Re: DIETRICH PERFORMANCE AIRCRAFT
Well, I had my Vertical stab come off in flight at the Ohio Huckfest Friday. I was in knife edge and went to go back to level flight and it snapped right off. The construction of the fin is part of the problem. My fin snapped off above the base mounting plates and the fin trailing edge is really soft balsa not hard stock like it should be. The trailing edge stock is the only strength for the fin above the fuse. It should be hard stock not soft balsa stock.
Right now I am waiting for Kevin to find a new fin as this fin is all soft balsa and the fin and rudder were flopping back and forth uncontrolablly until I got the airplane down. Luckily I put the plane down in the tall corn and the damage to the rest of the plane is light. Had this happened at my home field I'm sure the damage would have been a lot more severe.
In the end I will tell anyone buying the 50cc Extra to strip the covering off the trailing edge and apply some carbonfiber tape to stiffen the traing edge.
Here's some pictures,
Jim
|