Overconfidence crash...

[edmoore]

Thanks all for your sage advice

An upside of all my crashing is I'm now a dab hand at replacing the feathering shaft in seconds by using a spare flybar to pull a new one through...

[Brian Gifford]

Like your style, Ed!

[bikerflier]

Hi Ed
Same as several have said, plan and practice the escape route first.
I didn't bother flying today, too windy, maybe the escape route should be don't fly in weather beyond your limits, but hard to resist after a week stuck at work.

Any news on HoEA membership.
I will be there Sunday after about 2:00, I will take my box of spares and you can pick through for what you need.
Replace them later but get flying again first.
Malcolm

[HeliWolf]

Had my first one today,thought id try it out in the back yard, been trying to sort out the gyro on my X50. Was all goin well, Used 2 tanks of fuel, tail-in, Side on hovering. (not quite ready for nose-in). Was getting quite pleased,then,........ BANG!!!! for some reason it all went pete tong and obliterated the BBQ.. In a way im glad i've got the first crash out the way, Stupid as it sounds.

[BiG-T]

I am still at the hovering tail in and trying to control the 'toilet bowl effect' the problem with 'Height is your friend' is something at the back of my brain keeps saying that if you don't get control of it the crash is going to be worse... must try and ignore the little voices the same way as you learn to ignore the wife and kid's at crucial moment's like in the middle of the F1..lol

Tony

[zoombolt]

The worse damage I've had was at just a few feet from the deck.
Get the heli up there. It's a whole new orientation in itself.

[edmoore]

Finally got around to fixing the heli today and took it back out for a spin.

Turned out the canopy was broken as well so replaced that and the tail stabilisers with the plain white type - heli looks a lot nicer than with the stock yellow pattern I think! I may regret this when I can't see it against cloud I suppose...

Anyway all flying very nicely now and my side-on hovering is improving. I'm now just repeating "tail-in, add power" over and over in my head anytime I'm trying something new and it helps.

Even decided I was okay to remove the training gear as well. Heli seems to fly a lot nicer without them and of course looks the part Although it made me realise how much the extra height the training gear (mine sort of angled up from the ground 20 degrees or so rather than being flat out from the base) was supplying - had to learn to be a lot more selective of landing spots to keep the tail rotor from trimming the grass.

Not sure what the next step is really; just need to keep building confidence with the side in hovering and maybe progress to lazy eights I guess?

I still feel constantly scared the whole time it's in the air...

[BiG-T]

When i first started I had training gear on my 450 i had more accidents with it than without it, I managed to bin the trainers with a slightly sideways landing on grass they dug in and flipped the heli sideways. I uprated the skids to 500 size gear this widened the skid base and gives it more stability on landing etc it also lifts the whole heli a bit further off the floor saving the tail blades.

Tony