October 2011

Sometimes it really doesn’t matter how much experience you have, there is still more to learn...and quite rightly so.  Something happened today, and it may be helpful to other members.

 

Nice calm, sunny, Sunday afternoon.  We don’t have many like that!  Field was busy, yet not packed.  No-one flying when I arrived, just Paul Gurr riding up and down the strip mowing.  Usually take a couple of models, yet today I didn’t expect to stay too long, only putting my Raptor 30 in the boot.  Done all my usual flight checks, everything as it should be.   Forgot that I had clamped the fuel pipe for filling (and wondered why it wouldn’t start!), but we all do the odd mistake like that.  Heck, some have been known to fly with the glow still attached, but I’m sure Darren wouldn’t like to be reminded of that!

 

Model was then started, Paul mowing the other end of the strip, everything looked safe enough to fly.  One last check of the cyclics, before switching off the throttle hold, lifting gently into the hover.  Gentle drift left, back to centre, drift right...just checking all was as it should be before setting off for a flight...then it happened!  No control at the sticks, but it was coming down!  Blades hit, and I was lucky that the heli sat on the skids, rather than led on it’s side.  Now, what do you do?   How do you stop the engine with the remains of the blades still spinning?  How do you make it safe as quickly as possible?

 

Looking around to make sure people were at a safe distance, when a kind member came over with the offer of help.  He chucked his coat on the tail, slowing it down enough for me to dive in, grab the head and pinch the exhaust pipe shut, stopping the engine.  I barely had time to thank the guy before he was going back to the pits, but think he deserves a pat on the back.....I don’t know him that well yet, only as “Dangerous Dave”.   What a great bloke!   Cheers Dave!  And quick thinking!  The heli is repairable, but the main thing is, no-one got hurt!

 

So what had caused the radio failure?  Stan spotted it first, and it was really stupid!  The battery connector had vibrated out of the socket!  That had cut power to the receiver.  Such a simple thing, and a servo clip will now be used to make sure it doesn’t happen again.  Something so simple, I have them on the extension leads from the gyro, so why did I miss the one on the battery?   It was a firm connection, not loose when installed. How easy is it to overlook something like this?   Hope this may stop someone else making a similar mistake.

 

Pete