OK powered Dakota

Ken Cook wrote:               Today, the flight gods took my Dakota from me. Everyone insisted I switch to the Cox 6x3 black prop. I did but I wasn't happy using it. It's heavier thus it needed to be leaned out just a tad more. Well in 5 seconds it put my Dakota every bit of 200' or better high. Usually it would still be in a upward attitude when the fuel would quit, then it would spiral back to the ground. Today it hooked up and flew out level, I just couldn't believe it, I had a real pit in my gut when I saw it level off. I figured at this point it would begin it's consistent spiral. It just flew away. There was no retrieving it as it flew into a wooded area with no access. I have to say I was pretty upset by it. At least I can enjoy the pictures here. Ken

Ohhh Ken, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry to hear about the loss of the model, I feel that as a great loss ... but there is a possibility ...
.... look, I have flown radio control for many years and I have enough experience, however recently I lost two beautiful models, they crashed for the loss of signal from the RX (receivers), although I went to look and there were my planes , they were very broken that it hurts to still remember them and see their expanded pieces ... I did lose them ... but you Ken, you didn't lose it, it's there somewhere and I'm sure you'll meet him again ... I'm Surely you will join that beautiful model again, because there it is! ... it's a matter of time. Hug!

Sorry to hear Ken. This is the number one reason I had never tried free flight. The fear of not only losing the hard work of the model, but also teh jewel of the engine that is attached. Hopefully one day you will be able to recover it.

Been there done that Ken..I admit I dropped already many tears in situations like that..the feeling of not being able to do anything to collect your baby just sitting there somewhere waiting for you is terrible. My sympathies.

Man , That gut feeling .. what do you mean the woods are unassessable ??  
                       Beautiful Plane !!

I didn't talk too much on the ride home. My son and I were pretty quiet, we were eating dinner and he said man that thing couldn't of flown any straighter. I just still can't figure out why, I have a trim tab on the rudder and all I can think of is that maybe it got bumped straight somehow. My first run on the ground just to clear it out was consuming fuel so quickly, I was concerned I wouldn't have enough time to launch. When I just leaned it up a click or two, it was doing much better on fuel and I waited until the fuel was truly at the bottom of the eye dropper. I would say there was 1/8" of fuel in it. The engine was a .049 B as mentioned, it was given to me by a now deceased club member. I think that's what bothers me the most. I know they're readily available , it's just not the same as that one. Well, I guess it's back to the building table, I believe BMJR makes one with radio compatibility, even if it's rudder only, I think I will opt for it. As the first one, I liked the Cub .049, it started very easily and did the job as required.

Sorry to Hear This. It was a Good Looking Little Airplane

Firstly, my commiserations. This is definitely a gut wrenching experience watching a fly away and especially such a smart looking model.

We could all guess at the reason when this has flown so well as trimmed before but most of us have experienced this and unless you can recover it you can’t find the reason.

I have a couple of rc park flyers that I have to trim almost every flight. On further examination, one of them changes when I change the battery and refit the wing with the rubber bands. I am sure that the wing doesn’t always sit exactly in the same place.

The other on is temperature driven - as the temperature warms up during the early morning I think everything moves a little.

RC rudder control will make trimming easier but will add some weight. The next thing you will turn into a fully fledged stick twiddler!

As Bad as this is , I did see one good statement and that was " My Son And I " So That part is Nice

Sorry to hear that Ken, I'm somewhat of a sentimentalist myself some of my most prized possessions are probably worthless to others but priceless to me because of the memories attached to them from people who are no longer here. TJ

My BMJR Dakota (single port horseshoe Cox powered w/ eyedropper tank) racked up about 50 flights in a friend's cow pasture. Then one day it got snatched by some fast breeze aloft and wound up spending the night on its backside in the city water reservoir. We snuck in a canoe and made an unauthorized voyage the next day to recover her in a little finger of the lake. I popped a hole on bottom of fuselage and dried her out and dismounted engine for complete teardown. It's been hanging on my wall ever since. (8 yrs ??)

Ken , do you know anyone with a drone with first person view that could fly over where you lost the Dakota ?

Unfortunately, I don't. In addition, there's no drone flying at all from the location I was flying at. So, I've come to accept it's gone and I want to purchase another kit and make another. I too contacted Ted at OK Engines. I have a few .049's in need of parts, he just told me to make a list and get it to him. Thanks for that heads up. Ken

Some of you may be familiar with this lost plane finder...connect it between the RX and a servo and will buzz if the servo remains inactivated for a few seconds..good only for RC planes though
..generates high pitch sound and helps find stray planes in bush or deep grass.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/153791681113

balogh wrote:Some of you may be familiar with this lost plane finder...connect it between the RX and  a servo and will buzz if the servo remains inactivated for a few seconds..good only for RC planes though
..generates high pitch sound and helps find stray planes in bush or deep grass.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/153791681113

Thanks for the link! Looks like a small price to pay for insurance to find a lost plane. Hope the beeping sound is loud enough to hear from a distance.
Spent a little extra time browsing the sellers other items, lots of low priced items like metal gear servos, wire plugs, temperature controls, wide range of strange and fun stuff!

Rene this stuff works, I have tried it, and just re-ordered a pack of 2 for an astronomic amount of 3.99 USD, shipping from China included...with the RX turned on, and the buzzer connected between a servo and the RX, it will start buzzing - loud enough to hear it in a 100 yard distance or so - if that servo is not activated for 1 minute . I typically connect it between the elevator servo and the RX because the elevator is pretty active during flight and will not give the buzzer the 1 minute idle time for it to start buzzing in a normal flight.

balogh wrote:Rene this stuff works, I have tried it,  and just re-ordered a pack of 2 for an astronomic amount of 3.99 USD, shipping from China included...with the RX turned on, and the buzzer connected between a servo and the RX, it will start buzzing - loud enough to hear it in a 100 yard distance or so - if that servo is not activated for 1 minute . I typically connect it between the elevator servo and the RX because the elevator is pretty active during flight and will not give the buzzer the 1 minute idle time for it to start buzzing in a normal flight.

Hi András, what happens if you put it on the Gear and activate it in the supposed case of model loss? ... I ask maybe it's possible to make it sound when you want it

Hi Mauricio. If you connect it to the landing gear it will start buzzing 1 minute after take-off because the landing gear is idle during flight. You should connect it to a servo that is frequently activared in flight like elevator, rudder or aileron. If the plane is lost do not touch the sticks on the radio and the buzzer will ho on after 1 minute.

Okay, it's logical. I'm glad to know that there are such accessories to help recover a model. I have present. Thanks friend!