Darn 4 Leaf Clover

!@#$%$%^&*Four leaf clover!!!!

Tell the whole story???

>Tell the whole story???
After flying 8 different planes in two days, I thought I had room with this plane to make the last turn in the cloverleaf.
This is a modified Twister and it doesn't turn quite as sharply as some of the others I had been flying. I thought I had room. I miscalculated by about 12" and the wing and plane parted company. It'll be back in the air soon. My flying partner gave me a great compliment. He said," That's the first time in 30 years I've ever seen you wreck a plane due to 100% pilot error." What are friends for!
Norm

>After flying 8 different planes in two days, I thought I had
>room with this plane to make the last turn in the
>cloverleaf.
> This is a modified Twister and it doesn't turn quite as
>sharply as some of the others

Norm, you ain't suposed to try any funny business on a plane you don'tknow well.

Before trying to do the clover I put the plane at some 55º and dive into an outside loop.

BTW, if you hit the tar on the clover you most certainly were not doing the whole pattern, or you'd have noticed the bird was "funny"on the reverse wingover.

I once was praacticing for a begginer's contest with my coach,Eneas.

He was going to compete on F2B, but his plane was not ready, so he was using my ship.

I told him not to monkey around after the pattern.He didn't listen, and it hapened. The engine cut at a most inoportune time. Luckily the damage was small.

But I was so pissed at him that I called him all kinds of names, questioning his mom's honor, his sexual prefernces and all abusive expressons I could remember. I was shouting.

When I looked back, there were some 4 or 5 couples with their kids lookin' at me.

I was really ashamed and started apologizing, but they all told me:

"Never mind, go ahead and curse him, he deserves it"

Ouch!

Norm,

Hey, looks better than my classic plane that quit in the 3rd leaf of the four leaf clover in a wind storm. Had to use a wisk broom and a dust pan to clean it up.

<smile>

Ya know, if you hit on your outboard wingtip, you got more problems then turn radius!

Feelin for ya guy, now get out the Superglue, yer up in two more flights!

>Ya know, if you hit on your outboard wingtip, you got more
>problems then turn radius!
>
>Feelin for ya guy, now get out the Superglue, yer up in two
>more flights!
>
>From somewhere near Parkville, Mo.
>William Crane
>AMA 6733

It didn't hit on the outside wingtip. It hit deadcenter as is evidenced by the divot I have to clean out from the engine. The wing just snapped off from the inertia of coming to a rather immediate stop.
Actually the plane flys well. It just didn't quite have the turn radius I was expecting and I admit I was too close to the ground. Like he said,"100% pilot error."
I think I'll reinforce the leading edge when she goes back together.
Maybe take a bit longer than "two more flights".

RE: Darn 4 Leaf Clover

Norm - Sorry to hear about your accident, it's never fun crashing a plane. The clover is a tough manuever, I'm always worried about running out of fuel halfway through it.

So your going to repair it?

>RE: Darn 4 Leaf Clover
>
>Norm - Sorry to hear about your accident, it's never fun
>crashing a plane. The clover is a tough manuever, I'm always
>worried about running out of fuel halfway through it.
>
small snip...

I used to worry about running out of fuel in the four-leaf clover.

Lately, however, I have watched a few of PW's practice flights with his new Miss America P-51. Tank full of fuel (four ounces, feeding a Saito 72) he flies the pattern, comes out of the four-leaf clover, does the (required) two laps of level flight. And then, a mere 1 1/2 laps later, the thing quits. Time after time after time.

If he's not worried, no need for me to worry is the way I see it.

Ya know, it's funny what maneuvers bother us, and which we like. I happen to like doing the Clover, and dread the vertical 8...this doesn't make a lick of sense. Somewhere in there are two vertical 8's, or is it two horizontal 8's. I suspect the difference is that I've crashed twice in V.8's, but not (yet) in a clover. However, every time I remember doing a T&G at the bottom of the last inside...in tall grass...and pulling the ol' Humongus vertical and straight up & over the top (well, from my perspective),...with lines tight...I am thankful for OS .46LA's and those tough APC 11.5x4's. Steve

Did exactly the same thing the first time I tried a clover! On the 4th loop, I went dead straight into the ground. Good thing the ground was moist. Dug a pretty nice hole, but minimized the damage.