JTUTTLE11
Well-known member
Just as well. I had one and it suffered a Catostrophic Failure of the wing. When i returned it to Horizon, They agreed the failure was in the design BUT, It being over a year old they refused to warranty it.
JTUTTLE11
Well-known member
You are Correct. The Fuselage/cowling/wing tips/wheel pants were all fiberglass. The Vertical stabilizer was molded into the fuselage. The rudder/elevator-horizontal stabilizer and wings were built up balsa construction.
Someday when it's warm I may have to go out to my shop and build the one I have still in the box. Maybe I'll convert it to electric so that I don't have to cut up that beautiful cowling.
Before you do, you should take a 3D scan of all those fiberglass parts and 3D print it in something lighter. My very first plane was from TowerHobbies around 20 years ago. Similar concept, except the fuse was this PVC-like plastic but thin and somewhat flimsy...think plastic Folgers coffee can. High-wing, trainer design with foam wing and molded slots for tail-feathers. My very first flight was actually successful! No steerable nose wheel, just basic trike landing gear. Pointed it into the wind and took off from the ground...in a parking lot....with light poles and parking curbs everywhere. I managed to miss the light poles, several close calls, and actually landed her pretty well. Had no idea about roll-out and put it into one of the many parking curbs I was surrounded by. Popped off the spinner and bent the shaft.
That poor plane was sadly under-powered by a sealed-end brushed motor and gear-box running on a 5 cell Nimh that guys used in glow planes as a Rx pack. I see the micro world has brought back the ESC/Rx/servo brick that I had on that plane....except mine was massive and ran on the old 72 Mhz band. LOL Eventually installed brushless motor, ESC, a decent Rx, separate servos and 3S lipo. Hand launch was spool up and let go, no throwing necessary. I folded that wing and it dropped in the laziest spin and kinda helicoptered in on it's belly. Fuse took absolutely no damage. Put a spar in the wing and it never folded again.
Once, I lost elevator as the clevis came disconnected while trying to perform an outside loop. All it did was porpoise. Since I still had rudder and throttle, I was able to manage it to the ground and actually time the porpoise pretty well into a flare and landed it pretty smooth.
Another time I nosed it in pretty hard. Barely put a couple crinkles in the nose of that fuse. Straightened it out by hand. Sure wish they still sold that plane...the design of the fuse was it's best feature....light but TOUGH.
That poor plane was sadly under-powered by a sealed-end brushed motor and gear-box running on a 5 cell Nimh that guys used in glow planes as a Rx pack. I see the micro world has brought back the ESC/Rx/servo brick that I had on that plane....except mine was massive and ran on the old 72 Mhz band. LOL Eventually installed brushless motor, ESC, a decent Rx, separate servos and 3S lipo. Hand launch was spool up and let go, no throwing necessary. I folded that wing and it dropped in the laziest spin and kinda helicoptered in on it's belly. Fuse took absolutely no damage. Put a spar in the wing and it never folded again.
Once, I lost elevator as the clevis came disconnected while trying to perform an outside loop. All it did was porpoise. Since I still had rudder and throttle, I was able to manage it to the ground and actually time the porpoise pretty well into a flare and landed it pretty smooth.
Another time I nosed it in pretty hard. Barely put a couple crinkles in the nose of that fuse. Straightened it out by hand. Sure wish they still sold that plane...the design of the fuse was it's best feature....light but TOUGH.
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JTUTTLE11
Well-known member
The crash of my plane was the result of a catastrophic failure of the wing resulting in a vertical decent into the ground. the fuselage looked like an accordian when I pulled it from the ground.