Another “Safety Comes First” column again. Same old stuff, over and over, eh? Watch out for the propeller. Keep your fingers clear …
I wasn’t there in 1896 with Professor Langley (to the surprise of my kids), but he likely had to warn his workers to keep their hands out of the spinning airscrews on the first successful engine-powered model aircraft ever flown.
Bill Brown’s early gasoline model airplane engine was also before my time, but I bet that some modelers got their knuckles bruised by his revolutionary power plant.
The glory days of CL flying came too soon for me to participate, but many old-timers carry faint scars proving that propeller strikes were as popular then as they are now. Flying such models transports us back to the old days, but a propeller strike hurts as much now as it did then.
Reliable and affordable RC systems came along at approximately the same time I did, and brought new opportunities for the wrong type of closeness between pilot and propeller. It’s not that we never learn—it’s that there are always fresh new fingers to carelessly enter the path of a propeller. Once is typically enough to teach a modeler the lesson, but I wish it didn’t have to be learned so many times.
Mass-produced RC helicopters brought new opportunities to get hit—not that there’s much difference between a bruise from a horizontal blade and a vertical one. The early gas aircraft were quite a production, with an exposed drivetrain and starter system to get tangled up in. There has been much improvement and I seldom hear of that type of accident occurring with the current generation of rotorcraft.
Electric power is now the most popular way to propel a model. I remember when battery-powered models were a just-barely-possible technological stunt, but I saw a fellow get his knuckles sliced by one of the first systems capable of doing it. Some things never change!
Our safety issues these days—such as problems with onboard computers or programming issues with transmitters that can recognize different models—would sound like futuristic nonsense to an RC pilot a few years ago. A newbie takes this all for granted, but it’s a steep learning curve for some of us!
Pilots young and old email me about how their hands found themselves in the path of a whirling blade. Our fathers and grandfathers faced that hazard, and now it’s our turn. Yup, it’s the same old thing!
The Question of Why?
I was presenting an aeromodeling demonstration at a school when a young student looked my models over and asked, “What are all these for?” That’s a pretty deep question from a second-grader!
What is the purpose of our models? I had to think about it for a moment. Different modelers have different answers. I came up with three. The one I gave the kid was, “They bring joy to my heart,” which she understood.
A second purpose for the airplanes is to impress and please those who see them. I like it when fellow club members and spectators enjoy the little machines that I build and fly. Hearing positive comments about one’s model boosts the ego.
The third purpose is to educate. I enjoy sharing my hobby with groups, especially kids. While the models fly, I talk about aviation history and aerodynamics at an age-appropriate level. They might not be inspired to do great things, but if they listen and enjoy my little air show, their world has expanded.
None of these “reasons for my models” involve harm to anyone, but model aircraft flight operations do have inherent dangers. It is my job as a pilot to keep my audience and myself safe. Most modelers take that responsibility seriously. A careless incident could undo all of the fun, fascination, and scientific education that our hobby provides.
During a century of model aircraft development, we have learned rules and policies that let us safely fly our airplanes and helicopters. It would be foolish to ignore our hard-earned safety rules.
A Scary Tale
Pat Corkran sent me a story that ties all of this together. He wrote:
“I was at our field and was preparing my plane for flying and the fellow next to me had his started and was also going to fly. Now comes the scary part. He walked to the front of the airplane, reached down and took hold of the wing and picked it up. The engine was running and he was moving the plane around, up and down as if he was checking to see if the engine would stall.
“There were about 10 of us there, afraid to say anything because we might startle him. As soon as he set the plane back down we all hollered at him to never do that because it was so dangerous. He gave us a stunned look.
“He was a new pilot and was never taught not to do that. I have instructed many pilots and the first thing I do is tell them about the dos and don’ts. The first 10 minutes of flight instruction is safety. The main thing I teach is the only time you are in front of the airplane is on startup, with the plane properly held so it can’t move forward. Most of the accidents at the field, or elsewhere, are avoidable. Never be in a hurry!”
What a typical situation! An enthusiastic newbie has a ball with an RC model, but doesn’t have the experience or training to safely operate his aircraft. The rules are not secret, but they are not always obvious. We need to pass them along to each new wave of pilots.
Some hobbyists do not get proper RC flight instruction, and they are sometimes doomed to learn things via bandages instead of checklists. Hearing the tricks and tips from a wise old-timer is a better way to learn, and requires less antiseptic.
Guessing Game
Safe ground handling was a big problem for this month’s mystery airplane. That distinctive, narrow landing gear caused many accidents. It was designed that way for weight reduction, but probably caused more damage than it was worth during the service life of the design. Out of the thousands of these aircraft that were built, only a few survive today.
Some readers complained that previous contests were too easy, so I won’t say where the photo was taken and no tail numbers are visible for those sneaky Internet searchers. Email me your guess as to which airplane this is and—right or wrong—you’ll get digital model plans in return. My email address is at the beginning of this column.
The prize plans this time are my Kcitsinim design (a backward MiniStick). A canard pusher biplane does not quite meet the rules for an indoor event, but the argument you’ll have with the judges will be worth it every time. Plus, it’s a great parlor mite/sport aircraft, capable of tight circles and decent duration in a living room.
No printed plans are available. This is an email contest only. The Kcitsinim combines pioneer-era features (flat, box-kite wings) with modern construction techniques. Plus, it looks confusing in the air, which is always a bonus in my book.
