My winter project for the new Phlatprinter was to cutout and lead a group in building Crashes e-QSC balsa plane.

We are into week 3 of our build and I am jumping ahead to complete my build so I can help the others, many of whom have never built a balsa plane on their own.

So this Tueday, I had completed the covering and installation of all my gear and was attempting to setup the transmitter in preparation for an upcoming maiden flight.

In so doing, I turned on the transmitter (Spektrum DX7 SE) plugged in the receiver (Spektrum AR6100) and left the throttle at half throttle by accident. This was not a problem, because Spectrum does not arm the ESC until the throttle is detected as going to full low.

I proceeded to setup the dual rates, end points, expo, etc and realized that I did not have Flaperons selected in the model configuration.

After powering off the transmitter, I powered it back up in programming mode and located the wing settting and enabled Flaperons.

What happened next was about to ruin my evening.

As I exited programming mode, the ESC armed itself and immediately went to half throttle and launched the business end of a BP-2212-13 swinging a 9 x 4.7 razor sharp propeller straight into my wrist and left arm.

Because I was still holding the transmitter in hand, I was able to shut down the throttle before more damage was done, but by then I had already suffered significant injury. The propeller took two whacks out of my arm, sprayed blood everywhere and caused a trip to the ER.

Three X-Rays and three hours later, I was released after having been given a Tetanus shot and seven stitches to close the two lacerations suffered as a result.

I tried to keep this quiet, but word seemed to have leaked out and I got an email from Crash wanting to know if my safety tip posted on clubs news group had anything to do with me. I suspect foul play from my buddy up the street. I won't mention any names, John.

I do know better. I think my good friend Forest Gump said it best.... "Stupid is as Stupid Does"

So if you're thinking these little electric planes we build can't put a hurt on you, take it from me, they can and will if you are not very careful. Attached files

 

Just so I don't easily forget...

Attached files

 

Glad you got away with only minimal damage, makes me worry about all the people who go in hobbystores and pick up some of those parkzone things and give them to there kids without a clue on how any of it works.
Case in point, my dad got tired of my brother and me talking about our planes, so he ordered one of those complete RTF's from Nitroplanes. He decided to put it together himself and as soon as he put the battery in it to center the servos it jumped up full throttle and zipped past him off the table and accross the room into the corner, shearing the prop shaft off. I told him he got REAL lucky with that, he didn't even have the transmitter on and couldn't have stopped it if it had chewed into him(the instructions told him to turn it on after plugging the battery in the plane!) Well, needless to say he's coming down here sunday for me to put a new motor in the plane and set it all up. Then I'll take him out to the local club and see if we can get it to fly.

Goes to show that even "experienced" people still make mistakes.
Had another member of my club adjusting the glow motor on his .90 size helicopter and accidently knocked throttle up switch. The blades spun out and clocked him as he jumped back, he still has a nasty scar all the way down his face.