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So I have driven RC cars for years and decided to check out the sky side of the hobby. I chose the Hobbyzone Apprentice S as my first plane (I know its kind of an old-ish platform but chose it because it has good parts availability to me). I am a complete beginner in RC planes, so please give me some tips on how to take off and land, and repair the plane. Some more info about aftermarket parts and other
I turned it on and made sure the Safe was calibrated with the plane on flat ground. The day was calm, with a little wind blowing (average California climate). I first attempted to take off from the grass but found the tires too small, which flipped the plane forward onto its propeller. Take 2 was to start on the clay part of a baseball field and fly over onto the grass. It was able to take off into the air, but it wasn't the best start. There was very little distance for it to take off, so I pushed hard on the throttle, which made the plane go up a bit too steep, and right before it lifted off, one of the wheels hit a base on the baseball court (it was a plastic one protruding from the ground). Didn't go too well from there. From my past experience of driving cars without any gyro assistance, I tried to correct the plane as the gyro was doing the same thing. The plane had already gained altitude (of about the same height of a redwood tree or tall pine tree... near where I was flying), and I was still trying to gain control of the plane.
End result: It crashed on its nose towards to left upper side of the plane (forgot to hit the panic button). The first thing I noticed was the smoke. It was the battery. When I got there, the whole battery compartment had fallen out of the plane (including the plastic part that was supposed to be in the fuselage), and the battery was disconnected from the ESC (got pretty lucky there!). That allowed me to save the rest of the plane before it went up into flames.
From the damage inspection, the battery cover was burnt and deformed, and the plastic battery compartment was also scorched (damage from the battery fire). The things that actually broke from the crash was the propeller (bent and partially snapped at the base of one propeller), a deformed motor mount (not broken, just warped from the force of impact), and the wing had a fracture on the left side right by the plastic brace for the rubber bands.
For the wing, should I mend it with Beacon Foam Tac, or do I have to get a new one (I would like to know if it is too damaged to be fixed, hopefully not). Also, I have lost (or broken) one of the rubber band holders, can I only get it from a new fuselage? I am able to find the battery cover, but I am having a hard time finding the plastic frame that has the battery velcro strap attached to it. Do I also have to get a new fuselage in order to replace it?
I would really appreciate any help! Thanks in advance!
btw: some additional beginner tips would also help a lot!
I have included some pictures below:
I turned it on and made sure the Safe was calibrated with the plane on flat ground. The day was calm, with a little wind blowing (average California climate). I first attempted to take off from the grass but found the tires too small, which flipped the plane forward onto its propeller. Take 2 was to start on the clay part of a baseball field and fly over onto the grass. It was able to take off into the air, but it wasn't the best start. There was very little distance for it to take off, so I pushed hard on the throttle, which made the plane go up a bit too steep, and right before it lifted off, one of the wheels hit a base on the baseball court (it was a plastic one protruding from the ground). Didn't go too well from there. From my past experience of driving cars without any gyro assistance, I tried to correct the plane as the gyro was doing the same thing. The plane had already gained altitude (of about the same height of a redwood tree or tall pine tree... near where I was flying), and I was still trying to gain control of the plane.
End result: It crashed on its nose towards to left upper side of the plane (forgot to hit the panic button). The first thing I noticed was the smoke. It was the battery. When I got there, the whole battery compartment had fallen out of the plane (including the plastic part that was supposed to be in the fuselage), and the battery was disconnected from the ESC (got pretty lucky there!). That allowed me to save the rest of the plane before it went up into flames.
From the damage inspection, the battery cover was burnt and deformed, and the plastic battery compartment was also scorched (damage from the battery fire). The things that actually broke from the crash was the propeller (bent and partially snapped at the base of one propeller), a deformed motor mount (not broken, just warped from the force of impact), and the wing had a fracture on the left side right by the plastic brace for the rubber bands.
For the wing, should I mend it with Beacon Foam Tac, or do I have to get a new one (I would like to know if it is too damaged to be fixed, hopefully not). Also, I have lost (or broken) one of the rubber band holders, can I only get it from a new fuselage? I am able to find the battery cover, but I am having a hard time finding the plastic frame that has the battery velcro strap attached to it. Do I also have to get a new fuselage in order to replace it?
I would really appreciate any help! Thanks in advance!
btw: some additional beginner tips would also help a lot!
I have included some pictures below: