I was just reading my Email this morning and found one from Tower Hobbies that was show-casing the new Hobbico Electri-Star trainer. It is said to be the easiest, cleanest, quiet, economical, and so on. All this is true.

There is always a 'BUT' statement when one of us brings up a subject like this. In my case, there is one, and I hope that you understand where I come from with this.

As with most vetrans to the RC hobby and sport already realize, there is an inherent danger with all types of RC aircraft, with the exception of gliders that don't have power. Electrics and fuel powered airplanes have a rotating propellor that can and will do some damage to our body parts. Some of it can and will be rather severe. With fuel, though, once something gets in the way of the prop, well, it will do it's damage and in most cases, just stop the rotation of the engine and thus the continued damage by that rotating razor blade will cease.

With electrics, however, that's not the case. Most new people must understand, and those that do the training with these new electric trainers that are becoming more and more available, these things will continue to turn until the source of the electricity is removed or the throttle is backed down to idle or stop. Many of our new transmitters, (thinking of the new DX7 for instance) have a built in system to prevent the motor from going to full throttle upon start-up. Many ESC's won't go at all until a certain process is followed, ie move the throttle to full, till it beeps, back to idle till it beeps again.. and so on.. which is good (just an example here.. most do something, if not what I described).

My point here is that instructors MUST take the lead in making sure that their students are aware of the inherent dangers, with both fuel and electrics and how to avoid injury to themselves or others nearby.

My Airtronics RD6000 and RD8000 for instance, (and I am sure most if not all of the other computerized radio's do this) will not allow the TX to transmit until the throttle is pulled to the minimum low setting. My Airtronics has in bold letters TH-HI in the display with a beeping sound if I have the throttle arm anywhere but in the idle position. Students must be made aware of this capability and taught, reminded, whatever, to make sure that their throttle setting is at idle.

Of course, there is always the chance that a new plane could have the throttle reversed, or not have had the ESC set up properly to prevent rotation of the prop upon connecting the battery, and so on. All this is possible and all of you instructor qualified people know this, and of course, Murphy said it best that "anything that can go wrong will go wrong".

Make sure that your students are aware of the possibility of injury with both fuel and electric powered trainers (aircraft of any type for that matter), and especially aware of the potential for electrics to do more damage than fuel powered could. We must remember that with a fuel engine, at least if it is at idle, we can hear it. With electrics, if the battery is connected, and the plane is ready to fly, the prop may or may not be turning. It is easy to forget that a simple push of the throttle will start that motor turning and could injure someone that is in front of that plane.

I recall my instructor telling me to get away from the front of his new Tiger II Electric conversion. No one really knows if it is ready to turn or not. Should he or someone accidentally bump the transmitter and that throttle go to full, and I am in directly in front of it, well, there goes another visit to the Emergency Room and another 5 or 10 stiches.. if not worse. Hey, a lot of us have stiches to prove that these things can.. and will.. bite us if given the opportunity.

Be careful, I guess is what I am trying to say. Make sure that students are aware of the possibility of injury. Most of all, proper training and supervision during those first few flights will insure a lifetime of fun and enjoyment without injury.

Please don't take this as a lecture, just as a reminder that these things are fun, but a note of caution is always prudent.

DS.