Safety Reminder (WARNING-GRAPHIC)
 

Well, I went a did another n00bie thing today...but much, much worse than anything else. I started up the plane, trimmed the needle valve, then unhooked the glow plug wire. I reached around to disconnect the glow plug battery when WHIP!!! in the blink of an eye the prop caught the back of my hand. I could feel it cut into my flesh...instantly my hand was covered in blood. I instinctively covered the wound with my other hand to stop the bleeding, then took a peek - right down to the tendons.

Thank The Lord there was someone nearby with a first aid kit. They wrapped it tight for me and I headed for the Urgent Care center.

Net result - 13 stitches. Most fortunately, I didn't sever a tendon or suffer any nerve damage.

HERE'S THE TAKE-HOME MESSAGE....USE EXTREME CAUTION AROUND YOUR PROP!!!!!!!!!!!! This was a .40 size motor, and it could have cost me my hand.

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Thank God it wasn't worse. I was thinking about props today when I changed up to a 15x8 on a Saito 100 runnin 30%. I do NOT want to tangle with that mess.

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I am glad you did not have a more serious injury. There is a good lesson here. You now have a reminder of what WILL happen if you loose focus. I too have been bit by the prop. Every time it has happened I was not focused on what I was doing.

I was tuning my YS-63 and my brother in law was reaching for the glow plug from the front. I almost dropped my Tx reaching for his hand. I think it would have been a lot worse then just painful stitches.

Again, glad you are all right.


Dru.

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So sorry to see and read this, Dea!!

May serve as a reminder of the unforgiveness of propellers to all of us.

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Another lesson to learn is to never fly alone. It is a good thing someone was there to give first aid. Also it is good to have a first aid kit permanently stored at the flying field. ;)

Bruce

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This can happen to all of us. I did it in 1969 after building about 15 yrs and then again in 2008.

This last time arthritis settled into the damaged fingers and now I don't have full use of that hand. I cannot sqeeze pliers or twist a screw driver hard with it.

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That one hurt!

Hard to tell for sure, but it sounds as if you may have been standing in front of the plane after starting. You probably have figured out by now the best reason to tune and disconnect from the glow starter from behind the plane. Like landeck said, good thing someone else was there to 'lend a hand'.

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Much remorse and many lessons learned today. One thing that may have helped is a prop with some color on the tips. Mine is all black, and as such a bit hard to tell it's diameter when spinning. Have some first aid supplies on hand, try not to fly alone, take your cell phone. Also, as mentioned - disonnect the glow wires and trim from behind the motor.

I may start wearing some leather or canvas work gloves when starting. Or, as I am thinking now, just go electric.

It's not just props, of course. The guy at the LHSsaid he "filleted" his finger once with a hobby blade. He did the classic thing - pulled toward himself, not pushing away - slipped and sliced his other hand's indexfinger full length.

Sheesh...tough hobby!!

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Brushless is so much better then nitro. There are some really nice Brushless electric solutions out there. www.hobbycity.com

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There are several very graphic pictures of people having serious hand problems after encounters with electric motors on RCUniverse also

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Agree!

Electric power is as dangerous as wet power; many documented accidents prove that.

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Ouch!

Luckily, glow fuel is a great antiseptic.

Hope your recovery is speedy and complete.

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Local guy I fly withtold me abouta friend who had a Corsair brushless. Appearantly, theguy was in the pits and accidentally bumped the throttle on the tx while powered up, and the prop cut him bad on the forarm.

Maybe I'll just stick to the motorcycle for fun....seems a lot safer!! http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/js/f...used_smile.gif

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Actually, electrics are more dangerous than glow engines. When a glow engine hits it will usually kill the engine. However, when an electric motor hits it just keeps turning until the juice is turned off.

Ken

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Well, I can tell you, the motor didn't quit when it hit me. I was pouring blood but still had to stop it with the throttle trim. I suppose that if it had hit bone...http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/js/f.../msn/52_52.gif

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The one aspect of electric I like is that you can set up, put it on the runway, step back, and then start up. At least you don't have to muck around with the engine inches from your fingers while getting it going. I can certainly see inadvertantly hitting the tx throttle at the wrong time, but you would have t do that ANDhave your hand/bodypartin the wrong place at the same time. Plus, pull back on the throttle stick and it's off. I see some of the older engines with the needle immediately behind the prop and shudder...

Just the same -obviously I'mPAINFULLY biased right now.

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Using electric, wet or no power, I hope that this unfortunate accident will not make you quit this wonderful hobby.

The worst thing that could happen to you, has just happened.

Learning from a mistake is the only good thing that we can get out of it, and what you have learned from this bad experience will make you a safer and better pilot in the next years.

Motorcycles are a good thing, but not better than motorcycles and model airplanes combined: ride to the field, fly, and ride back home.

Wish you a speedy recovery!!

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Thanks for that. Like I told my wife - if you have a car accident, do you quit driving?? She wasn't impressed, by the way.

I really enjoy this hobby and have no intention of leaving it behind. Tough lesson to learn for sure, but you carry on. Will make for some good show-and-tell at the field.

Frankenstein would be impressed with my hand. Put a big bolt through it and I'm set for Halloween.

I was getting ready to move on to a GPEscapade. I made a deal on a OS .46 Maxx FX, which a may put in the trainer and use the OS .40 LA for the Escapade,being much lighter. The Escapade uses exactly the same servos, fuel tank, radio, etc. that my trainer does so I can mix and match.

Or...I may sell off all the gas gear and go with a brushless setup for the Escapade. Not sure yet...the above discussion is very interesting.

Thanks to all of you for your advice, encouragement, and well-wishing. That's the thing about the r/c world that I really like - the people involved are all TOP-NOTCH!!

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Soo easy to do the prop becomes almost invisible once it's going.

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+5* You beat me to it

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Brushless better than nitro? what does that mean and how is it better? If you don't respect the prop, you'll get bit sooner or later. A .40 nitro vs a .40 sized electric, which do you (mentat) feel more comfortable sticking your hand into.

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Now let's not turn this into a Nitro vs Electric debate. As far as I'm concerned, a prop is a knife waiting to slice someone. I got hit by a MA 9X6 years ago when a home made test stand failed and the engine spun into my hand , smacking a finger three times. I had three slices out of my finger, all minor, but the results could have been the same as what Dea endured. I've seen equally grievous injuries from boat props that are balanced, sharpened and polished. I dont' take any prop for granted.

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You're right Hydro Junkie, lets not debate which prop hurts more lol, I realized why mentat might have said what he said, he's into cars so he ain't worried about props.

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See my thread [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_4762505/anchors_4762505/mpage_1/key_/anchor/tm.htm#4762505]Prop Bitten[/link] from '06, for lots of things that can happen when hand meets prop. Not fun...

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And that was an "electric baby", imagine a .40 equivalent motor!!!!