My 450L killed herself last week

[ManInAGarden]

I flew my 450L Dominator for about a year without any crash. To be honest I did not fly it as often as my other helicopters because I still feel some kind of respect (if not fear ) because of it's power. So crash free for a year means something like 50-70 batteries.

Last week I flew all my helis for the first time in this year. The weather was fine but a brisk wind made flying not so easy as usual. Additionally I went to a new flying site with not so perfect conditions for take offs and landings but very good for flying. The point for take off is not 100% level and there also is some grass. That made me a bit nervous with the 450L because of it's low landing skids.

My 130X survived, my Blade 450-3D with 3Gx survived with no problem at all but when the turn came to my 450L Dominator the following happened:

The motor spooled up and she lifted about 10cm (4'') above the ground when a gust of wind or a straw or a tiny piece of gravel being swirled up or whatever pushed her into my direction. I reacted with cyclic forward and I think I over reacted just a bit.

The blades hit the ground in a split of a second and broke into pieces. The tail got twisted and was separated from the body. Nearly everything broke that is not built into the main body. DFC arms broke, 2 servo gears made of metal broke. I found the tail rotor assembly approx. 30m away. The main gear plus the main rotor shaft and the feathering shaft are also on the list.

All that happened so quickly that it looked as if that thing had committed some kind of suicide. Only after some days I was to able to analyze what had happened and to see that it was my fault.

The list of parts needed for the repairs is quite impressive. I never had a crash that destructive before.

So be warned. The 450L Dominator has a very low skids and has to be started on a level surface without gravel and without grass. I know some people use a higher landing gear but I really like the look of the stock configuration here.

[MikeW9788]

I use a big piece of cardboard that I use to work on my car as a launch pad. I bring it everywhere I fly except the baseball field with the astroturf infield. Those tailblades are real close to the ground.

[ManInAGarden]

Originally Posted by MikeW9788

I use a big piece of cardboard that I use to work on my car as a launch pad. I bring it everywhere I fly except the baseball field with the astroturf infield. Those tailblades are real close to the ground.

Yes I've also been thinking about some kind of landing pad. But somewhere on Youtube there's a video where a cardboard or piece of carpet gets swirled up by the downwind of the rotor blades. The heli on the video also crashed.

Maybe one can pin the landing/launch pad with tent pegs to the ground.

[ManInAGarden]

What is a crash without any picture of the mess? So here it is:

Not bad for just 10cm of flight.

[CrashNburn420]

Impressive!

[tsoebirk]

That's one thoroughly bent boom - ouch!

[ManInAGarden]

The main rotor shaft was bent in a way that forced me to saw it into pieces to pull the swash down from it.

I also cut the boom in halves to get the bearing out. Did you know that the drive shaft is also an aluminium tube? I thought it was carbon fiber. You can learn something new every day

[doubletap]

Ouch! If you want to rekit i am thinking of selling my kit no servos, no fbl unit, few extras, alum. Tail servo mount, horizontal tail part... New canopy red. Pm me if you're interested. Thanks. Oops. Didnt see your location.

[ManInAGarden]

Originally Posted by doubletap

Ouch! If you want to rekit i am thinking of selling my kit no servos, no fbl unit, few extras, alum. Tail servo mount, horizontal tail part... New canopy red. Pm me if you're interested. Thanks. Oops. Didnt see your location.

Good offer - but I've already bought all the parts and did most of the rebuilding. Red canopy would have been nice. Tomorrow I'll balance the new rotor blades and do the 3GX setup. Hopefully she'll be flying again on the next weekend.

[Boinker]

Dang. Sorry for your loss. That is one spectacular crash for a minor dumb thumb.. Just shows us how important throttle hold is when going in. I wouldn't run the align blades again though. No safety strap to speak of.

[ManInAGarden]

Originally Posted by Boinker

Dang. Sorry for your loss. That is one spectacular crash for a minor dumb thumb.. Just shows us how important throttle hold is when going in. I wouldn't run the align blades again though. No safety strap to speak of.

Oh - never thought about that. Would a safety strap have kept the blade parts together?

Do you have a recommendation for blades with a working safety strap on the same price level or near to that?

[Mr.Andersen]

I know rotortech blades have a safetywire going along the leading edge of the blade keeping it together during a crash.
Have tryed them when my 450 was FB and it workes as adverticed.

[ManInAGarden]

Originally Posted by Mr.Andersen

I know rotortech blades have a safetywire going along the leading edge of the blade keeping it together during a crash.
Have tryed them when my 450 was FB and it workes as adverticed.

Thank you for the info Mr.Andersen. I searched the internet for those blades and actually found them. 49€ whereas the stock Align blades are 22€ for a pair. Ouch, but maybe that is the price you have to pay for security.

[lahannsven]

Coming back to the landing skid and heli port.

First I always keep 12 yards distance.

Our flying field is very uneven and with high grass up to two feet.

I build a heli port myself. First I put some cheap woods on the ground to get the grass down and to get the surface more even. Then I put an old carpet on the top. Like this your surface is straight and solid. You can keep you landing skids all stock.


Sven

[ManInAGarden]

Originally Posted by lahannsven

Coming back to the landing skid and heli port.

First I always keep 12 yards distance.

Our flying field is very uneven and with high grass up to two feet.

I build a heli port myself. First I put some cheap woods on the ground to get the grass down and to get the surface more even. Then I put an old carpet on the top. Like this your surface is straight and solid. You can keep you landing skids all stock.


Sven

That sounds like a good idea. I also do not like to mess around with the landing gear because it destroys the flat look of the dominator which I like a lot.

I was also thinking about a carpet but I'm afraid it might be swirled up like I've seen it in a video somewhere here on HF. Do you fix it somehow on the woods you're using?

Hmmm - maybe one could build a foldable landing pad out of carpet and planks with the carpet nailed to the planks?