CRASH ON MAIDEN-E-Flite Leader 480 by Fat Guy Flies Rc

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

Well this was going to be a great maiden

[@Emiliocab47]

At least you know it wasn’t down to pilot error ... wishing you better luck next time with the electronics

[@thomasallan8113]

This plane looks so much like the old Great Planes Ultra Sport. That was a good sport/pattern plane.

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

Well this one is cheaper to buy a new airframe than it is to repair. However It will be shelved for a while. i have many other projects ahead of it.

[@timwillis6292]

Good Advice FG 🌿

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

Thanks 👍

[@free-birdrocker8809]

Back in 91 I purchased my first lectric bird. I built it from a box of sticks, monokoted it, tuned it up installed the motor and batteries and was read for a solo. I went to fly it and it crashed and splintered big time. I was done. Cause? I forgot to raise the antenna on my Futaba radio. I was done up until they started making these cheap flying beer coolers. Sorry bout' your bird, Bubba!

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

We are often the cause of our own misery.

[@free-birdrocker8809]

@@FatGuyFliesRC 10-4!🤠

[@stevebarr9604]

I've had that one for a few years now but I only fly it occasionally cause I don't really like how it flys!

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

I actually have no idea why she crashed now but 2 busted up to figure it out.

[@SunriseRCAviator]

To bad man. I also hade a plane on it's maiden where the elevator horn came loose and down she went. I hope you get it working again.

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

One way or the other. I will have a working and flying Leader 480.

[@SunriseRCAviator]

@@FatGuyFliesRC Looking forward to it!

[@oddeman3489]

Fixable my pilot friend, 😊

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

And replaceable. I will self her for now and return to her again.

[@BillKisel]

There is that saying... "buy cheap, buy twice". I'm 78 years old and from time to time still find myself re-learning that lesson. 😢

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

Yep but with everything going up in price I think this will be happening more. Hopefully I won't be a culprit .

[@stevebarr9604]

I had the elevator servo to go crazy on my edge and ran it straight in the ground and burry the motor in the dirt!

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

Expensive lawn dart.

[@stevebarr9604]

Yeah I've got one of those things and it flys but I don't like it at all! It's not very much fun and it took a lot of aileron trim just to fly straight!

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

Well with this one i did not really get the chance to find out. But I did really enjoy putting it together.

[@capnhardway]

Sad for sure. You did do 2 or 3 control surface checks. I didn't look yet if this is a kit or a pnp version. If it's a servo that came with the plane they would have to replace it no? Nothing you could of done, sorry it happened, keep em' Flyin'..

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

No I had to put my own gear in it was a ARF kit.thanks

[@aragorn318]

You get what you pay for in the long run. Expensive hobby

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

very true.

[@free-birdrocker8809]

Top fuel dragsters and racing Porscha and Ferries is more expensive.😉

[@A.M.-RC]

Sorry to see that happen, and it is such a nice model.

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

I will get a Leader 480 in the air again.

[@zacharylws7120]

Looked like it may have been a bit tail heavy with how nervous the controls were just after take off. Did you ever locate any problem that could’ve caused the crash?

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

No never figures it out and too damaged to rebuild so she got scrapped for parts.

[@free-birdrocker8809]

Wait a cotton-picking min-u-ette, my fms 800mm ranger did this same thing. It fell out of the sky 2 different flights just like that. It was uncontrollable and then is splatted just like what happened here. Both were non-safeselect recievers, 1 was antenna less the other was the gps style one. Interesting.

[@capnhardway]

Did they admit blame and replace the plane??

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

I may never truly know the real reason but I will never put refurbished or no name brand servos in a good/new plane again. i might in a foam board kit but not a nice Eflite plane.

[@free-birdrocker8809]

@@capnhardway Nah....If a plane falls out of the sky, then a dummy like me buys a new foam chassis to have a repeat take then it was me that was the dummy for buying that sorry product in the first place....In other words...Made in Chiner.👎

[@capnhardway]

@@free-birdrocker8809 I have to take serious note of this as I'm known as Mr cheapo. Maybe not a good idea 💡 in RC components especially electronics.. Thank you.

[@free-birdrocker8809]

@@capnhardway Go find a classic Japanese Futaba 8 channel radio, go find a classic 80's Japanese Christian Eagle, build it and fly it. And then you will know true quality.

[@SteffenRC]

What a shame... Sorry.. I've been there too. Built a quality plane and try to save money on a cheap part, then have a single low cost item fail and destroy the plane.. Its funny we lose a plane due to saving a few bucks on a critical part. I learned that lesson. USE the GOOD stuff in your builds. Good luck trying to rebuild her, maybe you'll find a new fuse at a swap meet or EBAY. - Will

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

Thanks . For ease of build I would require new fuse, cowl and tail feathers. Be easier just to get a new kit for $149. I will wait for a sale or something.

[@thomasallan8113]

Reminds me of when the turbine car was routing the Field at Indy and a nickle part broke.

[@rcaviationcrawling7351]

Dang. You certainly did check your surfaces, and you were getting elevator initially during flight.

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

I may never really know the reason but lesson learned on cheap parts anyhow.

[@066motocross]

Sorry about your plane. Yes it's definitely part of the hobby but it's expensive and discouraging. I raced stock cars back in the 80s and 90s. Rc planes feel much like racing. You load a $40.000 racecar on a trailer and sometimes come home with a badly injured car. Only difference is that rc airplanes are 10s of thousands of dollars cheaper to trash. Gotta love this hobby lol

[@buckreynolds1779]

some days are diamonds...............................some days are coal

[@buckreynolds1779]

tough maiden there Boss

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

Well I taught myself a lesson so not a complete loss.

[@itzjoeylo4501]

I learned don’t go cheap a long time ago, but sometimes we take that chance. RIP 🪦

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

Almost always sound advice do i listen...not always..lol

[@Bellairvideo]

Wow....she's not in such bad shape from the video footage. I recon you will get her up again soon Greg.

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

I will shelf her for a while.

[@KnifeEdgeCrash]

I think the tray holding the elevator and rudder servos broke loose in flight. On wood ARF models I reglue all the joints I have access to. Some days the factories have glue shortages.... or so it seems. I would be looking at the glue coverage on that part, photograph and complain if that was the problem. The tail end gyrating around points to that possibility. Does your video editing allow you to zoom in on the aircraft as it is going down?

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

No it wont zoom it. But that would explain it all.

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

Also that is encouraging. Because everything checked out so good. Range test, control test, I never thought to test the factory glue joints. Thanks...live and learn.

[@SteffenRC]

Re-gluing those critical parts is an Outstanding suggestion..... I think you nailed it.

[@tughillrc6327]

Sorry for my prior comment Greg, I deleted it. At the price point I would think it would be cheaper to just replace the $150 ARF.Again sorry about that comment.

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

Its all good.

[@Bill14886]

Awwww Bummer. 😮. Please leave the typing on the screen longer. My reflexes and reading skills are no lightening fast any more. Mini mouse walk was funny. Sorry to see that bird fail the maiden. 😢

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

Yeah sorry about the type duration. I am still not completely used to my new editing software.

[@cecilbell6799]

It's difficult to put hundreds in electronics in a $150 plane.

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

True.

[@free-birdrocker8809]

Uhhh...microchips and mini circuit boards have taken care of that since the 70's?😉

[@cecilbell6799]

@@free-birdrocker8809 Uhhh... KZbin is full of videos of how well those cheap knock off circuit boards and chips perform?

[@rlbutterfield]

Sorry about your loss. I was considering this plane, and trying to install retracts. Maybe not now. Did you determine an exact cause? Elevator servo?

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

I have a VERY experianced friend/club member whom seems to think it was the mounting bracket that the elevator and rudder servos sit in. That would explain the wobble of the plane right before she went down. And this bracket was completely detached upon inspection after crash.

[@old-rcplane-phart]

Never buy 2nd's, refurbished, anything from anyone BUT horizon. I destroyed a beautiful profile plane on a cheap POS 'refurbished 6ch spektrum' rx on Amazon. $10 less destroyed a beautiful bird that wasn't made after 1991.

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

Yep lesson learned. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@FlankerTanker]

Balsawood..no thank you.....

[@066motocross]

Same with me

[@FatGuyFliesRC]

I know but I all ready had the kit and wanted to give it a go.