How to Crashproof Your Airplane

Hi folks, in this video i discuss a few methods i use to crashproof my planes.   I don't have any flat areas to fly from, in the mountians most 'landings' are controlled crashes into trees, tall grass, or sometimes rock.   I need planes that are bush tough, so i take a few steps to ensure that my airframe designs wil survive even the worst landings and crashes with minimal damage.

Using my crashproof methods on small, light planes such as this makes them nearly indestructable, and with a bag of extra props, you could crash all day and not worry about it.   And without further ado, here's the video.

There are a few crashes and hard landings in the video, that's typical of how and where i fly.   I've probably crashed this airfrme well over 100 times with minimal damage.

This is the central rod that lets the crash forces bypass the crumple zones.

It enters the rear monoblock bulkhead and is securely glued into place.

Exiting the fuselage at the nose, it simply passes through the foam instead of being attached to it.   In a crash the front of the airplaner never sees impact forces, it goes through the carbon rod and is spread evenly across the strongest part of the airframe.

The wing is pinned and slides back into place.

It is secured with a single rubber band and a pin in front.   In a crash, the wing slides forward, and dissipates even more energy instead of breaking, yet stays secure in flight.   In a violent crash, the wing will disengage from the pin and save both pieces.   The flexibility of the struts save both the wing and the fuselage from damage.

The struts are attached just as you would do to a control surfacem with a Z bend and a horn.  This makes the wing easily removable, yet strong in flight and in crashes.   Since there is no spar, the wing is lighter and flexible in a crash, but does not flex in flight at all.

All of these building techniques employed in the same airplane make for a plane that is virtually crashproof, almost as stiff as balsa while flying, and scale looks when in the air.

For a look at how i build the fuselage, refer to my fuselage building article in the Related Articles.