[JimMcIntyre]

A discussion on another thread led me to this important subject.

How many fly PCM? What do you program fail-safe to?

My settings:

Throttle idle, all other channels to the bottom left (snap/spin)

My reasoning:

If I lose that tenuous singnal that permits control, I want my plane on the ground with as little inertia as possible while staying out of the no-fly zone!

[SOAPBOX]
It's not about saving the aircraft (I can build more), it's about saving spectators (and the sport).
[/SOAPBOX]

Your thoughts?

[clouddancer]

I fly PCM, but on mine I set up to kill the engine and set all controls to neutral.
My thought is with the engine dead, you might have time for the system to kick back in. Also with a dead engine there is more time to warn people about loss of control.

Jim

[scaleguy]

Jim,

I like your idea... beter to sacrafice a model and save the spectators and the sport.

Several years ago I had a Kaos 60 with a Webra Speed 61 in it and boy was it hot. I got hit as I was making a low high speed pass across the field. The A/C veered towards the pits and spectators but luckily camedown behind every body. Unluckily though it planted itself squarely into the trunk of a Dodge Dart. That 6 LBS a/c had so much inirtia that it put a dent in the trunk of the car. Now that is understandable but what we also found when we got to the car was that the trunk had been sprung open by the force of the impact.

We thought it had punched the lock out of the trunk but when we looked the actual welded hasp had broken off from the inside of the trunk. I shudder to think what would have happened had I hit someone.

Anyone want to buy a slightly used Webra 61 with a bent shaft? I can laugh about it now but it realy scared the s@#t out of me then.

I am going to chnage my PCM radios to this config this weekend.

Thanks for the enlightening me!

[clouddancer]

Is it only people with the name Jim,,,,who fly PCM?????



Jim

[JimMcIntyre]

Originally Posted by clouddancer

I fly PCM, but on mine I set up to kill the engine and set all controls to neutral.
My thought is with the engine dead, you might have time for the system to kick back in. Also with a dead engine there is more time to warn people about loss of control.

Jim

I used to program the same way until I got hit turning base on approach... d*mn plane just kept heading for the pits. Luckily it was in a deep enough descent and hit the ground ahead of the pits. Nice straigh line with lots of inertia.... had to kick the engine out of the hole it made!

[scaleguy]

Originally Posted by clouddancer

Is it only people with the name Jim,,,,who fly PCM?????

Jim

I guess "We Jim's" are quality acts!

[Sabrejock]

Only five of my Rx's are PCM and I set them up with throttle to idle and everything else just stays where last told. I have flown in the absolute worst noise area immaginable. The engine will cut back but I don't usually have any other knowledge of a problem. I do my aerobatics real close to the ground and looping is usually no problem with a glitch. Rolling is the one that surprises you, going past the point where you tell it to stop is unnerving when you're low.

But I sure wouldn't want to tell the plane to do something silly if it got a glitch.

[JimMcIntyre]

My chief concern is not for the plane, but for what an out of control plane might cause. I worry about a flyaway going through the windshield of a car on a nearby highway....

My settings ensure there is little likelihood of the aircraft getting into a no-fly zone should I lose control. Also, a tight spin is a low airspeed maneuver that is unlikely to damage radio components or engine....

[Guest]

Mine are setup to hold on all controls, I wont get into why but I have my reasons for doing so.

Also my equipment gets serviced once to twice per year to make sure it is always in peak condition, I have never had a radio failure of any kind since I started that practise.

If you think a spin is a low energy manuver, here is a picture of a plane that did a failsafe spin into the ground....



I believe that the motor did suffer some damage.

[JimMcIntyre]

Well, those pattern planes are built to fly, not to crash.

Seriously, I assume the plane didn't make it into an unsafe area? Was this a 'normal' spin (I could understand that damage resulting from a knife edge spin). I also think there would be more damage if it had been allowed to fly clean and build up even more speed before it hit.

I'm sure you read the BMFA report on why they recommend not to use the setting you're using?

I do comprehend your reason for using this setting....