Most prop-finger incidents occur after the engine is running... not while starting the engine.

With an engine under .60 size... if you get struck by the prop while hand starting you would normally just get a bruise or a small cut.

If you use the correct hand start technique it is very hard to get hit by the prop at all... But you still have to remove that glow ignitor. THAT is when most people get whacked. The number 2 time they get whacked is when trying to adjust the engine.

The incident that started this Thread... HE USED AN ELECTRIC STARTER and it did not prevent the injury. Think about that.

The electric starter, or the chicken stick or hand starting... none are applicable to this accident. Paying atention to WHERE your hand is in relation to the propeller when the engine is running is the only way to prevent this type incident.

If you had a 10 inch table saw with a small piece of wood betweent he blade and the "fence" and the pice needed to be moved...would you stick your finger in and move it with the saw running? (I hope not) That is the situation here... he had an obstruction beside the propeller and tried to move it without turning off the engine.

Give the propeller the same (or more) respect youwould give a circular saw blade. The circular saws tend to turn just 3500 rpm (or 1500 rpm...) Our 10 inch props turn an average of 13,000 rpm at full throttle.