Jcrispi
05-15-2002, 04:44 PM
15 May 2002 approx 1815 Hours: Its been a lousy day!! All I could take in in my shop was about $100, Hmmm, it will be light out till about 2130 tonight!!! What the Hell!! I look at my wife, I am going flying!! She smiles and tells me to have a good time. I enter my Inner Sanctum, I look at the Duraplane sitting patiently waiting for me, sitting on the floor hooked to my charger, silently awaiting me, perfectly balanced and ready!!! the propeler, also perfecly balanced a 10x6 nestled in a new spinner, promising me power!! I pick up the sacred bird and with great humility walk through the living room, my 13 year old step-son eyes light up!! Ohhh, COOOOOOLLLL, were going to crash airplanes, solemnly looking at him, I tell him, go forth into the shop and retrive the sacred starter box, and the magic nectar which makes the motor howl!!! With nothing but arms and legs and an explosion of movement that only a 13 year old boy can do, he heads out to the garage and grabs the stuff!!
15 May 2002 approx 1830 Hours: My step son and I attach the glow clip, I turn the needle out 2 1/2 turns, I set the the electric starter on the spinner, I push the switch, the motor roars into life!! I fiddle abit with the needle till she screams!!!! I back off a couple of clicks and allow the motor to warm up! This is not some modern FP, LA, FX but rather a very old engine, a .40 from the old school, a motor with an attitude!!!! My step son is in a state of excited extascy, shaking with joy!! I am cool, calm and collective! actually I am about ready to scream for joy!! This time there is no vibration, just screaming OS power!!! WOW!!! this motor is humping!!! I lift the plane into the air, no chance for a grass take-off, the grass is about knee high, i gently release the aircraft into the air, and promptly notice that my trusty receiver is lying about 10 feet from my grasp!!! Naturally, the aircraft, under no ones control other that gravity!! Plows into the grass!!! Daisies and Dandelions spew into the air as if attacked by 10 horse power weed eater!!!! My step-son is desperately trying to stifle a stream of laughter that would cost him an extreme session of dirty looks from his loving, but feeling very stupid at the moment, step-father.
15 May 2002 1845: Having cleaned off the grass from the plane it is time for the next attempt!! I refill the tank, I start her up, this time clutching the Transmitter close to my body. My step-son says, should I launch it this time? I look at him, I gaze into his eyes, I tell him, this is something that I must do, you don't understand how how it must be done, there are certain aerodynamic stuff that you must consider!! Okay Jim!!, more of a smirk than understanding. I launch the aircraft into the air!! this time with abit of a push!! She jumps into the air!! she drops abit, I give her some up elevator!! She climbs!! 30 feet, 40, 50, 60, 100!!, 150!!!! I'm cool!!! she is realing flying!!! This baby is doing what I tell her to do!!! I get her level, no trim, she is as true as an arrow!!! WOW!!! I am cool, I make her turn, I use aerlerons, rudder, elevator throttle!! its doing what I want!!! That motor is pulling her faster than I thought11 Then, she started to get erratic, whats going on here? I look up and I cant see a problem, on both wings there is a yellow covering on the top half of each of the wings!! this is there to tell which way the plane is flying, well the left wing covering seperated!!! I am not going to panick!!! I will throttle back and land her!! I ease the throttle back and, nothing!!! she is still screaming!! I am starting to lose control of the plane!!! I nose her over, I have one chance, and thats to flair her out in the grass, and hope that kills the engine, no way, Jose!!! She just plows into the ground!!
15 May 2002 1900: After searching I find the Duraplane, the left wing extra covereing is shredded, the perfectly balanced prop is but a hub of plastic on the motor, the spinner is covered with mud and grass but intact!!! I collect my plane and starter box and head back towards the house, my step-son looks at me and says, is that how the Kamikaze pilots landed? I said nothing.
15 May 2002 approx 1830 Hours: My step son and I attach the glow clip, I turn the needle out 2 1/2 turns, I set the the electric starter on the spinner, I push the switch, the motor roars into life!! I fiddle abit with the needle till she screams!!!! I back off a couple of clicks and allow the motor to warm up! This is not some modern FP, LA, FX but rather a very old engine, a .40 from the old school, a motor with an attitude!!!! My step son is in a state of excited extascy, shaking with joy!! I am cool, calm and collective! actually I am about ready to scream for joy!! This time there is no vibration, just screaming OS power!!! WOW!!! this motor is humping!!! I lift the plane into the air, no chance for a grass take-off, the grass is about knee high, i gently release the aircraft into the air, and promptly notice that my trusty receiver is lying about 10 feet from my grasp!!! Naturally, the aircraft, under no ones control other that gravity!! Plows into the grass!!! Daisies and Dandelions spew into the air as if attacked by 10 horse power weed eater!!!! My step-son is desperately trying to stifle a stream of laughter that would cost him an extreme session of dirty looks from his loving, but feeling very stupid at the moment, step-father.
15 May 2002 1845: Having cleaned off the grass from the plane it is time for the next attempt!! I refill the tank, I start her up, this time clutching the Transmitter close to my body. My step-son says, should I launch it this time? I look at him, I gaze into his eyes, I tell him, this is something that I must do, you don't understand how how it must be done, there are certain aerodynamic stuff that you must consider!! Okay Jim!!, more of a smirk than understanding. I launch the aircraft into the air!! this time with abit of a push!! She jumps into the air!! she drops abit, I give her some up elevator!! She climbs!! 30 feet, 40, 50, 60, 100!!, 150!!!! I'm cool!!! she is realing flying!!! This baby is doing what I tell her to do!!! I get her level, no trim, she is as true as an arrow!!! WOW!!! I am cool, I make her turn, I use aerlerons, rudder, elevator throttle!! its doing what I want!!! That motor is pulling her faster than I thought11 Then, she started to get erratic, whats going on here? I look up and I cant see a problem, on both wings there is a yellow covering on the top half of each of the wings!! this is there to tell which way the plane is flying, well the left wing covering seperated!!! I am not going to panick!!! I will throttle back and land her!! I ease the throttle back and, nothing!!! she is still screaming!! I am starting to lose control of the plane!!! I nose her over, I have one chance, and thats to flair her out in the grass, and hope that kills the engine, no way, Jose!!! She just plows into the ground!!
15 May 2002 1900: After searching I find the Duraplane, the left wing extra covereing is shredded, the perfectly balanced prop is but a hub of plastic on the motor, the spinner is covered with mud and grass but intact!!! I collect my plane and starter box and head back towards the house, my step-son looks at me and says, is that how the Kamikaze pilots landed? I said nothing.