 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion Groups General ModelsRailroadsRocketsRadio Controlled Air ModelsHelicoptersLand ModelsWater ModelsModelGeeks.com Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map |
Model Forum / Radio Controlled / Air Models / June 2004How to get your airplane out of a tree
Well, I officially flew my first R/C airplane on my first ever flight today and got it stuck in a tree. But.. I got it down after 3 or 4 hours using various tactics. My Aerobird Challenger was lodged about 40 or 50 feet up in a tree and the tail was hooked on a branch pretty good. We threw rocks, sticks... tied a rock to string and tried to throw it over the branch in an effort to shake the tree limb, but to no avail. 3 other onlookers came over to join in on the fun. One guy tied a monkey wrench to a rope and tried to throw it up there. No luck. Fishing rod.. . no luck. 2 x 4. Nothing. Finally the guy with the fishing rod pulled out a large (for fishing at least) fishing weight and we tied some very strong put pretty thin nylon string to the weight. On about the first or second try, I successfully got the weight on the proper branch. I let the weight fall to the ground and I grabbed that end, while my friend grabbed the other. I pulled down over and over again and the battery pack fell from the plane, and then finally the plane fell from the tree - into another tree! It didn't stay there long and fell out and then glided into the water near the tree! Rule #1 - don't fly near trees. Rule #2 - don't fly near water - at least not if you're a complete beginner like me. We got to wondering - what other techniques might work to get your plane out of a tree? I thought - what if you got a slingshot and shot the fishing weight with string to the branch holding your plane. For a situation where your plane gets caught in a really high tree, you won't be able to throw it. What about a archery/spearfishing setup? Anyone have any interesting techniques they've used to get a plane out of the tree? To a point, a long pole, above that, we use a bow and arrow to get the line up, then pull up a rope with a mini-grappling hook. You forgot rule no. 3..... fly with an instructor. I actually paid for lessons from a hobby shop owner. He has 25 years experience. I was flying a $500.00 airplane/radio/motor setup. I took 8 lessons at $25.00 each.... I still fly that plane after 5 years.... I know some clubs have very good instructional programs (most don't), but this way I got a very qualified person who was dedicated to helping me for an hour at a time. He had a program set up that lead me from knowing nothing to not only being able to fly ok, but also knowing proper ground technique, which is very important (if you have seen someone who doesn't know it, you will understand what I mean)..... . Arne, USA (I finally caught up with 'The Joneses') . . >I thought - what if you got a slingshot and shot the >fishing weight with string to the branch holding your plane. For a >situation where your plane gets caught in a really high tree, you >won't be able to throw it. That is the technique we use. It works well in tight areas where there are lots of trees around and works best on leafy vs. pine trees. But it always works! Use a sinker to get a fising line over the plane or nearest branch. Haul up a stronger rope. Then pull like crazy and the plane will flip down. You may have to repeat several times if it sticks on other branches. For a total cost of around $10 for slingshot, string, line and sinkers...reasonable. I also keep everything in one box and can toss it in the car easily when needed. FredD >We got to wondering - what other techniques might work to get your >plane out [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >Anyone have any interesting techniques they've used to get a plane out >of the tree? On at least three occasions, we have retrieved planes from a tree by shooting the branch holding the plane with a 12 Ga. shotgun. In all 3 instances, only one shot was required for each retrieval to sever the offending branch. Of course, we are out in the country (outside city limits) where discharging a shotgun is tolerated. The shotgun was a full choke model and relatively large (#2 shot was used). We have also resorted to the chainsaw several times. The landowner allowed us to remove the offending tree. Other techniques we have resorted to are climbing the offending tree & lower the plane with a rope (this is best accomplished by enlisting the aid of the younger guys). We have also used a 20 ft ladder to get part way up the tree, then attach a rope to the plane using a 15' length of plastic pipe. Or just use the pipe to shake the tree. Our field is bordered on two sides by woods & flying over the woods is common practice for us. Hope this helps. - Ray forget about using a bow to get the line up there. It won't work. I tried several times. The arrow is to light. Eddie Fulmer The arrow isn't too light, your line is too heavy.... as mentioned, we do it. . Arne, USA (I finally caught up with 'The Joneses') . . > forget about using a bow to get the line up there. It won't work. I tried > several times. The arrow is to light. Eddie Fulmer I have told this story here in the past, but here it is once more: At the club one day we tried aero towing, and it went well. The Lady was lifted high and enjoyed a nice glide, after some boasting the pilot stated he could make one more circut. No deal. Looks way short, hard bank, tip stall, roll/dive, recover, balloon, Tree. The local know-it-all says he has the answer. Ties a old receiver pack (or something like it, maybe it was a tennis ball) to the end of a kite string. On his second throw he loops the line over the fuse at the wing. Sort of diagonal, left LE to right TE. Maybe two and a half times around or so. Gives us all a big "I'm the greatest" smile and slowly takes the slack out of the string. Then he says "I'll just pull her down, get your thumbs on the sticks"! Mister smart guy gives it a mighty yank and the string cuts the fuse clean in half. The plane does not move. The second pull tightens the loop all the way to the wing joiner. The fuse folds almost in half and executes a slow and graceful spiral decent to the parking lot. Sort of like one of those helicopter seeds from the maple trees. So watch it if you use that method. John >executes a slow >and graceful spiral decent to the parking lot. >Sort of like one of those helicopter seeds from the maple trees. No one ever said you can always get your plane back in working order! If you put it high up in a tree...you can consider it as a total write off. You can sometimes recover it, parts of it, most of it, some of it. But whatever you do get is a bonus! FredD Agreed. John > >executes a slow > >and graceful spiral decent to the parking lot. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > FredD Once offered some kids $20 to get my Super Stunts 60 wing out of a tree. Everything else managed to make it thru the branches and down to the ground in re-kitted form. The wing was toast also but it did have 4 servos and a reverser which were still good. They managed to get the sucker down and I gladly paid up.  SignatureDan AMA605992 KE6ERB http://www.fubar1.net "I've heard the screams of the vegetables..." Take out the "trash" to reply > Agreed. > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > > > FredD Best way is not to fly there in the first place. I learned that about 25 years ago, and haven't lost a plane to a tree since then. Sounds like one of our club "experts" - he never crashes . . . . . some of his planes may be suffering from dry rot or terminal hangar rash however. :-) RS > Best way is not to fly there in the first place. I learned that about > 25 years ago, and haven't lost a plane to a tree since then. >Sounds like one of our club "experts" - he never crashes . . . . . some of >his planes may be suffering from dry rot or terminal hangar rash however. >:-) We've got the real deal: a fellow who flies his airplanes and never crashes. He's also a very generous unpaid instructor and he mows the field routinely without griping. We gave him the Crashomoseus Award last Christmas for a mid-air that wasn't his fault. We figured this was a lifetime achievement for him that deserved recognition. :o) His name is Ron Dunlap. We can't canonize him officially until he's been dead for 25 years, but he's already a saint in my books. Marty Marty, you just jinxed the guy! mk > >Sounds like one of our club "experts" - he never crashes . . . . . some of > >his planes may be suffering from dry rot or terminal hangar rash however. [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Marty >Best way is not to fly there in the first place. Don't fly over anything you can't afford to crash into. Dr.1 Driver "There's a Hun in the sun!" This is just a minor point. The further away the plane, the higher I keep it. I had 3 'flame outs' in the past week. All 3 dead sticks easily made it back to the field (and out of the corn) and were within 50 feet of me at stop... Altitude is your friend . . Arne, USA (I finally caught up with 'The Joneses') . . > >Best way is not to fly there in the first place. > > Don't fly over anything you can't afford to crash into. > Dr.1 Driver > "There's a Hun in the sun!" >Altitude is your friend . There are five useless things to a pilot. Runway behind you. Altitude above you. Airspeed you don't have. Fuel in the jug. A half second ago. Dr.1 Driver "There's a Hun in the sun!" >Don't fly over anything you can't afford to >crash into. Dr.1 Driver Heheh. Did anybody watch Judge Judy yesterday? Bill(oc) Bill Sheppard Wrote: > Heheh. Did anybody watch Judge Judy yesterday? > Bill(oc) It was a re-run!!! 'Click here' (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=193826 -- Viper Pilo > >Don't fly over anything you can't afford to >crash into. Dr.1 Driver > > Heheh. Did anybody watch Judge Judy yesterday? > Bill(oc) No. I fell asleep! But I was looking forward to seeing it, as the advertisements interested me. How about a re-cap? Update on my Aerobird Challenger... I have to say this seems to be a pretty tough plane. It still works even after being totally submersed in water. I let it dry off for a couple of days and have no problems. I flew it around today and one wing that was already weak gave in and the plane did a spiral of death from 50 feet or so and hit very hard. After taping up the fuselage and adding a support to the wing it flew with no problems. I flew it some more and got it stuck in a tree again. Used the rock on a string and got it down and flew it some more. Maybe I'm lucky... or maybe this plane's number is up? | Update on my Aerobird Challenger... I have to say this seems to be a | pretty tough plane. It still works even after being totally | submersed in water. I let it dry off for a couple of days and have | no problems. That's actually true of most electronic items, and most of our planes. When they get wet, ideally you rinse out the water with distilled water (especially if it's dirty or salt water that got in it) and then open it up to let it dry out quickly. A fan blowing on it is good. The purpose of the distilled water is to get rid of any water that might leave a residue. It may seem counter productive to get it wetter than it already was, but it does work. It's important to get it taken care of quickly -- otherwise parts can start to rust, and that's generally bad. SignatureDoug McLaren, dougmc@frenzy.com "What luck for rulers that men do not think." --Adolf Hitler > No. I fell asleep! But I was looking forward to seeing it, as the > advertisements interested me. How about a re-cap? 'CLICK HERE!!!!! (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=193826 -- Viper Pilo I have done somewhat the same thing as the shotgun approach but used a .22 cal. pellet gun instead. That way there wasn't as much chance of collateral damage but it was harder to hit the branch. Of course it wouldn't work on very large branches, but normally it is the small branches that are snagged on the landing gear or something, that is preventing the model from sliding off of a larger branch. It is quite a different type of target practice to lay on your back, on the ground, while shooting straight up in the air. I wouldn't recommend doing it with anything more powerful. Remember that what goes up, must come down. That applies to bullets as well as airplanes. > >We got to wondering - what other techniques might work to get your > >plane out [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > tree. Our field is bordered on two sides by woods & flying over the woods is > common practice for us. Hope this helps. - Ray This question shows up about once a month!!! New techniques are suggested almost everytime!! V -- Viper Pilo '\"out of a tree\" search (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/search.php?searchid=300317) '\"in a tree\" search (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/search.php?searchid=300307 -- Viper Pilo |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2009 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.