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General control line discussion => Open Forum => Topic started by: Bob Reeves on June 30, 2012, 05:21:21 AM
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Just a reminder for everyone to be careful around running engines (or motors depending on your power choice). It only takes one little mistake to ruin your whole day. This happened when I removed the glow driver after starting a Saito 56. Same process I have done hundreds of times without incident. Only thing I can think of that led to this screw up was I happen to kneel down a little farther in front of the airplane than I normally do, reached around the prop to remove the glow driver and when I pulled my hand back it went right through the prop. It's healing well but sure messed up my Brodak trip and cost me my best reverse rotation JFX prop. Be safe and move behind the prop when removing your glow driver.
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Sorry to hear Bob..
Every now and then we are reminded like the snake handler that we are playing with things that can bite.
Was it Monty python : Look its only a flesh wound !
Wish you a speedy recovery.
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Ouch Bob! Hope you don't lose a nail(s).
Black Knight - "Tis but a scratch!"
Arthur - King of the Britons - "What are you going to do, bleed on me?"
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Ouch!!
We all need the reminder so hopefully we are not next.
Having been twice prop bit, I only start a plane that is very securely restrained. And I do not do anything other than flip the prop or use an electric starter from in front of the plane. I always walk a wide arc around the plane to the back and remove the glow driver, or adjust the engine. FROM THE BACK ONLY!!
Ken
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About the best thing that can be said is that it could have been a lot worse. I understand totally how we can get a little lax after many years of handling models with spinning finger removers on the front of them.
My son had his knuckles shaved while adjusting the Needle from behind while holding the plane. Fortunately the cuts were not real severe. However, any cut is a "bad" one.
BIG Bear
RNMM/AMM
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About the best thing that can be said is that it could have been a lot worse. I understand totally how we can get a little lax after many years of handling models with spinning finger removers on the front of them.
My son had his knuckles shaved while adjusting the Needle from behind while holding the plane. Fortunately the cuts were not real severe. However, any cut is a "bad" one.
BIG Bear
RNMM/AMM
Behind tends to push your fingers out or back. Where as getting hit from the front wants to pull your fingers in. Just look at the shape of the blade. Either way is not good and hurts like heck, even a little whack. I will take the bloody knuckles any day of the week versus getting chopped up (again) from the front.
Now be save out there OK?
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Can you still play the piano? LL~ LL~
Sorry, couldn't help that. I sure hope you enjoy a complete and speedy recovery!! I was at the Northwest Regional two years ago and three . . . yes THREE pilots did pretty much what you did. What a painful weekend.
I still have scars on my hands from props spinning 50+ years ago; thankfully haven't done it recently.
Brian
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Behind tends to push your fingers out or back. Where as getting hit from the front wants to pull your fingers in. Just look at the shape of the blade. Either way is not good and hurts like heck, even a little whack. I will take the bloody knuckles any day of the week versus getting chopped up (again) from the front.
Now be save out there OK?
Hi Ken,
One year at Brodak's I was flipping the PA .61 with a piece of pipe coupling tubing on my finger. It kicked and the bolly "knife" cut the next finger in line! Some CYA glue stopped the main bleeding until I could get a bandaid, etc., to cover it up. Fortunately no stitches! So far I have been bitten several times, but no stitches from a prop strike. Lots of them from "cutting accidents", however!
BIG Bear
RNMM/AMM
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OUCH!! Gawd that pic made my spincter pucker up! I make it a point to NEVER reach over or around the spinning prop. I always fly with a flying buddy who has hold of my bird and I get behind the motor or plane ALWAYS to remove the battery or needle the engine. I have been bumped a few times with a loaded motor while flipping but havent had a stitch since the last time I used an APC on a 1/2A over ten years ago. That one really hurt, bled a lot and I was sore for days.
I often see pilots in front of the plane reach over the prop to the fuse nose area to "steady" the plane while reaching under to remove the battery way to often...makes me wince every time! It is worth the effort to get up and get behind the plane IMO! A good flying partner will have a good hold on your plane while you remove the battery from behind with one hand.
Locally when at the field with someone I dont fly with often, I review what I am going to do and what I need from him before we even put the battery on.
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Ouch! Bob; Thanks for the reminder. I got a finger caught in a 12-4 Top Flight on an Ohlsson 23 a few years ago on one of my old timer free flights. I did not know an Ohlsson 23 could hurt that much. I was wrong. I closed up the cut with tape and went to the doctor to get a tetanus shot. Had not had one for a few years.
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I know how that feels, was breaking in a DS .60RE with a very nice Rev-Up 12 x 5 wood prop (thank God). Last tank of fuel through it, reached around the prop, set the needle up a few rpm's and then drug my left hand through the prop. Stopped the engind cold and ruined my nice wooden prop. Left thumb and forefinger only took 36 stitches to close up the gaps. Funny thing, there was hardly any bleeding, and the bones were clearly visible. The worst part was at the Hospital when they started putting pain deadener in the cuts so they could clean the cuts. Still have the scares, feeling came back in about 6 months.
There must be a club or something that we can start and the initiation is proff of the mishap. Not a fun club to belong too. HB~> HB~>
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Sorry Bob...I know how it hurts. Several years ago I was adjusting a very tight needle valve on a PA65 and dumbly pushed on the bent end and it finally turned and my finger went forward about two inches into a Bolly three blade...close to the hub. The result was 34 stitches and a finger nail that still grows very funny.
Randy Cuberly.
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I feel your pain Bob. I cut off the end of my left thumb and fractured the bone doing the same thing with an APC.....Still do not have any feeling in the end of my thumb.
Mike
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I think most have did that and will still keep doing it. I am surprised I still have fingers from competition events like racing and combat. Worst ones tho was just plain old fun flying. H^^
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One for reason for going electric, you never get your fingers near spinning props. y1
Andy
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Sorry to see that this happened and this may be a little late for you right now but in the future you (and others)
may consider this product by Sullivan
http://www.sullivanproducts.com/M021.pdf
(http://www.sullivanproducts.com/M021n05.JPG)
(http://www.sullivanproducts.com/M021n04.JPG)
Here's their whole catalogue
http://www.sullivanproducts.com/Sullivan_Internet_Catalog.pdf
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Take good care of those fingers, Bob, and wishing you a speedy recovery!
-Chris
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Bob,
Thanks for the "Reminder and Warning!"
Time is never wasted when we "rethink" doing dangerous tasks.*
Roger V.
* especially when we get "a little" older! SH^
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Sorry to see that this happened and this may be a little late for you right now but in the future you (and others)
may consider this product by Sullivan
http://www.sullivanproducts.com/M021.pdf
(http://www.sullivanproducts.com/M021n05.JPG)
(http://www.sullivanproducts.com/M021n04.JPG)
Here's their whole catalogue
http://www.sullivanproducts.com/Sullivan_Internet_Catalog.pdf
Thanks Walter!! H^^
Roger V.
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Sorry to see that this happened and this may be a little late for you right now but in the future you (and others)
may consider this product by Sullivan
http://www.sullivanproducts.com/M021.pdf
(http://www.sullivanproducts.com/M021n05.JPG)
(http://www.sullivanproducts.com/M021n04.JPG)
Here's their whole catalogue
http://www.sullivan Products.com/Sullivan_Internet_Catalog.pdf
I can't understand why there is such resistance to a product like this. I guess another hole is almost too much to bear.
Dennis
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I can't understand why there is such resistance to a product like this. I guess another hole is almost too much to bear.
Dennis
Well...
Potentially all that extra hardware connected to the plug can cause the plug to run quite a bit colder. Flame outs are "Bad News"...
Randy Cuberly
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Thanks for the get well wishes, fingers are healing fine.
If you have seen my Latency with the Saio side mounted you can see the glow plug is almost as far away from the prop as the photo of the remote shows. Besides that you have to move the driver back away from the prop to remove it... Didn't stop me from making a stupid move..
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I always start my engines standing up. I flip the plane over if it has an inverted engine. I always tell my "helper" what we will do beforehand. Once started, I get behind the engine and turn the plane over (if needed) while the helper gets a new hold on the model. THEN I remove the battery. The helper holds the plane standing up until I give the release signal when they then put the model on the ground and release in one motion. Since this is usually Aaron, we have it really well worked out and the only "bite" has been when an engine kicked back and the Bolly prop cut my uncovered finger. No stitches, though. I will not reach over, or around, a prop under any circumstances.
One thing I noticed about the only electric system we have is that you do not ever get near the prop and the model never needs to be turned over! LOL!!
BIG Bear
RNMM/AMM
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I can't understand why there is such resistance to a product like this. I guess another hole is almost too much to bear.
Dennis
Now that's funny :-)
R
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I can't understand why there is such resistance to a product like this. I guess another hole is almost too much to bear.
Dennis
Hi Dennis (and Randy)
Aaron had me pick up one of these to use on his SV 31. Is there any downside to using this on a stunter powered by a PA .61? I can think of anything but then I don't know a whole lot! LL~ LL~
BIG Bear
RNMM/AMM
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Hope you get well soon Bob!
Be sure to use long fuses tomorrow!
Mike