[jdiprofio]

Thanks for the Information Wayne. Would you happen to have the address and phone number for Hitec in Alberta?

Joe

[Gary Maker]

Joe

Actually, its not a rubber band but its sort of a rubber cup that you slide on over the whole crystal while its installed in the receiver. I'm sure you know what I mean. This is just my opinion, but if you found the crystal besides the receiver without the cap, then it is quite possible that that is the problem however, if the pins on the crystal were bent, then that would strongly suggest that it was IN the receiver at the time of the crash!

I know you've probably already done this, but try to check out everything as closely as you can....there are a number of things that could have caused this: How did your battery check out AFTER the crash and did you check it under load..Rx AND Tx? What about the switch harness? Do you tape your servo extentions and other leads together and could it have been possible one of these disconnected in flight...battery also?? I know this is a dumb question but I've done it myself...was your Tx antenna extended? Was there a possible break in the Rx antenna or had you tied any knots in the antenna for the installation? Could there have been a control horn/ linkage failure on any of the control surfaces? Had you noticed any glitching at all before this mishap and is there any possibility someone shot you down? Could there possibly have been an airframe failure...cracked stab/ fin etc. Had the receiver ever been in a crash before this incident? Had you ever thumped or dropped your Tx at any time?

These are all questions to help you to find the problem through process of elimination.

I assume that you do have another receiver and crystal?? I can understand you not wanting to be without a radio at this time of year especially.

If you plan on NOT sending in the radio, I would suggest that you do a very thourough check out of the whole system. With your receiver installed in your plane, do a range check from several different angles to the plane and do it in a couple or three different locations at your field. Have someone help you and do a range check with the engine running and again at different angles to the plane. I have seen planes range check perfectly when static, but as soon as you start the engine, things start to go erratic, especially with gassers with electronic ignitions.

NOTE: Only do a couple ranges checks at a time and then turn off your radio for a bit. Having your radio on with the antenna collapsed for an extended period of time could cause a problem with your Tx and you don't want that for sure!

If everything checks out good, after doing all this, then give it a test flight. Ask everyone at the field if you could have just 5 or 6 minutes to fly alone and let folks know what the problem was and to all be on alert during the flight. I am sure you will find good co-operation with something like this and folks will appreciate that you have their interest at heart and are making sure that your plane and they are safe before flying with a crowd.

Well, all the best my friend and please let us know how everything went!

[Wayne MIller]

Hi Joe,

The contact information from the MAAC magazine is below:

HiFlight Radio Control
5503 82 Ave
Edmonton, Alberta
T6B 2J6

Phone:
Toll Free 1-877-986-9430
Direct (780) 485-2003
Fx (780) 485-2130
Em: mail@hiflightrc.com

I hope you have as good luck with them as I have.

Fly4Fun,

Wayne Miller

[Ken Currell]

Hi

A friend of mine bought a new Hitech radio with the synthesizer and phase shift.

It worked great but would not properly support an Airtronics receiver. Seemed to work OK at first but after a couple of minutes in the air he lost the plane.

After he went home he tried it on his other Airtronics receivers and the same thing happened. It works fine with all other receivers he has but not with Airtronics.

Hmmm????

[jdiprofio]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all of your help. I am still out a plane, but Hiflight is going to cover the receiver and perhaps even the servo's that I lost in the crash. Pretty cool of them. Now all I have to do, is try to assure that this does not happen again. And of course, build another Florio.

Gary, Thanks for all of the help and advice. I will put your methods of elimination to use. Perhaps it will save me any further grief.

Wayne, again, thanks for the info.

Cheers,

Joe

[ronnieo]

Originally Posted by 2thelmt

Thats to bad, I lost control of my Twist on Sunday, broke the fuse...oh well I was due.

Possibility you were shot down? Maybe the crystal vibrated out? I would have your Tx checked though. New equipment faults usually show up early in use.

Let me guess........the TWIST broke right at the back of the cockpit from a hard landing....if traditional holds true....if you look....there is NO support along the side of the fuse above the wing area ( the thin walls are only 1/16ply and only 3/8" wide. We recommend cutting the covering on the bottom and laying a second ply along the fuse for all TWIST owners. It took a closer look to discover this, although your radio failure may have caused more than this much damage.

[2thelmt]

LOL, my loss of control was dumb thumbs too close to the ground. The famous, last flight of the day.
Yeah, it broke exactually there, behind the canopy - wing is fine. I will rebuild by epoxying the joints and laying up more ply around those joints.
I'm surprised it didn't twist itself during the inverted (climbing) flat spins...what a blast.

[ronnieo]

Originally Posted by 2thelmt

LOL, my loss of control was dumb thumbs too close to the ground. The famous, last flight of the day.
Yeah, it broke exactually there, behind the canopy - wing is fine. I will rebuild by epoxying the joints and laying up more ply around those joints.
I'm surprised it didn't twist itself during the inverted (climbing) flat spins...what a blast.

That area supports the back half of the wing and any stress there...that's where it folds the fuse in half....I'm surprised they are staying together in the air with all the 3D twists it gets on high rates. ......any other TWIST owners in your club should know..........