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OK, so there we were, last Sunday. Me and Bill, all alone at the field, 3Din' our faces off. I was practicing my elevators to a hover, and having a very good time. I came down a bit low one time and YANKED it up hard. The rudder slammed the ground as the plane rotated, very audible hit.
I was concerned, so I landed to check it out. Pulled and pushed the rudder, moved the stick to check the servo, even made the servo work against my hand. All seemed fine. Back up I went. Seened OK for a few minutes.
Then I decided to do some spins and such, so I went up high. While moving along at a good clip, I comented to Bill that it seened like I was way out of trim on the elevator. That was odd, so I did a low pass, and where there should have been a vertical fin, it was nothin' but air! So I landed and this is what I saw:
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Don't ask me why it seemed like ele trim. but that's how it acted. I always thought this was a weak point on these planes. In other designs I have put tri stock to strengthen it. But no room on the Sledge. The Burrito and Taco have the best system, where the fin is part of the fuse. It was an easy fix.
The point? There I was, flying a plane with the vert fin broke off. It's a wonder I didn't kill some one!!!!! I think the laywers were just out of sight waiting for the first hint of danger!!!!!! But, as usual, the world went on, and so does the Tonke Sledge!!!!
I was concerned, so I landed to check it out. Pulled and pushed the rudder, moved the stick to check the servo, even made the servo work against my hand. All seemed fine. Back up I went. Seened OK for a few minutes.
Then I decided to do some spins and such, so I went up high. While moving along at a good clip, I comented to Bill that it seened like I was way out of trim on the elevator. That was odd, so I did a low pass, and where there should have been a vertical fin, it was nothin' but air! So I landed and this is what I saw:
Don't ask me why it seemed like ele trim. but that's how it acted. I always thought this was a weak point on these planes. In other designs I have put tri stock to strengthen it. But no room on the Sledge. The Burrito and Taco have the best system, where the fin is part of the fuse. It was an easy fix.
The point? There I was, flying a plane with the vert fin broke off. It's a wonder I didn't kill some one!!!!! I think the laywers were just out of sight waiting for the first hint of danger!!!!!! But, as usual, the world went on, and so does the Tonke Sledge!!!!
