Home
My Airplanes
Where I used to fly
R/C Sukhoi 26mx
Other People's Sukhois
Download
View Guestbook
Sign Guestbook
Copyright notice
Links page
About Me
Stuck in someones frames? Click here to escape.
Website maintained by Erik Middeldorp
I took the sukhoi out today (1st January 2000) and on the second flight I stuffed up the landing. There was a cross wind and I didn't bother to use the rudder to straighten it (because I'm not used to landing cross wind or using the rudder on landing). Landing from right to left, with the wind blowing away from me across the strip, the plane was side slipping and when it touched down the right wheel was in front of the left. Because the right wheel was at an angle it dug in, flipped the plane on its back which damaged the top of the rudder. The force on the landing gear cracked the right leg where it exited the fuselage. I think the fact that my landing gear has some positive camber (I think thats right...? the wheels are angled like this when viewed from the front \ / ) and the tires are a bit squishy contributed to the wheel digging in.
So now I have to decide if I should try to fix the old landing gear or maybe make a new one. I also have to fix the rudder but that won't be difficult.
Today (January 2nd) I discovered that I broke the elevator and rudder servo gears in the crash. Easy to replace, but it's the first time it has happened to me and I'm glad I found out about them now and not in the air.
Damaged landing gear after the crash.
I ended up fixing the old landing gear and it has held up ok so far. My landings are improving, I had a habbit of letting the plane get too slow on landings but now I'm using the throttle more to control the rate of descent and airspeed. I still have to get used to using the rudder in crosswinds though.