I crashed the Eflite Ultimate finally. Took 5-6 years. She was that plane that I could always depend on to be predictable, (unlike the Eflite Stearman who will tip stall into a death spin so kuchbasnlook at you). The gray skies were causing us problems keeping the orientation bubble going. I thought I was going to hit another plane (not his fault) and looked away from mine. When I looked back I could not make out her orientation. She was just a black silhouette. I called out that I had lost orientation, and moments later I flew her right to the scene of the crash.
I crushed the front and broke the right lower leading edge. I just don't care enough to rebuild her. While she has never crashed she has taken a beating and its time to let her go. First flight of the day...
I flew the Eflite Stearman with a 4S. She had more power than she needed but flew kinda sluggish; she doesnt like the extra weight. I landed and changed out to a 3S and she performed much better. I did a couple of touch and go's, flew some piggish aerobatics (single surface ailerons, unlike the upper and lower on the Ultimate) and on the last landing the prop must have touched. Prop cam loose and the motor went out of phase. Usually I can simply stop and restart the motor and she will find her phase again, but this time she just wouldn't, even with a hard restart. So that was the end if her flying day, and will be until I sort that out.
I then tried to take the 10cc Sukhoi up. Tried, for as I picked her up her engine would quit. Recall the last time I flew her and went vertical, she quit and I deadsticked down. It was so bad all I had to do was move her and she would quit. Ron listened and told me she was running rich.
Me, Steve, and Ron
Ron and Steve were willing, so we started trouble shooting. We ended up field stripping the engine. In the end they left, and I spent the next couple of hours tweaking the needle valve on the single needle RCGF 10cc. She just kept quitting if I moved her. Near 5pm I finally got her where she wouldn't quit in idle and when moved. I took her up and flew around, simple flight, and landed. On roll out, a bit bumpy even with the Geotex runway, she quit. Tweaked a bit more, and finally found the sweet spot. Flew around, did simple aerobatics. Idled in flight, flew fine. Taxied to the gate, and... She quit when I stopped her in idle.
Not sure what's going on.
While I was working on her, Kenny Pappas stopped by and we had a nice chat. I got him.to share the adventure of trying to get a flying field up and running in Tyngsboro at River Bend.
I wrapped up, headed home, and took the Big Dobbie to Outback, and then Castro's for a cigar.
Tonight I have some work to do.
Happy Easter Bunny day!
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