[JASON ABBOTT]

you guys have really tested out the durability of these spads havent ya??? not checken the controkl surfaces, just takin off, bet you wouldnt do that with a balsa craft

[AJCoholic]

Actually Jason, it happened to me 4 years ago with one of my SAM old timers. Changed model memories and for some dumb reason revered the rudder.... the balsa stick fuse was TOAST...

Now I triple check my own planes, but as a test pilot it is your responsibility. I did check the control surfaces (actually had to make a small relief for the throttle servo arm which was binding) and the balance, but missed the revered ailerons.

John, I have seen it happen to MANY pilots...

[bmwkadet]

Andrew, you should see these ailerons! I bet they will be more sensitive than the rudder is .

Andrew was doing rolls with the rudder- it was really sensitive!

[Gary Maker]

Well after hearing all of this....actually I still feel very foolish because I should have known better....Its not like I just started flying and using computer radios yesterday. I guess thats why they put that caution in the plans, happens more often than one would like to think! BTW I flew the stick for 3 flight this evening without a hitch. I still find it increadable how crisp and precise it flys and how stable it is at slow speeds. I'm sure this is going to go over in a big way with our club. A number of people have already expressed their desire to build one.

[Vulcan1]

Gary,
Thats what happens to everybody once in a while. You know but you forgot to double check. I have had some dumb moves once in awhile and only I knew about it. Something about hand,eye coordination. I call it dumb fingers, and people watching can't believe you would do it. If you get away with it you just
John

[Gary Maker]

Right on John! I guess its almost as bad as throwing everything into the van, hurrying to get to the flying field 45 minutes away, only to discouver that you left your transmitter sitting on the work bench at home! Had that happen.......once! A fellow at our club here drove all the way to Brantford from Kitchener to fly and of all things forgot the wing for his Astrohog!

I told him he should make a list and check everything off BEFORE he leaves home. He reminded me of the same thing with this aileron reversal thing. I guess a short pencil is better than a long memory...or something like that! Hmmm should have written it down!

[Vulcan1]

Gary,
If you want something dumb. How about this. We used to travel in pairs to the races and I had a small trailer that we carried our planes in. One of my friends was in the other car and drove all the way to Regina from Calgary and when he went to test fly all he had was fuselages and radio's.
Spent the weekend helping everybody else but missed the action.
John

[Gary Maker]

John, Actually you probably had almost as much fun doing that to. I thouroughly enjoy being in a position to help people, not that I'm so much of an expert on anything but like I said earlier, many people have helped me to get this far and I really do feel good when I can help get someone else up and flying where they would have to sit it out, so to speak! Its called: " Pay it Forward!" I've had complete strangers come up to me to lend a helping hand. Thats one of the big things that makes this hobby/sport so outstanding! Lot of good people out there!

But like Andrew said too, its hard to just be a spectator, cause flying is what you wanna do! I'm sure the folks you helped out appreciated it!

It would be interesting to start a thread of some of the "dumb" things we've all done at times in this hobby/sport!

[AJCoholic]

Gary,
I have a enough of those dumb things to fill many MANY pages of posts...

As for helping out, man, its amazing what some guys will do to help a fellow modeller. I try my best, like you said what you do eventually makes its way back to you in weird and wonderfull ways.... right John?

I will go on the record to say Vulcan1 is a very special type of modeller.... simply amazing!

[JimBrown]

I managed to check the ailerons about 10 times on a 96" Extra 230 I bought off a fellow club member and still managed to take off for a very short maiden flight with them reversed.

The next year, I got distracted while assembling the Extra at a giant scale event and took off without connecting the aileron servos. Another very short flight, no roll coupling on that plane.

Needless to say, I now check control surface functionality before every flight. Right stick, right aileron up. Left stick, left aileron up. Right rudder, left rudder, up elevator, down elevator.

Haven't made those mistakes since.

...jim