Tutor build takes a tumble chasing barrel rolls

Nov 06, 2026 Last reply: 1 day ago 3 Replies
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The hardest part of any aerobatic session is what happens when a manoeuvre goes wrong, and this Tutor build gave a perfect example. The maker went up on an open grass field to try barrel rolls, and during the attempt the aircraft banked downward and dropped fast into the turf. The front landing gear broke off on impact, the motor hit the dirt, and the tape and glue along the bottom seam let go. The response was to reach for hot glue and toothpicks, which sounds like exactly the right field-repair kit for a foam airframe.



The aircraft itself is a small radio-controlled fixed-wing Tutor, finished in white with red and blue accents on the tail and wing sections. It looks to be built from lightweight foam or plastic, and it has a front wheel assembly. The radio setup is a Radiomaster pocket TX paired with an R88 RX, a tidy little combination for a plane this size.



After the crash the maker walked out to inspect the damage on the field, and shared the whole thing for a laugh, which I appreciate. The open question is the bottom seam: the plan is to add more tape and reinforcement along the bottom span next time, so the airframe is not fully sorted yet.


The hot glue and toothpicks approach seems like a smart call for a lightweight foam build. It keeps repairs quick and the added weight minimal, though I suspect a seam fixed that way is only as strong as the tape around it. Given the bottom seam already let go once, glue alone may not survive the next hard landing.

Curious how the barrel roll attempt itself went before the descent. Did the plane get partway through the roll before it banked downward, or did it start dropping right as the manoeuvre began? Also wondering how the motor came out after hitting the dirt, since that seems like the part most at risk in a nose-in impact.

If the bottom seam keeps giving way, a wooden or carbon fiber spar running the length of the wing could be worth trying. It would stiffen the whole span and give the tape something to grip, instead of relying on glue between foam edges. Combined with the extra reinforcement already planned, that should make the airframe much more forgiving of rough arrivals.

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