Neddy Posted September 6 Share Posted September 6 I had an old 1.4mtre foam wing from a crashed plane. So I made up a fuselage and tail section to suit from foam board. It was a successful build and flew well. I took it out for a flight yesterday. It flew for about three minutes then I lost radio contact. It was still under power no matter what I did it would not respond. It did a big loop and finished up behind me and was headed straight at me. Then it did hit me in the back of my head and shoulder. Fortunately it was only the wing which broke into three sections. I had the fuselage with motor running fly past my left ear. I wasn't hurt but it did give me a scare. The transmitter and receiver were very basic and old and I won't use them again. It did not have a fail safe function so I don't know what would have caused this. I was by myself in a remote area if I had been hurt I would have been in trouble. I was lucky! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J D 8 - Moderator Posted September 6 Share Posted September 6 It can be embarrassing this sort of event but well done @Neddy for reporting it. Safety reminders always good.👍 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIMON CRAGG Posted September 7 Share Posted September 7 Thanks for sharing!. Many years ago, I was flying my Hanno Prettner "Stratos" foam based deltal OS 40 FSR powered. All went well until flying inverted at height, the battery fell out of the hatch, dangled for a few seconds and then dropped out. I was flying on my own at our remote patch, but adjacent to a road. As there was NOTHING I could do, I watched it do what seemed like hundreds of loops before it destroyed itself on impact. Luckily, there was nobody about and very light winds, so it did not drift to far away. Note to self........make sure the rx battery cannot jump out on its own!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Carpenter Posted September 7 Share Posted September 7 Many years ago I used to fly with Maurice Tait , Morley Helicopters at a few trade shows. Our caravan was used to provide a show stand. At Ledbury one year I was trying to sell a Hughes 300 kit when there was an enormous noise and an SE5 went straight in behind me brushing my back !😱😱 Later a stag pushed its hooves down my back. Every blood vessel broke the surface of my back. A very dangerous hobby !😂😂😂😂Colin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Engine Doctor Posted September 7 Share Posted September 7 Flying my Kyosho Majestic It took off and felt very heavy and sluggish on a low fly by all became clear . The glow stick was still attached and hanging from the inverted engine ! . On the final go around to land... you guessed it the glow stick came off ! Sit its still many years later languishing in a field in Kent 😊. Worse thing was that it was a brilliant small twist on type glow stick that had a really good battery on it . Now use remote glow clip where the glow stick is VERY noticeable . If we are honest we have all done silly things and got away with it ... most of the time. We wont mention the one we never got away with.... will we 😉. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuban8 Posted September 7 Share Posted September 7 On 06/09/2024 at 15:22, Neddy said: I had an old 1.4mtre foam wing from a crashed plane. So I made up a fuselage and tail section to suit from foam board. It was a successful build and flew well. I took it out for a flight yesterday. It flew for about three minutes then I lost radio contact. It was still under power no matter what I did it would not respond. It did a big loop and finished up behind me and was headed straight at me. Then it did hit me in the back of my head and shoulder. Fortunately it was only the wing which broke into three sections. I had the fuselage with motor running fly past my left ear. I wasn't hurt but it did give me a scare. The transmitter and receiver were very basic and old and I won't use them again. It did not have a fail safe function so I don't know what would have caused this. I was by myself in a remote area if I had been hurt I would have been in trouble. I was lucky! IC or electric? You mention the motor, so does that suggest electric? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul De Tourtoulon Posted September 7 Share Posted September 7 On 06/09/2024 at 16:22, Neddy said: I was by myself in a remote area if I had been hurt I would have been in trouble. I was lucky! Silly question, why didn't you get (jump) out of its path ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Fry Posted September 7 Share Posted September 7 Cos like you, me, and him we are what are called old codgers, with joints and reaction times to match. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neddy Posted September 7 Author Share Posted September 7 I am an oldy. The motor electric. The plane hit me from about a 45deg angle coming down from a tight loop. I had no time to jump out of way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Chaddock Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 Rare for an ESC to continue if it looses the input from the Rx unless a failsafe has actually been set to keep the throttle open. Is the radio a Futaba 2.4 by any chance? By default they have the throttle reversed. I have had to jump out of the way more than once when my plane was on approach flying directly towards. Its only when the plane gets really close does it dawn that it is actually going to hit me! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Engine Doctor Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 7 hours ago, Simon Chaddock said: Rare for an ESC to continue if it looses the input from the Rx unless a failsafe has actually been set to keep the throttle open. Is the radio a Futaba 2.4 by any chance? By default they have the throttle reversed. I have had to jump out of the way more than once when my plane was on approach flying directly towards. Its only when the plane gets really close does it dawn that it is actually going to hit me! The nearer it gets it seems to get much much faster 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Learner Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 (edited) 8 hours ago, Simon Chaddock said: I have had to jump out of the way more than once when my plane was on approach flying directly towards. Its only when the plane gets really close does it dawn that it is actually going to hit me! I take it you don't fly in a club and haven't a pilot box away from strip? Edited September 8 by Learner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J D 8 - Moderator Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 I am guessing @Neddywas hand launching in a field, something I do as well to get some flying in as club site some distance away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuban8 Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 11 hours ago, Neddy said: I am an oldy. The motor electric. The plane hit me from about a 45deg angle coming down from a tight loop. I had no time to jump out of way. You say that the model continued under power but with no response to the controls. A far as I'm aware even without the tranny failsafe activating, all brushless ESCs will cut off when they lose the throttle signal from the RX. If the ESC to RX plug had disconnected the servos would have frozen in postion (no BEC supply now) but the motor would have stopped so I doubt if it was that. Very odd. BTW, I flew a large thermal soarer between my feet on a fast and misjudged landing approach towards myself (intended to land off to one side) and bashed my shins very badly years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neddy Posted September 8 Author Share Posted September 8 I have repaired the plane and have changed the receiver with a new one and a new transmitter to suit. I will give it another flight during the week hopefully I won't need to wear a crash helmet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Learner Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 36 minutes ago, Neddy said: I have repaired the plane and have changed the receiver with a new one and a new transmitter to suit. I will give it another flight during the week hopefully I won't need to wear a crash helmet. Don't to forget a range check before flying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyGnome Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 And check the failsafe..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuban8 Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 I don't understand why the motor didn't shut down given that the rest of the controls were unresponsive. It's not an old brushed motor setup by any chance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Harris - Moderator Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 A windmilling prop can make a considerable noise - perhaps that’s what you heard while gravity was doing its thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul De Tourtoulon Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 (edited) 3 hours ago, GrumpyGnome said: And check the failsafe..... I just tried my T6ex futaba on 41.000, no failsafe, I just turned the Tx off as stated reverse on channel 3 ( motor), the motor didn't do anything. I will try one on 2.4,,, Edited September 8 by Paul De Tourtoulon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neddy Posted September 10 Author Share Posted September 10 Took plane out yesterday it operated properly. Changing transmitter and receiver has done the trick. Will not use the old gear again! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Engine Doctor Posted September 11 Share Posted September 11 On 08/09/2024 at 15:53, Paul De Tourtoulon said: I just tried my T6ex futaba on 41.000, no failsafe, I just turned the Tx off as stated reverse on channel 3 ( motor), the motor didn't do anything. I will try one on 2.4,,, Hi Paul. I take it you reffering to 40 meg radio ? The pre 2.4 radios , from memory, only had fail safe on selected rxs. The 35 meg as far as I can remember only had FS on the top of range PCM rxs . Hence the BMFA guidance then or words similar to " if fail safe is available it must be working" . The fail safe is built into the Rx and nothing to do with the TX , although some fail safe systems were set via the tx it is the Rx that does the deed . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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