Is it possible to be too safe? Yes, I
think so, and Wayne Norris agrees
with me. He and I were discussing
a photo he saw in a recent issue
of this magazine, showing a young
modeler in the days of black and white
photographs. The kid was posing with
his .049-powered CL aircraft, and its
fuel and battery.
When Wayne and I were that age,
this would be considered normal fun for
an unsupervised child. We noted that
kids these days would rarely be allowed
access to such dangerous machinery,
even in a structured program.
That eager pilot probably burned
himself on the hot engine (once)
and even got a nger caught in the
spinning propeller (once). Those
mistakes would have stuck with him
long after the bruises healed, and
later in life when he was starting a
much larger engine, he would have
remembered to keep clear of the
dangerous parts.
Too many kids are now being raised
in a zero-defect society, in which no
risks are tolerated. In my opinion,
this is a mistake. Overprotecting our
kids might end up exposing them to
worse danger in the end because of the
critical skills and experience they fail
to acquire. Fear of lawsuits can take
this to an absurd degree.
We seem to be in an age where
children are constantly under close
supervision on teams, in programs, and
in lesson groups. Independent play and
experimentation are rare because of
the “terrible danger” that there might
be some minor harm to a kid.
I disagree with that philosophy.
Minor risks can be of great bene t,
under the right circumstances. I think
that letting kids have a certain freedom
to experiment with a hobby and
make normal beginner mistakes can
pay off later in life. Whether they fail
Cool shot, but what if it loses power? Richard
Cline’s photo reminds us to keep models
pointed away from people
The world is a big place. Do we
really need to have smoking and
fuel so close together? Don’t take
chances where flammable liquids
are in use.
Above: Compressedair
power is back! This
Zephyr motor comes
with a pressure tank
and a propeller.
Expansion motors are
clean and quiet
or succeed is less important than the
knowledge and experience gained by
the attempt. Yikes, did I just come out
in favor of child injuries? Guess so.
I think that we are at risk of having
a generation of adults who lack an
understanding of how to safely handle
dangerous implements, but think
that they should sue someone when
anything goes wrong. Wayne said he
fears for new adult modelers who have
never dealt with spinning propellers
before. He signed off with a good tip
for operators of model aircraft: “Slow
down and think about what you are
doing.”
Fuel and Fire
Thinking might be useful to
someone who needs a cigarette break
during a ying session. Take a look at
the cropped photo of an anonymous
man smoking in the pit area. There
are four gasoline or kerosene fuel
containers within a few feet of him. Is
there really no better spot to light up?
Why take a chance with an open ame
so close to where models are being
fueled?
I was told that within ve minutes of
that photo being taken, one of the jet
models ignited and had to be doused
with re extinguishers. Apparently, it
was not because of the smoking, but
re and explosive fuel should be kept
apart!
I have nothing against smokers.
This is simply a common-sense issue
about keeping re away from places
where fuel gets pumped, splashed, and
spilled. And please, dear tobacco-using
SAFETY COMES FIRST readers, I already know about how the
cigarette itself is not hot enough to
ignite gasoline. Take a few steps away
from the fuel cans and we’ll discuss it.
Contact Me
I like to hear from everyone, whether
you agree with me or not. Letters
can be mailed to me in care of this
magazine, or sent through email.
The topics and stories you see here
were shared by sel ess modelers who
wanted others to avoid trouble. I’ll
keep your name out of it, if you prefer.
Unscheduled Takeoff
Several readers sent me copies of an
anonymous modeler’s incident report.
Here is the story, worth reading for any
RC pilot:
“My normal habit is to hand the
transmitter to a helper or set the unit
on the ground, still powered up and
transmitting, while I disarm the ight
pack powering the ESC and motor. I
was con dent that the ‘failsafe’ setting
with this transmitter was operational.
Complacency led me into not verifying
that the settings were correct. Can you
predict what happened next?
“On this particular day, somehow, I
powered off the 12FG prior to disarming
the fl ight pack. In order to disarm, I must
remove the canopy. I did not want to
mess up that good-looking fuselage with
an unsightly external arming device.
“The failure—my failure—was turning
off the transmitter fi rst. I always turn off
the receiver after disarming the fl ight
pack, ESC, and motor. To my horror,
the aircraft immediately revved up
to approximately half throttle. I was
petrifi ed; there was absolutely nothing
I could do, it moved so quickly. It was
aimed at the pit area, as I always taxi off
the runway toward where I’m standing.
Fortunately, I was not standing in its
way but to the side. The aircraft was
careening toward the pits at warp speed,
where a group of unsuspecting people
were sitting near their parked vehicles.
“A model belonging to a friend of
mine was in the path, and my plane
was destroyed by the impact. It could
have been worse. His sacrifi cial model
stopped mine and may have saved the
people from harm. I was speechless and
helpless; the only thing left to do was beg
for forgiveness and replace his aircraft.
My friend had lost a very nice, trimmedout,
winning aircraft. He had just won
the Masters Class competition with this
aircraft at a recent contest.
“What have I learned from this? Well,
for starters, I will install [an] external
arming device posthaste. Second, I
will never point an operational aircraft
toward the pits ever again—fuel, gas,
or electric. Third, I will never arm an
electric aircraft in the pits, and always
point the sharp end away from the pits
while in the pits, whenever the fl ight
pack is installed, armed or not.
“I am humbled by this stupidity and
will endeavor to have others verify my
setup as a second set of eyes. There is
always someone with more experience.”
That incident could have been tragic
instead of just scary. A model—even a
special one—can be rebuilt or replaced,
unlike the people who might have
been hurt. Having an aircraft pointed at
spectators is something to avoid.
Take a look at the photo of the full-
scale biplane flying over the camera.
Richard Cline sent the picture, which
he snapped at a recent airshow. Sure, it
was cool to see that airplane so close,
but I was amazed that the situation was
allowed by the organizers.
The flight paths and spectator areas are
usually arranged so that if an engine quits,
the airplane won’t land on people. That’s
why the photo is so unusual. Experienced
modelers know this trick and keep their
flying machines pointed in safe directions
as much as possible, just in case.
Maybe you have never had an inflight
problem with any of your models, but
I sure have. (Actually, I usually am the
problem.) At such times, it is reassuring
to know that if a crash happens, it will be
in an unoccupied spot.
External Disconnects
On the subject of external power
disconnects, Tom Traeger sent a note that
confirms how useful they can be.
“I have seen my friend almost do
bodily harm to himself three times now
while trying to take the battery out of
his E-flite Apprentice. He usually has
the transmitter on a neck strap while he
bends down to unhook the battery from
the ESC. Bending down causes him to
bump the throttle, thus endangering life
and limb with a spinning prop.”
Just to be clear, Tom wasn’t writing
about me, although it sounds like
something I would do.
Tom noted that there are now several
commercial products on the market to
meet this need. Some are switches and
others have an arming plug that can be
removed from the model. I am a believer
in these things, although they might add
weight and complexity to a small model.
With my clumsy, inattentive ways, I need
them the most.
Rubber Triangles
Dave Fritzke emailed me about the
rubber triangles that slip over hobby
knife handles [or pencils] to prevent
them from rolling off of a table.
He found an Internet source for them,
at just 30 cents apiece. That’s a great
price for something that can keep the
knife from poking the top of your foot!
The website address is listed in “Sources.”
Zephyr Motors
Expansion motors are great fun!
Remember the new Zephyr compressedair
motors that I mentioned in this
column? Jim Sprenger told me that he
and John Morrill have production units
ready to ship. The basic motor sells for
$175, with some great extras available.
They are safer than the originals made
roughly 80 years ago, although mine did
some damage to my hobby budget.
Jim and John did careful overpressure
testing on the tanks and found that
even when abused, the pliable metal
fails by tearing and bending, rather than
shattering. I was glad to hear it, since my
skin reacts poorly to shrapnel.
These power plants are made like
fine jewelry, and you will be pleased
with yours!
SOURCES:
Triangles for X-Acto knives
www.amazon.com/Triangle-Grip-TRI-300-Pencil-3-
pack/dp/B002LHTRMC
Zephyr Compressed Air Motors
Jim Sprenger
7432 Irondale Ave.
Winnetka CA 91306
[email protected]
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/06
Page Numbers: 79,80,81,82
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/06
Page Numbers: 79,80,81,82
Is it possible to be too safe? Yes, I
think so, and Wayne Norris agrees
with me. He and I were discussing
a photo he saw in a recent issue
of this magazine, showing a young
modeler in the days of black and white
photographs. The kid was posing with
his .049-powered CL aircraft, and its
fuel and battery.
When Wayne and I were that age,
this would be considered normal fun for
an unsupervised child. We noted that
kids these days would rarely be allowed
access to such dangerous machinery,
even in a structured program.
That eager pilot probably burned
himself on the hot engine (once)
and even got a nger caught in the
spinning propeller (once). Those
mistakes would have stuck with him
long after the bruises healed, and
later in life when he was starting a
much larger engine, he would have
remembered to keep clear of the
dangerous parts.
Too many kids are now being raised
in a zero-defect society, in which no
risks are tolerated. In my opinion,
this is a mistake. Overprotecting our
kids might end up exposing them to
worse danger in the end because of the
critical skills and experience they fail
to acquire. Fear of lawsuits can take
this to an absurd degree.
We seem to be in an age where
children are constantly under close
supervision on teams, in programs, and
in lesson groups. Independent play and
experimentation are rare because of
the “terrible danger” that there might
be some minor harm to a kid.
I disagree with that philosophy.
Minor risks can be of great bene t,
under the right circumstances. I think
that letting kids have a certain freedom
to experiment with a hobby and
make normal beginner mistakes can
pay off later in life. Whether they fail
Cool shot, but what if it loses power? Richard
Cline’s photo reminds us to keep models
pointed away from people
The world is a big place. Do we
really need to have smoking and
fuel so close together? Don’t take
chances where flammable liquids
are in use.
Above: Compressedair
power is back! This
Zephyr motor comes
with a pressure tank
and a propeller.
Expansion motors are
clean and quiet
or succeed is less important than the
knowledge and experience gained by
the attempt. Yikes, did I just come out
in favor of child injuries? Guess so.
I think that we are at risk of having
a generation of adults who lack an
understanding of how to safely handle
dangerous implements, but think
that they should sue someone when
anything goes wrong. Wayne said he
fears for new adult modelers who have
never dealt with spinning propellers
before. He signed off with a good tip
for operators of model aircraft: “Slow
down and think about what you are
doing.”
Fuel and Fire
Thinking might be useful to
someone who needs a cigarette break
during a ying session. Take a look at
the cropped photo of an anonymous
man smoking in the pit area. There
are four gasoline or kerosene fuel
containers within a few feet of him. Is
there really no better spot to light up?
Why take a chance with an open ame
so close to where models are being
fueled?
I was told that within ve minutes of
that photo being taken, one of the jet
models ignited and had to be doused
with re extinguishers. Apparently, it
was not because of the smoking, but
re and explosive fuel should be kept
apart!
I have nothing against smokers.
This is simply a common-sense issue
about keeping re away from places
where fuel gets pumped, splashed, and
spilled. And please, dear tobacco-using
SAFETY COMES FIRST readers, I already know about how the
cigarette itself is not hot enough to
ignite gasoline. Take a few steps away
from the fuel cans and we’ll discuss it.
Contact Me
I like to hear from everyone, whether
you agree with me or not. Letters
can be mailed to me in care of this
magazine, or sent through email.
The topics and stories you see here
were shared by sel ess modelers who
wanted others to avoid trouble. I’ll
keep your name out of it, if you prefer.
Unscheduled Takeoff
Several readers sent me copies of an
anonymous modeler’s incident report.
Here is the story, worth reading for any
RC pilot:
“My normal habit is to hand the
transmitter to a helper or set the unit
on the ground, still powered up and
transmitting, while I disarm the ight
pack powering the ESC and motor. I
was con dent that the ‘failsafe’ setting
with this transmitter was operational.
Complacency led me into not verifying
that the settings were correct. Can you
predict what happened next?
“On this particular day, somehow, I
powered off the 12FG prior to disarming
the fl ight pack. In order to disarm, I must
remove the canopy. I did not want to
mess up that good-looking fuselage with
an unsightly external arming device.
“The failure—my failure—was turning
off the transmitter fi rst. I always turn off
the receiver after disarming the fl ight
pack, ESC, and motor. To my horror,
the aircraft immediately revved up
to approximately half throttle. I was
petrifi ed; there was absolutely nothing
I could do, it moved so quickly. It was
aimed at the pit area, as I always taxi off
the runway toward where I’m standing.
Fortunately, I was not standing in its
way but to the side. The aircraft was
careening toward the pits at warp speed,
where a group of unsuspecting people
were sitting near their parked vehicles.
“A model belonging to a friend of
mine was in the path, and my plane
was destroyed by the impact. It could
have been worse. His sacrifi cial model
stopped mine and may have saved the
people from harm. I was speechless and
helpless; the only thing left to do was beg
for forgiveness and replace his aircraft.
My friend had lost a very nice, trimmedout,
winning aircraft. He had just won
the Masters Class competition with this
aircraft at a recent contest.
“What have I learned from this? Well,
for starters, I will install [an] external
arming device posthaste. Second, I
will never point an operational aircraft
toward the pits ever again—fuel, gas,
or electric. Third, I will never arm an
electric aircraft in the pits, and always
point the sharp end away from the pits
while in the pits, whenever the fl ight
pack is installed, armed or not.
“I am humbled by this stupidity and
will endeavor to have others verify my
setup as a second set of eyes. There is
always someone with more experience.”
That incident could have been tragic
instead of just scary. A model—even a
special one—can be rebuilt or replaced,
unlike the people who might have
been hurt. Having an aircraft pointed at
spectators is something to avoid.
Take a look at the photo of the full-
scale biplane flying over the camera.
Richard Cline sent the picture, which
he snapped at a recent airshow. Sure, it
was cool to see that airplane so close,
but I was amazed that the situation was
allowed by the organizers.
The flight paths and spectator areas are
usually arranged so that if an engine quits,
the airplane won’t land on people. That’s
why the photo is so unusual. Experienced
modelers know this trick and keep their
flying machines pointed in safe directions
as much as possible, just in case.
Maybe you have never had an inflight
problem with any of your models, but
I sure have. (Actually, I usually am the
problem.) At such times, it is reassuring
to know that if a crash happens, it will be
in an unoccupied spot.
External Disconnects
On the subject of external power
disconnects, Tom Traeger sent a note that
confirms how useful they can be.
“I have seen my friend almost do
bodily harm to himself three times now
while trying to take the battery out of
his E-flite Apprentice. He usually has
the transmitter on a neck strap while he
bends down to unhook the battery from
the ESC. Bending down causes him to
bump the throttle, thus endangering life
and limb with a spinning prop.”
Just to be clear, Tom wasn’t writing
about me, although it sounds like
something I would do.
Tom noted that there are now several
commercial products on the market to
meet this need. Some are switches and
others have an arming plug that can be
removed from the model. I am a believer
in these things, although they might add
weight and complexity to a small model.
With my clumsy, inattentive ways, I need
them the most.
Rubber Triangles
Dave Fritzke emailed me about the
rubber triangles that slip over hobby
knife handles [or pencils] to prevent
them from rolling off of a table.
He found an Internet source for them,
at just 30 cents apiece. That’s a great
price for something that can keep the
knife from poking the top of your foot!
The website address is listed in “Sources.”
Zephyr Motors
Expansion motors are great fun!
Remember the new Zephyr compressedair
motors that I mentioned in this
column? Jim Sprenger told me that he
and John Morrill have production units
ready to ship. The basic motor sells for
$175, with some great extras available.
They are safer than the originals made
roughly 80 years ago, although mine did
some damage to my hobby budget.
Jim and John did careful overpressure
testing on the tanks and found that
even when abused, the pliable metal
fails by tearing and bending, rather than
shattering. I was glad to hear it, since my
skin reacts poorly to shrapnel.
These power plants are made like
fine jewelry, and you will be pleased
with yours!
SOURCES:
Triangles for X-Acto knives
www.amazon.com/Triangle-Grip-TRI-300-Pencil-3-
pack/dp/B002LHTRMC
Zephyr Compressed Air Motors
Jim Sprenger
7432 Irondale Ave.
Winnetka CA 91306
[email protected]
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/06
Page Numbers: 79,80,81,82
Is it possible to be too safe? Yes, I
think so, and Wayne Norris agrees
with me. He and I were discussing
a photo he saw in a recent issue
of this magazine, showing a young
modeler in the days of black and white
photographs. The kid was posing with
his .049-powered CL aircraft, and its
fuel and battery.
When Wayne and I were that age,
this would be considered normal fun for
an unsupervised child. We noted that
kids these days would rarely be allowed
access to such dangerous machinery,
even in a structured program.
That eager pilot probably burned
himself on the hot engine (once)
and even got a nger caught in the
spinning propeller (once). Those
mistakes would have stuck with him
long after the bruises healed, and
later in life when he was starting a
much larger engine, he would have
remembered to keep clear of the
dangerous parts.
Too many kids are now being raised
in a zero-defect society, in which no
risks are tolerated. In my opinion,
this is a mistake. Overprotecting our
kids might end up exposing them to
worse danger in the end because of the
critical skills and experience they fail
to acquire. Fear of lawsuits can take
this to an absurd degree.
We seem to be in an age where
children are constantly under close
supervision on teams, in programs, and
in lesson groups. Independent play and
experimentation are rare because of
the “terrible danger” that there might
be some minor harm to a kid.
I disagree with that philosophy.
Minor risks can be of great bene t,
under the right circumstances. I think
that letting kids have a certain freedom
to experiment with a hobby and
make normal beginner mistakes can
pay off later in life. Whether they fail
Cool shot, but what if it loses power? Richard
Cline’s photo reminds us to keep models
pointed away from people
The world is a big place. Do we
really need to have smoking and
fuel so close together? Don’t take
chances where flammable liquids
are in use.
Above: Compressedair
power is back! This
Zephyr motor comes
with a pressure tank
and a propeller.
Expansion motors are
clean and quiet
or succeed is less important than the
knowledge and experience gained by
the attempt. Yikes, did I just come out
in favor of child injuries? Guess so.
I think that we are at risk of having
a generation of adults who lack an
understanding of how to safely handle
dangerous implements, but think
that they should sue someone when
anything goes wrong. Wayne said he
fears for new adult modelers who have
never dealt with spinning propellers
before. He signed off with a good tip
for operators of model aircraft: “Slow
down and think about what you are
doing.”
Fuel and Fire
Thinking might be useful to
someone who needs a cigarette break
during a ying session. Take a look at
the cropped photo of an anonymous
man smoking in the pit area. There
are four gasoline or kerosene fuel
containers within a few feet of him. Is
there really no better spot to light up?
Why take a chance with an open ame
so close to where models are being
fueled?
I was told that within ve minutes of
that photo being taken, one of the jet
models ignited and had to be doused
with re extinguishers. Apparently, it
was not because of the smoking, but
re and explosive fuel should be kept
apart!
I have nothing against smokers.
This is simply a common-sense issue
about keeping re away from places
where fuel gets pumped, splashed, and
spilled. And please, dear tobacco-using
SAFETY COMES FIRST readers, I already know about how the
cigarette itself is not hot enough to
ignite gasoline. Take a few steps away
from the fuel cans and we’ll discuss it.
Contact Me
I like to hear from everyone, whether
you agree with me or not. Letters
can be mailed to me in care of this
magazine, or sent through email.
The topics and stories you see here
were shared by sel ess modelers who
wanted others to avoid trouble. I’ll
keep your name out of it, if you prefer.
Unscheduled Takeoff
Several readers sent me copies of an
anonymous modeler’s incident report.
Here is the story, worth reading for any
RC pilot:
“My normal habit is to hand the
transmitter to a helper or set the unit
on the ground, still powered up and
transmitting, while I disarm the ight
pack powering the ESC and motor. I
was con dent that the ‘failsafe’ setting
with this transmitter was operational.
Complacency led me into not verifying
that the settings were correct. Can you
predict what happened next?
“On this particular day, somehow, I
powered off the 12FG prior to disarming
the fl ight pack. In order to disarm, I must
remove the canopy. I did not want to
mess up that good-looking fuselage with
an unsightly external arming device.
“The failure—my failure—was turning
off the transmitter fi rst. I always turn off
the receiver after disarming the fl ight
pack, ESC, and motor. To my horror,
the aircraft immediately revved up
to approximately half throttle. I was
petrifi ed; there was absolutely nothing
I could do, it moved so quickly. It was
aimed at the pit area, as I always taxi off
the runway toward where I’m standing.
Fortunately, I was not standing in its
way but to the side. The aircraft was
careening toward the pits at warp speed,
where a group of unsuspecting people
were sitting near their parked vehicles.
“A model belonging to a friend of
mine was in the path, and my plane
was destroyed by the impact. It could
have been worse. His sacrifi cial model
stopped mine and may have saved the
people from harm. I was speechless and
helpless; the only thing left to do was beg
for forgiveness and replace his aircraft.
My friend had lost a very nice, trimmedout,
winning aircraft. He had just won
the Masters Class competition with this
aircraft at a recent contest.
“What have I learned from this? Well,
for starters, I will install [an] external
arming device posthaste. Second, I
will never point an operational aircraft
toward the pits ever again—fuel, gas,
or electric. Third, I will never arm an
electric aircraft in the pits, and always
point the sharp end away from the pits
while in the pits, whenever the fl ight
pack is installed, armed or not.
“I am humbled by this stupidity and
will endeavor to have others verify my
setup as a second set of eyes. There is
always someone with more experience.”
That incident could have been tragic
instead of just scary. A model—even a
special one—can be rebuilt or replaced,
unlike the people who might have
been hurt. Having an aircraft pointed at
spectators is something to avoid.
Take a look at the photo of the full-
scale biplane flying over the camera.
Richard Cline sent the picture, which
he snapped at a recent airshow. Sure, it
was cool to see that airplane so close,
but I was amazed that the situation was
allowed by the organizers.
The flight paths and spectator areas are
usually arranged so that if an engine quits,
the airplane won’t land on people. That’s
why the photo is so unusual. Experienced
modelers know this trick and keep their
flying machines pointed in safe directions
as much as possible, just in case.
Maybe you have never had an inflight
problem with any of your models, but
I sure have. (Actually, I usually am the
problem.) At such times, it is reassuring
to know that if a crash happens, it will be
in an unoccupied spot.
External Disconnects
On the subject of external power
disconnects, Tom Traeger sent a note that
confirms how useful they can be.
“I have seen my friend almost do
bodily harm to himself three times now
while trying to take the battery out of
his E-flite Apprentice. He usually has
the transmitter on a neck strap while he
bends down to unhook the battery from
the ESC. Bending down causes him to
bump the throttle, thus endangering life
and limb with a spinning prop.”
Just to be clear, Tom wasn’t writing
about me, although it sounds like
something I would do.
Tom noted that there are now several
commercial products on the market to
meet this need. Some are switches and
others have an arming plug that can be
removed from the model. I am a believer
in these things, although they might add
weight and complexity to a small model.
With my clumsy, inattentive ways, I need
them the most.
Rubber Triangles
Dave Fritzke emailed me about the
rubber triangles that slip over hobby
knife handles [or pencils] to prevent
them from rolling off of a table.
He found an Internet source for them,
at just 30 cents apiece. That’s a great
price for something that can keep the
knife from poking the top of your foot!
The website address is listed in “Sources.”
Zephyr Motors
Expansion motors are great fun!
Remember the new Zephyr compressedair
motors that I mentioned in this
column? Jim Sprenger told me that he
and John Morrill have production units
ready to ship. The basic motor sells for
$175, with some great extras available.
They are safer than the originals made
roughly 80 years ago, although mine did
some damage to my hobby budget.
Jim and John did careful overpressure
testing on the tanks and found that
even when abused, the pliable metal
fails by tearing and bending, rather than
shattering. I was glad to hear it, since my
skin reacts poorly to shrapnel.
These power plants are made like
fine jewelry, and you will be pleased
with yours!
SOURCES:
Triangles for X-Acto knives
www.amazon.com/Triangle-Grip-TRI-300-Pencil-3-
pack/dp/B002LHTRMC
Zephyr Compressed Air Motors
Jim Sprenger
7432 Irondale Ave.
Winnetka CA 91306
[email protected]
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/06
Page Numbers: 79,80,81,82
Is it possible to be too safe? Yes, I
think so, and Wayne Norris agrees
with me. He and I were discussing
a photo he saw in a recent issue
of this magazine, showing a young
modeler in the days of black and white
photographs. The kid was posing with
his .049-powered CL aircraft, and its
fuel and battery.
When Wayne and I were that age,
this would be considered normal fun for
an unsupervised child. We noted that
kids these days would rarely be allowed
access to such dangerous machinery,
even in a structured program.
That eager pilot probably burned
himself on the hot engine (once)
and even got a nger caught in the
spinning propeller (once). Those
mistakes would have stuck with him
long after the bruises healed, and
later in life when he was starting a
much larger engine, he would have
remembered to keep clear of the
dangerous parts.
Too many kids are now being raised
in a zero-defect society, in which no
risks are tolerated. In my opinion,
this is a mistake. Overprotecting our
kids might end up exposing them to
worse danger in the end because of the
critical skills and experience they fail
to acquire. Fear of lawsuits can take
this to an absurd degree.
We seem to be in an age where
children are constantly under close
supervision on teams, in programs, and
in lesson groups. Independent play and
experimentation are rare because of
the “terrible danger” that there might
be some minor harm to a kid.
I disagree with that philosophy.
Minor risks can be of great bene t,
under the right circumstances. I think
that letting kids have a certain freedom
to experiment with a hobby and
make normal beginner mistakes can
pay off later in life. Whether they fail
Cool shot, but what if it loses power? Richard
Cline’s photo reminds us to keep models
pointed away from people
The world is a big place. Do we
really need to have smoking and
fuel so close together? Don’t take
chances where flammable liquids
are in use.
Above: Compressedair
power is back! This
Zephyr motor comes
with a pressure tank
and a propeller.
Expansion motors are
clean and quiet
or succeed is less important than the
knowledge and experience gained by
the attempt. Yikes, did I just come out
in favor of child injuries? Guess so.
I think that we are at risk of having
a generation of adults who lack an
understanding of how to safely handle
dangerous implements, but think
that they should sue someone when
anything goes wrong. Wayne said he
fears for new adult modelers who have
never dealt with spinning propellers
before. He signed off with a good tip
for operators of model aircraft: “Slow
down and think about what you are
doing.”
Fuel and Fire
Thinking might be useful to
someone who needs a cigarette break
during a ying session. Take a look at
the cropped photo of an anonymous
man smoking in the pit area. There
are four gasoline or kerosene fuel
containers within a few feet of him. Is
there really no better spot to light up?
Why take a chance with an open ame
so close to where models are being
fueled?
I was told that within ve minutes of
that photo being taken, one of the jet
models ignited and had to be doused
with re extinguishers. Apparently, it
was not because of the smoking, but
re and explosive fuel should be kept
apart!
I have nothing against smokers.
This is simply a common-sense issue
about keeping re away from places
where fuel gets pumped, splashed, and
spilled. And please, dear tobacco-using
SAFETY COMES FIRST readers, I already know about how the
cigarette itself is not hot enough to
ignite gasoline. Take a few steps away
from the fuel cans and we’ll discuss it.
Contact Me
I like to hear from everyone, whether
you agree with me or not. Letters
can be mailed to me in care of this
magazine, or sent through email.
The topics and stories you see here
were shared by sel ess modelers who
wanted others to avoid trouble. I’ll
keep your name out of it, if you prefer.
Unscheduled Takeoff
Several readers sent me copies of an
anonymous modeler’s incident report.
Here is the story, worth reading for any
RC pilot:
“My normal habit is to hand the
transmitter to a helper or set the unit
on the ground, still powered up and
transmitting, while I disarm the ight
pack powering the ESC and motor. I
was con dent that the ‘failsafe’ setting
with this transmitter was operational.
Complacency led me into not verifying
that the settings were correct. Can you
predict what happened next?
“On this particular day, somehow, I
powered off the 12FG prior to disarming
the fl ight pack. In order to disarm, I must
remove the canopy. I did not want to
mess up that good-looking fuselage with
an unsightly external arming device.
“The failure—my failure—was turning
off the transmitter fi rst. I always turn off
the receiver after disarming the fl ight
pack, ESC, and motor. To my horror,
the aircraft immediately revved up
to approximately half throttle. I was
petrifi ed; there was absolutely nothing
I could do, it moved so quickly. It was
aimed at the pit area, as I always taxi off
the runway toward where I’m standing.
Fortunately, I was not standing in its
way but to the side. The aircraft was
careening toward the pits at warp speed,
where a group of unsuspecting people
were sitting near their parked vehicles.
“A model belonging to a friend of
mine was in the path, and my plane
was destroyed by the impact. It could
have been worse. His sacrifi cial model
stopped mine and may have saved the
people from harm. I was speechless and
helpless; the only thing left to do was beg
for forgiveness and replace his aircraft.
My friend had lost a very nice, trimmedout,
winning aircraft. He had just won
the Masters Class competition with this
aircraft at a recent contest.
“What have I learned from this? Well,
for starters, I will install [an] external
arming device posthaste. Second, I
will never point an operational aircraft
toward the pits ever again—fuel, gas,
or electric. Third, I will never arm an
electric aircraft in the pits, and always
point the sharp end away from the pits
while in the pits, whenever the fl ight
pack is installed, armed or not.
“I am humbled by this stupidity and
will endeavor to have others verify my
setup as a second set of eyes. There is
always someone with more experience.”
That incident could have been tragic
instead of just scary. A model—even a
special one—can be rebuilt or replaced,
unlike the people who might have
been hurt. Having an aircraft pointed at
spectators is something to avoid.
Take a look at the photo of the full-
scale biplane flying over the camera.
Richard Cline sent the picture, which
he snapped at a recent airshow. Sure, it
was cool to see that airplane so close,
but I was amazed that the situation was
allowed by the organizers.
The flight paths and spectator areas are
usually arranged so that if an engine quits,
the airplane won’t land on people. That’s
why the photo is so unusual. Experienced
modelers know this trick and keep their
flying machines pointed in safe directions
as much as possible, just in case.
Maybe you have never had an inflight
problem with any of your models, but
I sure have. (Actually, I usually am the
problem.) At such times, it is reassuring
to know that if a crash happens, it will be
in an unoccupied spot.
External Disconnects
On the subject of external power
disconnects, Tom Traeger sent a note that
confirms how useful they can be.
“I have seen my friend almost do
bodily harm to himself three times now
while trying to take the battery out of
his E-flite Apprentice. He usually has
the transmitter on a neck strap while he
bends down to unhook the battery from
the ESC. Bending down causes him to
bump the throttle, thus endangering life
and limb with a spinning prop.”
Just to be clear, Tom wasn’t writing
about me, although it sounds like
something I would do.
Tom noted that there are now several
commercial products on the market to
meet this need. Some are switches and
others have an arming plug that can be
removed from the model. I am a believer
in these things, although they might add
weight and complexity to a small model.
With my clumsy, inattentive ways, I need
them the most.
Rubber Triangles
Dave Fritzke emailed me about the
rubber triangles that slip over hobby
knife handles [or pencils] to prevent
them from rolling off of a table.
He found an Internet source for them,
at just 30 cents apiece. That’s a great
price for something that can keep the
knife from poking the top of your foot!
The website address is listed in “Sources.”
Zephyr Motors
Expansion motors are great fun!
Remember the new Zephyr compressedair
motors that I mentioned in this
column? Jim Sprenger told me that he
and John Morrill have production units
ready to ship. The basic motor sells for
$175, with some great extras available.
They are safer than the originals made
roughly 80 years ago, although mine did
some damage to my hobby budget.
Jim and John did careful overpressure
testing on the tanks and found that
even when abused, the pliable metal
fails by tearing and bending, rather than
shattering. I was glad to hear it, since my
skin reacts poorly to shrapnel.
These power plants are made like
fine jewelry, and you will be pleased
with yours!
SOURCES:
Triangles for X-Acto knives
www.amazon.com/Triangle-Grip-TRI-300-Pencil-3-
pack/dp/B002LHTRMC
Zephyr Compressed Air Motors
Jim Sprenger
7432 Irondale Ave.
Winnetka CA 91306
[email protected]
