Lomcevek1
Senior Heliman
Location: Eagle River, Alaska
| OK I am already a bit nervous as my Raptor had turned one of the tail belt pulleys to powder and I am not trusting these machines much.
So I take out my ole reliable Caliber 5 for a relaxing flight and things are going well. I get her into an inverted hover about 8 feet or so in the air and was just holding it there. All of a sudden PTTTHHHHH-WOOOT something is flung off the blades with reckless abandon !!!!! My 7 YO boy said outloud "What the barnacles was that !?!? " (taken from sponge Bob) She is still flying so I roll her over and make a hasty landing. I approach with caution as if this was a bomb about to explode.
For the life of me though I cannot find anything wrong. Linkages are good, paddles are there, widgets move the way they should, tracking tape was still there, all canopy bits are around HMMMMM.
I carry it back and wonder WTH ?? Could not be a bug or a bird, no guts no blood no nothing. Well after a few mintues it dawns on me. I JUST install a grey exhaust deflector that is no longer there. It must have fallen off while I was inverted and into the rotor disk.
Now allow me to pat myself on the back in that I did not panic and kept flying the machine and made a safe landing. I can easily see how one could get rattled and crash the bird rather than fighting to keep it till impact or give up.
All in all this was wierd. |
