Propeller Safety
 

I have just come home from the Accident and Emergency department with 15 stitches in one finger plus a minor broken bone and 2 sutures in another finger. The pain killer is beginning to wear off!!!
What was I doing? Having a great fly with my trainer on a warm still summer afternoon(Southern Hemisphere) The plane landed and was refueled. I restarted the motor, the plane was securely held by its metal restraining clamp. I was doing all the right stuff. The motor was just a little off song, have to adjust the needle valve slightly, finger in to the invisible prop whizzing at around at about 12000 rpm. Bang the motor stops, blood is flying in all directions, all over the plane and me, that was the end of the flying for a while.

I was excited at getting the plane into the air again, probably a bit tired, it was lunch time, I FORGOT TO THINK AND WATCH WHAT I WAS DOING AND TAKE ENOUGH CARE!!

Remember propellers are very dangerous, modern props are very hard and sharp, even with the sharp edges sanded off slightly. YOU DO NOT GET A SECOND CHANCE!!!. Bang it is all over. Accidents are a combination of errors, I was thinking on the way out to the flying field that I should paint the tips of the prop a bright colour to make them stand out, but I didn't do it. I know the prop is spinning close to fingers, stay behind it, be careful, did'nt remember to do this or think it was necessary to do this for a minor simple adjustment..........

I didn't chop the end off my finger, the Doctor did some good sewing and my finger should heal up fine with no lasting damage, it could have be a lot worse, but also I could not have done it in the first place!

Is glow fuel a good antiseptic?

RE: Propeller Safety
 

These things are not as uncommon as some people think. It is always a good reminder for beginners and veterans alike. I personally have a scar from a mere 6 stitches that reminds me to beware the spinning knifes. Add your story and pics if you have them to the following thread. Sort of a culmanation of cranial flagelance for RCU members... including myself.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_47...tm.htm#4762505

RE: Propeller Safety
 

I am sorry to hear about your accident.
I caught my finger in my prop a few weeks ago and there was a little blood and some cursing but nothing as bad as yours.
I hope you recover quickly and get back up in the air again.
Southern Hemisphere here too so its hot and bright out, generally wait until late afternoon to go flying.
One advantage of having caught your finger is that you become prop shy, bet it wont happen again in a hurry.

Ray

RE: Propeller Safety
 

Yup. five stiches on my right index finger from an electric powered Little Something Extra. It was a new build and I was setting up the speed controller, didn't realize that it was reversed. The fail safe calls for full throttle then idle and it is armed. Well, in this case, full throttle was minimum on the stick, so when I went to full throttle, it armed. So, when I returned to idle, the motor spun to full throttle. I did two things in the same motion. I reached for the plane because it was headed for my front window (I was in the house) and with the other hand, I smacked the throttle to max on the transmitter, which was actually idle for the speed controller.

But, when I reached for the aircraft, I got my right hand in the way of the prop and that darned rotating sword sliced my finger in three places as it rotated. One on either side of the main slice was a scratch. The main slice was a good one.. opened my finger to the bone. So, off I went to the Emergency Room and had to explain this to the doctor that looked at my hand and sutured it up. He said it was a first for his career.. stiching up a finger cut open by a model aircraft.

It's fine now, still gets stiff a bit, but no big deal. But, I remember what happened and how it happened, and have a lot more respect for those rotating knives!!

CGr.

RE: Propeller Safety
 

I have 3 comments...

1) Very sorry to hear about your accident - Glad you will be ok
2) Thanks for posting this to help remind newbies of how dangerous a spinning prop can be.

and

3) Thanks for NOT posting pictures! [:'(]

:D

RE: Propeller Safety
 

I wanna see! I wanna see!

Seriously, I'm glad it was no worse. Just a second's carelessness can cause a tragedy.

Think!
Think!
Think!

Dr.1

RE: Propeller Safety
 

Just a fraction of a second of inattention and "KaZing!"

Our club had just installed new "Safer" elevated starting/tuning stands and a friend and I went to the fieldwith our .46 size models. He started his engine and the glow-driver wasn't tight and vibrated off. It hit the stand and started to roll off so, unthinking, he grabbed for it . . . right through the propeller arc.

I was standing in front of my plane getting my engine started and suddenly there was that unmistakable "BRAAAAAP" sound and blood on my glasses. The brain freezes in that initial shock moment. "What did I do?" Then I realized it was his. 18 stitches from that one. Ouch.

I've got some battle scars from hand starting free-flight and control-line models but, knock wood, I've been lucky with the R/C. Good thing as the engines are MUCH larger and more powerful. Standing in front of a 20" prop keeps your attention rivited.

RE: Propeller Safety
 

One thing to remember about safety with electric planes is to always stay clear of the prop when you've got the battery hooked up. Even if it's been properly setup, and you have the throttle stick low and/or an engine kill activated, you never know if a glitch might fire up the ESC and spin the prop on you.

RE: Propeller Safety
 

Amen, pkh. Especially true in the initial setup. You never know how that ESC is gonna react at first.

RE: Propeller Safety
 

I share your pain.

Nothing like an accident to jolt our brains back to thinking while working with R/C engines. In my case, I was breaking in a new OS-46 FX by adjusting the high speed needle from rich to less rich at full throttle. During my no thinking period, I thrust my hand in the spinning propeller resulting in cuts to my thumb, pointer and index fingers. I have the scars and still have a numb spot on my thumb, but at least for now, I am much more aware of how easy it is to ruin a good day.

DaveB

RE: Propeller Safety
 

Sorry to hear about your accident, glad it wasn't worse, and I hope you heal up fully.


That sound... Once you hear it, you wont forget it, nothing else sounds quite like it.

I've been a combination of careful and lucky, and have never had a prop cut me while running. (I have managed to cut myself a few times on the back of APC props while doing things like priming or bolting them on). But I've heard it too many times.

RE: Propeller Safety
 

Sorry to hear about your accident.

All i have ever done is gotten scuffed up a little from the back of the prop, but it still makes that nasty unforgetable sound.

A guy at my field a while back was starting a 50cc bipe, when it pulled out of the tail restraints. It made a 7" long slash in his leg and was too the bone, He could have bled to death if it wasn't for the other guy that showed up minutes before he started the plane.

This also reminds people to never fly alone, no matter how big or small the plane.

Austin

RE: Propeller Safety
 

A BIG second on never fly alone. I understand that a 40 size 2 cycle with a 10/6 prop wide open has tips moving at the same speed as a .45 cal bullet. Always good to get a reminder. Hope you heal quickly and well.[:o]

RE: Propeller Safety
 

I have found the "Smart Starter" article by Kelly R Regan. It is an excellent idea enabling the plane to be started from behind the engine. Once I get all the dressings off my hand and it has healed up I will be constructing one of these and won't be starting a plane without using it. I believe apart from a sore hand, impressive bandages a great deal of frustration and annoyance and probably some good scars, I have "got away" with my stupidity of forgetting the prop while trying to adjust the needle valve on the engine. There won't be a next time, I might not so luck (fortunate may be a better word) if there is a next time!! I have seen some old videos of flying in the 1950s and engines were started by pushing the spinner into a rubber fitting in a box. Kelly's design emulates this idea and will be much safer on hands and fingers, by always working behind the engine. The cheap hand held starters are a considerable leap forward over trying to hand start engines, but maybe we have not actually progressed from a safety point of view by starting the engine from in from of the engine and plane. I was thinking electrics may be the way to go as they are safer, but electrics appear to be as bad if not worse in their own different ways. You just have to always be very careful of props that are rotating or could rotate with warning, or bang the prop will get you. THEY ARE VERY DANGEROUS TO FINGERS AND HANDS.

My finger is sore but most annoying is the bandage and finger brace which get in the way all the time still I will have plenty of time to get used to them.

Kelly's article can be found @ http://www.reganspace.com/Planes/hands_free.html

Cheers

David

RE: Propeller Safety
 

I found this article on tip speed. It will make you a believer in safety precautions when you do the math.


[link=http://www.lcrc.org/stu22.htm]Tip speed of model propellers[/link]

RE: Propeller Safety
 

It was a 12" prop and a .46 SC engine at full power, so would be doing something around 12000 rpm.

Cheers

David

RE: Propeller Safety
 

I am forced to fly alone sometimes. Been flying since 1972. Have had many cuts, mostly minor. The most dangerouse for me has been starting a glow fuel engine and not noticing the throttle was wide open. Usually this occures when I am distracted because of other things, such as starting problems, other people talking, etc. Our club now has 10 Engine-Safety Starting Stands. Twice already the engine has been at full throttle when started on these stands. Other than the wet underwear there was no problem. Here is a photo of our new design for the stand. Plans for it can be downloaded from the DOWNLOAD section of our website at http://www.wilsonrc.org/news.php

RE: Propeller Safety
 

That is a really nice stand Villa, and like you I am forced to fly alone sometimes, so I am seriously thinking about building one.

RE: Propeller Safety
 

David, sorry to hear about your injury. Get well soon.

When I see where you are from, I think of Anthony Hopkins, as Bert Munro, in the Worlds Fastest Indian. He was explaining to some folk in the US, as he was on his way to Bonneville, that he was from Invercargill, the bottom of the world and sometimes they spelled it with one L, to save ink, .....classic :D

As I said, heal quickly mate.

RE: Propeller Safety
 

Excellent stand Villa. This is a safety area many (including myself) have not given enough thought. As I said I have decided NEVER to start a glow engine without some sort of safety stand/ apparatus to get you behind the plane and engine. As you said you only need to be distracted or thinking of something else for a second and bang the flying is all over for a while with a bloody and painful accident. I commend your club on its attitude, forward thinking, and practical developments in this area of safety. Well done!!!

Cheers

David

RE: Propeller Safety
 

The 'Worlds fastest Indian' was a great movie. Burt did all that and more. There are a couple of books and a documentary from the early 1970s around about what he did, quite amazing. Tools = a file, vice and and an electric drill, and of course time did not matter to him. The actual Indian bike and other bits and pieces are on display in a local Hardware store in Invercargill.

Cheers

David

RE: Propeller Safety
 

Sorry to hear about that. That's why I guess my dad will start my engines for me while I'm training, so I don't do anything stupid and lose a finger. Thanks for 2 things -
1. Letting newbies know about prop safety
2. Not letting RCU see pictures !

Glad to hear you'll be okay - best luck !

-- TakingFlight96

RE: Propeller Safety
 

this post is so right on the money after a few years of flying I've never even come close to an accident with a prop until this last Thanksgiving morning in the blink of an eye... 21 stitches to the last three fingers on my right hand..it was over before I knew it had begun...no I didn't reach into a moving prop..I was just stupid

RE: Propeller Safety
 

Yes glow fuel is a good anteseptic, until you can get to a hospital! Don't use a field rag(full of nasty stuff), use a clean handkerchief. We have a well stocked first aid kit at the field. Since several of us often fly alone, we've posted the 911 field address facing the flight line. Carry a cell phone in you're pocket and call 911 immediately. A coulple of years ago there was a well published incident where a modeler flying alone passed out due to blood loss and eventually died. A sister field of ours recently had to call Care Flight for a badly "wounded" modeler. The wind caught a hand launched electric a it flew back into his face. Don't waste time, call for help!

Paul

RE: Propeller Safety
 

Yes I was just stupid, dumb not thinking, all those things, but I did it, BANG all over in the blink of an eye. Hope you hand is coming right. I am feeling a bit better, still like a 'one armed paper hanger' but am having a good look at design for Kelly Regan smarter starter and begin to collect up the materials to construct one.

Cheers

David