Same old pusher story.

Foam Addict

Squirrel member
Threw pusher jet, lost footing, chopped hand, fractured bones. We've all heard it before.:)

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Be careful when launching pushers guys!

Basically the two middle fingers on my right hand are out of commission for a month.

Nerdnic: It might take me a bit to build the P-39...:p
 

jayz 84

Posted a thousand or more times
Ooooo pusher prop scares. Yeah they will mess you up very fast. Me i have been lucky with my hands so far. Plus i only hip launch my pushers its alot safer. And if anything your more likey to hit the vstab vs prop that way. Forget that plane i like my fingers. Hope it heals well man.
 

makattack

Winter is coming
Moderator
Mentor
Yikes, sorry to hear about the injury. I was so afraid of launching the Versa wing, which I built as my 2nd ever FT build, I spent a ton of time looking at launch methods. The one I chose and have used successfully for just about every launch except one, was the overhead throw that I first saw Alex Greve/IBCrazy use:


At 3:15, you see Jeremiah and Alex both launch one after another, and Alex has goggles on...

Oh, and the reason one of my many launches failed? I was experimenting with props to get longer duration, and tried out a slow-fly prop -- unfortunately, the prop stalled on takeoff and I didn't get enough thrust, so it just glided into a landing. I chopped the throttle just in time too.

Heal well and fast!
 
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SOOFLY

Senior Member
The safest way in my opinion to launch a flying wing is to just grab one side of the wing from the front and just toss it like a frisbee at 1/2 - 3/4 throttle. I've launched the versa prolly 50 times this way. It's the way Josh normally does it in the videos. Launching over your face like that is just way to sketchy for me.

What fractured your finger? The prop strike or the fall? Hope you heal quickly buddy.
 

Foam Addict

Squirrel member
Thanks guys! I appreciate it!

Edit: Soofly, I didn't actually fall, I just stumbled. :) The prop dug to the bone and caused a bunch of minor fractures, not all the way through thankfully. One blade stuck in my finger actually...:(

I would have launched that way if it was a wing, but it was a heavily modified Xb-70, so sadly the side launch and face launch weren't options.
 
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makattack

Winter is coming
Moderator
Mentor
Ah cool... a "pusher jet" -- that explains it... yeah, also, unfortunately, the side-frisbee/flying disc type launches only work for light aircraft. My versa wing with everything on it (FPV, APM, ) including heavy batteries is over 1lb, and launching it side throw is just not possible without damaging the foam.
 

Pancho

New member
I just maidened my FT-22 and launched it by the wing. I had never launched that way...let alone on a maiden. I tried to do it the way they show on the FT videos...and it took off great! Now if the trees would stop jumping in front of my plane, I'll be golden!
 

jwest

Junior Member
If you glue a large hex nut forward of the center of gravity on the centerline on the bottom side of your craft you can hang your plane off a stick with a nail in it's end. Then you have a plane on a spear throwing stick or Atlatl. It's easy to control and it launches the plane at a much higher speed and you don't have to worry about clipping you hand with the prop or rockets when you launch it. The threads of the nut hold the head of the nail so the plane doesn't fall off. Give your hand a break. Give it a try.