Safety Comes First — 2012/11
Dave Gee [email protected]
More on the great pencil grips
I may not be able to set up a smooth landing, but writer’s block will never be a problem as long as readers continue sending fresh updates on aeromodeling safety. For instance, Roger Hoover had some hot information on a topic that would not die: how to keep hobby knives from rolling off the workbench and impaling feet.
When I last discussed this issue, there was no dependable source for those rubber triangle pieces that slip over the handle. Some art or office-supply stores occasionally carry them, usually in a bin by the cash register. Roger discovered they are called pencil grips, and he located a good source. They were inexpensive, so I ordered a batch.
A package of 50 was more than I needed, so after grabbing a couple for the workbench and my wife’s craft table, I took the bag to the local club meeting. Modelers can act like locusts when there are free goodies, and it was almost too late before I remembered that I had not taken a photograph to show all of you! New rule: picture first, share second.
These rubber triangles are the best solution to the rolling-knife problem. They help me grip the handle, and the bright colors make the tool easier to find on my workbench. Be the one in your club who brings a bag to the next meeting and share them with your friends. Is this the last we will hear about the pencil grips? I bet not.
Combo Air Show Kudos
I love air shows, and the smaller ones seem to be the most fun. Chapter 96 of the EAA puts on a fine event at the Compton, California, airport each year.
This year it featured a glider giveaway flight area for the kids in a hangar full of half-built aircraft. I enjoyed the ambiance and built beginner models all day while chatting with people who had never seen a model being constructed. What a cool place to hang out!
On the flightline, next to the full-scale airplanes, were RC modelers and a bunch of CL pilots. The EAA staff laid out a CL circle front and center. The “Ukies” roared around all day while an assortment of RC models wowed the crowd. From my spot in the hangar, it appeared as though the RC aircraft were passing through the CL circle. This was only an optical illusion, but it was so disconcerting that I had to walk out to the flightline to check.
The EAA planners were delighted to have so many model airplanes and helicopters on their field. They made the CL circle bulge into the spectator area so that more people could get a closer look at the models. The safety coordinator, accustomed to manned aircraft, was pleased at how close the models seemed to be while maintaining a more-than-adequate distance from people.
The Knights of the Round Circle and the Circle Burners combined forces for this show and gave spectators some handle time on a “real” model. The RC fliers did likewise with some park-flyer trainers, to the delight of the eager kids in the crowd.
The modelers were in fine spirits—greeting the spectators and joking around—but they were also all business about air show safety. I watched equipment, barriers, and layouts being checked and double-checked before the show opened. The pit and model display area was next to the barrier so people could see the airplanes being prepped and fueled. This was a great way to promote our hobby, and a fine example of how cooperation and careful preparation can result in an excellent event.
Mass Launch
Our hobby has a fascinating way of combining opposites. Famous author and modeler Bill Hannan sent me a photograph that illustrates this phenomenon.
He is an accomplished builder, but chose to make a beginner-type model. Today we have access to ultramodern designs and materials, yet Bill's airplane is an antique design constructed with authentic period techniques. RC equipment has become more reliable, ultralightweight, and affordable, yet this airplane is a free-flight (FF) model.
A group of modelers around the world individually participate in a mass-launch event called the Memorial International Mass-Launch of Cloud Tramps (MIMLOCT). The pilots use the Internet to connect with each other and launch models at the same moment all over the world to celebrate Charles Hampson Grant's contributions to the development of our hobby. August 4 was the 2012 launch.
We have plenty of time to construct and trim a Cloud Tramp for next year's event, if that sounds fun to you. I think it's a marvelous tradition, even if it is slightly off topic.
Wing Flies into Danger
I love to hear from modelers about safety topics or anything else. Usually these messages come via email, but this month there were a couple of actual paper letters, and one was hand-written.
Dave Cleveland wrote about his big RC sport model and how he started the engine with a leaf blower prior to a trip to the airfield. The wing was detached and leaning against the wall, but when the slipstream started blowing it motivated the wing to get in on the action. The "action" turned out to be a propeller-shaped gash in a wingtip, and postponement of the flying trip.
Dave was sad that his airplane was damaged, but I'm glad he took the time to write and share his hard-earned wisdom. Plan ahead for a run-up and consider what might happen when the propeller starts moving. As Dave Cleveland learned, even if the model is well secured, other objects could be affected.
Steaming Into Peril
I share this last story with embarrassment. It proves that I am either the best or worst choice as safety columnist, depending on your point of view.
I am not a coffee drinker, so naturally the job of club-meeting coffee-bringer has been mine for years. No one complains about the brew, because to do so is to volunteer for the position. I also bring a pot of hot water for tea or hot chocolate drinkers.
The teapot that boils the water holds slightly more than the vacuum jug used for transportation, so I usually swish the leftover liquid around in the coffee flask as a last rinse before filling it with java.
My day job involves servicing industrial boilers, so I am familiar with the concept of latent heat—the energy locked in hot water and steam.
On a recent coffee-making night, I forgot about latent heat, but the hot water remembered. When I poured boiling water into the jug and began to shake it, the lid closed. Agitating the water released a cloud of steam energy, and with the lid shut it was channeled at high velocity through the spout and onto my hand.
I was so stunned that I couldn't think of any exotic words. I knew better than this, and I usually remove the lid before rinsing. Trapping the steam inside gave it more power, and I have the second-degree burn to prove it.
For statistical purposes, would this be considered a modeling accident or a kitchen mishap? It illustrates that many of our hobby accidents do not involve aircraft. I was too embarrassed to tell my coworkers about what a yutz I was, but I know that my secret is safe with all of you.
Sources
- www.mikedparker.karoo.net
- Amazon (pencil grips): http://amzn.to/Ny5E3X
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
