:50:10 PM

Most crashes at the north-eastern area of our flying space are due to pilot error.

Such crashes occur, flying counter clockwise, when setting up for landing at lower altitude and lower airspeed. These crashes, usually started by wobbling, are stalls.

Low speed, turning (drag) and low altitude are a recipe for a stall and crash.

Solutions:

1. Keep speed up a bit, and slow down when the plane begins to straighten out for landing.

2. Fly at a higher altitude, and keep the nose down, level over the field, and flare before landing.

All this from experience. [

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Michael

Gregor77 · November 16, 2010, 09:22:09 PM

I have heard from other members also that there is an issue at that corner of the field. I was also hovering at the northeast corner of the Temac field. Greg H also mentioned that there was something strange at that corner. I swear that I was moving OK, but it could have been that I was too hot leveling out and stalled. I may have lost lift at that point. I wonder if it is a case of miss jusging speed and angle based on where you are standing?

MarcV · November 16, 2010, 10:33:10 PM

Swamp gas?

Gregor77 · November 17, 2010, 08:18:23 AM

If I think back, I was probably too slow causing the tip stall and then spin. I have also checked and rechecked all the throws to make sure they are within spec. Hopefully if the weather breaks a bit, I can try it out again. Thankfully Pinnicle has another one waiting on the shelf for me! [

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wollins · November 17, 2010, 09:43:47 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Michael

Most crashes at the north-eastern area of our flying space are due to pilot error.

I think I've been flying long enough to know a low airspeed/tip stall crash ... ESPECIALLY since mine was due to a complete loss of control. So like I said ... I thought MINE might have been a radio issue. [

] Now I'm pretty sure ... see http://www.airtronics.net/SD10GSB-11-17-2010

Colin

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Three things are certain ... Death, Taxes and CRASHIN'!

pmackenzie · November 17, 2010, 10:00:43 PM

quote:
Originally posted by wollins

quote:
Originally posted by Michael

Most crashes at the north-eastern area of our flying space are due to pilot error.

I think I've been flying long enough to know a low airspeed/tip stall crash ... ESPECIALLY since mine was due to a complete loss of control. So like I said ... I thought MINE might have been a radio issue. [] Now I'm pretty sure ... see http://www.airtronics.net/SD10GSB-11-17-2010

Colin

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Three things are certain ... Death, Taxes and CRASHIN'!

My brother Ivan just boxed his up to send in.
He lost a nice DLG back in June to lockout with his SD10G. Only a couple of hundred feet away and it just spiralled in.

What receiver were you using? The problem is only supposed to occur with the FSS1 versions, not the 10 channel FSS3. Also only supposed to be an issue in crowded RF environments, which doesn't exactly describe TEMAC.

Pat MacKenzie

wollins · November 17, 2010, 10:45:19 PM

quote:
Originally posted by pmackenzie

quote:
Originally posted by wollins

quote:
Originally posted by Michael

Most crashes at the north-eastern area of our flying space are due to pilot error.

I think I've been flying long enough to know a low airspeed/tip stall crash ... ESPECIALLY since mine was due to a complete loss of control. So like I said ... I thought MINE might have been a radio issue. [] Now I'm pretty sure ... see http://www.airtronics.net/SD10GSB-11-17-2010

Colin

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Three things are certain ... Death, Taxes and CRASHIN'!

My brother Ivan just boxed his up to send in.
He lost a nice DLG back in June to lockout with his SD10G. Only a couple of hundred feet away and it just spiralled in.

What receiver were you using? The problem is only supposed to occur with the FSS1 versions, not the 10 channel FSS3. Also only supposed to be an issue in crowded RF environments, which doesn't exactly describe TEMAC.

Pat MacKenzie

Yeah ... my radio is one of those serial numbers and I was using a FSS1 5 channel rec. Nope TEMAC wasn't crowded ... however I'm just calling it as I saw it and it was a complete loss of control. Given the fact that this service bulletin describes such a possbility it just makes sense to me that MORE LIKELY THAN NOT ... that's what it was.

Colin

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Three things are certain ... Death, Taxes and CRASHIN'!

piker · November 17, 2010, 11:26:33 PM

Nah. I still think you stalled. I saw it with my own imagination.

wollins · November 18, 2010, 05:45:38 AM

quote:
Originally posted by piker

Nah. I still think you stalled. I saw it with my own imagination.

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Three things are certain ... Death, Taxes and CRASHIN'!

Voltz · November 24, 2010, 10:33:02 PM

i am tired of hearing that the Temac field in the northeast corner is jinx or some hocuspocus radio killing interfernce goin on! i crashed in every corner of the field, i guess the whole field is bad

john

Michael · November 25, 2010, 08:48:33 AM

I'll say it again.

Look at the problem rationally, and consider the common facts from most such crashes in the north-east corner:

1. Most are flying low.
2. Most are flying slowly to prepare for landing.
3. Most are using ailerons, elevator and rudder to set up for landing.

Flying low, flying slowly and deflected flight surfaces (drag) contribute to a stall, and crash.

Unless you have one of those darn radios that don't transmit in a north-easterly direction. [

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Michael