Angel's Shadow - RIP

[Adam Glatt]

Mark, I was under the impression that the competitive pylon guys were 
actually adding weight to their planes because they could fairly easily 
come in under the minimum weight limit.

Atwood, Mark wrote:

>I highly doubt it's a 9oz wing.  The need to build light is because these composite wings are inherintly heavier than their built up counterparts.  I can't speak for the AS wings, but while I'm happy with the Rev Pro...the wings are heavy compared to my El Nino...by maybe an ounce or two.  
>
>I'm also not sure that "strength" is the issue here.  Racers have been flying composite wings for years...their need for strength far outweights ours, along with their need for 'light'...and I don't recall too many racers seperating their wings.
>
>There has to be a flaw somehow in the design of this wing, or the way it's seamed that's allowing cracks to form and air to penetrate the leading edge.  I don't think that's indicative of the technology as a whole.
>
>Might also be a simple QA issue...regardless...when it happens repeatedly, I think the manufacturer needs to make amends.
>
>I had trouble with one of the early Rev Pro's and they were VERY quick to both send a new plane, and work on resolving what turned out to be a manufacturing defect.
>
>-Mark
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From:	Wayne Galligan [mailto:wgalligan at goodsonacura.com]
>Sent:	Tue 10/28/2003 4:26 PM
>To:	discussion at nsrca.org
>Cc:	
>Subject:	Re: Angel's Shadow - RIP
>
>Why not just build a wing with enough internal structure?
>How much weight can this really be saving?  This is under engineered in my
>opinion.   Is a 9oz wing really sound enough for an 10+lb airplane that is
>going to be doing multiple snaps in flight x multiple flights per season?
>Maybe I am missing something here about this wing design.  Looks cool but is
>it?
>
>Wayne G.
>
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Alan Simmonds" <alan at gspceilings.com>
>To: <discussion at nsrca.org>
>Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2003 3:10 PM
>Subject: RE: Angel's Shadow - RIP
>
>
>  
>
>>It's like Sellotape only totally transparent
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Whats diamond tape?
>>>      
>>>
>>--- Alan Simmonds <alan at gspceilings.com> wrote:
>>    
>>
>>>I understand its possible to crack the glue joint on
>>>the L/E when
>>>picking the model up.  The fix is apply diamond tape
>>>to the L/E of the
>>>wings and the tail (yes, this same fault has
>>>manifested on the horzontal
>>>stab too!!).  The tape will prevent air entering the
>>>wing cavity in the
>>>event of a crack and should stop the wing blowing
>>>apart.
>>>
>>>Alan Simmonds
>>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: discussion-request at nsrca.org
>>>[mailto:discussion-request at nsrca.org]
>>>On Behalf Of chadnortheast at shaw.ca
>>>Sent: 28 October 2003 14:48
>>>To: discussion at nsrca.org
>>>Subject: Re: Angel's Shadow - RIP
>>>
>>>
>>>I witnessed this happen to one of the UK team
>>>members during official
>>>practise at the WC this year.  The left wing panels
>>>leading edge
>>>separated during the 3rd point of the 3/4 point,
>>>1-1/4 snap manouver in
>>>F-03.  At least one of the wing skins was completely
>>>separated from the
>>>model, and about 10" or so of the wing root was
>>>still attached to the
>>>fuse.
>>>
>>>Chad
>>>
>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>From: Tony Stillman <tony at radiosouthrc.com>
>>>Date: Tuesday, October 28, 2003 7:00 am
>>>Subject: Re: Angel's Shadow - RIP
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>>>Adrian:
>>>>
>>>>Very sorry to hear about your loss...
>>>>
>>>>Jason told me that he had heard and seen some of
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>this before, and
>>>      
>>>
>>>>it was a
>>>>concern.  He had two new airplanes sent to him to
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>use for the WC,
>>>      
>>>
>>>>but they
>>>>arrived very late (hence, part of the reason for
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>the choice of flying
>>>      
>>>
>>>>electric...), he told me.  On of his concerns with
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>his older
>>>      
>>>
>>>>models was of
>>>>this exact thing.  He was hoping that the new
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>models would have
>>>      
>>>
>>>>the problem
>>>>solved.
>>>>
>>>>Tony Stillman
>>>>Radio South
>>>>3702 N. Pace Blvd.
>>>>Pensacola, FL 32505
>>>>1-800-962-7802
>>>>www.radiosouthrc.com
>>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>>From: <adriancwong at earthlink.net>
>>>>To: <discussion at nsrca.org>
>>>>Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2003 12:49 AM
>>>>Subject: Re: Angel's Shadow - RIP
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>I was out flying with my Angel's Shadow this past
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>Saturday. The
>>>      
>>>
>>>>plane had
>>>>only about 60 flights, and was finally fully
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>trimmed to my liking.
>>>      
>>>
>>>>On its
>>>>fifth flight of the day, while it was on its down
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>wind trim path,
>>>      
>>>
>>>>the left
>>>>top and bottom wing panel suddenly separated and
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>ripped apart in
>>>      
>>>
>>>>mid air.
>>>>The next thing I noticed were the two wing panels
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>floating in mid
>>>      
>>>
>>>>air in
>>>>slow motion, and the rest of the plane rolling
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>onto the far right
>>>      
>>>
>>>>side of
>>>>the embankment.
>>>>
>>>>After I recovered from my initial shock, follow by
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>much cursing in
>>>      
>>>
>>>>the pit
>>>>area, my friends and I set out to retrieve the
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>wreckage. Following
>>>      
>>>
>>>>a ten
>>>>minutes search over a large loose dirt area, under
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>the rare
>>>      
>>>
>>>>grueling - 95
>>>>degrees - October Californian sun, we recovered
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>the two wing
>>>      
>>>
>>>>panels. As we
>>>>were picking up the wing panels, I remembered
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>noticing a
>>>      
>>>
>>>>separation on the
>>>>leading edge of the right wing panel a month ago;
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>I had promptly
>>>      
>>>
>>>>applied CA
>>>>to cure the problem. At that time, there was no
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>visible problem on
>>>      
>>>
>>>>the left
>>>>wing. However, another friend of mine, who is a
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>fellow Shadow
>>>      
>>>
>>>>owner, had
>>>>informed me that he had noticed the same
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>separation problem on his
>>>      
>>>
>>>>planealso.
>>>>
>>>>Unfortunately, following an hour of intensive
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>search, with many
>>>      
>>>
>>>>cuts by the
>>>>tall sage brush, we could not locate the rest of
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>the airplane.
>>>      
>>>
>>>>Apparently,there is a huge swamp right next to the
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>tall
>>>      
>>>
>>>>embankment. With the tall grass
>>>>and weeds covering the entire area, it completely
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>swallowed the
>>>      
>>>
>>>>whole plane.
>>>>Not only did I lose the airplane, I couldn't even
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>recover a single
>>>      
>>>
>>>>piece of
>>>>equipment for future use.
>>>>
>>>>Later on that evening, after much beer pounding to
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>ease my pain, I
>>>      
>>>
>>>>think I
>>>>finally discovered the main reason for the crash.
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>The first thing
>>>      
>>>
>>>>I noticed
>>>>was that the wing broke right next to where the
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>wing tube ends.
>>>      
>>>
>>>>Apparently,in order to save weight, the
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>manufacturer installed
>>>      
>>>
>>>>only three thin foam
>>>>spars inside the wing, thus; seriously jeopardize
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>the rigidity of
>>>      
>>>
>>>>the wing.
>>>>Unfortunately, due to the many snapping maneuvers
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>we have in FAI, it
>>>      
>>>
>>>>weakened the integrity of the wing over time.
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>Since there was no
>>>      
>>>
>>>>main spar
>>>>to support the wing, the area from the end of the
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>wing tube to the
>>>      
>>>
>>>>tip of
>>>>the wing flexes tremendously. Eventually, it
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>opened up a gap
>>>      
>>>
>>>>between the two
>>>>wing panels (on the leading edge), and the wind
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>did the rest.
>>>      
>>>
>>>>I have accepted over the years that all planes
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>have an invisible
>>>      
>>>
>>>>expirationdate stamped inside. If we keep flying
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>the plane,
>>>      
>>>
>>>>something will eventually
>>>>happen. But, to lose a relatively new airplane due
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>to manufacturer's
>>>      
>>>
>>>>negligence, it's pretty hard to swallow. I
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>sincerely hope this is an
>>>      
>>>
>>>>individual case, however, I will strongly urge all
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>Shadow owners to
>>>      
>>>
>>>>carefully inspect their airplane.
>>>>
>>>>I have taken some pictures on the wing panels, if
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>anyone is
>>>      
>>>
>>>>interested,please contact me off line.
>>>>
>>>>Adrian Wong
>>>>
>>>>Chingbergh Enterprises, Inc.
>>>>1555 Lakeside Drive, Suite # 194,
>>>>Oakland, CA 94612
>>>>Tel: (510)452-1005
>>>>Fax: (510)452-0378
>>>>E-mail: info at chingbergh.com
>>>>www.chingbergh.com
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>

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