Sometimes all of our caution and care is not enough. A while ago, I saw news coverage of an RC pilot who was struck by his electric helicopter. His injuries were fatal. Worse yet, some Internet opportunists used this tragic incident to boost their ratings and profits. They wrote lurid headlines that belittled the accident and insulted the pilot.
The model was not a “toy helicopter.” It was a powerful and sophisticated flying machine. The pilot did not expect to meet his fate that day, and I think that showing respect after such an accident is more appropriate than tawdry profit seeking.
After seeing some questionable news coverage, it took a while for my anger to subside.
Playing the Odds
Any activity carries risks, and aeromodeling is no different. We accept a slim chance of danger, but experienced modelers always try to keep potential hazards to a minimum. At times, I have seen helicopter and 3-D pilots hover their aircraft too close to themselves and others, or take unnecessary chances. Those fliers assume that everything will properly work (it generally does) and that if there is a problem, his or her section of the rotor’s 360° will not be where the action occurs.
Playing the odds that way is a bad policy. A thrown blade is as likely to come toward the pilot as away, and a sudden loss of control might allow the model to unexpectedly move in any direction. Keeping more distance from the model could reduce your share of the arc from 12° to 4°.
It’s better to make a habit of reducing or eliminating risk and tip the chances in your favor. With RC aircraft, that includes constantly planning for what might happen if things go wrong.
Fixed-wing pilots try to stay out of the “plane of the prop” so that a separated blade will not cause an injury. Cautious heli pilots do the same with their rotors. Even when their models are operating perfectly, they choose to hover slightly higher or farther out to put the odds in their favor in case of a sudden mechanical problem. Space and altitude can make a big difference in a crisis.
Hangar Rash
Our models don’t have to take to the skies to get damaged. Plenty of mishaps occur during transport, handling, and storage.
I snapped a photo of a genuine Yak-3 fighter at the Museum of Flying, located in Santa Monica, California. (I highly recommend a visit.) This airplane saw combat during World War II, but a big ding on its wingtip was more recent. If professional museum aircraft handlers can damage their airplanes, we hobbyists need to be extra careful.
It’s called hangar rash and is another good reason to preflight our models. Something easy to miss, such as a damaged elevator hinge, could lead to unpleasant surprises in the air. Aviators do a thorough preflight inspection before they go up in an aircraft. Why should we be different? Model crashes can be serious, so we should take every precaution to avoid them.
Some fliers have learned the hard way about doing a good preflight inspection on their models. This story came from an experienced pilot, whom I’ll call Frank, because that’s his name.
“During a lazy afternoon flight, I caught one of my ARF’s wingtips in a crosswind landing and damaged the plane. I was mainly focused on repairing the wing panel, but there was also some minor damage to the elevator. It was during this repair that the plane rolled off the edge of my workbench.
“I couldn’t catch it in time and it didn’t hit hard on the way down, but I was shocked to see the whole tail section break off. The covering had been the only thing holding it together. I’m convinced [that] if I had flown the airplane with this hidden damage, it would have broken apart in the air.
“Over the years I have seen pilots make hard landings (some worse than my crosswind hit) and put their planes right back in the sky. I would encourage your readers to check their aircraft carefully after any rough landing.”
Frank asked for partial anonymity and got it. I don’t have that option. When I screw up, everyone knows it because my name is at the top of the column. Please email me your close-call tales or stories of lessons learned. Other modelers will benefit from it and you can choose to be famous or not.
Little Model Equals Big Trouble
Even a small model can cause trouble if not properly handled. The following pilot wanted to remain anonymous, but had an interesting story to share:
“I was working on a small, electric-powered model. It was all powered up as I checked servo throws, dual rates, etc. This aircraft had flown well before. Don’t know what I changed, but now there was no throttle response.
“Somewhere I read that on some aircraft or transmitters, the throttle has to be reversed to work properly. Without thinking, I pulled up the reverse function, selected throttle, and hit reverse. Of course, the aircraft instantly [took] off from the tabletop. Also, of course, [I was] right in front of the model.
“The prop made three small, neat slices on my thumb, 1/16-inch apart. Not too deep, but enough to cause plenty of bleeding. Ever tried to unplug a LiPo battery with a cut thumb? You bleed even better.
“Obviously, the throttle must have been at full-power position when I hit reverse. I can’t believe I did this really stupid thing, but it’s the only explanation I can come up with.
“I learned that when programming control throws, the aircraft has to be tied down or the battery unplugged, or the prop removed. Yes, I had read that some aircraft have to have the throttle reversed to work properly, but I didn’t sit down and think about whether this was the real problem or the right approach. In my haste to get the aircraft working again, I just did it, and didn’t think about consequences before doing it.
“I got lucky— no damage to my thumb that a couple of bandages and a week or two couldn’t fix. It could have been much worse.”
Don’t Let it Bug You
Mike Kulcsar wanted to illustrate distractions while flying RC. He sent a picture of a Giant Scale insect perched on his shoulder during an RC glider flight. Apparently, the bug whispers thermal-hunting advice into his ear during the flight. Distractions such as this can be bothersome.
If that monster landed on my shoulder, it would have the transmitter to itself because I’d be gone!
