Safety Comes First - 2011/02

92 MODEL AVIATION
Stan Buddenbohm’s indoor discus-launch glider defines grace as it floats by in a Tustin
CA blimp hangar. These models can fly for up to 30 minutes. Brian Furutani photo.
Old-time flier or first-flight youngster, the
thrill of sending a model skyward motivates
many of us. Whether models cost a dollar
or thousands, that feeling is what we are
after. Will Woods photo.
Dave Gee | Safety Comes First [email protected]
Motor switches: the pros and cons
Also included in this column:
• Dave’s sinister plot revealed
• Is this a sport, a hobby, or
what?
• A shameless plug for the
LipoLocker
• Traveling with batteries From a humble Guillow’s kit, such things emerge! Don Butman’s P-40 is built for FF
Rubber Speed competition. Looks as though it will be doing some racing!
I RECEIVED plenty of feedback from
readers about my report on an electric
motor propeller-strike accident. Many
asked, “Why don’t we use arming switches
in electric models?”
The answer is that many modelers do
use some method of isolating the motors
until they are ready for takeoff. Some
reasons for skipping such a device are that
it costs money, it eats current, it adds
weight and complexity, and it is hard to
find switches that will stand the
tremendous electrical abuse of our models.
I can accept the weight issue for
extremely small aircraft, but there are
commercially available switches that are
designed for larger in-flight power systems
that hold up just fine.
(Editor’s note: There are also easy ways to
set up a mix on a computer radio so that a
switch inhibits throttle control, similar to
the “throttle hold” function on a
helicopter radio.)
Maybe I am prejudiced by the reports I
read, but saving one’s hand from being
maimed is worth adding a switch!
While wandering the Los Angeles
wholesale toy district, I found a foam
Corsair ARF, complete with radio and
poorly translated instructions.
I let some middleschool
kids help
me put it together, and it was lucky that we
knew how an F4U is supposed to look,
because the manual was no help.
The kids belong to a local school model
club, and they noticed that the airplane had
no master switch. The battery pack plugs
in and that’s it, except for a mysterious red
button on the cowling. They carefully
experimented and confirmed that this
button armed the motor. Therefore, you
could power up and test the controls
without having a live propeller.
No worries about forgetting to hit the
button; it won’t go anywhere without that
final step. I’m not smart enough to design
the circuit, but it is a fine way to arrange
things for a park flyer-size model.
The instruction book
did have one useful
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February 2011 93
passage. It read, “Safety precautions: Do
not touch the rolling airscrew in order not
to be hurt.” That’s good advice for all of
us, courtesy of a computer translating
program.
Rich Paterra is such a clever guy that
he came up with a way to have a similar
setup on his much fancier model while he
tinkers with it. He shared the idea.
“I always unplug the ESC and install a
standard 4.8 volt Ni-Cd with a spare
switch into the port where the ESC plugs
into (this is usually the throttle channel).
This way the whole ESC and motor are
taken out of the equation. You can work
on all of the control surfaces and any
other accessories that you want to without
fear of having the motor starting up on
you.”
That is an elegant solution!
Steve Matthewson described another
clever trick to help keep electric systems
off when they should be off.
“Put a large, thin rubber band wrapped
around the handle on the back and down
around the bottom of the transmitter and
back up the front to the throttle lever. It
puts just enough pressure on the stick to
hold it down but not bend or hurt any
equipment.
“I destroyed an electric helo as well as
slicing my arm until I figured out this very
inexpensive but effective safety item.”
This trick has been in use for years. It
was apparently discovered by many pilots
across the country, but I have decided to
give Steve the full inventor’s credit
because of his wounds and wrecked
model.
I’m a helicopter pilot myself, ya
know—rubber powered, of course.
On the subject of rubber-powered
helicopters, a number of semiwitty e-mails
have accused me of using the safety
column in a dark plot to push FF. Some
say that it is a nefarious scheme to get
modelers to try “radioless” aircraft.
To those who think that I would stoop
so low, I reply, “What, you just now
noticed?”
This brings us to this month’s
photographs. Brian Furutani took that
beautiful shot of Stan Buddenbohm’s
indoor discus-launched glider floating
inside a blimp hangar. It captures the
magic of aeromodeling. There it is, up in
the air, no strings attached, flying!
No matter how mature or serious you
are, you can feel that same thrill when a
big RC Aerobatics aircraft taxies out,
when a helicopter engine roars to life, or
when our new model makes a maiden
flight.
Look at the picture of a kid launching
his first airplane. He can hardly contain his
excitement and wants to give the little
model all the help he can as it wings into
the sky.
Whether our aircraft costs a dollar or
thousands, that feeling is what we are
after. Getting hurt is not part of the deal,
so we add careful procedures to our flight
routine, but fun is still the bottom line.
Another picture shows a rubberpowered
Speed model that Don Butman
built. I don’t know how it will do in
competition, but it looks fast sitting there.
This airplane started out as an oldfashioned
Guillow’s kit. The 15-inchwingspan
aircraft has lightweight iron-on
covering. I’ll bet that the designers never
thought one of their products could end up
looking this nice.
Brian Chan checked in, reminding me of
our recent discussion about hobby ads that
show small RC models flying in
residential neighborhoods. Brian sent me a
link to a promotional video posted by the
makers of a snappy-looking RC sport
aircraft.
It is a stylish, electric-powered foamie,
and the video shows some fellows getting
it ready to fly in the parking lot of a stripmall
hobby shop. The pilot takes off
between parked cars and proceeds to do
aerobatics and low passes while a light
drizzle blurs the camera lens.
Brian claimed that we would agree
about this. It looked bad! Those people
were utterly dependent on every part of
that model working perfectly while they
flew over a business district, with a busy
street visible at the end of the driveway.
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02sig3.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/20/10 9:32 AM Page 93
It didn’t make me want to buy one of
their airplanes; it just made me wonder
what other corners their business might
cut if a safe image was such a low priority
for their company and our hobby.
Our collective image was the subject of a
note from Bob Wilson, who has been
involved with aeromodeling long enough
to know what he is talking about. He said
that what we do is a sport—not a hobby.
Most RC pilots now fly ready-made
models, and building one’s own aircraft is
becoming uncommon. When recruiting
youngsters, Bob said that parents are
sometimes turned off by the thought of
their kids “starting another hobby,” but
that they don’t mind a new sport.
Bob also mentioned the serious
competitions we have, such as the Nats, in
which sportsmen and sportswomen are not
exactly collecting stamps.
The dreaded “sport vs. hobby”
controversy has gone on for many years,
and I’m not going to get caught in the
middle! Although Bob makes good points,
there is a solid argument on the other side
as well. In my column I try to use the
terms interchangeably, along with activity,
pastime, and pursuit, which are also
arguably proper descriptions for what we
do.
Do you feel more like a hobbyist or a
sportsperson? Some say that “waste of
time” is a better term for my activities, but
since the magazine pays me I am
theoretically a professional. (Editor’s
note: And entertaining!) My airplanes still
look ratty, though.
If you want to weigh in on this or any
other subject related to our sport/hobby,
please contact me by e-mail or letter at the
listed addresses.
Dan Matuschek e-mailed me with
information about his new product. I
checked out the Web site and decided to
give him a plug, because his invention
looks good. He calls it the “LipoLocker.”
It’s a ceramic cylinder with a
complicated-looking baffle system inside.
A sand reservoir handles a fire by
automatically smothering the battery while
the refractive material cools and vents the
gases as safely as possible.
Dan uses special ceramic clay that is
resistant to thermal shock. It appears that
the extinguishing system is good for a
single activation. Afterward you’ll need to
replace the whole thing. If Dan’s
invention saves your home, I’ll bet that
you will eagerly send away for a fresh
LipoLocker.
The Web site address is in the
“Sources” listing at the end of the column.
Dan has some amazing videos posted.
I usually take a model or two when I
travel, and it’s often a small electric RC
one. Sometimes this leads to interesting
moments at security, so I appreciated an email
from Tim Toutant about transporting
batteries on airliners.
Tim has considerable experience in the
field and he writes that spare batteries for
our aircraft should be carried onboard
rather than placed in checked luggage. If
they are not in their original packaging,
the terminals should be taped and the cells
placed in baggies, to prevent shorts.
The rules and standards for types of
batteries, maximum weight, and capacities
are too long to print here, but it would be
worthwhile to check with your airline if
you plan to take model airplane battery
packs with you.
The people at the security desk might
be unfamiliar with the rules or your model
equipment. In my experience, if they
decide wrong about something they will
stick with it, so have your equipment
specification sheets and a copy of the
applicable airline policy handy. MA
Sources:
Dave Gee
Box 7081
Van Nuys CA 91409
LipoLocker
http://lipolocker.com
Rules for carrying batteries on airliners:
http://safetravel.dot.gov
Your support of the AMA is crucial in defending your
fl ying privileges. The Academy’s advocacy team has worked
hard on your behalf, particularly with the FAA last year, and
will do so even more intensely in 2011. Stay connected and
get action items by visiting www.modelaircraft.org/gov.
We’ve set up a special AMA Web site on which you
can share your experiences surrounding “getting the
bug” of fl ying models, aircraft you’ve built, club events,
competitions, or anything you would like to share. Send us
video or photographs, or make a video and we’ll post it.
Remember to wish the Academy a happy anniversary too!
Go to www.ama75.com.
Attend the AMA’s 75th anniversary celebration, which
will take place July 14-17, 2011. This special event will
include fun-fl ying, guest speakers, entertainment, and
exhibitors, all at AMA Headquarters in Muncie, Indiana.
www.modelaircraft.org www.ama75.com
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