SAFETY COMES FIRST!
MECAP News report
The following statement was printed in the December 1979 issue of MECAP News, a monthly newsletter published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and contains reports of deaths recorded by participating medical examiners and coroners from around the nation:
"A 20-year-old male spectator at a football game was struck in the head by a radio-controlled model airplane and died five days later. The model airplane demonstration was part of scheduled halftime entertainment at Shea Stadium. A nearby spectator received injuries in the same accident." (Reported by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, New York City.)
No doubt you have read newspaper accounts of the incident that occurred December 9, 1979. Further details will be published as they become available.
Hazardous propellers — why we revisit the topic
This month we present excerpts from club newsletters and personal correspondence relating to hazardous propellers. Although we've already discussed propeller hazards, the high frequency and severity of incidents convince us the subject merits another mention. We also have some regret about last month's column, where we may have underestimated the extra damage potential present when a propeller is driven by a chainsaw engine or when conventional starting techniques are used on very large models.
QSAA account (from Monster News / Knight Flyer)
The following account first appeared in Monster News (Lee Taylor, editor), the newsletter of the Quarter Scale Association (QSAA), and came to our attention via Knight Flyer (Larry Scaglione, editor):
Quite a few of us still haven't fully realized that many big models are miniature aircraft, not toys, and a couple of people are now paying dearly for that attitude. What I'm getting at is propellers and the power of the engines turning them.
Since modeling began, the standard starting procedure has been to grab the model, kneel down in front, reach around the prop and flip it. That worked with small models and tiny engines. Now, however, the situation has changed. The planes are so powerful that an anchorman must really strain to hold them at full throttle, and the propellers are so large that they are difficult to reach around. Yet many of us still start planes the old way: kneeling directly in front, reaching around the prop (with propeller tips a half-inch from the forearm), and starting the engine without a helper.
We must break that habit. These planes are big and powerful; their props have a lot of inertia. If you get tangled in one, they are mean. Several long-time members sport scarred forearms where propeller tips got too close. One member is lucky to be alive.
Scene: At a local flying field with no one to help hold his big bird for starting, our member kneels in front, reaches around the prop to hold the smooth fuselage, and flips the prop as he has done many times before. This time, however, the engine starts at full throttle. He cannot hold the bird with the awkwardly positioned hand and cannot get away from it while kneeling. The bird charges into his midsection, and the prop acts like a very efficient meat chopper.
Result: severe cuts to the insides of both legs, a shredded forearm, and a cut main artery. Two field personnel trained in emergency medicine stopped the bleeding and got him to the hospital. Because the forearm muscles were so severely cut, the individual lost the use of his arm and hand for a long recovery period. Six months after the accident he could barely move his fingers; full recovery was expected but would take time.
No explanation was given for why the engine started at wide open throttle; we must presume an oversight by the model owner.
Safe engine-starting recommendations (combined and clarified)
The QSAA report offered advice; we add a few points of our own. Always assume the engine may go to full throttle instantly and follow safe procedures every time.
- Never start a large model without some kind of restraint: preferably a well-braced helper who can restrain the bird at full throttle.
- If no helper is available, secure the model to the ground (tie the tail to a stake or use another robust anchoring method).
- Start from a standing position if possible. If you kneel in front of the plane you are tied down and directly in front of the prop; standing positions put you off to one side and allow you to move quickly. Standing also keeps your forearm farther from prop tips if you hold the model with your opposite hand.
- Stop flipping props by hand. Use a starter paddle, a remote electric starter, or an on-board electric starter whenever practical. These methods greatly reduce risk.
- Always check that the throttle is not wide open before attempting to start the engine. If you must open the throttle (for example, to clear a flooded engine), cut the ignition/magneto or ensure the model is firmly anchored or restrained first.
- When testing engines on a bench, disconnect the glow-driver, ignition, or receiver so the engine cannot be accidentally powered while you handle the prop or make adjustments.
- Educate new members and novices about the additional dangers present in larger, more powerful models.
On-board electric starter anecdote and caution
An addendum to the recommendation to use an on-board electric starter: we received a club newsletter anecdote (source not noted) about a boy named Jack who installed an Eastcraft on-board electric starter in his Sig Skybolt. After testing it in the yard, he brought the airplane into his house and left it in his bedroom with the starter and receiver switches left on. In the night the starter came on, the engine fired, and the model ran across the room into a dresser and was badly damaged. Fortunately no one was hurt. Jack learned the hard way to remove power when the model is not being tended.
Know what happens to servos when the switch has been left on and the batteries drain? The servos may go to their extreme positions and cause unintended control or power activation. Always remove batteries or switch off power when the model will be unattended.
Finger injury — Nappanee, Indiana
To illustrate that props on smaller engines can also cause serious problems, here is a letter we received from a reader in Nappanee, Indiana:
"I was starting my Craft-Air Butterfly Two. Because of the large wing area I positioned myself in front of the plane. Once the engine started, I reached across the engine to remove the glow-plug clip. I thought I had reached over the arc of the prop, but I hadn't. The prop caught the very tip of my first finger and the fingernail on my middle finger.
"I noticed blood on my shirt, my opposite hand, and the wing before I looked at my right hand. The prop made a very clean, deep cut on the tip of my first finger just under the nail and exposed deeper tissue. On the middle finger the prop smashed through the nail and cut into the deep tissue under the nail.
"At the hospital three stitches were required to close the cut on the first finger; nothing could be done for the deep cut under the nail of the middle finger except a splint. This isn't a major accident by any stretch, but it could have been. I'm a commercial artist and the loss of a finger or nerve function could have been devastating to me and my family."
Note: The correspondent was flying alone. Consider what might have happened had that engine been an ex-chainsaw powerplant.
Chicken sticks (starter sticks) — safer design
Larry Miles of Mission, KS, sent worthwhile tips on "chicken sticks" (starter sticks) used to flip props:
- Many starter sticks are made of hard materials (aluminum, hard fiberglass, dowels). If the engine backfires and the prop hits a hard stick, the prop may crack internally and later fail catastrophically.
- Any suggestion recommending a starter stick should also warn that the stick should be covered with softer material (several layers of electrical, friction, or duct tape, or leather).
- Alternatives to a stick include a leather glove or finger thimble as effective protective devices.
- Larry suggests abandoning the term "chicken stick" because it discourages use; prefer terms such as "starter stick," "smart starter," or "starter paddle."
Smart starter devices and protective coverings make sense whether you're a beginner or an experienced flier.
Conclusion
Safety is basic common sense, but it must be practiced every time you handle a model. Keep fingers, hands and limbs away from rotating propellers. If you use on-board starters, make sure power is off when the model is not being tended. If in doubt, get help or secure the model first. Treat large, powerful models as the machines they are — not toys.
John Preston 7012 Elvira Ct., Falls Church, VA 22042
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
