Page 13 - MFW June 2024

Barrie Russell
MFHB

To mis-quote the Bard, following a
crash arrival we’re often faced
with the choice of binning the
remains or trying to rebuild the
pieces which at the time may
a p p e a r a d a u n t i n g i f n o t
impossible task. That combined
with the disappointment and
sometimes embarrassment of the
occasion makes a trip to the bin an
easy decision. However, if we take time to pause, help
may be available. For the seasoned modellers like myself
the answer is as it has always been, take it home, put the
pieces on the bench, reflect and where possible put it back
together again using the experience gathered over years
of dealing with such a situation. Many of us were brought
up on the basis of fly it on Sunday, rebuild it during the
week and fly it again next Sunday and rebuild it again the
next week and so on until either the plane or the aspiring
pilot prevailed !

Time never stands still and these days we’re not just
dealing with sticks and glue and covering and a simple Fortunately most of the gear survived, with the only real
four channel radio. It’s supposedly made easy for the loss being the propeller and three servos with stripped
incoming modeller, ARF’s, BNF’s, ready builds, gears. The ESC was a little dented being impact by the
composite, molded foam, ten plus channel radios, 3 axis battery (which has been discarded) but fired up okay and
stabilization and Safe whatever, just throw your dollars the motor was unaffected. The wing had a major rear
into the mix and you’re away laughing or just maybe, crack at the root but still retained it’s spar area integrity.
crying ! In the hands of an experienced modeller or The fuselage bore the brunt with the nose being broken off
someone who is being mentored, these wonderful new and was severely distorted and compressed, and the rear
creations are obviously a boon. But the down side is that half severed at the back of the cockpit. Some gear and
for just as many who benefit, there are those who fittings were loose and displaced.
succumb to the temptation and spend the dollars only to
see them evaporate in a shower of composite and foam A trial fit together showed that most of the model was
and dispiritedly walk away from the hobby. Fortunately ( or there, but the area of greatest concern was the nose
hopefully) most clubs have good mentoring systems in section which no longer fitted well and was quite
place and experienced and concerned modellers who can misshapen in places, the crash having compressed the
share their abilities and knowledge. foam in the front lower front half. I tried using a hot air gun
to reshape the front but only succeeded in bubbling the
Having got all that off my chest, the point of this ramble is foam surface. Steaming had little effect so it was just left to
to share a rebuild that I’ve just completed. Recently a using some gentle persuasion and quite a lot of “Bog”.
member lost his almost new foam Eflite 1.2m T-28 Trojan Although the foam is cyano safe, I needed time to fit and
in a moment of overhead disorientation with the inevitable adjust the pieces together so opted to use normal slow
sad result. With he not being a builder it was headed for epoxy thickened to a bog consistency with micro balloons.
the rubbish bin or the spare parts drawer. I managed to This gave a good working time and good adhesion and the
intervene and suggested he let me have pieces and see cured bog could be carved and sanded quite easily. The
what I could do. first job was to rebuild the shattered plastic motor mount
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