Christen Eagle Floats like a Butterfly

[WALKERS210]

Took me a week to come to gripps with loss of my Christen EagleII. Had a buyer for plane and decided one more flight before I let it go. Without a doubt one of the best flying planes I have ever had, powered with a 3W twin that would pull vertical until my ole eyes could not follow. Took off and was about 5 min into flight I did a slow snap roll and when plane was inverted it looked as if the cowling came off !!! But there is no way it could come off and keep going 100 yds. Still inverted the Christen Eagle went into a flat spin that looked like a leaf floating down. The motor box rails had sheered inside the fuse about 1 inch behind the fisrt former. Took two searh parties about 10 min to find engine and fuse. Plane can be repaired and engine didn't have a scratch on it, even prop didn't break. Glad if it had to fail it was with me instead of the guy that wanted to buy it. This is the second Great Planes aircraft that had a structural failur for me. Guess I need to go back to scrach building.

[BiggD]

There is a lot to your statement about "Scratch Building " Quick & cheap is the way of the times,The market is right due to people who don't have the time & or skills to build a plane, your in the air in a matter of hours B U T................ there is always a trade off, I have tried the ARF's but have no attachment to them compared to the ones I build from a kit or plans. ARF's serve a purpose but the quality has something to be desired, If you don't know any better, they are great, to the ones who have been in this hobby for some time know differently. For me I'm done with the ARF's.