What in the heck does AMA have to do with this?

Wow! You killed the horse, beat the horse, and then ate the horse.

How do those bones taste?

Nothing.

In 50+ years of modeling that included a very close attention to paints and painting and especially about fuel proofing, the only thing I've ever read or heard about fuel proofing will probably make you laugh. The info on the fuel proofing agents has not been obtainable as far as I know. Except for the one thing.......

You ready for this?

You used to be able to make the dope you could buy at airports fuel proof by the addition of banana oil. Yup. Back when fuel proof model paint wasn't readily available, you could make your own. And the fuel proofer was banana oil.

I don't think that is toxic.

And back in the 70s and 80s, before the more exotic paints came along, we would still use banana oil as a retarder (for blushless coats in humid conditions).

Does anyone actually know what the fuel proofing additives might be?

Although if you think about it, what paints available to us today advertise themselves as being fuel proof. The only paint I've been able to find that specifically mentioned being fuel proof was UltraCoat. And all the rest don't appear to be for models so you'd think they wouldn't be adding additives for them.

Pedantic?

Cool we are on the same page

From what I can tell usually it is the propellant that makes the paint toxic. Every paint I have seen has had warnings for while it is wet nothing says don't eat the chips.

I am a tattoo artist, and I have a lot of "paint" under my skin. Don't know of any problem with the pigments themselves. It's the other "stuff" added to the pigments that causes the problems, and that would depend on the intended use. But who cares...I don't paint my tips, and I never had a prop strike either. Not saying it will not happen...just don't think it will. Safety first!

Main Entry: pe·dan·tic
Pronunciation: pi-'dan-tik
Function: adjective
1 : of, relating to, or being a pedant
2 : narrowly, stodgily, and often ostentatiously learned

And seldom used correctly.

You know, the subject title may have obscured the original intent, but the idea of finding a safer coloring system is worthwhile.

With wooden props we may already be fairly safe.

Synthetic props probably should have something better than paint. At least something that sticks better. You see MAs all the time with the paint worn on the LE.

But I'd like to suggest that from what I've seen at my flying fields is that it would be a really good idea right now, if APC would change the color base of their razor sharp props from that almost perfectly invisible, almost perfectly neutral gray, to any color that would be more visible. They not only have the most lethal looking knives out there, but their choice of base color is awful when visibility is the issue. It's almost like they worked at making them invisible.

Now.... how do we get them to make their stuff safer?

I think making thier props nearly invisible was the intent. Specially designed non toxic paints for prop tips may solve the problems of asthetics and fuctionality. Put it on if you want leave it off if it suits you.

With this much fighting, it just seemed that that was the forum to place the thread in.

Or maybe the engine forum. or the jet forum.

Or maybe the SPAD forum... Simple People Agressively Discussing

Flying razors is exactly what APC has produced.

My scars are healing nicely because I was so cleanly cut, albeit multiple times.

You can see most of the other props, but the APC's are another matter.

Assume there's one on the front of the plane and you'll be OK.

You can't see gravity either, but we are cautious of it and prepare for it none the less.

Good one...gravity sucks!

chuckle..... Yeah, but I can feel gravity working.

What's the problem with having them do something that's so very obviously safer?

Not a thing. I used to dip all of mine in white arrow cresting lacquer.

But if you ignore the noise of a running engine mightn't you also ignore the faint blur of white prop tips? If the engine is running you shouldn't be near the prop to begin with. If you nail yourself because you misjudged the arc of the prop it is because you were not operating safely, painted tips or no. Seeing the tips might, in fact, encourage you to try and reach around the prop from the front instead of getting behind it to do adjustments. Assume the prop is as wide as the wing and you'll probably never zing yourself. Seeing it only gives you a false sense of security. Never reach through the polar plane of the prop. Period.

It's probably the worst thing about NiCad glo-drivers. They encourage a reach around behind the prop from the front of the plane. That's one of the reasons I don't own one.

(Swatting flies on a dead horse ain't the same as beatin it).

How do you start your glow engines if you don't have some kind of gizmo that clips to the plug, and therefore that you have to reach and unclip after starting? all your planes have on-board systems?

I agree about never reaching over, under, around, and especially not through, the prop arc. I always walk around behind my plane and remove the starter, as well as making adjustments. Oddly enough, even that can get you in trouble. One of our most experienced fliers (40+ years) came in behind the plane on a friend's plane that was running rough, to help him get it started and tuned. Unfortunately, it was a pusher, and he had that millisecond long mental lapse, and got bit, times three fingers.


I'd never have figured this thread would go on for 4 pages.

I have a clip on plug energizer - but it's connected to the panel on my flight box with three feet of wire (and a "zinger" string retractor reel clipped to the flight box to keep the wire out of said prop). It stays on until I set the starter motor (also wired to my flight box panel) in the top of my flight box and walk around to the rear of the wing. Being on the 7A 12v gel battery there's no worry I'm going to run out of juice letting it stay hot while I take my time. The meter on the panel also gives me a visual that the plug is OK and I can adjust the voltage up on cold days.

Just never got out of the habit of a wired glow-driver from my free flight & C/L days with a big 1.5v dry cell.

Flood tubes 1 and 2, make revolutions for 14 knots, set safeties for 2,000 meters, match bearings on scope and fire tube 1, fire tube 2.

I was thinking more like the pirate in the joke in the R/C humor forum---"Page, Bring me my brown pants!!!!"