... all by itself. My depth perception at a quarter mile isn't good enough to avoid the only tree that's right there, all by itself.
In my defense, its a pretty big tree. I don't know how that changes anything either. Every time I fly that way I remind myself to watch out for the tree. I had just deployed my flaps and was watching how the plane responded with her adjusted CG, so I was focused on the plane and not watching the tree. So of course, I hit it. I struck the top and the plane turned, then rolled down to the ground. It was a quarter mile walk out, then another back, with a deep drainage ditch and marsh in between. Definitely stress tested my already stressed heart.
As I walked up to it, I thought I had completely destroyed it. I just have been a lousy pilot lately.
Super distracted and unfocused.
Turns out there are two easily fixable dents on the right wing leading edge, and it broke clean in half.
She broke right aft of the bulkhead that secured the aft part of the wing.
Front half looking forward.
Back half looking aft.
I need to super strengthen the joint so it will hold in the stresses the elevator, rudder and tail wheel deliver. I took thin plywood and created surfaces that were secured to that bulkhead and would extend across the joint adding stiffness and strength to the fuse over the break. .
It fit together precisely. Once it dries I will sand it down, fill in any gaps, and then apply a single layer of fiberglass to cover about 1/2" past the fracture line for and aft.
More to follow. Resetting the crash clock, again.
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