Previous T. C. R/C Newsletter Safety Columns

Don't Let This Happen To You, Please Heed These Safety Columns!

Are you flying alone? Do you grab your favorite bird and pop out to the field for a couple of quick flights, by yourself? Most of us have done it. Having the field to yourself has its rewards. It also has its dangers.

Most flying sites are far removed from close proximity to ringing phones, blaring sirens, and other distractions. The down side is that they are also removed from emergency support services, should you need them.

Let's examine what might happen should you incur even a "Minor" Laceration to your prop flicking digit. This alleged cut didn't come from an 80 CC engine swinging a 26" prop. It came from a humble .049 swinging a 5 X 4. The cut went all the way to the bone and its nearly 2" long. It hurts like mad. And, from the looks of it, you may run out of blood before you can get it repaired.

Oh boy! You now have to control the bleeding. You're starting to feel the onset of shock caused by this physical affront to your body and nervous system. You're worrying about whether or not to leave your bird and etc. at the field, the hospital bill, and how to transport yourself to the Emergency Room without ruining the interior of your vehicle. If this sounds like the scenario for a second accident; you're right!

While this particular example is fictitious; events like this happen every day. Some are much, much worse. Whether or not they are preventable is fodder for another article. The point of this article is that, if you had arrived at the field with another competent adult your woes would be far fewer.

The second person could help you attend to the wound. Put your treasures in the vehicle. Give you some morale support. And, take over any required driving duties. All you would have to do is set back and try to relax. While you're relaxing you might even remember that your U. M. A. Policy covers personal injuries. See... ? Thing's are getting better already!

'Nuff Said!, Contributed by Ron Kohler

MODELING SAFELY-STARTING AT HOME

( Part 1)

Our hobby when pursued by intelligent and informed people is an extremely safe one. That is, of course, when we are also diligent and conscientious. How many times have we taken a chance by spray painting, air brushing, or even hand brushing in an enclosed area? We all know that paint fumes can be a health hazard and an explosion hazard. Yet in the name of saving time, saving money, or some other excuse we fail to act safely when painting, After all, "It's only a small job." Or, "You have to breathe a lot of this stuff before it can hurt you."

Let's talk about the fire/explosion safety aspect of painting. Face it folks; paint fumes are - no doubt about it - EXPLOSIVE! They can be ignited by a lit cigarette, the spark in a light switch, or even static electricity. If you can't paint out of doors, at least find a way to vent those fumes. After you have found a way to vent the fumes and before you start painting, consider how you are going to limit or isolate ignition sources.

You can limit ignition sources in many ways. What works in your home may not work or for that matter, be necessary in another's home. For instance, does your home/painting area have a gas hot water heater? If it does, it has a live open flame called a pilot light. That pilot light is very close to the floor. The floor is, by the way, exactly where those EXPLOSIVE paint fumes like to congregate and hang-out ... (for a long time). So, play it safe. Turn the pilot light off prior to painting. Don't re-light it until you are sure that the fumes have been vented to the outside of the house.

The list of ignition sources/solutions could go on until we have a book. Before I get that carried away, let me end this article with a couple of simple statements that apply to fires and explosions. (#1) In order to have a fire or explosion you need three things: (A) A fuel (like paint thinner or paint fumes). (B) An oxidizer (that's the oxygen in our air). (C) An ignition source (sparks and flames are the most common).

(#2) When you eliminate any one of these components; you can't, for our purposes, have a fire/explosion.

Please use the above information to plan your next painting project with fire/explosion safety in mind.
By Ron Kohler

MODELING SAFELY-STARTING AT HOME

Last month I talked about the fire/explosion hazards of airborne fumes and how to minimize those hazards. This month I will discuss another fire/ explosion hazard.

That hazard is wood dust. That's right; wood dust! Wood dust, like those piles of balsa dust that we all tend to make, is also EXTREMELY EXPLOSIVE. A balsa stick or balsa dust in a pile burns ... right? Well, when that pile of dust is floating around in the air it can burn so rapidly that an explosion occurs. If there is enough wood dust suspended in the air an explosion which is powerful enough to damage your home or even kill someone could occur. This is a pretty sobering thought when you consider how many folks routinely reach for a cigarette during their sanding sessions.

An electric sander really adds to the problem by rapidly filling the air in your shop with wood dust. A shop-vac with its nozzle located near the sanding belt or disc can draw this dust away before it becomes airborne. Yes this is an extra step and extra noise. But, it is also extra safety. That shop-vac combined with other house keeping tools can be used to make your balsa dust factory a healthier and safer place to work.

I would like to thank my fellow prop nuts for appointing me their club safety officer. I will endeavor to serve you well. I'm looking forward to an injury and accident free flying season.

By Ron Kohler

MODELING SAFELY - STARTING AT HOME

The first two installments in this series dealt with fire and explosion hazards. The same things that cause that hazard can cause another. They can be a health hazard.

I discussed wood dust last month and will berate it again. Wood dust suspended in the air doesn't stop at being an explosion hazard. Besides messing up your new wet paint job it can also mess up your respiratory system. Everyone knows that it can clog up your nose, make you sneeze, and irritate your eyes. But, did you know that it can cause more than these short lived, minor problems? It can, when dust gets into your lungs it can actually damage them, permanently.

So, should we all quit modeling in order to stay healthy? NE-GATIVE!! Working a little smarter will do the trick. Wearing one of those cheap dust masks while you are sanding, will keep the dust where the broom and vacuum can get at it more easily.

Speaking of the vacuum, good house keeping in your shop can help keep colds and etc. at bay. Wood dust like most any other provides a hiding place for all kinds of germs. Get it before it gets you. Your spouse will appreciate it too.

Have you seen your wing man lately ? Check your six.

By Ron Kohler

A recent article in RCM Magazine has caused me to stop and reflect upon our hobby. It seems that a man flying a 1/4 scale Cub lost control of his plane. The uncontrolled Cub struck an innocent bystander in the back causing some pretty serious injuries. Fortunately the pilot had the old S. F. A. insurance which covered it and the victim has recovered from his injuries.

Often, when I think of flying safety I catch myself thinking of it from a selfish point of view. That is; I consider the injury of a friend, the loss of an aircraft, financial liability, and all of the hassles that an accident might cause.

From now on, a new priority will head the list within my mind. Those of us who enjoy our hobby either as a spectator or a participant know that there is the risk, albeit a small one, of an accident. We accept that risk knowingly. The hapless person on the periphery of our flying activity, the innocent bystander, has taken the lead in my thoughts of flying safety. That person deserves my protection and I intend to see to it that they get it ... from me.

Returning to a selfish perspective; let me express this misgivings I fear that if they don't get that protection from me, and you too, they may get it ( God help us ) from stricter legislation and rules. Please, when you plan your flying activities, consider the speed, mobility, and range of our models. Plan for the safety of that other person, place, or thing, "on the other side of the hill!"

By Ron Kohler

To my mind flying field safety begins with a courteous, co-operative attitude. This attitude should be extended beyond the club members and their field to those outside of our hobby.

I have recently heard of another clubs' behavior at a float- fly. I am horrified to think of the selfish and dangerous way they have been reported to have behaved at a public park. I have to wonder how they treat each other in the pits? I also worry that all R/C fliers/clubs will be denied use of public parks because of behavior like theirs.

TRI-COUNTY R/C, as I see it has consistently maintained a higher standard of conduct. Your courteous behavior, and concern for the safety of others and their property reflect favorably upon us and our hobby. I am proud to be affiliated with you all.

By Ron Kohler

All of us in the sport/hobby of R/C modeling get joy and fulfillment from it. If we didn't, we wouldn't stay in it. The bonds of friendship and trust that form around our common interest often last for life times and span continents.

The only limits to the joy that we get from R/C-ing are the ones that we impose. When we don't share our skills and knowledge with others, especially newcomers, we not only condemn them to "learning the hard way," we limit the joy that we can experience.

I am particularly proud of our small club's efforts over this past flying season. The demonstrations that the club gave at Nichols, N.Y., "HOME COMING DAYS" and at "The Path of Life Children's Camp" are the kind that enriches us and our hobby. They are positive steps that cause our hobby to grow and flourish. The memories of the sparkles on the faces of those young R/C hopefuls among the crowd, will cause me to smile warmly for years to come. With some additional nurturing, the seeds that we have planted may well result in the renewal of our joy and the propagation of our hobby.

I can't help but wish that there were a club like ours available to me when I was a young fellow. My sincere thanks go out to everyone who made our demonstrations possible.

Ron Kohler

That's odd? She's never done that before? I wonder what that was all about? Have you ever had these thoughts or uttered these words in response to some quirk in your aircraft's performance? I have.

That odd rattle that sometimes happens in flight. Those changes in flight path that can't be explained by winds or thermals. That frustratingly erratic engine performance. Some folks prefer to attribute these maladies and a host of others to GREMLINS.

The problem is that Gremlins aren't happy until they have caused the destruction of the aircraft. In reality the truth is that these Gremlins are warning us that they have found a weak spot to attack. Left to their own devices they will gang up and attack until they have caused an accident.

We can drive Gremlins out of our airframes with preventative maintenance by way of IRAN (Inspect and Repair As Necessary). Chances are very good that if we go to IRAN each time we hear a Gremlins' warning our airframes will last a lot longer.

Nuff Said, HAPPY FLYING By Ron Kohler

Oops! Hey guys, guess who's club safety officer is nursing a sore knuckle on his prop flicking finger? It seems that he got so wrapped up in the joy of the day that he let himself get careless. Fortunately for him, uh hum ... O. K.......me, the sore finger and damaged pride were the extent of the injuries. Even those little 40's can do a lot worse damage. Please don't make the same mistake.

It has been a short flying season so far. However, thanks to all of you, it has been an extremely enjoyable one. We have also had a very safe season with no serious injuries or Mega-Buck crashes. Take a bow guys. You deserve it!

Hopefully Mother Nature will smile upon us for a bit more before the close of the season. If she does, I hope to see you at the field.

By Ron Kohler

As you can see by this article's title, I'm shifting into the winter mode. As I slip the supercharger one important thought!

That is; that now is the time to begin preparing for next year's flying safety.

Before we hanger our favorite birds for the winter, there are some things that should be done. We need to give them a thorough inspection. Check the structure, control system components, fuel system, and mounting components for service ability. Repair or replace loose, worn, or broken items. Make sure that the airframe is completely reliable again. Drain and flush the fuel system. "Pickle" the engine with a good after run oil. Then, dry oil soaked wood with a generous coating of K-2R SPOT REMOVER. It really does work!

Before putting our transmitters and batteries on the shelf; they need to be cycled and checked for capacity. Connectors need to be inspected and repaired as necessary.

What you remember today that you forgot to do yesterday, could be the cause of a preventable accident. A little extra effort now, will contribute to a safe and enjoyable flying season next year. Thank you all again for this years safe and joy filled flying season. As far as I'm concerned, it will be hard to top.

By Ron Kohler

Hello again,

Folks, for those of you who missed them, we have had some absolutely fantastic flying sessions this month. Mother Nature; except for a few biz-zillion of her own who enjoy a higher place in the food chain than we humans, has been very good to us. Does anyone out there have a model suitable for airborne bug spraying? Dick, Bud, and I have been trying to eradicate the little pests with our props and leading edges. But, alas, for every one that we smash; a whole squadron comes to the funeral and post wake picnic.

Aviation and aviators, whether at 1:1 or 1:10 scale, all have their fortunes tied to Ma Natures' apron strings. The successful pilot comes prepared for her whims. Extra fluids for the human engine, extra protection for his/her cooling and heating, systems, and some bug repellent for the nervous system are all important safety items as well as creature comforts. A few moments spent preparing for Mother Nature can spell the difference between a safe pleasurable flying session and an unpleasant one. Take those few moments, come prepared, and share the joy of our wonderful sport/ hobby.

NUFF SAID, By Ron Kohler

This month I want to talk about you. To be more specific; how do you feel? The way you feel, physically and emotionally, can effect your safety and that of those around you. When you have a nagging headache, an aching weary body, and nothing you touch seems to go according to plan.... your flying skills are probably seriously impaired.

Professional pilots, military and civilian, will ground themselves for the day rather than take a chance with safety. This is professional behavior. It is expected and condoned. Why should we be any different? Everyone has off days. Why make an off day worse by pranging your favorite bird? Worse yet you could hurt yourself or someone else.

For many of us a day at the field has its' own rewards, flying aside. If you are not up to flying you can always ground yourself but go to the field anyway. Hanger flying, sharing skills and experience, or sharing flight line chores can be relaxing. Your flying buddies may even appreciate you more for sharing that time with them.

Until next month, clear your six and grease those landings.

By Ron Kohler

While visiting with you folks at our "Annual Dinner Party", I learned that some of you are planning new building projects. Once the stupor induced by all that good food began to wear off, I began to muse about some of my earlier building projects. That musing brought me back to a recurring memory.

Kit wood! Kit wood quality and its' suitability for its' intended purpose. I began to remember things like the soft, punky spar material found in a Senior Telemaster kit; exactly what you don't want for a strong wing spar. The trailing edge piece for a PT-40 that was so miss shaped that it induced a permanent twist in the wing. The 1/8 inch 'light-ply' dihedral brace for a 72" span prefab glider that left me doubting the strength of this important juncture. The firewall ply of dubious longevity due to its' unsuitability for the recommended engine type and size. All of these things would have contributed to a model that was not safe to fly.

No matter how reputable a kit manufacturer is; these kinds things will continue to show up in our kits for a variety of reasons. So, what can we do about these short falls? We could refuse to buy another kit from Company XYZ and bad mouth them to everyone. But, isn't that like killing the goose for laying some flawed eggs? Not good for the goose. Not good for us.

What we can do is this. Open the box. Inventory the contents. Inspect the parts for condition, serviceability and suitability. If an unsuitable part is found the next move is up to you.

One move is to drop the manufacturer a letter explaining the problem. Most manufacturers are anxious to preserve their reputations and will gladly seek an equitable solution to your mutual problem. They may even send you a replacement part. Another move is to use the suspect part and the kit plans to make a proper part from your own wood supplies. The worst move is to say, "What the heck," hope for the best, and use the dubious part anyway.

It's up to you. However, I hasten to point out that a chain is only as strong as its' weakest link. Isn't it also fair to say that a flying model is only as safe as the sum total of its' parts?

By Ron Kohler

Last winter, I penned some articles on home safety as associated with our hobby. This winter will bring more of the same. Storage of paints, glues, resins, and thinners is an often-neglected subject. So, get out the soapbox. Here we go!

One of the best sources for containers to store your flammables in, is military surplus. Vendors for this surplus vary from surplus stores to junk mail catalogs. There are a number of containers available to us that, while they are not U/L approved fire resistant containers, serve our purposes well for instance; 20-millimeter ammo boxes are great! They are made of heavy gauge steel. They are airtight, have excellent lid latches, and are of a size that is easily transportable. Best of all they cost only slightly more than a similarly sized "Rubber Maid" type of container.

Due to their airtight properties, they can be safely stored in a basement or even a convenient closet. Anyone who has ever gone to their un-heated garage to retrieve a favorite can of paint, only to find it frozen solid and ruined should appreciate this benefit. Give this idea a try. I'm sure that you'll be glad you did!

By Ron Kohler

Folks, believe it or not; I can’t think of a safety related subject for this month. Guess I’m overdue for some hot caster fumes. I’m in the middle of an aircraft project that is way behind the power curve. Last weekends' foul weather only put us further behind. McDonnell Douglas’ love affair with “Coin Slot” fasteners hasn't helped either. If any of you can help me acquire some coin slot apex's) or screw sticks, you can have me as an indentured servant for a day or three.

The F-4 Phantom II may have been hard on Migs and all but, it is even harder on the people who care for and feed her. She’s made out of recycled battleship parts and boiler plate. She’s also a plumbers fantasy incarnate. None the less, I’m thankful that she is one of ours. She certainly merits preserving.

The museum* has a number of projects underway that just might interest you. How about a PT-19 or PT-17? Talk about a documentation opportunity. The folks there are great. If you are interested in a behind the scenes look at the place, let me know while I’m still affiliated with them. I would be happy to arrange some introductions.

On another note; I still have a burning desire to build a 72" span Clancy 'Speedy Bee' for my beloved Maloney 125. If any of our Internet friends know of plans in that size, a nudge in the direction of the source would be appreciated.

Well folks ‘till I can join you again; have fun and FLY SAFE!!! My heart and thoughts are with you.

By Ron Kohler

Hello!

It’s good to be back. I have missed you all. This has been one full summer, for me. Dick tells me that you folks have been busy too. A recent conversation with Dick provides the fodder for this months safety article.

I personally have a screaming itch to move up to larger airframes; ones that can take advantage of weed whacker type engines. When I solicited Dick for his assistance with a giant scale model, he tactfully brought me back to reality. Armed with the knowledge that Dick speaks from the vantage of many years of experience I had to concede that he had made some very wise observations.

His first point was that I haven’t flown anything at all since last winter. His second point was that, considering my present skill level, it might be wiser to repair the trainer that I re-kitted last winter and fly it for a while. The beauty of his second point is that if I re-kit that airframe again while building my skill base, it would be less of a loss than a 1/3 rd scale sport plane. Well...now that my Aero-Star 40 has been made FMC; I’m ready to start working my way up to where I want to be. Dick has assured me that he will be glad to render assistance with the giant scale birds; once I’m ready, that is.

Not everyone has a friend and mentor like Dick. This is where safety becomes an issue. While one has to push ones limits in order to grow. You also have to be realistic with yourself. If you aren’t, you are courting disaster. To avoid disaster when opting to move up to another skill level without the benefit of a skilled mentor; one has only caution to call upon. So, if you find yourself in this latter situation, go ahead; explore new horizons. Build new skills and seek new experiences. When you do; please let caution and safety be your guide.

See ya at the field!

By Ron Kohler.

Fred and I participated in the Rudin Farm, "Farm Days Event" again this year. We did the normal show and tell for those who were interested in R/C. For us, this was also a good excuse to share some time with our friends from the "Susquenango" R/C Boat Club. They are a fine bunch of folks. Their kinship and hospitality were dearly enjoyed.

One of the boaters nearly had a disaster due to a malfunction with his brand new Ni-Cad charger. We were alerted to the problem by urgent calls of, "There's smoke coming out of the camper." After rushing to the camper, we found that the charger was on the verge of bursting into flames. Quick thinking by the camper owner and a little luck saved the day. I shudder to think about the outcome of this event had no one noticed the smoke. The charger, A NAME BRAND CHARGER, had begun to melt from the heat Curiously,. the battery pack that had been on the charger, was not even warm.

The charging of Ni-Cads is a fairly safe and simple operation. Unfortunately, it is not completely free of hazards. We have all I'm sure, heard of, read of, or seen events where something has gone wrong during the charging process. Yet, most of us, myself included, all too often take the charging of our batteries for granted. We fret more over things, albeit important things, like when were they charged last? What is their capacity for storage and discharge? Polarity reversal, memory, connections and mounting? Let's take a few minutes to consider ways to reduce the hazards of charging.

To lessen the possibility of losing our equipment and property to fire there are some simple things that we can do. The first and often most difficult, is to monitor the charging operation. I'm not suggesting that we should create a watched pot act. But, I am saying that it is not a good idea to, "Slap those suckers on the charger and head down the road." Remaining close enough to occasionally check on them or respond to a problem is the prudent course.

It is a good idea to establish a designated charging area that is both removed from combustibles such as wooden walls, curtains, sofas, and explosive vapors. This area should also facilitate our monitoring of the operation. Establishing the area over a bare concrete floor would be a good move.

Plugging our charger (s) into one of those outlet strips with a built-in circuit breaker will lessen the chance of fire by preventing thermal runaway. A smoke detector near the area will lessen our monitoring chores by allowing us to do other things while someone keeps an ear tuned for the smoke detector. 'Yes dear, I can wax your car again if you can listen for the smoke detector.'

Lastly, should all of these precautions fail; it might be smart to have a DRY CHEMICAL fire extinguisher located in a convenient spot somewhere several feet from our charging stations. It is important to remember that should you have a fire at your charger, it is an electrical fire. Don't start grabbing things like wires with your un-insulated hand. Use something like a long shank screwdriver with an insulated handle to break connections. Never use water or liquid fire extinguishers to put out the flames. Don't Panic. Use your head......"Nuff Said"...

By Ron Kohler

Dated: 9/1/98 - Safety Trainer Cord Systems (Response Update - 3/29/99) I would like to share the following information for safety sake. I do not want any harm to come to the manufacturers, but I feel life and property is of more importance.

Common knowledge is slave / student radios do not transmit while in the "buddy box mode". This assumption seems to be false. Some radios will transmit as a slave even if the power switch is off and/or the battery is out.

All clubs should be informed to treat both radios in a training system as if they are transmitting.

I do not know if the radios I have tested had a failure or a design oversight. For the sake of confirmation I will include the manufacturers names and model numbers. I hope someone with more resources can verify or dismiss this as a common problem.

I have tested two Hitec Prism 7x and one Futaba FP-4NBF and they all transmitted in the slave mode. I also tested one Futaba FP-6NFK and it did not transmit in the slave mode. So three of the four radios I tested transmitted in the slave mode. I have not tested any other radios. I have sent my Futaba radio back to the manufacturer to be repaired if a failure has occurred.

I discovered this after having apparent radio problems and sending some of them back to be repaired/tested/tuned. I received the radios after the service and noticed that when I touched my slave radio antenna my receiver servos went into spasm. Both my master and slave were on the same frequency, so in effect I was shooting myself down. To further verify this I used a transmitter of a different frequency as a slave, turned on to receivers on the same frequency of each receiver and they both responded. Even though in all cases the transmitter was off and/or had the battery removed. To further verify if the radio was transmitting I removed the crystal from the transmitter from the slave and the problems stopped (removing a crystal from a transmitter is not recommended, as harm is remotely possible).

Sincerely, A Concerned R/C Flyer

If you have any feedback, recommendations, etc., please forward them to 

U. M. A. at  3247@ev1.net       or:  United Modelers Of America

                                                        6510 FM 20 East

                                                        Lockhart, TX   78644

A response from rc-trader: Hi the hitec radios use a one way trainer cord where as the futaba cord is not so, if you use a hitec radio as the master or slave you should use the hitec cord for training.

A response from Washington: Could the battery from the active radio be feeding back into the slave radio?

A response from Red's R/C Battery Clinic: Were you using a hi-tech buddy cord with a futaba radio or mixing futaba with hitech radios? We have verified that the Hi-Tech buddy cord can be inserted backwards, i.e.. student to instructor markings and you get the live transmitter situation. Can't exactly remember the combination required to make it happen.

A response from Arkansas: We had this happen with the Channel 18 trainer radio. CH 18 affected a JR radio CH 18. Remove the crystal from the trainer radio...Works for us.

Ed’s. Note: I think we had better keep an eye on this type of problem, from now on!