Spectra Down!

[pgkevet]

..and I'm so anal usually about preflighting it too..

Sunny but cold, grabbed Spectra and 700N 'cos Spectra hasn't been in the air for 2 weeks. OK I admit I didn't pull the hood and do a total check today but did mank all the upper headparts to check security, range checked and listened etc...and last time it was up it did have the full workover.

First tank no issues a solid 12 mins airtime with mixed circuits, loops. stalls and ticktocks..nothing I wasn't confident about.

Halfway thruogh the second tank I'm just pulling up into a lowish backflip when power drops off with a noise like a tractor just as I'm going inverted. I was only 20 feet up and the best i could manage was to push it back upright with remaining headspeed and try to slow the thump

It landed on skids and the JR dampers sheared, both tubes and one bow shattered but the bottom frame looks OK (at the moment). Vertical fin and it's lugs broke off and sprung the boom stays

As I was walking to the wreck the only thing I could think of to make that sound as the clutch liner ripping loose but oddly the engine didn't race.

I thought at first i'd save the blades but one has cracked unsafely.

It's too early to asses all the damage but to my ambarrassment it look like the primary cause was an unscrewed ball from the grip arm mixer!!!... That had been washd in spirit and threadlocked but there's not much threadlock on the threads. It's also been on there over a year and 20-30 flights..but it was off and no sign of stripping of threads - but it showed no looseness on the preflight..I did check it

Heck, I even use a heavier duty threadock licensed for use on oily films.. but it still comes under builder error...

Crown gear also gone..doubtless the shafts but I'm still going to be pulling that clutch..

..so at best another £300 and a 2 weeks wait for parts..and probably a load of 9252 gear sets...
I didn't feel like flying 700 after that and just sitting here feeling stupid..

[3Dheliflyer]

Sorry for your loss .it happens.just don't lose confidence.

[Jamin_00]

At least you have other helis to fly whilst you are waiting

I have had them back out and come loose but been lucky enough to spot them or someone else has.

[trillian]

Today was a day I probably should not have flown anything. The result was a dumb thumb with my Trex 450 and the damage is minimal, at least what's evident in a quick inspection (blades, link on the head, stripped main drive gear, probably feathering shaft etc.).

I have just felt 'off kilter' since Sunday, just not firing on all cylinders. I can't blame any one particular reason it's just a vague feeling of being slightly like a zombie, say 85% normal human and 15% zombie.

Fortunately I only let myself loose on the 450

I think if you checked that stuff and it looked fine you have to put it down to an unforeseen
mechanical failure. I just cringe at the thought of anything like that when it comes to a big heavy
heli like the Spectra.

[Paulice]

Mechanical failures happen, not much we can do about it. at least you managed to right it before it went in, that must have saved some of the heli.

All we can do is check, if you try to tighten every bolt before flight you'll be there all day and you will end up breaking the lock-tight seal, then your back to a problem waiting to happen.

Hope it's not too expensive to fix up.

[pgkevet]

Yup! Lots of other helis to fly..some of us need spares. although of late its nearly all been mechanical..like clutches breaking on two different helis last week (simple enough to fix with new ones) and now the muffler on the 600 cracked and that bizarre incident with Blitz falling out of the sky a couple of months ago..
The only piloting errors have been pushing my abilities too far once on the 450 and a close call I saved on the 500 after trying my first nose down ticktocks.. that just cost me one skid tube..

As for losing confidence .well I never had any and I've been working very slowly at advancing the repertoire on the sim first then cheap heli next method. Blitz and Spectra don't get risked on a manoeuver that's dodgy until it's solid on 600 and 700N's

As for Specrta... it looks like there may be the most subtle bow in the boom.. which I'd ignore on any other model but will have to be swapped on spectra. I think I may even have got away with feathering shafts and main shaft.. no wobble by feel...but will get pulled and checked. Gear sets all seem oK too and even the flybar is straight.. so the 'save' wasn't that bad.....

[pgkevet]

Remarkable how little damage..

The boom is straight..was just being bowed by the stresses of the boom supports.
The tail box clamp has a lug missing ..could be bonded but a new one is preferable. The vert fin could be bonded on the crack too.
Really just the skids, feathering and main shafts and the blades..the crown gear I actually had a spare.

I'm in no hurry to fly it..got others so parts ordered US although the JR dampers i used under the skids seem out of stock everywhere...

[rbort]

Is this a RR free country here?

Hey Peter:

Just wanted to stop in and say Hi. I ordered the dampeners for you from Irwin, cost was $21 shipped to me. I hope the repairs are going well. Email me if you want as I can't PM you back until next week.

-=>Raja.

[pgkevet]

Yo Raja!

..still waiting for Ron to ship bits so it's going to be a while + customs delays. Once you know what i owe then drop me a total plus best email addy for a paypal send (verizon?)...

RR backbiting rare here - much nicer folk... so drop by more often...

And I'm just thinking about Jamaica early January...been sober far too long and drooling for curried goat...

Yaman!!

[rbort]

Should I do a test?

Spectra spectra here comes the 1005, Spectra Spectra, read all about it! Over 1200 flights and over 2500 flights and still going strong

Yeah too much crap over there its ca-way-zee! I more prefer this

So, back to the subject, what's your email so I can write you there in regards to the dampensers?

Hmmm....haven't thought as far as Jamaica yet. Thinking about the Orlando funfly in December and a couple of friends from PA want to go so they are trying to convince me to go as well and do some long distance driving to take my helis down. That's the next 'vacation' on the horizon at this moment.

Where do you plan to go in JA and for how long?

-=>Raja.

[pgkevet]

..nothing booked yet..but expect the usual 10 days'ish and always Negril as the base. As I've said before...when you've found your paradise why look further?

PM sent

[rbort]

In the mail tomorrow

I received the dampeners today and just repacked them for you to ship out tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes after they go out.

-=>Raja.

[pgkevet]

I received the dampeners today and just repacked them for you to ship out tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes after they go out.

-=>Raja.

Excellent!

[kairey]

Hey Pete

Sorry to hear about the latest incident with the Spectra, might be cheaper for you to buy my airframe for future spares I just don't know what to do with it at the moment, I fear the only option is pulling the motor and sending it back to Hanson, but the cost of shipping alone doesn't bear thinking about as we head into a quiet Winter spell!

Flew for the first time yesterday, took the Helibug which has been sat on the shelf for 4 months, 3 pulls and off she went, faultless. 600N took a bit of starting but fine after filter change, tail is twitching though since I put DS610 servos in. The GY401 don't like been above them, moved it to the back and twitching stopped....

Hope to get some more flying done, as for Spectra................I just don't know.....

[trillian]

Kairey, what has been the problem with your Spectra?

I have the 26cc Hanson engine in my Predator and it has been totally reliable. The only thing about it being that since it does not have a choke it can be hard to start if it has sat up and dried out but I think I know how to deal with that next time.