Safety Comes First
CYA GLUE PRECAUTIONS: In my May 1999 and August 1999 columns, I wrote about the precautions one should take when using cyanoacrylate (CyA) glues, and described a few ills that could potentially develop if they're used haphazardly. The mail I received after the publication of the May issue (the mailbox filled up) revealed many modelers who had apparently experienced ill effects during the use of CyA. Most said that they had experienced one type of health effect or another, and some indicated that they followed label warnings. Well, most of the time. Common symptoms Fokker D. VII-the first time with CyA and accelerator since last year. That evening, I awoke with atrial fibrillation again. I will once more have to undergo an electrocardioversion. The cardiologist has done extensive testing and I have absolutely no cardiovascular disease; in fact, I typically jogged about three to four miles every other day before this.
Safety Comes First
CHECK IT OUT: I've been modeling for many years, but it wasn't until I began full-scale flying that I learned to appreciate the purpose of using checklists. In full-scale flying, checklists are used to ensure that pilots conduct a review of aircraft systems and/or procedures prior to each flight. Using them in this manner almost always guarantees an airworthy aircraft, in that anything deemed as not meeting standards during the preflight (general terms) either gets fixed or the airplane doesn't go in the air. How nice it would be if modelers followed the same path and taught similar values to newcomers.
Safety Comes First
CHECKLISTS: The weather report predicts that the day will be calm and sunny-check! The wife says she'll be out most of the day with the kids-check! The airplane is charged and loaded in the car-check! A quick call to your ol' flying buddy reveals that he'll be at the field by the time you get there-check! Ahh-life's good! Before leaving home, you conduct a quick mental review to make sure that you have everything: model, radio, flight box, cleaning equipment, tools, everything charged. Rats! You remember the flight box gel cell and Ni-Cd starter could use some topping off, so "just in case," you grab chargers for both.
Safety Comes First
HOBBY KNIFE PRECAUTIONS: To get back into the building swing after a long sabbatical, I agreed to assist a friend with the construction of a nice .60-size airplane. I was looking forward to the project. When I received the kit, I set out to put things in order in the shop, i.e. building board on the workbench, glues, sanders, pins, X-Acto blades, etc. on top. Satisfied that all was in place, I grabbed a cup of coffee and returned to the garage to spread the plans on the board for review. When I sat down on a shop stool, I leaned forward and placed my elbows on the board. Almost immediately, the board tilted up and slapped me in the forehead, dumping everything on top into my lap.
Safety Comes First
"An AMA member was recently severely burned when a model fuel can exploded as it was being opened. He received very severe burns, requiring extensive grafting, and is facing a long recovery period. "The metal can he was trying to open had been in storage for over 20 years. There is no evidence of an external spark or ignition source other than the container itself. Consultation with experts in the field indicates that materials, such as ether, propylene oxide and nitromethane, commonly used in model fuels may become destabilized and shock sensitive over a period of time.
