Well, I made what one SHOULD call my first major flying mistake with my green Addiction after nearly 30 flights. I won't go into detail, but let's just say it hit HARD. Nose down about 45º into grass, throttle full! After a sharp thump, I walked slowly to the crash-site head hanging low already contemplating how I will be talking my wife into a new Addiction, ironically I already knew I HAD to have another one! Addict I am!
But wait, picking the airplane up off the grass I first noticed the landing gear mount has broken only partially away from the forward fuselage, then a cracked-up wheel pant, then.... NOTHING?! NOTHING ELSE BROKEN!? It's for real! The front end of the airplane should be just a pile of broken jagged sticks in my opinion! But it's not! I am sitting here typing this while the epoxy sets up and I am ready to go back out flying! Can't believe it, this is (despite the appearance) a VERY TOUGH airframe! My hat's off to the "FiberFusion" designer! Thanks PA!
flyinghigh025 @ RCGroups
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“I drilled my KMD into the ground today doing rolling harriers at eye level. I got mixed up and smacked it hard at half throttle, right on it's nose. Canopy came flying off. I was sure it was a goner and instantly resolved to put in an order for a new red one.
Upon inspection the damage was a stripped right aileron servo and a 5mm paint chip on top of the cowl. I've been searching and searching but I can't find ANY structural damage at all! There is no cracked balsa or c/f anywhere, motor mount is rock solid, motor shaft spins perfectly.
I don't get it, how could it survive that totally unscathed?
Anyway, thanks Shaun for making such a tough bird, although it looks like it just cost you a sale. (A replacement KMD sale that is, bring on the Addiction!)”
C.B Australia
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I'm anyways surprised that my Katana MD is still alive but today I nearly lost her and I was thinking about ESC low voltage behaviour again....
After more than a week of no flights today I was so happy to get the chance to empty all my four LiPo packs. I felt very proud since today everything was fine, *nearly* no critical situations and even the majority of the landings like a sofa.
At the end of the last pack the first "beep-beep" of my low voltage buzzer (adjusted to 3.2V per cell) was heard. What the hell I thought - remember, it was my last pack and this meant the end of todays flying circus - ; nobody uses such fancy low voltage buzzers, the low voltage power reduction of the ESC will do it as well - even when I'm just flying some last brave rounds without any 3D attempts
Okay, so I assiduously ignored the beeps which came more often now. But at the end I felt that now it's really better to turn and prepare for the last landing. In the same moment the ESC reduced the power.
Okay, so I said to myself, be prepared for a fast landing, swinging in for the final curve to reach the landing strip. Not worrying I increased the throttle, but nothing really happened - the plane started to sink.
Finally - now really a bit alarmed - I moved the throttle stick to its upper position, but I couldn't prevent the plane from coming down.
Aaarrrghhh: unfortunately the plane sunk behind a little knoll, so I couldn't even control the emergency landing
After a very ugly sound (plane meets planet surface) now very worried I was running to my plane. But what a luck - there was high grass and PA made the bird really crash-resistant, so everything still was in place *YUPPIEEE*!!!!
W.D Switzerland
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Buddy crashes his KMD on it's 5th or 6th flights, didn't even put the wheel pants on. Pilot error, it happens...
We inspected it real quick, put the magnetic hatch back on and he was up enjoying it again. He loves his plane you hear him raving about it just before the crash! I should have kept filming the whole event but was sure it was toast.
This is one tough muthah!
I too went nose in today! I was torquing 4-5 feet off the ground and hit the cutoff. (forgot i had used that pack to setup another plane so it was probably half full) Hmm, how nice it would be to have an audible alarm telling me it was going to happen just a few seconds before... BANG right on the business end... Minor cowl damage, and by minor i mean i need to look really closely to see it. I will give the plane a thorough inspection but so far everything looks fine.
Translation; Right after i say "Uh-oh!" you hear my friend say "Kesse qu'jai fait la" Which in english means "what the heck did i just do?!??" and my reply "I dunno" Priceless. I still can't beleive the violence of that impact and the fact that everything is FINE! Never seen a plane crash like that and not require extensive repairs if fixable at all!
VIDEO Youtube
A.L Canada
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I must say that the MD is really tough and in-spite of the wing's leading edge been hit by the prop in three places, the CF rod on the leading edge did not break. It was a matter of re-gluing the balsa skin back and touching up the covering. The fuselage also had a prop strike just in front of the vertical stab but still intact. The fuselage is in very good condition in spite of the ground impact. Guess the motor mount and cowl absorbed the force.
C.B Malaysia |
