Dang!
You should sue sig for at least $100000!!!!
It is there fault that they didn't built the fuselage right!

-Nik

<<...the stupidest thing I've ever done...>>

Why? Sounds to me like you were doing the same thing most all of us do; tweaking/checking your engine before flying.

However, is that model rated for a gasser? I dunno, just asking.


.

Here's another thumb one to add to this thread to remind everyone to be careful;

One of our club members, very-very-experienced, was helping another club member tune an engine last summer. He was behind the prop where he should be, but while tuning the needle, his hand touched the hot engine. Well, the instinctive "jerk-your-hand-away-from-the-heat" happened, and his thumb went into the prop (APC I think, but not sure). He was "lucky" and lost only a chunk of meat from the side of his thumb (from the edge of the fingernail at about 45 degree angle down to the center of his thumbprint).

Moral of the story is' be careful even if your behind the prop.

To all you guys who replied, I thank you for your kind words and I appreciate your thoughts.
I only hope no one else goes through this, it sucks. If anyone wants to copy the picture for others to see, go ahead with my blessing. Hope it keeps someone else from getting smacked.
Anyhow, I'm fine, flying again, and crashing as usual. Just got my Stinger 120 finished and can hardly wait for a little warmer weather to maiden it. Edge 540 with OS 160 is sitting in the truck just waiting, and the Extra 300 needs a belly job. Knocked the landing gear off. Looking at a Ultra Stik 120 also. Got the perfect motor for it. Also gathering materials for a BIG SPAD.
Dang, I need more radios.

Later all.

SERGE:
NICEavatar

quote: "SERGE:
NICEavatar "

Y[sm=spinnyeyes.gif]eah, anyway we (err, I) can get a blown up copy of it? [sm=spinnyeyes.gif]
[sm=spinnyeyes.gif]
Jerry

I'd like to have it for my desktop background but my heart might not stand it.

APC props are razor blades! I nearly lost a thumb to one that flew off a Saito .80 a few years ago. Now I start my engine with an electric starter while wearing a heavy welding glove, which comes up nearly to my elbow. I may look stupid doing it, but my fingers are worth it! I cringe every time I see someone standing in front or to the side of a spinning prop.

HA he got it from the PLProd web site there is a buch there.

Ok..I guess I may as well throw my hand in too...oops. I too stuck my hand in a prop about 5 years ago. It was a Super Tiger .90 and an APouchC prop, it was a stupid mistake and I knew better but as humans we are allowed some stupid moves...right?? Well it cut the hell out of 3 fingers with the index digit tip hanging down and blood everywhere. I got to the ER at 5 pm and left at 1 am. and had to be in the hospital the next morning for a tendon repair and a rod about 1/16" in dia. was drilled thru the tip of the finger all the way to the first knuckle closest to my hand. On the piece of rod sticking out of the end of my finger the Dr. made a loop and it stayed that way for 6 wks. The idea was to attach the severed tindon that went across the knuckle. ...OK I am getting to the end...I promise...the time came for the pin to be removed and I thought I would get some happy juice and I would not be awake for the procedure but was I ever wrong...the doc latched onto the wire with some Stanley pliers and started twisting and I am starting to turn this odd hue of green but to my surprise it did not hurt..uum..that is until he got the wire past my knuckle closest to the tip of the finger and ...OOHH MYYY GODDDDD...Yes Thelma...IT HURT!!!!!!!!!!!
I was very popular when I first got to the ER because someone had told all the docs and nurses that a man stuck his hand into an airplane prop and thier minds could only imagine some for slob in the ER with his hand missing and sporting a stub...once I told them what happened I was not so popular any more.

P.S. As soon as the Dr. pulled the rod out of my finger the tip just drooped down and stayed that way for ever.

Moral of the story is as follows..."GET BEHIND THE PROP TO RUN UP"

Welcome to the club Boss.

One thing I forgot to mention is that the AMA that I have been a member of for 30 years picked up any out of pocket money that was related to the injury. I was not aware that they did that but one of the club cd's told me about it. It wasn't much but it sure did help...I think it was something like $150.00.

Jim Thanks for sharing that with us as a Newbie I will allways remember now to stand behind the prop on run up and have more respect for the prop thats too bad about your hand. It really make you realize that these things are not toys. Just think how many accidents you may have prevented by shareing your story Thanks

I will throw my prop accident story in the mix too. When I first started I had a 20 size trainer. I started the plane from the front and a little to the left of the engine, and as I was getting up to go around behind the plane I bumped the wing with my knee. This caused the plane to yaw right. the running engine hit my elbow and the prop made four cuts before the engine quit. I swole up about an inch above normal and bled like crazy. I should have gotten stitches but I didn't, I still have the scars to remind me to be careful.

I fly electric planes as well as IC and I I never thought much about the prop giving me a hard time because after all, it's a small motor and makes little noise so how bad can it be...right??
Well the thing that I learned on electrics is that it does not stop when the blade hits something...it just slows down and goes on until the juice is gone or it is shut off. I never got bit very bad but a friend got hurt real bad on an Astro 40/geared and I was shocked to see the damage ...it never stopped like a gas engine does...it just keeps chopping you up.

Props are nothing but very rapidly rotating knives designed to CUT the air. So guess what they do to anything else that gets in their way? You got it!

Anyhow, I hope that I might have prevented even one person from getting bitten like I did. If so, it's all worth it. If not, you boneheads need to wake up and listen to experience. I learned the hard painful way. You don't have to. Trust me when I say that they (props) will hurt your tiny little fingers and hands, whether they be on electric motors or HUGE gas engines.

I was starting my G-38 this past sunday and got a minor ding on the same thumb that got messed up. This thing has a spring starter on it and trying to start it, the prop slipped out of my hand after only about 1/4 revolution of winding it up and smacked my thumb. I said a BAD WORD! Even being careful I still got bit. Thank God for super glue. Two drops, a quick wipe and I went back to flying. Oh Well!

JR...I and all the other members of the bone head club can count our lucky starts because it could have been so much worse. I wear a cut down welders glove now if I start one by hand.

Boss248

Ok, I claim the Presidency of the National BONEHEAD Club.

God bless us BONEHEADS one and all. May we all have many happy flying days and continue to keep our fingers intact and out of propellers.

I think I will print up some cards with member numbers and distribute them to Boneheads who have had propeller incidents. If it required surgery it rates a gold membership. If all it took was super glue to close the cut then it only rates a silver membership. A skinned spot requires that person to confess his Boneheadedness to all his other club members.

Let's have some ideas coming from you Boneheads.

Jim

I was on another thread and was pointed over here. I have always tried to respect the prop, but sometimes not as much as I should. I have been probably lucky. I think that sometimes we all get a little complacent after flying for a good portion of the day. But, after reading this, I will TRY to be just a little more safety conscientious with the prop. On my larger planes I have been using wooden props.


Good luck to all of those bitten by the prop. Hope that you heal fully and are able to enjoy flying again.

Lee

well--really hate to say it ,but got bit by a wingo park flyer.I had put the fresh battery in it.I was wearing shorts.Had the plane on my lap,turned on the radio --Throttle was reversed from flying a different plane--little geared motor took a big chunck out of my knee.Went to the Hospital--10 stitches in my knee--No insurance--Final bill --$1,450.00..Would have paid for a nice 1/4 scale--I feel for you Jim--Moral--ANY spinning propeller can cause serious harm..nuff said--

Based on the size of the prop that was on the ill fated Sukhoi ARF, it was probably a 40 or 50CC engine. Creek recommends a 1.20, most of use a 1.60 glow or 1.80 (30cc) gasser and even that is significantly overpowered. If you use a 40 or 50CC that is just insanely overpowered.

Pinning the firewall and glassing it still won't cover the fact that the plane was not designed for that kind of power, yet we blame "the crappy ARF quality".

I have a Kangke CAP 120 (ARF) with an RCS 1.80 (30cc) it rips the sky, it is very well built (it came with a pinned firewall and glassed tri-stock behind the firewall) but would I expect it to stay together with a DA 50 on the nose... HELL NO!!

Let's use a little common sense guys. If you want to fly a DA, ZDZ, etc.. .buy a plane that is designed to handle it... i.e. Aeroworks, Carden, CA Models, Chip Hydes, etc. Of course you will pay for it.

Don't get cheap on the plane and expect a plane designed for glow to support 3 times the horsepower and stay together!! ARFs serve their purpose, but don't expect the world of them.....

If you want a plane that stays together, spend the money on a strong arf, or better yet, build it yourself!!

Da Pig

I'll come out of the closet for a gold membership. I decided to break-in my Magnum .52fs in the plane so that I could set the throttle servo at the same time. Using a chicken stick, the engine started backwards. Rather than chop the throttle I reached for the plane. Severed the tendon of my index finger. The picture is 10 days later after the stiches came out. It's been four weeks now and the hand is slowly coming around.
Oh yeah. I bought an electric starter the other day.

bigbobed, Sorry about your accident, hope you get well soon. Thank you very much for telling your story and showing the picture. I am proof of the impact that a memory can do to make anybody safer. Read post #17 and you will see why. Since my friends accident, I have not ever gotten cut by a prop ever ( knock on wood ) Due to having that memory on my head, I have been very carefull since. A picture is better than 1000 words. THANKS A LOT man.

You get Gold membership #2.
We don't even want to talk about Platinum. UGH!
Didn't mean to make light of your incident. Hope it heals up and you can use the fingers. My thumb is doing great and I can still fly just fine but it caused me to be out of the field for about four months. Still can't pick anything small up without lots of trouble.
Good luck and hope everything works out for you.

Ok ..I must admit ...I never thought there were so many BoneHeads in the club...makes me feel a little better. I see a 12 step protocall as the new charter for this club:

Step #1: I am powerless over APC props and my coordination in unmanageable.