Over the weekend I experienced a failure during a normal landing on a
moldie, essentially the high-modulus 0.187 carbon rod failed at the
intersection between the stabilator root and vertical fin pivot point.
Post inspection revealed a number of microscopic stress risers at
various locations near the center of the rod. Apparently the rod centers
slightly differently each time, as the rod can slide slightly further
into one stab or the other.
It may behoove folks to look closely at their various CF rods, and
replace those that exhibit deformations. You may require a decent
magnifying apparatus to effectively discover a potential failure...
--
Simon Van Leeuwen
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