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Prop Safety Reminder
I have been flying about 2 years now, and had an accident yesterday at the field. I was tuning my Saito 82, the engine is mouinted horizontal, reached under the plane from the left side, (I should have been on the right side), and leaned the needle valve. engine running at full throttle with an ACP 14X6 prop. As I moved my hand back, I did not see the prop and it got me big time. Almost lost my small finger. It took 34 stiche's total to repair. This is just a safety reminder for everybody, the prop will do a number on you. Be extra cautious when the engine is running, tune it from the correct side of the aircraft and always be behind the engine when making adjustments. It made a believer out of me.
If you say, Oh, I am Safe all the Time, very careful, well my friend you will be introdced to your on prop one day..... Have yourFirst Aid Kit ready! Paul |
RE: Prop Safety Reminder
ORIGINAL: FLAPHappy I have been flying about 2 years now, and had an accident yesterday at the field. I was tuning my Saito 82, the engine is mouinted horizontal, reached under the plane from the left side, (I should have been on the right side), and leaned the needle valve. engine running at full throttle with an ACP 14X6 prop. As I moved my hand back, I did not see the prop and it got me big time. Almost lost my small finger. It took 34 stiche's total to repair. This is just a safety reminder for everybody, the prop will do a number on you. Be extra cautious when the engine is running, tune it from the correct side of the aircraft and always be behind the engine when making adjustments. It made a believer out of me. Paul I sitll have a nifty little scar on my right index finger from a Cox .049 when I was nine year old. I'll bet there are thousands of guys on this forum with Cox .049 scars. I'm pretty sure it cut to the bone, it sure looked like it did. I didn't tell my parents because back in those days why wreck a good thing taking your Cox PT-19 to the school yard. :-) |
RE: Prop Safety Reminder
Funny you should mention it, as I type without using the index finger on my left hand. 30 stitches...and I have no idea what I did wrong. In my case it was a Super Tigre 90, inverse mount, on a World FunWorld 3D and a 13x6 APC prop. I finished tuning the needle from behind the plane on the right side. My radio (I fly with an over shoulder aluminum tray) was on the starting stand in front of me. I finished my tuning, picked up the radio by the shoulder strut of the tray, and started to walk out to the front of the plane to go around to the left side to pick it up. To do this I put the tray on the position it will be in when I fly and pick the plane up in both hands-weight supported on my right with the lef t holding it by the wing.I never got to this point. Somehow as I walked to the front of the plane (still on the right side of it) I managed to get the thumb side of my left index finger. Obviously I "cut the corner" somehow. Lessons? I wish every manufacturer took a page from OS and use a remote mount needle (even though that had nothing to do with this particular injury), inverted motors add a level of awkwardness in access (again, not a direct factor here, but...), removing any glow driver from an inverted motor tail dragger adds yet more awkwardness(another non-factor as an issue in this case), and grey props (APC) are much less visible than contrasty black ones (MA), particularly when the manufacturer has painted the tips white. My safety officer and I are now corresponding about the starting stand design and starting procedures, and my next APC prop will get a paint bath of some super-contrasty color on the blade tips. I still wish I could figure out more about how the accident happened, though. Maybe I was more preoccupied with those other supposed non-issue factors than I thought and that distracted me? Or maybe my color deficient eyes just did not see the prop.
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RE: Prop Safety Reminder
Like WCF mine is the right index finger tip too, Atwood engine on a FireBaby, 8 or 9 years old. Maybe 1956 or 57?? Several weeks ago the same finger but right on the side of the knuckle. This time a G-62 with a spring starter. The engine would have started instead of just going pop but my hand was in the way. Icould have used stitches but it was too nice of a day so I figure I did the same thing as I did as a kid, a couple of band aids with some tape, it healed up clean.
That leather glove I kept in my flight box now is on the hand at all times when starting that one.http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/js/f...used_smile.gif |
RE: Prop Safety Reminder
Mine was with an electric, "only" five stiches, but it taught me a lesson, and I don't think I need to repeat that lesson.</p> CGr.</p> |
RE: Prop Safety Reminder
ORIGINAL: tessmar Funny you should mention it, as I type without using the index finger on my left hand. 30 stitches...and I have no idea what I did wrong. In my case it was a Super Tigre 90, inverse mount, on a World FunWorld 3D and a 13x6 APC prop. I finished tuning the needle from behind the plane on the right side. My radio (I fly with an over shoulder aluminum tray) was on the starting stand in front of me. I finished my tuning, picked up the radio by the shoulder strut of the tray, and started to walk out to the front of the plane to go around to the left side to pick it up. To do this I put the tray on the position it will be in when I fly and pick the plane up in both hands-weight supported on my right with the lef t holding it by the wing.I never got to this point. Somehow as I walked to the front of the plane (still on the right side of it) I managed to get the thumb side of my left index finger. Obviously I "cut the corner" somehow. Lessons? I wish every manufacturer took a page from OS and use a remote mount needle (even though that had nothing to do with this particular injury), inverted motors add a level of awkwardness in access (again, not a direct factor here, but...), removing any glow driver from an inverted motor tail dragger adds yet more awkwardness(another non-factor as an issue in this case), and grey props (APC) are much less visible than contrasty black ones (MA), particularly when the manufacturer has painted the tips white. My safety officer and I are now corresponding about the starting stand design and starting procedures, and my next APC prop will get a paint bath of some super-contrasty color on the blade tips. I still wish I could figure out more about how the accident happened, though. Maybe I was more preoccupied with those other supposed non-issue factors than I thought and that distracted me? Or maybe my color deficient eyes just did not see the prop. CG, yep I hear you loud and clear on electrics. I only recently bought my first two electrics, and even though these are little airplanes I can see a huge danger with large electric motors suddenly turned on when you made a careless mistake, etc... At least glow and gas have a starting sequence. Electrics are either on or off. Maybe more potential for accidents overall, but there's no tuning in electrics. And Gray Beard, sorry that happened! Be careful, or as careful as we gray beards can be lol http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/js/f...wink_smile.gif edited for spelling and other things. Doesn't this forum have a spell checker? lol. |
RE: Prop Safety Reminder
I am very very careful, just not always as fast as I should be!!!http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/js/f.../msn/49_49.gif
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tessmar, you are correct about APC props. I was standing 90 degrees to the prop, it's invisible at 10K RPM. Give them a WIDE BERTH!
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RE: Prop Safety Reminder
they really need to change the color on those apc props. that gray is just to hard to see.</p> i like wood props because you can see them easily, and i like their "feel". they just break to easily during the winter</p> </p> |
RE: Prop Safety Reminder
ORIGINAL: jimmyjames213 they really need to change the color on those apc props. that gray is just to hard to see.</p> i like wood props because you can see them easily, and i like their "feel". they just break to easily during the winter</p> </p> |
RE: Prop Safety Reminder
Ihave a scar just above my knee as a reminder to take my time and always be aware of the prop. Ijust missed the main artery. The doctor said if I had hit it, Iwouldn't have even made it to the car. I got a retainer for the plane after that to hold it in place. That prop will cut throught a pair of jeans in a matter of milliseconds... be careful out there.
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RE: Prop Safety Reminder
ya i need a prop balancer before i start spray painting (its on the shopping list)</p> i already have some orange spray paint</p> some heli guy had a really cool florecent (cant spell) green that i might try.</p> |
RE: Prop Safety Reminder
I clean up all of our APC props with sandpaper to remove the surgically sharp edges, the paint the tips white, then balance. I also just gave my 14 year old son some "starting" gloves. They are thin, but all leather. I get very nerveous when he starts a plane by himself, even though he has been taught well.</p> Jack</p> |
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<pre>I've been there done that...got the scars...sorry to hear you were hurt...heal quick</pre>
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RE: Prop Safety Reminder
Thanks for not posting pictures! [:'(]
:D |
RE: Prop Safety Reminder
ORIGINAL: FLAPHappy tessmar, you are correct about APC props. I was standing 90 degrees to the prop, it's invisible at 10K RPM. Give them a WIDE BERTH! I think it's up to us as users to be smart enough to keep our body parts away from the sharp spinning things in the front of our planes, Idon't see manufactures going out of there way to save us from ourselves. Ifigure I was dumb enough to NOT get my hand out of the way fast enough, If I'm not smart enough to operate one of these things then maybe I should start doing something else. |
RE: Prop Safety Reminder
Hey MinnFllyer, nice job on the pictures of the fly in- I'm trying to find a picture of a person that was hit in the face with a prop that came loose.. Presented that story at our club meeting and I think some of the people don't believe that could happen.
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RE: Prop Safety Reminder
MinnFlyer:
I did nothave time to take pictures, Was bleeding real bad so my other hand was very busy keeping pressure on the wound. I would not post any pictures of that nature anyway. When you cut an artery as I did, you need fast medical attention as you know. All my props will have RED tips from now on and any tuning will be from behind the engine and prop as it should be. Paul |
RE: Prop Safety Reminder
I had a slight mishap the other day. Super tigre 61. Just got it started and the glow inighter fell off and just a quick reaction I grabbed for it. Caught my thumb, index and middle finger. Good thing it was at a idle. Now how dumb can one be. Don't tell anyone, I am the safety officer.[:o]
Don't think I spelled a word right.. Thats what happens when you failed the 3rd grade. |
RE: Prop Safety Reminder
Gorish:
That made me laugh! On the serious side, people make mistakes now and then. When a mistake invloves body parts, it can be minor or Tramatic, and needing immediate care. People sometimes to think, OK, nothing will happen too me, But then, a day arrives and something happens, and it will ,sooner or later in Life. My Post on this subject was to remind Pilots, and others as well, be very careful. You have only one life, and possibly the great use of all of your extremities, but if you loose one, ...............Think again how lucky you are. Be carefull, Loosing any body part is a major lifestyle change. Just think a quick moment about that, then start the engine. Paul |
RE: Prop Safety Reminder
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Hope your hand heals up fine. I saw a friend of mine get "bit". Now, when ever I start any plane, I where apair of these. cut resitant kevlar. i have never been bitten by a prop but if it happens i should only walk away with some nasty bruses!
http://www.armynavyshop.com/Merchant...ct_Code=rc8427 |
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I don't have any scars or war stories to tell. Reading your tales here inspired me to keep it that way. Thanks for sharing.
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ORIGINAL: LouisB I don't have any scars or war stories totell. Reading your tales here inspired me to keep it that way. Thanks for sharing. I too have yet to get my hand bitten. I've seen the scars on the old timers at my club and Inever start an engine without anyone, even though there is a post office about 50ft away. They tell me that it will happen and everytime I hear it, Ialways pull my fingers in and make a fisthttp://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/js/f...sn/biggrin.gif |
RE: Prop Safety Reminder
i reached my hand across a prop to clean the mess my 4-stroke was making on my cub gear while breaking it in. stiches and scars... now i'm super careful. sometimes it takes a few times before it sinks in.</p> another note was the danger of electrics. when i crossed over to electrics i once got bitting by the prop when i accidentally nudged the throtle while taking the plane back to the pits. unlike glow,motors can always turn so it is equally important to be careful. bitten three times... luckily only once did it cause permanent scarring... unfortunately, it's across three of my finger :-p</p> |
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