Villa

I have seen plenty of blood since I started flying R/C in 1972. Most of it has been mine. I jump at every chance to put more safety into our flying. Starting the engine on our radio controlled model airplanes can be a dangerous experience. Ever have the engine go to full throttle right after starting? You are lucky if no blood was spilled. Having the plane on the ground and leaning over it to start the engine adds to the danger involved.

At our field in Wilson, North Carolina, USA, we place our planes on a safety stand to start the engine. The safety stand allows the plane to be 27 1/2 inches above the ground. In this way we are comfortable while starting the engine, plus the plane is automatically prevented from jumping forward when the engine fires up.

Our flying club just put our own design for an Engine-Starting Safety-Stand on our website, www.wilsonrc.org in the download section. It consists of an explanation sheet and three drawings. We feel our design is a small improvement of an older design created by other safety minded flyers. Our explanation sheet covers this in detail. There are photos referred to at the bottom of our explanation sheet.

Comments and questions are welcomed.

2slow2matter

My Feedback: (1)

The link doesn't work.

khodges

My Feedback: (1)

Can't get your link to work.

Lightfoot

My Feedback: (1)

I corrected the link so that it works now.

firstplaceaviator

My Feedback: (27)

Yes, my ukies always go to full throttle during start. I start them with my fingers too, I don't want to damage my pretty True Turn spinners.
I started flying in 1976. In 1980, I accidently got my finger in the prop of a Cox .049. It took 7 stitches to close it up. I have been extremely cautious ever since. It drives me nuts watching guys tune engines or remove the igniter, while standing in front of their planes. I have even seen a pilot lean over his running engine to tune it and a screw driver fell out of his shirt pocket and right into the prop. The screw driver impaled him in the face and bits of the screw driver handle and the propeller were scattered over 10 ft away. There is a reason that I have only been injured by models twice in nearly 30 years. I have been very careful! Getting bit by a prop once was enough.

Our R/C club also has very similar starting stands. They are great and may prevent a few accidents. They really help pilots with bad backs. But, I still cringe when idiots are starting their planes. There is one moron at our field that needs a trip from the field to the ER at least once a year... There are a few more of them. When they show up, I leave. They are dangerous. I have seen them crash planes into the pits regularly, get their hands, arms and tools in the props, turn on their radios without getting the frequency pin, ect, ect....

Here is my fool proof method of starting and tuning. I garantee you will never get your fingers in the prop if you follow it:
1. Fuel the plane
2. Check your shirt pockets. Make sure their is nothing in them!
3. Turn on both the plane and the Tx. Verify that everything is moving the way it is supposed to.
4. Look around your starting area, making sure their is nothing loose that can be picked up by the prop. Make sure your starter cord can't get in the prop or bump your Tx.
5. Attach your glow driver and start the plane at idle.
6. walk to the rear of the plane. Remove the glow driver and tune the engine from behind the plane.

Nearly every time I have seen someone get hit by a prop, it is while they are removing the glow driver or tuning the engine while standing in front of the plane and reaching around the prop. If you follow my directions, you will never get hit by the prop...
I promise!
Doug

Villa

Hi firstplaceaviator
Thanks for your comments. You seem to as careful as I am. Add this to your list: I had been using a glow driver with a replaceble NiCad battery rather than the throw away type. I purchase mine at the local hobby store. After about 2 years the glow driver leaned a little after clipping to the plug. The grip was not as tight as it should be. One day the glow driver fell off just as engine fired . The driver fell into the prop and something cut my hand. I threw away that glow driver. I decided that because it weighd more than the throw away type that it would be more quickly damaged by engine vibrations and result in what happend. At the local hobby store I purchased just the spring loaded head that clips to the plug. It comes with about 2 feet of electric wire. I attached the wire to a "D" size NiCad battery and I hava a much safer setup that is much more resistant to failure from vibration. I do have to keep the wire away from the prop. As a backup I also have a throw away type.

Have you noticed how my design for the safety stand differs from earlier designs?

garyo1954

Took me a bit to pick up on the 90 degree change in the table top.

I'm curious why someone hasn't added arms that could be brought up over the stabilizer.

jetmech05

seems to me that the very best way to start is to have someone give you a hold. no table to walk around or the model to fall from.
and of course always remove the glow driver and tune from the rear.

TomCrump

Not to mention the fact that it isn't very safe to pick up a 30# model with the motor running. I don't feel that these stands are a safety item.

firstplaceaviator

My Feedback: (27)

The stands were never intended for a 30 Lb. airplane. The stands will prevent the following type of accident from happening with smaller models.
When I am flying giant scale, I always recruit a helper. That seems like it should be common sense... At a field I was visiting, I witnessed a pilot start a 100cc Edge 540 by himself. He started it with one hand and his other hand was on the cowl (arm over the prop). When he reached for his Tx, the prop hit his arm. That made him jump back. When he did, he bumped the throttle stick to full throttle. Then he stuck his hand out to stop the plane. The prop chewed his hand and wrist to a mangled mess. I saw him again a few months later. He had 79 stitches and three pins in his hand and wrist! It seems like common sense that you shouldn't start a giant plane by yourself unless you have a restraint system for the plane. But, that is why snow blowers have a sticker that says "Do not use on snow blower on roof" and lawn mowers have a sticker that says "Keep hands away from running blades".

TomCrump

I've seen people put Giant Scale models in these stands. It was a scary sight. I've also seen what you have described, but without the dire consequences.

Me, I'll stick with a trusted friend, to hold my models when I'm starting them.