Re occuring problem - Help please

[airphotoky]

I have a super cub with a problem. I have flown it lots of times successfully with no problems, and then other times I have the same problem that leads to a crash.

What happens is, I will be flying great, and then out of no where the entire plane shuts down, noses down, and spirals into the ground. It has happened about 5 times now. I thought it was maybe a battery problem, so i labled my 2 batteries #1 and 2 so I could see which battery it happens to. It happens to both.

This has happened in several areas, including three states, so I dont think it is an interference problem. Since it is nose diving into the ground with a spiral, it must be shutting down and making the rudder and elevator lock into position. Otherwise it would just glide right?

When I run the plane on the ground in my living room I can run a full 25 minutes or more and never lose power. I have even walked 3 blocks away and had my friend watch the plane to see if it cut in or out or anything but with no problems. Even when I run the plane and shake it around in my hands and move the wires around it still doesnt short out or anything.

I am stumped. Any ideas?

[SCC]

Hi James. Welcome to the forum

Do you still have the Tamiya connectors (white plugs). If so I would change these. They are notorious for loosing power.

[belem]

Stock radio and receiver?

[airphotoky]

Hi - thanks and yes to both

I have the stock everything. I crashed today again so when I rebuild I will get the new connectors and Im thinking about a spectrum system (dx5 or 6). I might go brushless - not sure.

Thank you for the tips. I am going to take the plane to work and hook up a volt meter to it. One of the maintenence guys is gonna help. Thank you again.

[duck]

Bad connection in the ESC. Mine had a cold soldered joint on one of the servo connections. Every once in a while it would go full right rudder and spin in and crash.
If you have a fine tipped iron, a careful touch on each of the connector joints on the ESC board might help. It did on mine.

[airphotoky]

Duck - Thank you for the tip - Thanks to all who have taken the time to read and reply to my problem.

Duck what you said makes sense. I havent gotten into lookin yet, but that makes a lot of sense. After my last bad crash, I rebuilt the fuselage with popsickle stick slices and some good clear packing tape along with a few tooth picks. I put it all back together, and tried it out - for a second I had power, then nothing. Both batteries - nothing. I think either it fried or like you said the solder connections might have broke. I am going to investigate and Ill get back to you. In the mean time I had to have a plane to fly (just got my camera set up) so I ordered a replacement plane. LOL....usually I just order wings and such - I figured Ill just eliminate the possibility of an electrical problem and start with a fresh plane (channel 6). I hope I can get the other one fixed - if so Ill install a new DX5 rx/tx in my new one and put the stock gear in the old one. That way my friends will have something to fly with me.