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Close call


Neddy
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Yesterday my plane took its maiden flight after I have finished repairing previous owners damage. It flew well only needed minor adjustments to trim the ailerons and elevator.  I got home checked ailerons and did a minor adjustment. I went to check the elevator to find the nut securing the horn push rod fitting had come lose and fallen off. I was lucky it was only held in place by the tension on the push rod. Now I have to try and find another tiny nut or replace the whole assembly. Next time I will put on some lock tite so it can't come off. I know the original nut was tight prior to the flight  as I had checked it the previous day.  I was lucky!

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Nice catch.

 

This is why my maiden flights are timed at 5 minutes with nothing beyond takeoff, trim, stall test, land in the schedule. Once on the ground wing off and inspect everything. 

 

2nd flight is a little more exciting but another inspection post flight. Last model build i found a broken bracket for one end of the elevator servo after flight 2 while inspecting it before flight 3. Needless to say i packed it up and went home with 2 flights only. 

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I wasn't far from a crash similar to yours a couple of months ago, I was doing my preflight check before my days flying only to see that one half of the elevator was not in line with the other, one servo but 2 links to the halves, one of the rubbish quick links had stripped a bit of the steel ( chocolat) command wire.

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