Ever Have One of Those Days??

[wizard]

Today was one.

Last week I decided I wanted a small sailplane for the days that I didn't have time for the 2 meter stuff. I ordered one of the Fling HLG. It came in Thursday, and by Last night I had it ready to go. I even had made a few test flights in the back yard in the dark (BTW I wouldn't advise this. With the purple wings it disappears quick in the dark.)

Today I was ready to give it a good test. Got to the field, wind about 20mph, did a couple of quick hand tosses to see how it was going to do. First toss into the wind it was airborne for about 45 sec. Next, I gave it a hard toss and was up for about 1 1/2 minutes. I'm liking this thing. I stretch out the up-start that was included, Stretch it back about 20 paces and let it go. This thing was great. 3 minutes in the wind.

After a few more flights, I decided to go to a hill that was close and try some slope soaring. I spent about a 1/2 hour there and the wind started to die down. Throw it back in the truck and go back to the field.

Back at the field, I stretch out the up-start again. Check the controls, everything is working fine. Clip the radio to my neck strap. Hook the plane to the up-start and let it go. ***?? It does a nice barrel roll to inverted into the gravel road out about 40 feet, still on the up-start. I look down at the transmitter, it was off. The only thing that I can figure out is that I accidentally turned it off ad I was attaching the neck strap.

As I walk to the pile on the road I stop to pick up the tail surfaces. Check the damage. Tail surfaces separated from the tail boom, but intact. Wings have a slight ding in the trailing edge from the rubber bands. Pull-pull lines snapped. Pod has one minor crack, servo tray popped loose from the pod. All in all very minor damage, but enough to ruin the day.

Back home, less than an hour just about have the repairs finished. Just down to re-tying the Pull-pull lines and remounting the battery.

Lesson learned. Once hooked to the up-start, high-start, winch, tow-plane, whatever....Check the controls one last time before you commit to launch.

[flyingklown]

That is awful! Well at least you have some good flights in
(We cannot even get out the door without plowing the snow)! and were able to repair the damage! It could have been worse! WOW how did it get cut off? Or did you just forget to turn it on? That is wild. Glad it wasn't your main plane that you love!

[Kiwi]

Wizard,

I bet Bogan felt a little same with his 260 before the Shootout, he went to change the elevator trim apparently and hit the switch OFF!!!!!!!!

Totally totalled. Burned up.

Now that would ruin your day.

Kiwi

[wizard]

	Quote: Originally Posted by flyingklown
	That is awful! Well at least you have some good flights in (We cannot even get out the door without plowing the snow)! and were able to repair the damage! It could have been worse! WOW how did it get cut off? Or did you just forget to turn it on? That is wild. Glad it wasn't your main plane that you love!

I really think that I hit the switch when I was clipping the neck strap to the radio. Just one of those dumb things.

	Quote: Originally Posted by Kiwi
	Wizard, I bet Bogan felt a little same with his 260 before the Shootout, he went to change the elevator trim apparently and hit the switch OFF!!!!!!!! Totally totalled. Burned up. Now that would ruin your day. Kiwi

I have done that once also. Luckily it was on a cheap electric and not something that had a noise maker on the front.

[pitviper51]

oh man wiz.. i heard ya got one thats to bad about the tx mishap, atleast its fixable.. which fling do you have the 2m or the DLG ??
mike

[wizard]

I got the HLG version 48.75 inch span. Like I said little and easy to haul for a quick trip.

[pitviper51]

very cool, have you heard of the Spinner XT is a Epp DLG/sloper 60inch glider its a good build but the extra durablity would be nice.. im looking at geting a 2.1 meter thermal ship.. might go 100 inch
mike

[wizard]

I have been looking at a couple of different 100" plus thermal ships....but it will have to wait until after the Joe Nall.

[pitviper51]

thisis one im lookign at.. i talked to aguy at Soar USA they will have more in about 4 weeks.. i like the high end looks.. without haven to get a spirit 100.. or elite.. tho those arent out of the question heheh
mike

[rede2fly]

	Quote: Originally Posted by wizard
	I got the HLG version 48.75 inch span. Like I said little and easy to haul for a quick trip.

hey wiz i got the same one, well one just like it. and it flys great. for just something to toss around

[wizard]

Had an interesting day today. We had about a 20 mph wind straight out of the south today. There is one hill in the area that is perfect for slope soaring with this wind. It is about 40 feet tall with about a 60 deg slope. I have been waiting for a while for the wind to be right. I was on backup for the ambulance today so I couldn't do much as I have to be able to respond to any calls quickly.

I go out the the hill with my Fling. It is about a 50 yard walk to the top of the hill. fight through about a 40 foot line of trees to the top of the hill. There is about a 30 foot space between the drop off and the trees behind you.

Everything is ready. A good toss and I'm flying. The first flight was about 15 minutes of gentle flying nice big figure 8s across the slope. bring it in about 5 feet from me right at the top of the hill. I get in a few more flights. About the 4th flight I'm making a high pass across the slope and a big gust comes in and blows me into the trees. Not to bad Just a couple of feet out of reach. Just then I get called in for a run on the ambulance. I was able to grab a sick off the ground and dislodge the plane, run to the van and off to the run.

About 2 hours later I was back at the hill. I flew for about 40 min on three launches. As it was starting to get dark enough that it was hard to keep perspective on the glider I decide to come in for one last pass. I was going to come in high across the hill top, down the slope and do a couple of loops then back up to land. As I was coming across the top of the hill again another gust blows the glider into the trees. This time it is about 25 feet off the ground and stuck good. I keep working the elevator and rudder to try to dislodge the plane. I did get it to drop a couple of feet. Then it got dark. I went and got one of my buddies a flashlight and some sections of tent pole. We go back out about the time we get there the rain starts and the wind picks up to around 30 mph with gusts to 40. We worked for about a half hour and had to give up.

So now I have my favorite little glider stuck in a tree, in the rain and it will have to stay until Monday. At this point I'm hopping that when I finally get it down the radio and servos aren't watter logged.

Oh well, I had a blast flying and would do it again. Even if the entire plane and system are shot it's only $150. At that price it's one of the cheapest planes I have. Hell I have gone through more than that in one night at the places where women dance for money.

[pitviper51]

sounds liek a crazy day.. atleast you got to test the slope. and sounds like it was working.. to bad about it stuck in a tree.. hope ya get it out and its not to bad atleast the gear is reusable, if not get ya an Alula.. i flew mine in theyard today and hop up in a violent lil thermal haha barly kept control of it but it was going up thats all i cared about hehe, i finaly dived back to me and did that a few more times, then batterys were toast....
mike

[rede2fly]

wiz i kinda did the same thing but, it was with my 2 meter omega. it was stuckin the top of a apx40ft pine tree. i tryed everything to get that plane out. had to leave it there and i didnt like that because i was at a soaring event in orlando. one of the guys there said he would check on getting it out for me. but it rained very hard for 2 days, and i figured it was toast cause i couldnt turn the batteries off. well he called me at work tuesday after that weekend and said he got it down. at this point i just wanted the servos and receiver back. he said he would meet me half way iand i did. he asked for 50 bucks and then gave me the sailplane. to my suprise there was nothing wrong with it.. (nothing) not even torn covering anywhere. i was very happy to give him 50 bucks, i offered him more but he wouldnt take it. to this date i still fly that sailplane

[wizard]

The bad part about leaving thins one in the tree in the rain, It that I forgot the canopy at home. That means that the radio is exposed to the rain.

[wizard]

Well, I was able to retrieve the plane on Monday morning. After about 36 hours in the trees, 20 + mph winds and 1 inch of rain, the damage was evident. There were holes in the covering on both wings. The covering had separated from the trailing edge along most of one side of the wing. I believe that it was caused by rain entering the wing through the holes in the covering and wetting the wood. The trailing edge in that area was warped. The entire tail was wiped out.

The good news, the radio was not damaged the servos seam to be fine. I had just enough time after I got home on Monday to strip the covering off the wings. I then re-wet the trailing edge that was warped and weighted it down to dry. Hopefully that will cure the warp. If it does then I will recover the wing and make new tail feathers and have a good flying bird again. If I can't get the warp out of the wing I will just order a new Kit. For $60 I'm not going to go to extremes to try to repair this one.