Safety Comes First
"BLIMP DOWNED by Model Airplane:" That was the headline for an article in the October 3 edition of the Washington Post. It described a collision between an RC model airplane and Columbia, one of the Goodyear blimps, as the latter was approaching its landing field in Carson, CA. I have no doubt that many of you saw similar accounts of this incident in your newspapers, since it was carried by the UP wire service. I thank the numerous readers who forwarded newspaper clippings concerning this incident to me.
Safety Comes First
ALLEGED CyA glue hazards: In my "Safety Comes First" column that appeared in the September 1988 issue of Model Aviation I stated that I disagreed with an allegation that CyA (cyanoacrylate-"instant" glue-Ed.) glue, when heated to 525º Fahrenheit can emit hydrogen cyanide in a quantity that "will be 10 times the threshold limit and be fatal." In the December 1988 Safety column I included excerpts from a letter from an industrial chemist that, in my opinion, conclusively refuted that the emissions could be fatal when the glue is used for modeling purposes.
Safety Comes First
"I have been experimenting with CO2 (carbon dioxide) motors for a couple of years; also for the past couple of months with compressed air motors. Along the way I have combined the technologies with some interesting results. Typical compressed air motors use initial pressures of 100 to 150 psi (pounds per square inch). Typical CO2 motors use perhaps 800 to 1,000 psi. Compressed air motors are now commonly using plastic soda (soft drink) bottles of anywhere from one to three liters volume. They can apparently handle up to 175 or 200 psi pressure before bursting.
Safety Comes First
CLOSING THE BOOK on CyA glue: First, let me clarify a statement I made concerning alleged CA glue hazards in my last safety column. I said that an article had appeared in at least two model publications that contained several allegations concerning health hazards associated with the use of cyanoacrylate glues. Instead of calling it an article, I should have pointed out that, in one of the publications, R/C Report, the allegations were contained in a letter to the editor. A strong letter from Gordon Banks, the editor of R/C Report, took issue with me on that account. I hope this column sets the record straight.
Safety Comes First
FATAL ACCIDENTS: Two readers, Bob Scarsdale and Alan Mkitarian, recently forwarded newspaper clippings from the Bergen County Record (NJ) and Philadelphia Inquirer reporting the same fatal accident that resulted in the death of an Oakland, NJ modeler. Apparently an RC model became lodged in a tree about 60 ft. from the ground. Without being asked, a friend of the model's owner attempted to climb the tree and retrieve the airplane. He fell to the ground when a limb of the tree snapped.
