Speaking of lessons learned (was are you looking for something)

[Keith Black]

Speaking of lessons learned!

Saturday I went flying in a brief window of good weather. I was anxious to
go not only because I'm always anxious to go but I was also anxious to try
out my new 10X.

I'd spent a lot of time making 100% sure that everything on the 10X behaved
exactly as my old 8103. As the plane reaches lift-off speed I gently pulled
back on the elevator and the plane pulled up hard going straight up. I
thought to myself "that wasn't very smooth". I apply a slight bit of down to
level it out but still it's going straight up, and beginning loop backwards.
Now I push a lot of down to keep it from coming over. I'm thinking "I can't
believe I missed the setup that bad, there's no way... fix the trim and see
what's wrong on the ground". I feed in down trim, barley any effect, now I
feed in a lot of down and finally get it leveled out, then suddenly vroom
straight up again. I think "OH NO, CHECK THE ANTENNA", but it's up. Shove in
down, get it level, hit trims more, plane levels then surges up again. Back
off the throttle, hold down, plane levels but is so slow it's mushy and I
think maybe the ailerons are also gone. Wait, no it's turning now. Level the
elevator trim again. Then I hear that beep, beep, beep, beeeep of the trims
moving BY THEMSELVES! "Oh NO the radio's flaking out! Did I spill water or
my cleaner on it? It wasn't having any problems before!"  Now the plane is
doing a wild porpoise routine all around. I think to myself that there's no
way this things getting on the ground without being destroyed. I call for
help, no pattern fliers there, mainly newbies, finally one seasoned pilot
comes to my side. I tell him the radios got problems, the trims are going
nuts. He encourages me to just get it down the best I can. I make a long
slow porpoising circle to line up for landing. He says, " the field's wet
and soft just set it down out there and maybe it won't get damaged too bad."
I pull up the retracts, try to level it out, it's coming at the runway at a
45 deg angle, I've got to get it down before it gets too close! Kill the
engine, forget the trims now just hold down, it's pretty sensitive, just
easing off the elevator slightly makes it porpoise up again. It's level now,
gentle, gentle...  I can't believe it, it's on the ground smooth as silk!

Now I look down at the radio and see what the problem is! The ring that's on
the end of my neck strap was caught behind the elevator trim. The weight
from the radio on the strap was pulling the trim back to full up trim! With
the trim precision set to 4 steps per click full up trim was a lot of trim.

I can't believe how close I was to loosing my plane over something so
stupid! I've used that same strap with my 8103 for the last two and a half
years and that's never happened, but on the 10X the trims are just enough
closer and/or higher to allow the ring on the end to get wedged between the
trim and strap connector.

I should point out that I was not using the strap that comes with the 10X,
the one I was using is more comfortable, but from now on I'll opt for
control over comfort. :-D

Keith Black

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "D Suding" <junk at velocitus.net>
To: <discussion at nsrca.org>
Sent: Monday, January 19, 2004 12:11 PM
Subject: Re: Dennis Suding, are you looking for something?


> Okay, I left my wings to my Temptation at the field one night last week.
> My wife is 9 months pregnant and my mind isn't with my wings. Thankfully
> Tony Quist recognized them and took them to the nearest hobby shop
> (Franks)
>
> Let this be a lesson, kids: Don't forget your wings!  It's hard to fly
> without them.
>
> Thanks again Tony!!!
>
> -D
>
> > Dennis email me privately.
> >
> > Tony
>
>
>
> =====================================
> # To be removed from this list, send a message to
> # discussion-request at nsrca.org
> # and put leave discussion on the first line of the body.
> #
>

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