RunRyder - Close call

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Safety - RC Helis are not toys > Close call

Ted R
Heliman
Location: Helena, MT

A couple of weeks ago I had a very close call. I’ll start by telling you that I have been flying model planes since 1969. I purchased my first helicopter in 1991, A concept 30 SX. I flew it for a couple of years and got out of the hobby for about 8 years. I started back in this fall and started flying the concept again. About a month ago I purchased a new Caliber 30 and have flown about 3 gallons of fuel through it (great little helicopter). When I started flying helicopters in 1991 I learned to us a stand to set up the curves. So when I purchased the new Caliber I used the stand to setup the curves on it. My stand is made from a 14” cast iron brake drum as a base, and a 1” pipe welded to it with a ¾ “ pipe as a slider with a base on top of this to mount the helicopter on. It works quite well and I usually feel quite safe under it. I usually have the stand base above my head so I don’t have to worry about the blades.

I also purchased a new airplane this fall (U can-do 3d) with a YS-91. I purchased a Futaba 9CHP radio for It and I am also using it for the Caliber. This is a great radio and I came up to speed with it quite fast. I also have been using the Real Flight G2 flight simulator, which has been super for getting me back up to speed in a very short amount of time.

One day a couple of weeks ago I decided to change some of my Idle up speeds and decided to put the caliber on the stand. One thing I have done while programming the radio is to program all of the switches so they are in the back position for starting. This way I know that every thing is correct at a glance. I got the helicopter mounted on the stand and double-checked the radio to make sure everything was in the correct position. All switches back and the throttle in the down position. Connected the glow plug and inserted the starter shaft into the helicopter. It didn’t start right off like it normally does so I kept cranking. It started to fire so I removed the starter and the helicopter started to go into full throttle. I leaned down and away from the helicopter and immediately looked at the transmitter that was on a small bench next to me. As I started to turn something hit me in the forehead and I ducked even lower. I can distinctly remember looking down at the transmitter and looking for something out of place. Everything looked in order and about this time the helicopter came over on top of me and grazed the top of my head. It slammed into the bench at full rpm and grazed my head. I have mavrikk carbon blades on it and they really chewed up the oak bench. I stood their stunned and didn’t know whether to get mad or go into the house and see what damage I had done to myself. I decided to go in the house cursing myself. I had a cut on the forehead and bumps on the back of my head. Nothing serious but I was shaking from the experience. I went back out to examine what the damages were. I got away with about $125.00 damage to the Caliber and took it into the shop to see what happened. I checked it over for about 20 minutes before I figured out what happened. The night before I received my buddy cord for the transmitter that would permit me to connect the transmitter to the simulator. During that setup I configured a new helicopter on the radio with completely standard setting, which were all but completely opposite of my caliber setup. I failed to switch the transmitter back form the setup for the simulator to the Caliber setup. To the best of my knowledge the helicopter went into full throttle, full pitch and full left cyclic. This rolled the stand over and luckily the stand was just tall enough that the paddles hit my forehead as I was turning and the blades glanced off the back of my head.

Lessons of this story is, it is extremely nice to have very complex radio equipment that you can use on several different aircraft and simulators, as long as you come up with a mandatory procedure each time before flight to check to see if you are using the correct setup.

01-07-2003 Over year old.

Jim C
Veteran
Location: Indiana, PA

wow dude.. thats crazy but glad you are ok tho...ask jagboy what happens when you dont switch models..... ill leave that one to him...

jim

http://jimsrc.com

01-07-2003 Over year old.

HOMEPAGE

fitenfyr
rrProfessor
Location: Port Orchard, Washington

Another tip....

I ALWAYS do the following BEFORE startup.
1. CHECK MODEL name is correct on the TX.
2. Do a full control function check. Up, down, left right, collective, throttle, tail......
3. Always hang onto the head for start up and be ready to pull the fuel line.
4. CHECK MODEL name is correct on the TX

Yes I really check it twice.

I learned the hard way. The Sceadu and the Freya are reversed on the Throttle also. Burnt up one too many clutches doing that.

Jason Stiffey
Fly Fast....Live Slow...

01-07-2003 Over year old.

HOMEPAGE

E-gpeden
Senior Heliman
Location: Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada

I always double check the model name on the LCD screen, but I also put a clothespin on any heli or plank at the field that is not currently selected in the transmitter.

Cheers!
Glen

01-07-2003 Over year old.

HOMEPAGE

flyboy
Elite Veteran
Location: California

Glad you are alright. Sorry to hear about your missfortune. I know you have heard this above. Pre flight,Pre flight, Pre flight.
Atleast a quick cycle of the servos and confirm that everything is moving the right dirrection.
We have all been there or at least similar situations, learn from your mistakes and start doing Pre flight checks, it will save your bacon from burning, I promise you!

01-07-2003 Over year old.

tonysrepair
Veteran
Location: portland oregon

Thought I would add to hang on to the main rotor when starting the heli . If it is at full throttle you will have control of the bird while you figure what is wrong . Worse case burned clutch .

Tony R.

01-07-2003 Over year old.

Ted R
Heliman
Location: Helena, MT

Thanks all for the great suggestions. While sharing this story with my friends at HeliProz they too gave me most of these safety suggestions, which I intend to make a practice of. Try to share this with anyone you know that has a multi aircraft transmitter and uses it. I consider myself quite fortunate that I was not seriously hurt. From some of the gouges on the solid oak garden bench that the heli hit you gain a great respect for the energy and cutting ability of carbon fiber blades. I hate to be the one sharing this information as I worked on full size helicopters for 17 years and also served as a safety officer. But if by sharing this embarrassing event with you might prevent someone else from making the same mistake then my misfortune might have some positive effect on someone else.

Now out to the flying field, this is still a great hobby and I still enjoy this little heli greatly. Clear sky, no wind and 30 degrees F, what more can you ask for!!!

01-07-2003 Over year old.

Jagboy69
Key Veteran
Location: Lake Mary, Florida (20 mins East of Orlando)

I switched models on my 9chp one afternoon in a hurry to get in a flight with (smart@$$) budc before the sun went down.. I didnt confirm the switch and this resuted in just a clutch liner that I think I forgot to pay Volkul for

.. I was glad I had a GOOD grip on the head.... glad your okay... but be VERY aware about carbon fiber.. if you got hit by the CF blades... GO TO THE DOCTOR NOW>>> you dont want to see what happens to skin if you get this stuff under it.. You WILL look like the elephant man..

Oh well.. we all live and learn.. I like the idea of a run up stand for engine tuning.. but Rays helicopter book has a picture of a dorky looking guy under a spinning helicopter with a helmut on.. Safety never looked so in fashion I think..

Jason /// Sceadu50/9chp WWW.Jagboy69.com

01-07-2003 Over year old.

HOMEPAGE

Hockeytown
Veteran
Location: Pontiac, Mi. U.S.A.

Thanks!!!!

I really appreciate the things posted in this section of the forum.

It takes a big person to post your experience like you did, Ted.

A simple and true fact of life is that "S#!T HAPPENS", and if your post stops this from happening to even 1 other pilot, then it was worth you time and minor embarrasment to post it here.

I am glad things turned out OK from an injury standpoint..........cuts and bruises heal........it could have been ALOT worse

Thanks

Darin

PS This is one of those 'learn from experience' moments!! Remember, you don't have to experience it first hand to learn from it.

Darin[color=red]
Hockeytown[/color]

01-07-2003 Over year old.

scroller
Senior Heliman
Location: Paradise, CA

Hey Ted,
Just make sure that you don't get confused. When you're starting the fullsized heli probably not a good idea to hold on to the head.

01-07-2003 Over year old.

HOMEPAGE

FlightPower
Veteran
Location: Herts UK

you are not alone

I had an electric concept and an X-cell with only the throttle chanel reversed between the two models.

So I did the pre-flight, cyclic and tail looked good, started the X-Cell, and whoops, full throttle. I was holding the rotor head good and hard but I will say the OS 61 knows how to put up a fight. Anyways, I got the fuel line off and it stoped with nothing more serious to report than a foul smelling smoke from the clutch.

What I'd like to add is this: 4 months later and the X-Cell fell out of the sky from about 40 ft following something of a reverse auto. It was kind of weird, heli aquired head speed on the ground as normal, went up, normal engine tone (governed by GV1) but unbeknown to me (until it was too late), the blades had simply lost energy on the way up and stopped turning - certainly nothing left for any kind of controlled auto descent (repair bill = to 1.5 Raptor ARTF kits). Why? Well like a damn fool after the smelly clutch incident I failed to check and replace the clutch lining. On further inspection, the interior of the cluch bell was bright polished ali with trace elements of clutch lining dust. Embarrasing, yep you bet.

P.S. Regards the adjoing thread re knife edge manoevres infront of a crowd (or pilot) - if a heli was on the verge of this condition it would likely not pull out of that stunt before it hit - or you'd have to use the inertia to bail out over the heads of the crowd/judges into the car park.

Moral: Safety, Safety, Safety, Check, Check Check, Maintenence Maintenence, Maintenence. No exceptions.

05-14-2003 Over year old.

Eco8_Kid
Senior Heliman
Location: NJ

I hear ya!

Ted R
[QUOTE]

Hey I'm sorry that happened.

Also can the Futaba 9CH transmitter make a heli idle? And what else is it for?

Mark

07-06-2003 Over year old.

Gazoo
Veteran
Location: Maryland

You are not getting a 9CHP so why are you asking. It will be a long time before you can even afford a radio like that. It has features on it that I don't fully understand yet and as you know I own one. This is why I am going to funflys....to LEARN!

Oh ya, and the heli you are getting is at idle when the throttle stick is all the way down.....geeeeezzzz!!!!

07-06-2003 Over year old.

Eco8_Kid
Senior Heliman
Location: NJ

ok ok I get it. Hey does the blades stop moving is that what idle is?

I AM DIFFERENT NOW
EDITED: 3/19/04

Mark

07-06-2003 Over year old.

Gazoo
Veteran
Location: Maryland

When you have the throttle all the way down, the blades will stop moving. On a CP heli, it can be set up so the blades move fast but the hely will not lift off until picth is added to the blades.

Go to my friends website and look at the videos of the HB. The Picollo runs much the same way.

http://www.electricmicro.com/videos.html

07-07-2003 Over year old.

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Safety - RC Helis are not toys > Close call

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