I had written about the Stik and its aileron twitch problem. I have changed out a lot of the electronics, kinda lost track of what I have and have not changed. Most recently I thought padding the receiver solved the problem as it seemed to have stopped. Certainly it really, really improved. Today I noticed a fine twitch intermittently. What I also saw was the ignition armed light flickering, but the engine didn't care, even when the light went out for several seconds. Loose bulb? Hmm, was this a battery voltage issue? The NiMH batteries were due to be swapped out for LiPO, but I hadn't committed to it. These two serious, obvious, and definite "Do Not Fly!" signs that were ignored. Like all ignored warning signs, this was a bad decision.
So she was flying wonderfully, and I was having a blast! I was thinking just how much fun she is to fly, how she handles well and allows me to just swing her around. Then she twitched, bad. Stabilized. I backed off the throttle, and she did it again, got her back, and then just started a high rate death spiral and just drilled into the ground. It was loud, it was powerful, and there was nothing I could do about it.
The front end was vaporized.
The wing is badly damaged. The underside is just fractured on the left side. The servos were ripped from the frame by the impact.
The powdered front end.
I found the tank. The stopper was ripped from the tank by the impact, and it tore it.
That's the engine in the middle.
The path of the carnage.
The parts pieces.
When you don't have a bag, you carry out the dead parts wrapped in a sweatshirt.
Damn, she was a favorite.
I am already planning to get a Hangar 9 10cc Ultra Stick when I can.
Hunted by a Hawk!
I also brought out the Align Trex 600e FBL. She flew amazingly well.
She flew so well she caught the attention of a hawk that started circling her, and began to hunt her, zigging to her zag. I was flying a heli in a dog fight with a hawk! Closer and closer, more aggressively. I knew if he went for her the heli would tear him apart, so I brought her down in a turn, fast, and she was still sliding a little sideways and fast, a little forward, then her tail dipped as I pulled the collective to stop her momentum and the tail blades hit. They delaminated and it looks like the only other damage is the tail power take off gear stripped. Easy fix and I have one. There is a tiny chip out of one corner of a tooth on the autorotation gear I am not worried about. Whew. Hawk lost interest and glided off, laughing a hawk laugh.
Damaged the tail blades, ordered new ones, $23 a set... I have the tail power take off gear set.
No other damage so far!
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