PAU 36% Edge 540 Build

[Jrgman]

Nice setup will have to look at that for the 50cc'ers that I have or will have in the Garage.
John

[tailstrike4]

Just wanted to let you-all know there is still a weakness in the wings of this plane.
I went to the IMAC contest yesterday at the East Valley Aviators field.

Had a great time Saturday, flew the sportsman contest for the first time (was in Basic last year)
Didn't score to bad 6 & 7 but the two zero's killed me
Sunday was a different story tho, when doing the third manuver of the unknown, the figure N on the 45% down line when I did the roll I didn't come out wings level so when I pulled to go vertical the plane did like a barrel roll and I came out inverted I then pushed to recover and the lef wing came apart.
The plane went in, broke a head off my DA 100 bent the connecting rod, and totally distroyed the plane.
Tony Russo was there so I gave him the engine to take back with him for repair

I have not done anything more violent with this pane than the snap that is in the Sportsman Aristi
And I do it from a cruse throttle setting to idle as I do the manuver.
If you would fly this plane like Jeff Zuber flew his plane in the free style Sundy afternoon you would rip the wings off in the first 30 seconds of flight.

Larry Shreffler

[wylieruneyjr]

Sorry to hear about your lose.

[harv]

hmmm. interesting.

[JohnVH]

Dang, sorry to Hear Larry! Any high G pull outs like this previously? I do walls, tip spins and blenders and all that with mine, for over a year with no problems. But I dont do them high speed, and be sure to not overstress the airframe. How much power did you have in it on the downline?

[tailstrike4]

Thanks for the simpthy guys.
As I pushed over for the 45 I pulled the throttle back to idle, even so the wing should'nt have failed.
What if you do a wall or a water fall where there is negative G's on the wing, I don't know I just don't beleve the wing should have failed like that.
I have only had the plane about a year and have not abused it at all.
I'll tell you the walk of shame was tuff

[JohnVH]

in my tip spins I to from falling out of the sky on knife edge to an inverted flat spin, and with a blender also inverted after a nose down.

Sorry to hear!

[wylieruneyjr]

Good thing About PAU, they care. You will get a phone call soon.

[tailstrike4]

thanks for your concern Wylier

Larry S.

[choppedlow3]

I talked to the head dude tonight. Great guy. I've called every mfg who makes a %35 plane, and he was the first who took the time to talk to me about my flying. I called one place today, and he sounded put out that I asked for a shipping quote. I've seen guys beat these planes like a step child, and they took it. I don't care who makes the plane, none are bulletproof %100. Sorry to hear your wing snapped, but I still would buy one. It's like the H9 extra 260...everyone knows those things have wing issues from day one, but they sold every last one of them!!

[Islandflyer]

Charles,

This is a very sad news.
The 36% Edge was designed to be as light as possible, allowing very slow flights and a really “floaty” feeling; this was successfully achieved.
At the same time, light weight designs are much more easily over stressed than heavier builds. Sometimes, the results of over stressed components do not show immediately, but lead to a later failure while doing a seemingly tame maneuver.

Among the people who are close to PAU, we have logged collectively several thousand flights on the very same production 36% Edge; surely, we would have had several failures if the design was at fault.
Between Ken H, CSpaced, Astrohog, John VH and myself, have done thousands of 3D flights, including blenders, walls, parachutes, positive and negative snaps have been executed with no adverse effect. Flyfalcons has practiced the Unlimited IMAC sequence on Astrohog’s Edge, and CSpaced has been practicing the Intermediate sequence on his.

I have direct knowledge of a handful of unfortunate wing failures out dozens of planes; in the majority of instances, the pilots acknowledged having gone beyond the reasonable limits of a light built plane.
Now whether one admits it or not, a 45 degree down line snap with a DA-100 at 1/3 throttle on this plane is simply too fast: 1/3 throttle is about enough power to hover mine. The Edge, with a slender fuse, can more easily over speed on a down line than a Yak or a Sukhoi with big round cowls and fuses. Throttle, speed and stress management are critical.

We are going to re-enforce all the future 36% Edge wings; however, one must realize that this can only raise the limits of tolerance, and will add some weight.
The stress limits on this and any other plane canonly be raised to some extent, but they will always exist.

[Oilsands]

Sorry to hear about the plane and the rest of the items! Had mine since the end of 2008, it was one of my winter projects. Flew it in 2009, did one IMAC comp (Basic). Looking forward to flying it in the 2010 season. PAU (Herve and the rest of the guys) have been excellent to deal with and reply back to any questions.

LOL, see what I mean. Posted before I finished mine.

[Scotte 540]

Sorry for your loss Larry, glad no one got hurt, I'm sure this will happen again,,,,,I hope PAU helps you out,,,,,,,,,

[tailstrike4]

No he didn't offer any comp.
Just said how sorry he was.
Larry S

[wylieruneyjr]

I have a left wing if you want it, also horizontal stabs. I lost the right wing in a violent wall. Maybe meet at Joe Nall to save on shipping.