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Ever been injured by a spinning prop? Yes or No

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View Poll Results: A poll
No I have never been injured by a prop (knock on wood)
35.47%
Yes and it was caused by a momentary lack of concentration and respect
60.00%
Yes from an equipment malfunction (IE: radio glitch, broken prop, etc)
3.02%
Yes and it was due to the actions of another modeler.
1.51%
Voters: 265. You may not vote on this poll

Ever been injured by a spinning prop? Yes or No

Old 02-06-2004, 09:00 AM
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SDR-Hammer
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Default Ever been injured by a spinning prop? Yes or No

Looking to get sampling of the percentage of modelers that have been injured by a prop. If you have been injured please explain how it happened and how the incident change your habits around a spinning prop. Even if you have not been injured but witnessed one that changed your habits please post.

With many of us anxiously waiting the arrival of spring and getting back to the flying field after a hiatus. I think this is a good time to remind modelers the dangers of a spinning prop. This will provide time to reflect on ones own actions around a prop and set up some good safe habits to start the flying season with.

Safe Flying!
Old 02-06-2004, 09:08 AM
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Stripes
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Default RE: Ever been injured by a spinning prop? Yes or No

Wasn't paying attention and got a nasty injury that took months to cure.
Old 02-06-2004, 09:15 AM
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rajul
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Default RE: Ever been injured by a spinning prop? Yes or No

You should add another category for props thrown off 4C engines that backfired
Old 02-06-2004, 09:21 AM
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dr_wogz
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Default RE: Ever been injured by a spinning prop? Yes or No

A momentary lapse of the brain. Ajusting teh engine, putting my arm around the prop.. but it wasen't enough of an arc.. bit twice in the arm.
Old 02-06-2004, 09:40 AM
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AirGar
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Default RE: Ever been injured by a spinning prop? Yes or No

Man, who hasn't?

Everybody brain farts at one time or another, which then causes you to re-gain the respect, and to be more careful from that point on. It's almost like a kind of initiation to R/C....

Luckily, my incident wasn't too serious. (no stitches)

Gary
Old 02-06-2004, 10:00 AM
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xp8103
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Default RE: Ever been injured by a spinning prop? Yes or No

I was about 18. Test running an engine (used and well broken in) on a new plane in preparation for test flight later in the day. I am left handed so I start the engine with my left hand, right hand holds the plane (come on... this was 20 years ago!) I always put the tx on my left so that I can adjust the throttle without taking my hand off the plane (it was a high winger). For some reason, I put the tx on my right this time. Started the engine, at idle. Reach around with my left hand and grabbed the wing. As I took my right hand off the wing to go to the tx, I ran the middle, ring and pinky fingers thru the prop. Sprayed blood all over the yellow wing. I managed to get the engine shut down and the radio turned off and get into the house. I held my hand in cold water in the tub while I kept my head as low as possible so as not to pass out. My parents came home shortly afterwards and I heard my mother shriek. Fortunately the cuts weren't so bad that I needed stitches but needless to say, I didn't fly it later that afternoon....
Old 02-06-2004, 10:19 AM
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Default RE: Ever been injured by a spinning prop? Yes or No

I used to adjust the mixture on my little LMH 110 by clamping it down to a tall stand, and reach under the rotor arc with my left arm. I now have three nice curved scars just below the inside of my right elbo from the plastic rotor tips. No the little norvell didn't even notice that it was dragging on something.
Old 02-06-2004, 10:23 AM
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Checklst
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Default RE: Ever been injured by a spinning prop? Yes or No

Not been hit yet, 24 years (knock on a wood prop not spinning of course)
Old 02-06-2004, 10:26 AM
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SDR-Hammer
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Default RE: Ever been injured by a spinning prop? Yes or No

ORIGINAL: rajul
You should add another category for props thrown off 4C engines that backfired
I started out with that and others like hand starting and getting caught on the knuckles with a backfire. But when all was said and done I decided to minimize and keep it simple.

With a prop getting thrown off due to a 4C backfire and you got injured from it put it under equipment malfunction and post your experience.
Old 02-06-2004, 10:31 AM
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FLYBOY
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Default RE: Ever been injured by a spinning prop? Yes or No

Yes, and no amount of change in the engine from a manufacturer would have changed it. It was purely my own fault. Stupid kid brain fart that shouldn't have happend but did. You have to watch what you are doing around these things. Get complacent, get bit! Simple as that and noone to blame.

There is the occasional 4 stroke prop pitch, but the question there is, why wasn't it double nutted?
Old 02-06-2004, 10:42 AM
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SDR-Hammer
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Default RE: Ever been injured by a spinning prop? Yes or No

Flyboy you bring up a good point that most equipment failures are the result of mental lapse at sometime, but I still would like them separate from the simple got complacent and flesh met prop.

A hundred and twenty views on this thread so far and twenty six votes. Everybody falls into one catagory yes or no. Please help with the survey.

Thanks
Old 02-06-2004, 10:43 AM
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vinnie
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Default RE: Ever been injured by a spinning prop? Yes or No

Spent 30 minutes trying get the K&B 61 started. (cold January day)
Tried various throttle settings.
Finally started at full throttle.
Acknowledged kudos from fellow pilots.
Promptly stuck my hand THROUGH THE PROP to remove the glow driver.
Forefinger remained attatched but blood and skin everywhere. Took a year to heal.

DO NOT BECOME DISTRACTED AROUND A SPINNING PROP!! []
Old 02-06-2004, 11:22 AM
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Roby
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Default RE: Ever been injured by a spinning prop? Yes or No

I've been struck by a prop so many times I can't count that high.

Some may say, "what's wrong with this guy ?"but the question is
rather open and not confined to R/C.

Back in the 50's when I was in grade school, getting whacked by a TD .049 on
the front of a Sientific Super Stuntmaster was a regular event and I
considered it to be part of the hobby. As I moved up to Fox .15 on the Top Flight
Flight Streak I had to be more careful but on occasion would still get whacked.

In 1972 I broke into R/C and even though I got an electric starter I continued to
flip start and still do today with my 1.20 4 strokes and 1.60 2 strokes. I do however
wear a leather glove now.

I guess once you learn the proper technique ,it's not a problem. I haven't been hit
for some time now but it doesn't mean that it won't or can't happen. I will use the starter
in the winter only if the engine won't fire.

I'm not too concerned about the prop. I am very concerned around the Lathe, milling machine
table saw,band saw, etc,etc .............. Ya know ,the real important stuff !

Regards
Roby

(almost forgot.......yes I still have ALL my fingers and they still work fine)
Old 02-06-2004, 12:02 PM
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cde0214
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Default RE: Ever been injured by a spinning prop? Yes or No

I personally haven't been bitten yet, still a newbie, but I have witnessed several. Two lately that I consider bad. The first sounded like a meat saw, 46FX, 12x4 APC prop, wide open throttle, split his pinkie on the top, four stitches were needed. The second was during a serious combat round, OS 15FP, MA 8x3 prop, and a brain fart resulted in a serious gash to the thumb. This guy gets a Wendy's napkin, some medium ca, and some tape, fixes his thumb, and only misses one round of combat!! I believe seeing somebody get into a prop is an effective way to keep the brain farts to a minimum(it is for me anyway!). Just my 1/50 of a dollar.
Old 02-06-2004, 12:05 PM
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Low Wing
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Default RE: Ever been injured by a spinning prop? Yes or No

I hate this subject,[&o] because it all-way's reminds me that no matter how careful I am, chance's are if I stay in this hobby I'm gonna get hit with a prop...I have all-way's started my model's in the same way every time I go to the field...up and over...up and back...I don't even care how animated my procedure looks...I recently changed over to wood prop's...I know they can hurt you bad as well, but you can't tell me they are as bad as a composite prop...
Old 02-06-2004, 01:04 PM
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bdphil
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Default RE: Ever been injured by a spinning prop? Yes or No

I probably have the stupidest prop-bite story. I was working on a little electric plane (GP cub) and being my first plane with an electric speed control I wasn't quite sure about setting it up. So I had it sitting on the floor and was trying out the throttle. Turns out that when you first turn it on, you have to advance the throttle stick to full throttle and then return it to idle to initiate the ESC. OK, so I do that and then slowly advance the throttle and nothing is happening? I looked everything over and it looks correct. So I go to full throttle again and then to idle. Now I advance the throttle to full and still nothing happens, only this time I'm frustrated and quickly lower the throttle stick to idle and the motor springs to life and races toward me. Before I knew what happened the prop was chewing up my big toe. To clarify why my toe was the victim I'm in a wheelchair and didn't have my shoes on. Anyway, I got the motor stopped (and the bleeding) and figured out that the throttle channel was reversed and messed up the initialization process.

That was my last E-powered plane; those things are just too dangerous!

Ben
Old 02-06-2004, 01:25 PM
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teefly-RCU
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Default RE: Ever been injured by a spinning prop? Yes or No

after 26 years of flying and 15 years of instructing I have not. students who have practiced the 1st lesson I always give, dull the prop (gotta be balanced anyway!) and ALWAYS walk behind the plane to remove glow driver/adjust needle valve can say the same. those who don't have paid the price.......and some dearly!
Old 02-06-2004, 01:33 PM
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riceh03
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Default RE: Ever been injured by a spinning prop? Yes or No

Haven't done it yet but it is probably just a matter of time. I've seen the blood and the scars and I hope that is enough to keep me on my toes.
Old 02-06-2004, 01:46 PM
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js3
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Default RE: Ever been injured by a spinning prop? Yes or No

Please see this thread:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_15...tm.htm#1502821
Old 02-06-2004, 01:46 PM
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Default RE: Ever been injured by a spinning prop? Yes or No

ORIGINAL: Roby

Back in the 50's when I was in grade school, getting whacked by a TD .049 on
the front of a Sientific Super Stuntmaster was a regular event and I
considered it to be part of the hobby.
I also have so many scars on my middle finger on my right hand from .049 engines its not funny. Unfortunately, I had an OS pop back at me once flip starting it with a razor, I mean master airscrew on it that I didn't dull. That one left a real good mark. My friends are all like "go to the doctor" and I kept saying, "no, he will just put instant glue on it, I can do that when I get home". They were driving so I ended up at the doc, and he put instant glue on it. What a waste of time and money. Could have done that myself and saved a lot of money.
Old 02-06-2004, 01:52 PM
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hilleyja
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Default RE: Ever been injured by a spinning prop? Yes or No

1) Around 1973 I was breaking in a Webra 40 Blackhead on an airplane. I reached right through the prop and ended up with a few stitches -- I was lucky the prop was wood and the engine was running sloppy rich. Call this one a "Momentary Lapse"

2) Around 2001, while minding my own business flying my Ultra Stick 120 when suddenly I heard an engine throttle up and saw something out of the corner of my eye heading toward me. I instinctively raise my arm up to protect my face. It hit hard and somehow I kept control of my airplane long enough for someone to take the TX and land it. 37 stitches and a permanent scarr on my arm is certainly better than what would have happened to my face. A student on a buddy box lost control of his airplane floating in for a landing. The instructor instinctively took control but forgot that the last setting on his throttle was the takeoff position. This forced the out-of-control airplane to really go out of control. LESSON LEARNED: If you are an instructor and you have just launched your student's airplane put the throttle back to idle after you give control to the student.. BTW, I was new to this club/field -- I had just joined that morning, bet I hold the record for the most unusual initiation.
Old 02-06-2004, 02:15 PM
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rclooney
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Default RE: Ever been injured by a spinning prop? Yes or No

the only time it happened to me was when i was spining an old diesel over. kick back and ouch.no cuts, just a line on my finger. i hav never actuall flown my plane before.
Old 02-06-2004, 02:15 PM
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Default RE: Ever been injured by a spinning prop? Yes or No

My first and only so far was in 1972 on a control line plane. I can't even remember the name of the plane, but was a SIG with a 53" wingspan (looked something like a 4*60). Anyway we were breaking in the engine (I think it was a McCoy 40, the one with the red cylinder head). My friend was holding the plane in is hands with each on the Leading Edge left and right of the fuse. So basically it was pointing right at this face. (Yeah he was stupid, but I am the one that got the worst of it) Well it is a CL so it was running just about full open. It appeared that the plane was slipping out of his hand so I started to help. I put my left hand across the prop to grab the right wing and my right hand was going to the left wing. All my concentration was on the left hand that was going around the prop and put my right hand into the prop. Broke the wooden prop, and took 19 stitches around my right thumb and fore finger to close up the wounds. And that's not counting all the littl cuts that were too small to stitch. So I guess 2 stupid guys = 19 stitches for one.
Old 02-06-2004, 02:32 PM
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Mike in DC
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Default RE: Ever been injured by a spinning prop? Yes or No

ORIGINAL: SDR-Hammer
[size=3][i]A hundred and twenty views on this thread so far and twenty six votes. Everybody falls into one catagory yes or no. Please help with the survey.
I suspect that if the same person views a thread multiple times, it still adds to the view count. That means that folks that come back time and time again to see more prop accident stories drive up the number.
Old 02-06-2004, 03:35 PM
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rsjr
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Default RE: Ever been injured by a spinning prop? Yes or No

Last winter I was starting my OS .61 fx fitted with an APC 13x6 prop with my gloved right hand. (I had a helper holding the planes tail)
After a couple of flips the .61 started but it was running backwards, sputtering at idle speed. I went around to the left side of the plane and tried to stick my ungloved left index finger into the carb to kill it. Thump !
The sharp trailing edge of the APC prop split my left thumb cleanly down the middle of the nail and exited out the bottom near the tip.
Stupid me! What was I thinking? I've been flying r/c planes for years, I should know better!
7 stitches, X-rays, a bunch of needles poked in me, and a hospital bill that killed my r/c airplane budget for a long time.
Please be careful around spinning props !!

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