As the title states, this is the reason I can't bring myself to get into the RC plane hobby. Cool, exciting and depressing all at the same time.
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RC Plane Crashes
- Thread starter TurdFerguson
- Start date
In it for many years... lots of fun and lots of pain ‘ lol
Flew RC for years, settled in to Helis for several years and turbine jets last four years.
I’m out now, was a blast to say the least...
I’m out now, was a blast to say the least...
Oh hell, I could post a hundred of them. Everyone has a hobby an no hobby is cheap.
A high school teacher of mine built balsa woor replicas like the one in the picture. He told me he built one for a guy only to see it crash and destroyed on the first flight after delivery.
He built this one in the late 80s. I watched him build it during the school year. He past away a few years ago and the family was going to trash it. I was happy to take it. I wish I knew how many hours he had in just this one. Oh and he had only one arm after loosing one at the shoulder in an accident.
He built this one in the late 80s. I watched him build it during the school year. He past away a few years ago and the family was going to trash it. I was happy to take it. I wish I knew how many hours he had in just this one. Oh and he had only one arm after loosing one at the shoulder in an accident.
HOLY SHIT
I had no idea technology had gotten up to actual jet turbines in RC planes! When I got out of it "ducted fan" was the cool shit.
Now, if only people video taping "UFO"s on their retarded history Channel shows had camera skills like this guy....
I had no idea technology had gotten up to actual jet turbines in RC planes! When I got out of it "ducted fan" was the cool shit.
Now, if only people video taping "UFO"s on their retarded history Channel shows had camera skills like this guy....
Ouch.
Watching the European guys crash their giant 40-50% scale planes always hurts. Some of the giant scale multi engine turbine scale builds can run 70k+.
Had my fair share of crashes too. I mostly fly helis nowadays since I don't have a good local field for planes anymore. A "light" crash on one of my 700s is usually $450 minimum. Always hurts, but it doesn't happen often anymore. But with the helis at least it's all bolt together. Way less painful than stuffing a scratch built plane that you have hundreds of hours into building.
The couple of bigger 3D planes I still have are all RTFs or ARTFs so you can easily buy replacement fuselages, wings, tails, etc, already pre built and skinned. Losing money in a crash hurts, losing all the time spent building a scratch built is worse.
Also have a turbine heli, but setup for acrobatics and not a scale build. Last year when I was flying had a flameout caused by a worn out fuel line going to the clunk pickup in one fuel tank, so it was only pulling fuel from one tank... Flameout happened in the middle of nose down outside funnel fairly low to the ground. Just barely managed to autorotate down, somewhat hard landing but no damage. Decided to call it a day after that, replaced all the fuel lines that week.
The turbine hasn't hit the dirt yet, but I am not looking forward to the day it does... Lol
If you want to get into planes, never a better time than now. Lots of reasonably priced RTF planes out there, many now offering gyro stabilization and automatic "rescue" recovery and leveling if you get confused on the sticks. Of course, you have to remember to hit the rescue button before you're out of altitude for the recovery...
Yep, turbines are fun. Expensive, but fun. I'll be the first to say my electric helis have way more power and you can fly them much more aggressively than my turbine heli, but you can't beat the turbine for sound and smell.
Had a BVM bandit turbine plane for a while but sold it when the local flying field closed. Would love to build a thrust vectored turbine if I had a good spot to fly it. Trying to convince my farmer buddy who owns the land where I fly my helis to let me put in a runway for planes, lol.
Some of the multi cylinder plane engines sound incredible too. I really want to build a 90+ inch warbird with a moki radial or kolm inline... At current market prices I could probably sell a couple boxes of primers on gunbroker to pay for one.
Watching the European guys crash their giant 40-50% scale planes always hurts. Some of the giant scale multi engine turbine scale builds can run 70k+.
Had my fair share of crashes too. I mostly fly helis nowadays since I don't have a good local field for planes anymore. A "light" crash on one of my 700s is usually $450 minimum. Always hurts, but it doesn't happen often anymore. But with the helis at least it's all bolt together. Way less painful than stuffing a scratch built plane that you have hundreds of hours into building.
The couple of bigger 3D planes I still have are all RTFs or ARTFs so you can easily buy replacement fuselages, wings, tails, etc, already pre built and skinned. Losing money in a crash hurts, losing all the time spent building a scratch built is worse.
Also have a turbine heli, but setup for acrobatics and not a scale build. Last year when I was flying had a flameout caused by a worn out fuel line going to the clunk pickup in one fuel tank, so it was only pulling fuel from one tank... Flameout happened in the middle of nose down outside funnel fairly low to the ground. Just barely managed to autorotate down, somewhat hard landing but no damage. Decided to call it a day after that, replaced all the fuel lines that week.
The turbine hasn't hit the dirt yet, but I am not looking forward to the day it does... Lol
If you want to get into planes, never a better time than now. Lots of reasonably priced RTF planes out there, many now offering gyro stabilization and automatic "rescue" recovery and leveling if you get confused on the sticks. Of course, you have to remember to hit the rescue button before you're out of altitude for the recovery...
Yep, turbines are fun. Expensive, but fun. I'll be the first to say my electric helis have way more power and you can fly them much more aggressively than my turbine heli, but you can't beat the turbine for sound and smell.
Had a BVM bandit turbine plane for a while but sold it when the local flying field closed. Would love to build a thrust vectored turbine if I had a good spot to fly it. Trying to convince my farmer buddy who owns the land where I fly my helis to let me put in a runway for planes, lol.
Some of the multi cylinder plane engines sound incredible too. I really want to build a 90+ inch warbird with a moki radial or kolm inline... At current market prices I could probably sell a couple boxes of primers on gunbroker to pay for one.
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That's beautiful. Probably worth a good penny to the right person.
Video says it's WAS worth $35,000.
(316) Huge $35000 1/3 scale Twin Turbine RC Jet crash and explosion - YouTube
(316) Huge $35000 1/3 scale Twin Turbine RC Jet crash and explosion - YouTube
Gotta be one of the largest RC planes ever built.
(316) GIGANTIC XXXL RC MODEL AIRPLANE BOEING 747 IN FLIGHT FORMATION WITH TWO RC CONCORDE - YouTube
(316) GIGANTIC XXXL RC MODEL AIRPLANE BOEING 747 IN FLIGHT FORMATION WITH TWO RC CONCORDE - YouTube
Some of the miniaturization stuff out there is really cool! http://www.quarterscalemerlin.com/
Built many a lawn dart with my father when I was younger. Last project we were planning was a 1/9th scale replica B-17. http://www.wingspanmodels.com/eShop/10browse.asp
and then we came to our senses!!! Still cool to look at though. Got into the scale tank thing for a bit too. Full metal scale rc tanks!!! https://www.armortek.co.uk/product/king-tiger/
Built many a lawn dart with my father when I was younger. Last project we were planning was a 1/9th scale replica B-17. http://www.wingspanmodels.com/eShop/10browse.asp
and then we came to our senses!!! Still cool to look at though. Got into the scale tank thing for a bit too. Full metal scale rc tanks!!! https://www.armortek.co.uk/product/king-tiger/
- Nov 3, 2010
- 9,702
- 20,404
Down is up, and up is expensive.
Good thing to remember when flying rc planes. I’ve been through a few dozen over the last 15 ish years or so.
Good thing to remember when flying rc planes. I’ve been through a few dozen over the last 15 ish years or so.
There are two types of RC airplane enthusiasts:
Those who have dug really expensive holes in the ground.
Those who will dig really expensive holes in the ground.
For the record. Skid steers are cheaper.
My latest is basically shoving a Big Block inside a Miata. I found what is likely the last 80" Sundowner in the US and I stuffed a 76cc twin cylinder gas motor inside of it. This plane was meant for maybe a 40cc at most. I still have the tuned pipes to build and I gotta sheet the wings yet, but its coming along. I really wanna pull the jugs and do something to bump the compression and convert this shitbox to E85 cause government-subsidized race gas is a beautiful thing.
I named it: "Retard Strength"
I've run RC trucks, cars, and planes myself. I/m curious what you put that Circle D torque converter into????
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Q
QuickNDirty
Guest
Watch, listen, and pick up your jaw from the floor. It begs for a 1/4 scale Hurricane (just because everyone ignores them when thinking of Merlins)
Or better yet two in a Mosquito
Or better yet two in a Mosquito
Cool stuff! I did the RC plane thing for a bit - built a couple and crashed 'em.
Lesson learned: Real Airplanes are easier to fly...
Lesson learned: Real Airplanes are easier to fly...
I just got a carbon Cub so I could start flying again. I got a park zone P51 that my nephew wanted to learn to fly so I got batteries and some other stuff for it but I forgot to trim the ailerons when I went to launch it and it crashed miserably into one of my outbuildings. Since then I bought a carbon Cub with the safe flight stuff in it and one of the flight simulators so I could practice.
Helicopters are a whole nother story, I actually have more crashes than I have take offs
Helicopters are a whole nother story, I actually have more crashes than I have take offs
Ouch.
Watching the European guys crash their giant 40-50% scale planes always hurts. Some of the giant scale multi engine turbine scale builds can run 70k+.
Had my fair share of crashes too. I mostly fly helis nowadays since I don't have a good local field for planes anymore. A "light" crash on one of my 700s is usually $450 minimum. Always hurts, but it doesn't happen often anymore. But with the helis at least it's all bolt together. Way less painful than stuffing a scratch built plane that you have hundreds of hours into building.
The couple of bigger 3D planes I still have are all RTFs or ARTFs so you can easily buy replacement fuselages, wings, tails, etc, already pre built and skinned. Losing money in a crash hurts, losing all the time spent building a scratch built is worse.
Also have a turbine heli, but setup for acrobatics and not a scale build. Last year when I was flying had a flameout caused by a worn out fuel line going to the clunk pickup in one fuel tank, so it was only pulling fuel from one tank... Flameout happened in the middle of nose down outside funnel fairly low to the ground. Just barely managed to autorotate down, somewhat hard landing but no damage. Decided to call it a day after that, replaced all the fuel lines that week.
The turbine hasn't hit the dirt yet, but I am not looking forward to the day it does... Lol
If you want to get into planes, never a better time than now. Lots of reasonably priced RTF planes out there, many now offering gyro stabilization and automatic "rescue" recovery and leveling if you get confused on the sticks. Of course, you have to remember to hit the rescue button before you're out of altitude for the recovery...
Yep, turbines are fun. Expensive, but fun. I'll be the first to say my electric helis have way more power and you can fly them much more aggressively than my turbine heli, but you can't beat the turbine for sound and smell.
Had a BVM bandit turbine plane for a while but sold it when the local flying field closed. Would love to build a thrust vectored turbine if I had a good spot to fly it. Trying to convince my farmer buddy who owns the land where I fly my helis to let me put in a runway for planes, lol.
Some of the multi cylinder plane engines sound incredible too. I really want to build a 90+ inch warbird with a moki radial or kolm inline... At current market prices I could probably sell a couple boxes of primers on gunbroker to pay for one.
Good God those Mokis are sexy
The Sea Fury is stunning
Here's the same P-47 but with a four blade prop that's better pitched. Turn up the volume for the fly pasts starting at 32s ec in
I owned a RC Hobby Shop for several years. I have piled up a number of real expensive helicopters. Lol 
Last year I crashed a $3k glider and that really hurt. It was an F3j glider that uses a winch system to get the plane into the air. Well my dumb ass forgot to actually plug in the battery and test the surfaces. Needless to say the plane got up around 275-300' and then came off the winch line in a nose down position. This caused the plane to lawn dart at a high rate of speed right into the ground.
The crash hurt, but I have a few more planes that are around this price and they are great. Enjoy getting the plane in the air and cruising around for hours on a single launch.
Then I also have a wing that I fly long range flights with. Have flown 5 miles away with video cruising around the country side. And the up side is, if I don't want to fly the plane back to me..I flip a switch and the gps/flight controller fly it back to me.
The crash hurt, but I have a few more planes that are around this price and they are great. Enjoy getting the plane in the air and cruising around for hours on a single launch.
Then I also have a wing that I fly long range flights with. Have flown 5 miles away with video cruising around the country side. And the up side is, if I don't want to fly the plane back to me..I flip a switch and the gps/flight controller fly it back to me.
Someone I work with is big into rc helicopters so we always hear aboot and see a bunch of carnage. He tries to get any of us he can to join him but fuck that. I can think of a million other things to burn money on
Cool, especially the cops reaction. I wonder what top end with two turbines would be. With those tires I dont think Id want ot go over about 30 mph.
There is a way to get into rc without high cost and high repairs. The zagi is almost indestructible, it is a one piece styrofoam body. if the wing or body crakes you can glue it back together and your flying again. If you go through a local hobby shop they run around 300-350 depending on the options that you choose.
My son started with RC planes, then got into the Civil Air Patrol, where he got his glider certs and then went on to getting his private pilots license. The Civil Air Patrol was the best thing for him. Got him interested in things that have led him to Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Indycar (AJ Foyt), and working for a company that's working with Space X. He's also been involved in a classified project for the military. I actually gave them some pointers on that project. Sad to say, they didn't make it to the final round. Probably my fault.......
The two most important ideas I have learned about aviation,
The first is From my very first Flight Instructor who got me started, through and graduated into being a Private Pilot
1. “It is better to be on the ground, wishing you were in the air
instead of being in the air and wishing you were on the ground”
This pretty much applies to RC aviation as well as actually being in one in the air
2. There is not much worse than running out of altitude, airspeed and ideas at the same time.
All this said, one of the very TOP the high points of my life is flying a sailplane in a thermal with soaring birds. hawk. Typically they are checking me out while I was checking them out and we were all having an Excellent day.
The first is From my very first Flight Instructor who got me started, through and graduated into being a Private Pilot
1. “It is better to be on the ground, wishing you were in the air
instead of being in the air and wishing you were on the ground”
This pretty much applies to RC aviation as well as actually being in one in the air
2. There is not much worse than running out of altitude, airspeed and ideas at the same time.
All this said, one of the very TOP the high points of my life is flying a sailplane in a thermal with soaring birds. hawk. Typically they are checking me out while I was checking them out and we were all having an Excellent day.
Weight restrictions for RC aircraft are typically more generous in Europe compared to the US before needing special permits, so most of the really big giant scale RC planes are in Europe.
Kind of the reverse of what you would expect when it comes to regulations...
My dad had a friend many years back. For years we'd visit and they'd talk while he worked on this model airplane in his garage.
One day, he took it out for it's maiden flight. And it's maiden crash landing.
That was a somber day, and a much shorter visit. I learned new words that day.
One day, he took it out for it's maiden flight. And it's maiden crash landing.
That was a somber day, and a much shorter visit. I learned new words that day.
When I was into RC stuff I settled on helicopters. I tried airplanes but struggled with it a bit. You're either flying or you're not. With helicopters I can at least hover in scoot around a little bit with maybe a hard landing and no real crash.
Once I got comfortable flying, yes, the crashes were spectacular. At first it hurt but then I realized it's just part of the game. It's not a matter of if you're going to crash but when ... either you're going to dump some it or you're going to have a component failure.
One of my favorite helicopters was my Raptor 90 SE. Had a G-Force head on it that was virtually indestructible, it was stood several inverted hard Landings. The chicken dances were hilarious.
Haven't flown in a couple of years ...dot-dot simply not going to do the registration... and now, limited funds and limited flying areas
Still got mine Vibe 90, T-Rex 600 both electric and Nitro ... one day they'll go back up or get sold
Oh, no flight stabilization other than on the tail ... hate the autopilot stuff, I want my flybar... seem too many tip-overs as a direct result of the stabilization unit... LOL
Once I got comfortable flying, yes, the crashes were spectacular. At first it hurt but then I realized it's just part of the game. It's not a matter of if you're going to crash but when ... either you're going to dump some it or you're going to have a component failure.
One of my favorite helicopters was my Raptor 90 SE. Had a G-Force head on it that was virtually indestructible, it was stood several inverted hard Landings. The chicken dances were hilarious.
Haven't flown in a couple of years ...dot-dot simply not going to do the registration... and now, limited funds and limited flying areas
Still got mine Vibe 90, T-Rex 600 both electric and Nitro ... one day they'll go back up or get sold
Oh, no flight stabilization other than on the tail ... hate the autopilot stuff, I want my flybar... seem too many tip-overs as a direct result of the stabilization unit... LOL
The Jesus bolt goes at 4:10
And another Jesus bolt goes at 2:19
I don't know WTF happened here
And another Jesus bolt goes at 2:19
I don't know WTF happened here
That is what always got me about RC aircraft. It's always a when your going to turn it into a lawn dart.
My RC stuff flys, but it has 4 wheels to land on!
Just a handful of Tekno RC trucks, and buggies here.
There is a group that flies up at lake Benbrook near Fort Worth. Big group of jet guys, one of the big jet kits is made by the shop in Fort Worth. Absolutely nuts what some have into the planes. He said there only allowed to fly 350 mph, but that jet has the capability of much more.
My RC stuff flys, but it has 4 wheels to land on!
Just a handful of Tekno RC trucks, and buggies here.
There is a group that flies up at lake Benbrook near Fort Worth. Big group of jet guys, one of the big jet kits is made by the shop in Fort Worth. Absolutely nuts what some have into the planes. He said there only allowed to fly 350 mph, but that jet has the capability of much more.
I was into the hobby for a number of years and gravitated towards large scale pattern and 3d flying. My local field was really strict with noise ordinances so I had to go electric on everything. Running 12s lipo and high efficiency Hacker/Neu Brushless motors, these big planes(40% scale) would pull 5000+ watts at wot. These photos were taken back in 2012 when my son was two. Good times...
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The big electrics are fun with instant power and no fiddling with carbs, worrying about the engine dying, losing a glow plug, a clunk falling off in the fuel tank, etc, but I understand your frustration on the noise complaints and hope your local flying field doesn’t suffer the same fate the one nearest me did. Noise was the motivation, but not the final reason that got the nearest local flying field shut down a few years ago.
The local field where I used to fly my larger 3D planes was out in the country on farmland with hardly any houses around. Unfortunately the nearest neighbor about 3/4 mile away kept complaining about the noise of the big gassers, especially the large 3D gassers. Sherriff got called a few times (turns out they loved hanging out and chatting with us, a couple built planes of their own and started coming out, LOL.) Some other county agencies came out too. All told the neighbor that there was nothing legally they could do about the noise since it was during the day, in an ag zoned area, and the noise level at their house was well under any thresholds. I will admit that a large 3D gasser plane being hucked around can be buzzy and annoying if you aren’t into that sort of thing, but being you could only barely hear them at the neighbor’s house I guess the neighbor just didn't like the idea of other people having fun.
The field voluntarily limited the times and number of days a week the big gassers could fly, and a number of flyers voluntarily switched to electric, but the neighbor kept making phone calls to any county or state agency they could complain to. Finally, the neighbor managed to get the field shut down because he pointed some state environmental agency our way which found a few endangered salamanders living in vernal pools on the property. While the flying field, runway, and parking area weren't encroaching on the vernal pools, they were too close according to the state regulations... Not only did the flying field close, but the property owner is now unable to do any kind of development in that area lest he disturb the natural habitat for the salamanders. Within a year of the flying field being shut down the complaining neighbor moved away, and now we're still without a local flying field. Can't reopen the field as the state sends biologists out several times a year for habitat inspection and population surveys...
Now, the nearest flying field (60 miles away) is also electric only now. That flying field has been there for 25 something years and was built when it was only surrounded by open area, but in the last 10 years a housing development went in nearby and keeps building closer and closer. Of course, the new residents started complaining about the noise-- so the field went electric only about 5 years ago. Some neighbors are still complaining about the noise of the electrics, and now they're considering limiting the size of aircraft that can fly there to further reduce the noise... the writing is on the wall, it’s only a matter of time before it closes completely. Ugh.
A few times a year I drive to that other field 60 miles away to fly my bigger electric planes-- not terribly convenient, and I really don’t know anyone there, which was part of the fun of the local field.
I fly my helis and small hand launched foamy 3D planes at a farmer friend's property about 3/4 mile from my house... extremely convenient, but I miss having the nearby local field with both paved and grass runways to fly my bigger planes. Wish I could convince my farmer buddy to let me grade a stripe of out one of the alfalfa fields for a runway large enough for the big planes!
Anyways, a couple of pics of my turbine heli. A forced air space heater is a much more economical way of burning kerosene-- but nowhere near as fun. One thing I don't recommend doing with a turbine heli is inverted lawn mowing with the main blades, the trimmings collect on the FOD screen and starve the turbine for air leading to high EGTs and greatly reduced power... probably not great for the compressor wheel and bearings either, but I wasn't considering that at the time. I only do those kind of shenanigans with the electrics now…
We got fussed at about noise too at a field here that had zero houses for at least 5 miles. My response was to straight pipe an 80cc Yak that I had.
I wasn't invited back. . .
I wasn't invited back. . .
I enjoy building and flying my RC aircraft. I'm not some tier one pilot and I don't yank and bank.
About a year ago I heard of a company called Willy Nillies that produce laser cut model kits that if built correctly, stay under the FAA's weight limit of 250 grams and don't need to be registered with the FAA.
The average wingspan is about 30" and there is a good assortment of 2,3 or 4 channel set ups. The kits are fairly inexpensive by today's standards and usually come with everything to build the air frame except the covering, transmitter, receiver and the power packages and wheels if you want them.
You can purchase basically everything needed to produce a flying model short of the transmitter and the hobby type tools needed.
The kits don't come with instructions but there is a facebook page where you can get step by step instructions and photo's to go with. The owner of the company is trying to set up a separate site for all the information so one doesn't need to use facebook, good move.
On the average, start to finish, a complete model airplane ready to fly with your transmitter will be just a little less than $100.00. The cost could be more or less than $100 depending on how one wants to set it up. If one doesn't have a transmitter, a quality 6 channel radio can be purchase new or used for around $60 to infinity depending on the radio type and how many bells and whistles you may want.
The size of the models don't need a full sized airport to fly, a school yard or an open lot will be more than enough. You have the choice of .20-.49 Cox type engines for power or use batteries and brushless motors for power. I prefer electric because I have had enough of the slimy crap left on the model after running glow type fuels.
Take a look, the business is owned by a veteran, is a mom and pop shop and the quality of the materials that make up the kits is first rate.
https://willynillies.com/
About a year ago I heard of a company called Willy Nillies that produce laser cut model kits that if built correctly, stay under the FAA's weight limit of 250 grams and don't need to be registered with the FAA.
The average wingspan is about 30" and there is a good assortment of 2,3 or 4 channel set ups. The kits are fairly inexpensive by today's standards and usually come with everything to build the air frame except the covering, transmitter, receiver and the power packages and wheels if you want them.
You can purchase basically everything needed to produce a flying model short of the transmitter and the hobby type tools needed.
The kits don't come with instructions but there is a facebook page where you can get step by step instructions and photo's to go with. The owner of the company is trying to set up a separate site for all the information so one doesn't need to use facebook, good move.
On the average, start to finish, a complete model airplane ready to fly with your transmitter will be just a little less than $100.00. The cost could be more or less than $100 depending on how one wants to set it up. If one doesn't have a transmitter, a quality 6 channel radio can be purchase new or used for around $60 to infinity depending on the radio type and how many bells and whistles you may want.
The size of the models don't need a full sized airport to fly, a school yard or an open lot will be more than enough. You have the choice of .20-.49 Cox type engines for power or use batteries and brushless motors for power. I prefer electric because I have had enough of the slimy crap left on the model after running glow type fuels.
Take a look, the business is owned by a veteran, is a mom and pop shop and the quality of the materials that make up the kits is first rate.
https://willynillies.com/
Lol!
A buddy built a pitts with a straight piped DA200, which he got to fly *once* at any field he visited... He quickly got the reputation of being "that guy."
It has mufflers now.
Lol!
A buddy built a pitts with a straight piped DA200, which he got to fly *once* at any field he visited... He quickly got the reputation of being "that guy."
It has mufflers now.
Where there's a will. . .
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Unless that plane is getting a turbo, that header simply won't do. You know that plane deserves nothing less than stepped primary diameter tubing ending in a merge collector and megaphone with reverse cone.
Oh, and make it out of inconel while you're at it.
If you're going to go to that much effort, do it right!
That airframe with an 80cc should be stupid fun. Having to add any ballast to get the CG in the right spot with the heavier engine?
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