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Are model aircraft one of the most dangerous hobbies out there?
carpmart - 14/9/10 at 08:48 AM

It seems that there are a disproportionate number of injuries caused by model aircraft propellers?

See http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=143056

Either we have a demographic on Loscost who are accident prone or a high percentage of model aircraft flyers or its just a 'bloody' (pun intended ) dangerous hobby?


balidey - 14/9/10 at 08:54 AM

I thought if you read that thread its a 'fake', ie not caused by a prop. Seems to be someone finds a gruesome pic and then applies it to a fitting scenario.

My hobby? juggling with samurai swords.


SeaBass - 14/9/10 at 09:03 AM

Risk assessment is very simple... You examine the impact of an event occuring and multiply it by the likelhood of the event.

Like any hobby there are those who do not minimise the likelyhood of an accident occuring.

I've been flying a model helicopter for about a year now. I know what would happen if I was hit by the main blades at vmax in idle up. I make bloody sure it's not going to happen..

JC


carpmart - 14/9/10 at 09:21 AM

quote:
Originally posted by balidey
I thought if you read that thread its a 'fake', ie not caused by a prop. Seems to be someone finds a gruesome pic and then applies it to a fitting scenario.

My hobby? juggling with samurai swords.


Your missing the point of my post, its not the headline post which I agree probably wasn't caused by an aircraft prop, more the other members posts which all have their tales of woe concerning injuries caused by model aircraft!


02GF74 - 14/9/10 at 09:22 AM

How exactly are you defining "most dangerous hobby"?

Fatalities or serious injuries for x hours of participating in the sport?

From memroy, using the above criteria, swimming comes out the most dangerous.


balidey - 14/9/10 at 09:31 AM

disproportionate number of injuries caused by model aircraft propellers? Really?
I just read that thread again and one person said they cut the end of their finger off, another said it bloody hurt, another said the worst is a black nail.

So, can't see it being in the demographic of locostbuilders doing this a a hobby that have forgotten how to stop a prop from spinning.

But we do know that staring into weld pools with no eye protection DOES seem to fit well in the remit as there are plenty more Arc Eye and Skin Burn threads.


iank - 14/9/10 at 09:37 AM

and angle grinders being used for skin removal.

Most dangerous sport/hobby iirc is the fastest category of drag boat racing. In the US 1 in 10 of the competitors die every year according to some program that Clarkson was presenting.


carpmart - 14/9/10 at 09:39 AM

Balidey

The whole thread was tongue-in-cheek! In a kind of manner!


David Jenkins - 14/9/10 at 09:50 AM

I always used a "chicken stick" when starting larger motors... in other words, a length of dowel or plastic rod to flick the prop over.

IIRC, golf has one of the highest injury levels in the "not usually regarded as dangerous sports" category. This includes being hit by lightning, falling over, accidental contact with swinging clubs, etc. I used to do competition shooting, and the accident rate for that was a tiny faction of that for golf!


blakep82 - 14/9/10 at 10:34 AM

my hobby is gun duelling i've been killed 8 times already


mad4x4 - 14/9/10 at 10:36 AM

I do base jumping with out a parachute....


tony-devon - 14/9/10 at 10:36 AM

one of my hobbies is shooting, I have lots of guns and as of yet havent killed anyone, or been killed!


balidey - 14/9/10 at 10:41 AM

quote:
Originally posted by tony-devon
I have lots of guns and as of yet havent killed anyone


Anyone else very worried by that statement?


blakep82 - 14/9/10 at 10:43 AM

quote:
Originally posted by balidey
quote:
Originally posted by tony-devon
I have lots of guns and as of yet havent killed anyone


Anyone else very worried by that statement?


not at all, shows he's terrible at it


BenB - 14/9/10 at 10:55 AM

Well I've got away with two prop strikes though they weren't exactly Zenoah engines

I got a right smack of a Cox Blackwidow prop (little trip to A+E for a dressing) and more recently I got a finger massage from 190 watts of Speed 400 at full chat (at least time I could do my own dressing).

Lessons learnt

1) if you're finger starting a blackwidow don't rotate your hand as you push your finger down otherwise your thumb ends up in the path of 25% nitro powered fury

2) if you've got a loose connection on the motor put the throttle to off before taking off the canopy to have a look

Of course with my proper engines I've never been stupid enough to get in the way!! It's the "little" ones that I get careless with it appears.


blakep82 - 14/9/10 at 11:04 AM

quote:
Originally posted by BenB
Well I've got away with two prop strikes though they weren't exactly Zenoah engines

I got a right smack of a Cox Blackwidow prop (little trip to A+E for a dressing) and more recently I got a finger massage from 190 watts of Speed 400 at full chat (at least time I could do my own dressing).

Lessons learnt

1) if you're finger starting a blackwidow don't rotate your hand as you push your finger down otherwise your thumb ends up in the path of 25% nitro powered fury

2) if you've got a loose connection on the motor put the throttle to off before taking off the canopy to have a look

Of course with my proper engines I've never been stupid enough to get in the way!! It's the "little" ones that I get careless with it appears.


i was pointing out something on my running car engine to someone, when i realised my finger was about 5mm away from the radiator fan


JeffHs - 14/9/10 at 11:13 AM

You guys are scaring me. We don't have a working starter for the Auster, so we hand swing. In practise, that means I hand swing and Ian handles the controls.
A prop strike from that is guaranteed fatal!


iank - 14/9/10 at 12:16 PM

Indeed full size props do a bit of damage.

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scudderfish - 14/9/10 at 12:48 PM

quote:
Originally posted by JeffHs
You guys are scaring me. We don't have a working starter for the Auster, so we hand swing. In practise, that means I hand swing and Ian handles the controls.
A prop strike from that is guaranteed fatal!


I used to know a guy at my model flying club who was hand swinging a microlight. He tripped as he spun it and put his face in the blades. He was very lucky to only lose an eye and gain a rather impressive scar from hairline to chin.


motorcycle_mayhem - 14/9/10 at 02:33 PM

Had my fair share of model aircraft accidents, some flying the things, BUT.... the worst injuries have been building the things (scalpels...).
Mind you, these days (showing my age here), you just open a box and go fly.


rf900rush - 14/9/10 at 03:50 PM

Every one has usually has of had a friend to something daft.
Does not mean a sport has a high risk.

I have had model boats, cars, heli's and planes over a long time.
Worst things were the odd wack on a propeller on starting it with a flick and it then kicking back.

You just need to know what can go wrong.

Just try using a saw bench with out care.

I've seen a 1/4" square offcut go half way throug a fire door.
Fortunately the operator stands to the side of the balded, hust in case.


BobM - 14/9/10 at 04:25 PM

I thought sport with the highest mortality rate was crown green bowling


02GF74 - 14/9/10 at 05:03 PM

^^^ it is, you've obvioulsy googled most dangerous sport too