The flying monkeys got me...

Helis and fixed wing

AMA 957918
IRCHA 4345
AMA Intro Pilot Instructor

Pirate Kid Skeleton by RadDezigns.

Thursday, May 31, 2018

"Go fly", they said, "it'll be fun", they said...

Well, it was, and then it wasn't. I think sometimes my ADHD kicks in during a flight and I fail to be ahead of the aircraft. Today was such a day...


Crosswind.




It was windy, standing wind about 6 mph, gusts to 8-9 mph, pretty much an 80 degree from behind me cross wind. "Meh", I thought, "I have flown in worse". Well, yeah, with a big 30cc plane... Today I took out my beloved 10cc Sukhoi 26. A good predictable flyer, sound engine. As has been the usual lately, she ran fine at home, but up on top of Mt Hudson I had to spend about 10 minutes finding a safe idle. Small problem, adjusted the endpoint on the throttle servo, added a little trim. Sweet.

Took her up, tooled around, some simple basic aerobatics with the stabilization system off, a cross wind landing with it on, very nice. Took her back up tooled around a bit, then put her into a knife edge which put the wind right on her wings all flat and sail like, and she started to descend and act the fool, more rudder, power, nope, she stalled, dropped the nose and I managed to level the wings and apply power as she disappeared behind the edge of the hill in fron of me. I killed the power as she disappeared, she was still going down. I was pretty sure she was toothpicks...



Well, that ended pretty well. Somehow as I walked over and down the hill towards her I kinda knew she would be pretty much alright. I just knew, but I prepared myself. Ah! Just a flesh wound. Lost her gear, as expected, some internal stress cracks, but nothing major. Saved the prop by killing the engine, and all the servos and electronics are intact.


Right horizontal stab took a hit from the gear as they came off. Easy fix.


Not the first time the gear have been forcibly yanked out, likely won't be the last.


Some minor cote and frame damage.



A view of the hill as I drove out. It continues to go up on the left. She landed far away, on the slope at about the middle of the pic. Quite an angle, I am surprised I didn't damge a wing.

Well, off to reset the Crash Clock. I am not in the mood to fix her today.

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