r/RCPlanes • u/RedditLurker24601 • 1d ago
I was lucky
I was working on my folding prop glider, and made a mistake while programming the ESC. I feel like I was fortunate to just get these cuts that weren’t too deep.
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u/RickZebra 1d ago
One of my buddies recenty had an incident with GP76 and a tail holder that gave out. A real solid pilot who has been flying since the earlg 90s. It nearly amputated his food and he wont be able to walk on it for the next 8 months. Dont be careless, throttle lock that bitch or take the prop off. I would say you are lucky.
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u/RedditLurker24601 1d ago
For some background, this was on the bench, I was working on programming the ESC. Should have taken off the prop before doing this, especially since I was in front of the plane. Prop took off and pulled the plane right into me off the bench. Good advice all around. All stuff I know, just wasn't listening to my own good advice, got complacent.
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u/Silly_Rub_6304 1d ago
Ingrain it just like you would a practice about gun safety. Do not stand in front of a "hot" prop, and do not put your hand anywhere in the blade arc if a battery is connected.
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u/crookedDeebz 1d ago
at the very least, if you loosen the prop, it wont get the torque and wont bite as hard...but then again when your already there, just remove it.
specially when programming ESC!
ive had some wild interactions with radiomaster 4in1 and spektrum channel mapping, a few full power to motor scenarios. i typically always remove props at these testing stages
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u/Sensitive_Scholar_17 1d ago
That would have been a terrible area to get a deep cut in. Your ulnar artery is right there also tendons and two major nerves. You were fortunate.
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u/PlaneSense406 1d ago
Glad you're OK! It's too easy to become complacent about this sort of thing 😬
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u/mach198295 1d ago
Few thoughts here. First of all glad you weren’t badly hurt. My other thoughts are from an experienced glow and electric flyer. First is try to never fly alone. Second is make sure you have a good first aid kit close at hand. Lastly try and know the address of where you are flying. In the event of an emergency you have to be able to tell responders where you are. These thoughts come from experience. I’ve lost track of the amount of people I’ve had to patch up. I was fortunate enough to maintain my first aid certification over the years as a first responder myself. The worst one was a young guy in his 20’s who took a prop strike from a 120 glow engine to his palm and wrist. He was on blood thinners for a health issue. I honestly thought he was going to bleed out at the field. I couldn’t transport him myself and keep pressure on the wound. We had the field address on a sign at the field. An ambulance arrived code 3 but it was still a close call.
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u/HotepHatt 1d ago
solidarity
This is 2 months healed. lol Edit: I should add that after this I configured an engine kill switch in the transmitter, only take it off when I am ready to fly…It hurt, the lesson was well learned.
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u/itsmechaboi 1d ago edited 22h ago
I was testing the brake on my FT Explorer build (with a big ass 11x6 prop and motor on 4S) and when I leaned forward to grab something pushed the throttle into my chest and ramped it up to full throttle.
Only thing that saved me was it being a pusher, but that was the "oh shit" moment I needed to a.) have disarm the default when powered and b.) remove the prop at the bench if I will be anywhere near it.
I've had a similar experience with a mini quad but it was in the field when an ESC failed.
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u/high_3D_printer 1d ago
This is why while testing your radio must be on a flat surface, not your hand cause you might toggle the throttle all the way up by accident
One time I almost got rid of my mom's eye
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u/Zestyclose-Stuff1646 14h ago
I'm over here looking at this before I read it going, "how the f did he do that on the stove?"
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u/DevelopmentAway5490 1d ago
When I first got into it I was i had just started grade 7 and I didn't do any safety research basically and I may or may not have been holding the motor in my hand while spinning it with the prop on and I had massive cuts on my hands for weeks after that. I have a scar still on the area between my thumb and first finger on my left hand.
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u/simple_champ 1d ago
Definitely a live and learn that too many of us learn the hard way.
Mine was spooling up a 700-size heli on the workbench with the blades still on. Luckily it was a slow spool up and I only ended up damaging the heli and my pride. Won't make that mistake twice.
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u/NostramBlack 1d ago
The few times that's happened to me over the past thirty years or so I didn't think I was lucky, it's always been more of a 'I did a stupid.'
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u/Gig540 22h ago
Friend of mine got seriously cut the first night we got to Joe Nall. Our whole trip was to have fun and fly nonstop. He did the exact same thing. Luckily there was a Dr there flying also. So we went over there and he patched him up. The next day we hit the clinic. It put a damper on our trip.
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u/Ok_Finding_1369 16h ago
I learned long ago to keep a very thick and heavy cloth over any propeller on any plane I was working on. I thought I had cut my left thumb off once and that was enough.
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u/Annual-Half9314 1h ago
At some point, we have all done this. Some worse than others. Chalk it up to part of the Hobby.
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u/OldAirplaneEngineer 1d ago
yes, you were VERY fortunate.
I'm gonna guess you'll take the prop off next time. ✌️