Rebel - hard landing
Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 10:48 am
Hi Rick !
Sorry to hear you've bent your bird ! Very glad that there were
no personal injuries !!! The Rebel is a strong, well designed kit -
it WILL fold up if hit hard enough, as it's designed to soak up
the energy and protect the pilot. Glad it did its job !
You are not the first to land 50 feet up - the previous owner of
one of my Rebels did almost the same trick, with full fuel, and
a passenger - and walked away unscratched.... Sometimes, excess
concentration on 'the spot', or some outside distraction, can cause
us to forget that "Fly The Airplane" is the first priority !
Glad you're OK, and you will now get to make those mods you
planned. I know your Rebel will soon be an award-winner again !
......bobp
-------------------------------orig.-------------------------
On Sunday 07 August 2005 07:51 am, Rick Harper wrote:
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Sorry to hear you've bent your bird ! Very glad that there were
no personal injuries !!! The Rebel is a strong, well designed kit -
it WILL fold up if hit hard enough, as it's designed to soak up
the energy and protect the pilot. Glad it did its job !
You are not the first to land 50 feet up - the previous owner of
one of my Rebels did almost the same trick, with full fuel, and
a passenger - and walked away unscratched.... Sometimes, excess
concentration on 'the spot', or some outside distraction, can cause
us to forget that "Fly The Airplane" is the first priority !
Glad you're OK, and you will now get to make those mods you
planned. I know your Rebel will soon be an award-winner again !
......bobp
-------------------------------orig.-------------------------
On Sunday 07 August 2005 07:51 am, Rick Harper wrote:
G'day Guys ('n' gals)
What a difference a day makes ...
I was partaking in a spot landing competition today at our airfield ....
and it was a pretty bumpy day - so the final approach was very lumpy - (
the strip is cut out of a side of a hill & lined nearby by tall trees -
GREAT for adverse landing practise !)
First landing was within 3 feet of the line, second was 60 feet short !
(looked ok from where I was sitting), third was about 10 feet short - so
a BIG effort on the last landing was called for !!!
I was doing my "Rebel special" landing - full flap approach & DUMP the
LOT - to full 12 degree negative a soon as she touches - very effective
- u...s....u...a....l....l....y......
Trouble is, I got hit with a rotor - and she ballooned - just as I
dumped the flap :o( - so instead of falling from "nil height" - she
dropped like a ROCK from a height much bigger than I had anticipated :o(
:o( :o(
Left drag link sheared & leg collapsed, skidded right & the right gear
dug in - shoving the triangulated gear up through the floor :o( - LOTS
of lower fuse' damage, prop shortened (wood thankfully), screen
shattered and more :o( :o( :o(
No personal damage - but VERY pissed with myself - to say the least :o(
Oh well .... back to the old drawing board - ( at least I'll get to do
all the fuse upgrades I wanted to do now )
Rick & Wendy Harper
541R .... NOT flying now :o(
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