F-14 TOMCAT death dive

[Chris_Timm]

At first glance, it doesn't look too hard to repair.
Should I bother to try?

[Doug Sams]

At first glance, it doesn't look too hard to repair.
Should I bother to try?What happened? Did the wings stay in and it lawndarted? Or did they swing out but it still nose dived? Gliders are easy to wreck trying to make them flight worthy (ie, get them trimmed). And under power, this one has a reputation among the worst. You might rebuild it just to make it a desk ornament.

Doug

[Chris_Timm]

It deployed the wings just fine.
It couldn't pull out of the dive.
I honestly can't remember if it was because it was upside down when the wings were sprung into position.
It did spring in action while arcing over at apogee.
I may just repair it and strap it to something like a huge parasite glider just to see it in the air again!!!

[A Fish Named Wallyum]

I may just repair it and strap it to something like a huge parasite glider just to see it in the air again!!!

Make sure there's video of this. I'm just seeing all kinds of chaos. :eek:
(Kind of like one of my Bomarc flights. :rolleyes: )

[Chris_Timm]

Gee, the last time anything I flew set the field on fire was an Estes E-15 with the dreaded "X" in the date code.
I stuffed it in a clone of the Nike-X without any modifications from a stock build.
Used a loooooooooooong rip-stop streamer to get it back.
First flight screamed!
Second flight did the roman candle cato with burning chunks setting a small patch of grass ablaze.
I'll dig out the photos. I came across them the other day.

[A Fish Named Wallyum]

Hopefully that was my last time also. :rolleyes:

[dwmzmm]

At first glance, it doesn't look too hard to repair.
Should I bother to try?

Looks like you shouldn't have any problems repairing it (at least, that's how it appears to me). All of the boost gliders and rocket gliders I have in my fleet at the moment have been
through similar situations and I've always been able to keep fixing them for more flights. And, most of my rocket propelled gliders are quite old, having been built in the late 1970's!

[PaulK]

..., this one has a reputation among the worst...
Doug

Being a recent BAR, I've had my eye on an F-14. If trimmed well, will it glide ok, or should I pass? I built a scissor wing, and it glides great, love to fly it!

-Paul