28/4/91 - my 5th model; an unknown delta seen in the local model store. OS25 engine. First flight, hand launched well. Instructor having fun, nice big loop but stayed in the vertical downside for some reason; had to dig that out of the dirt!
28/12/91 - my first heli. An old MFA Sport 500 fixed pitch. Thought I could fly without assistance in my (5 acre) garden. I was wrong. The gyro was reversed, I didn't know it; I didn't have a chance! Deliberately killed the power before it left the property. Ouch! I bought a Concept 30 after that and got a sim and some instruction.
28/06/92 - Paper Aviation Fun Stun. Awesome plane. Got it at a show for ten quick. Made of foamboard. Had it for a month and was flying full speed from right to left when it just nose dived in from 50ft and re-kitted itself. Never did find out why; suspect I got shot down, but who would admit to that!
26/7/92 - my 6th model, a Howard Metcalfe Phantom, with that same OS25 in it. Again crashed by the instructor. Too much rates on first flight, not enough on the second. Hmm, that engine a bit of a jinx?!
late-92 - after getting to aerobatics on the Concept 30 heli I had a run of engine problems causing crashes several weeks in a row. Got too expensive, went back to planes!
late-92 - my second delta, bigger this time. 47" span, SC53 engine. Was ok, but coming out a big loop it wouldn't recover. Went behind a hill and I lost sight of it. Gone. This was at a coastal flying site. Spent almost an hour looking for it but couldn't find it. When I returned to the field there was a guy in a wetsuit holding it. Apparently, it had levelled out, flown almost a mile out to sea and bumped into this windsurfer; no damage to him and he found it rather amusing. The plane and radio was all history.
01/11/97 - Avicraft Moronic. Crashed in NZ by club member. Not entirely sure what happened. I did later find that he flew Mode 1 whereas my TX was Mode 2. May have been movement of the banded on wing after an outside loop fouling the controls though. Who really knows? Total write off.
early-98 - Kyosho Nexus 30 heli. Back into helis and again, after a few months more engine issues and more crashes. Still can't auto! Back to planes then!
2011 - back into models after a huge layoff. Been playing with the Phoenix sim; just like riding a bike, right? Got my Parkzone Extra 300, would all the controls to max... crashed it. Repaired the torn off u/c and firewall. Adjusted the pushrods and the TX rates. Now ok. Later made further adjustments and had lots of up and no down; stalled it in. Repaired it again. Got the CG right now too. Flying well.
PS. Now have a T-Rex 550E FBL; goes great, no engine to quit on me, but still can't auto! It's just a matter of time...
