I went flying on Sunday, and it was a very close thing!

I started up the elder, and noticed that for some reason it wouldn't hold
the idle. The Saito 56 normally runs very well, but I advanced the
throttle trim and left it at that. I *did* range-test, and all looked
well.

Off she went, and as soon as the wheels left the ground, the model rolled
hard left and began a left turn. I compensated immediately with right
rudder and aileron, but the aircraft was determined to go left. I
couldn't maintain anything like a straight climb-out without loads of
right aileron and rudder. I jammed my fingers on the rudder and aileron
trim levers, and finally got the machine flying reasonably straight. By
then the Elder was far out, and the entire club was watching. I made a
turn and started downwind, but I just couldn't perfect the trims. it
would want to turn one way, and I counter with a single click of trim, and
it would want to turn the other way. Normally, the Elder is fairly
obedient in the air, so I couldn't figure out WTF was up.

A couple small circuits, and I had it fairly well under control, and was
able to glance down at the transmitter to see exactly what trim settings
I'd reached. Glaring at me in the LCD was the label "GWS-TM". Oooops!
This is the first time since I bought the tranny in early '00 that I've
ever taken something up with the wrong model memory selected.

The programming for the Tiger Moth, thankfully, was fairly similar to that
of the Elder. It would only have taken a reversed servo, and the machine would probably have been totalled. I decided to make an approach, and get
the wheels down. With the aircraft on the strip, I could switch memories
from "GWS-TM" to "ELDER" and take off again.

I approached slowly and carefully, since the model still had a somewhat twitchy tendancy. Slid slowly over the threshhold, flared perfectly, and
set the mains down on the freshly mowed grass..... and the right front
axle snapped, and the wheel just fell off. The aircraft slewed around,
the prop touched the grass, the Saito died, and I was done flying for the
day.

When the gear was being assembled, another member showed me the 'right'
way to solder it together. When they were done, the metal near the joints
was glowing cherry red, and the temper was destroyed. The Elder has been plagued with bent axles from the beginning, and of course, the only thing
to do is to straighten them. The repeated bending and straightening had
it's predictable effect, and I was only waiting for the day to come. I'm going to order new main gear from the original makers of the kit.

Tne parts cost $8.01 and shipping to FLA will cost $8.99 then there will
be more shipping and possibly customs duty to pay. :-( But at least the Elder will fly again!

We had a small wing-cutting party this evening. My GMS 25 engine should arrive any day, and with one of the wings cut tonight and a simple fuse,
will be my first attempt at a knock-about model for the 25th Wingnuts Squadron!

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Playing: "Go down easy" by "John Martyn" from the "Solid air" album
þ Synchronet þ Made of wood and glue, but mostly glue!