Hand launch hack-job

[Josh Bixler]

Thanks for putting this tab here Monkey!

I have a sad story to share about a prop strike that happened recently. A dear friend had a pusher style electric canard he wanted test flown at my dads flying field. After a brief check he was ready to launch for me. I noticed the pacement of his hands were too close to the prop for my comfort and told him about my concerns. He assured me that he used this technique before with no bad results and not to worry. I ignored my gut feeling and after a run-up, he launched the plane right through his right hand. The prop sliced about ten deep gashes from his wrist to his middle finger. We had a first aid kit and patched him up. He insists that it was not my fault but I still feel horrible about it. The lesson I learned is if you ever sense that someone may be at risk of a prop strike when hand launching, speak up! It is better to insult someone's pride then to have a prop assault someone's hand.

My friend was out the following tuesday flying with no stiches. He is an oldtimer and used red chilli poweder to stop the bleeding and speed healing. Talk about home remedies!

Hope this post helps someone keep there hands looking better than mine.

 

[JimCR120]

I don't know where I saw this posted elsewhere but I'm sure I've read or heard this story. Even the chili powder part, which I have to admit is an interesting remedy.

Was Monkey around this event?

 

[PTRogers85]

Thanks for putting this tab here Monkey!

I have a sad story to share about a prop strike that happened recently. A dear friend had a pusher style electric canard he wanted test flown at my dads flying field. After a brief check he was ready to launch for me. I noticed the pacement of his hands were too close to the prop for my comfort and told him about my concerns. He assured me that he used this technique before with no bad results and not to worry. I ignored my gut feeling and after a run-up, he launched the plane right through his right hand. The prop sliced about ten deep gashes from his wrist to his middle finger. We had a first aid kit and patched him up. He insists that it was not my fault but I still feel horrible about it. The lesson I learned is if you ever sense that someone may be at risk of a prop strike when hand launching, speak up! It is better to insult someone's pride then to have a prop assault someone's hand.

My friend was out the following tuesday flying with no stiches. He is an oldtimer and used red chilli poweder to stop the bleeding and speed healing. Talk about home remedies!

Hope this post helps someone keep there hands looking better than mine.

wow, that stinks for your friend. Yeah some "old timers" can be a little hard headed sometimes and set in their ways. Sometimes the only way they learn is the hard way and that's really unfortunate for you and them. I asked my Club President help me tune my glow engine one time (bc I'm so used to electric now I'm a little rusty with glow lol) and the needle is really close to the prop and I warned him watch his knuckles. I offered him some needle nose pliers but he insisted he can do it by hand and sure enough he lost a chunk of his knuckle a small chunk but still it could have been prevented.

 

[Josh Bixler]

I don't know where I saw this posted elsewhere but I'm sure I've read or heard this story. Even the chili powder part, which I have to admit is an interesting remedy.

Was Monkey around this event?

Monkey made this tab after I posted it elsewhere on this site. I was giving the history of my nasty looking hands.

 

[ananas1301]

Hey Josh,

yeah it can really hurt when a prop strikes you.

My little brother and me both had it.
Once I was repairing something on my Parkzone Extra 300 which has a 950 kv (BIG) motor in front with an also big 10.5x9.5 prop.
I think, I was testing the servos, so I laid the plane on my left leg and my left arm going along the fuselage (in the way of the prop) So I turned on the radio and pluged in the 3cell Lipo and everything was fine. Testint servos ok. I thought I´d go for a secong check of the servos, just to be sure. So I my fingers went to radio again and after leaving the rudder stick, I pushed the stick up a bit (but really just a few mm up so not even 1/4 of the full way) and that was the throttle controll. The prop started turning really fast and my arm as well as my leg started bleeding.

I just left it to heal from it self. My leg has healed without leaving a scar but my arm since then has an about 3cm long scar, which will always remind to at least unplug one wire that goes to the motor!

The good thing about those injuries is that you start really getting to know the power of that particular plane and learn to respect it so you don´t make that mistake again!

 

[Heli-Yeah!]

My first plane = my first prop bite.

Yesterday I was fitting my Bixler with a bomb drop servo, just making some servo travel adjustments, and my Tx fell of the chair I had just set it on. When it hit the floor, the throttle stick went to about half, and slice/slice went the tip of my pinky!

Not much of an injury, but I now know how quickly things can go chop.

 

[jetpackninja]

Play safe!

13 stitches- Attempt to launch flying combat wing using the overhand throw.
Excellent motivation to learn the pizza toss and sidearm launch techniques.
All healed up now and the scars barely show- not much fun at the time

 

[CrackerMcGillicuddy]

The first time I tried to hand-launch my Wild Wing (flying wing from CrashTest Hobby) with a pusher prop, I cut my right hand up badly and the plane crashed badly too. Now I fling the plane from the wing. Live and learn.

 

[colorex]

Can you hurt yourself with the Bixler prop?

 

[jetpackninja]

The first time I tried to hand-launch my Wild Wing (flying wing from CrashTest Hobby) with a pusher prop, I cut my right hand up badly and the plane crashed badly too. Now I fling the plane from the wing. Live and learn.

Hahaha- Mine was on a CrashTestHobby plane too! A night Flying Grim Reaper.

Can you hurt yourself with the Bixler prop?

Yes, but you have to try a lot harder The prop is out of the way of where you would naturally want to place your hands but for the most part it comes down to complacency. Never trust that the prop is not going to spin up. Hands and other body parts out of the way anytime the battery is plugged in. A friend of mine bumped his throttle stick while carrying his combat wing back to the car- no stitches but sliced through his jeans and into his leg.
Complacency is the enemy.

 

[Tim Hoyer]

Can you hurt yourself with the Bixler prop?

If it's spinning and you stick your finger in it!! Seriously, your OK. The center section of the Fuse is between your hand and the prop

 

[Tim Hoyer]

My dad crashed his 1400mm Airfield P47 into me, my daughter was wearing the FPV goggles when it happened. Blead for 2 days and probably needed stiches.

 

[colorex]

Yes, but you have to try a lot harder The prop is out of the way of where you would naturally want to place your hands but for the most part it comes down to complacency. Never trust that the prop is not going to spin up. Hands and other body parts out of the way anytime the battery is plugged in. A friend of mine bumped his throttle stick while carrying his combat wing back to the car- no stitches but sliced through his jeans and into his leg.
Complacency is the enemy.

If it's spinning and you stick your finger in it!! Seriously, your OK. The center section of the Fuse is between your hand and the prop

Thanks for the replies, I just wanted to know if it has the strength to do it. I know some guys here who may want to put their fingers in my props.

 

[Tim Hoyer]

Thanks for the replies, I just wanted to know if it has the strength to do it. I know some guys here who may want to put their fingers in my props.

You might wanna fiind new friends LOLOLOL

 

[colorex]

You might wanna fiind new friends LOLOLOL

I'll get them after they put their fingers in my props.

 

[Heli-Yeah!]

Can you hurt yourself with the Bixler prop?

I have been running a 6x4 prop from day one, I saw it recommended on a couple of forums, so I picked one up. It did leave a mark, but it won't be a scar. It is a trainer plane, so it did its job, and delivered a valuable lesson. Thanks Josh.

Complacency is the enemy.

I have just gotten into planes (maybe 20 flights on my Bixler), and have not had time to get complacent yet. But I have come to rely on the throttle hold on my heli for safety, and I even still hit the TH switch when I crash my plane (force of habit). Is there a similar function for planes?

 

[jetpackninja]

Some radios have a throttle lock feature that is nice. Also fun to watch your friend try to hand launch his plane when he forgets to turn it to "off"

The Dx6i is supposed to turn off the motor when the radio is powered off. If the failsafe isn't set correctly the motor can throttle up when the radio is turned off. This is where the complacency thing comes in. Never trust that that prop isn't going to spin as long as the battery is plugged in! Kinda like always assuming a gun is loaded- muzzle in a neutral direction just in case...

I've seen people use rubberbands to hold the throttle down. I've done that because I have bumped the stick so many times on the walk of shame. I've actually now designed a more permanent one that uses sewing elastic, an O ring and some shrink tube I'll try to add a pic when I get a chance.

Play Safe

 

[colorex]

I've seen people use rubberbands to hold the throttle down. I've done that because I have bumped the stick so many times on the walk of shame. I've actually now designed a more permanent one that uses sewing elastic, an O ring and some shrink tube I'll try to add a pic when I get a chance.
Play Safe

Does that mean you have to keep pressure on the throttle all the time while flying?

 

[jetpackninja]

Does that mean you have to keep pressure on the throttle all the time while flying?

Nope just flick the rubberband off before launching. The other end of the band loops around the handle on the back of the transmitter.
Bonus is, if you should forget to take it off when you toss your plane, you can still push the stick against the pressure of the band until you get high enough to safely take it off (now ask me how I know) without crashing your plane.

 

[jinksman]

I cut dad finger lol

hello flyers
i am Shane i live in NSW Australia
i have a skyfun jet from hobby-king and i upgrade it and me and dad want to a park
i ask dad if he can launch the jet ya dad,s are smart but dad did not move smart the 6x4 prop hit hes finger
3 big cut nice