Safety Comes First
RC FREQUENCY SCANNERS. A couple of months ago, I received a letter from Ben Trapnell, a modeler from Corpus Christi, TX, who also happens to be an (full-scale) Aviation Safety Officer. Ben stated that he was interested in purchasing a frequency monitor that would scan all of the frequencies we are currently permitted to use. However, he had only seen frequency monitors, such as used to be produced by World Engines and Airtronics, that scanned the older frequencies. His question to me was, "Is there a new one on the market which will monitor the new frequencies and not set one back a few thousand bucks?"
Safety Comes First
WARNING LABELS. In the April 1986 issue of this magazine, I reprinted a letter from David Lewis which suggested that RC equipment should carry a warning label that, pictorially or otherwise, would identify whether its frequency was one of those assigned for aircraft models only or for surface (boat/car) models only. David felt that such labels would minimize the sales of radios on frequencies which are illegal for their intended use. I forwarded David's suggestion to the chairman of the AMA Safety Committee, Jim McNeill, and enclosed a letter in which I stated that I felt that this suggestion should be pursued. I was pleased to see in Johnny Clemens' District VIII VP report (in the August 1986 issue) that such labels will soon appear on RC equipment, identifying its legal use.
Safety Comes First
FOLLOW-UP on explosions and fire. In the October 1986 issue, this column carried reports of explosions and fires associated with glow fuel cans. Several readers of that issue sent letters which offered some explanations concerning these hazards and advised how to minimize the possibility of this happening to you. First, let me quote from a letter from Jim Marble, a modeler from Aurora, IN who had some comments on the fuel can fire in the basement of a modeler who had left the flying field because of an impending thunderstorm. For those who don't keep back issues of their magazines, this incident involved an almost empty fuel can which, when a modeler attempted to unscrew the cap to refill it while in his basement workshop, resulted in ignition of the fuel vapor in the can and caused severe second-degree burns to his hand. Jim had the following to say:
Safety Comes First
PTEROSAURUS WRECKED by radio interference. I'm sure that most modelers have heard of the project sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution and Johnson's Wax to build and fly a radio-controlled replica of a giant prehistoric pterosaur (pterodactyl). With Paul MacCready in charge of the project, it seemed that success was likely. I became aware of the project over a year ago when several readers sent me clippings from newspapers that announced that this giant reptile model was to be flown on the Mall in Washington, D.C. in front of the buildings housing the Smithsonian's various collections. The general opinion of these readers was that an attempt at flight in such a location was a hazardous undertaking. At that time I tended to agree and, in retrospect, I certainly agree.
Safety Comes First
BOOM! Since writing the last Safety column, I received three letters concerning fuel can explosions or ignitions. Two letters described actual incidents, and the third contained a warning concerning such incidents. Strangely enough, two of the letters arrived in my mailbox simultaneously. First, the explosion. Those of you who read Model Builder magazine may have read an account of a fuel can explosion in Al Alman's "Big Birds" column. Al sent me a copy of his draft column together with a letter suggesting I include all or part of it in this Safety column "to be sure that everybody gets the word" about the potential fire/explosion hazard that may exist when fuel cans are placed close to an electrical power source such as a battery in a flight box. Al's entire column follows.
