My Heli just belted me in the face

[danb]

Well, hello again guys. I've learnt a lesson about transmitter batteries. Well i hope its them anyway.

I got up at 11.00 this morning. Yes lazy I know. Put my battery on charge, left it a while. Took it off charge and was ready for flight at about 12.00. So I put the battery in its cradle. Turned on the transmitter and then plugged in the battery. At this point i had my face at the same level as the helicopters blades. The light on the 4 in 1 went "RED - RED - RED" hmm, oh yes throttle down, silly me. Then " RED - RED - GREEN - GREEN - SOLID GREEN" All systems go. However systems went go without any input from me, with my face next to the blades. It went up full speed so i grabbed the tail rotor but the main blades tumped me across the face, they folded in and i yanked the battery wire out. The heli stopped and i just sat there for a moment with my hand on my face like . I felt the throbbing, i took my hand off and there it was. Blood. So i walked off into the bathroom and looked in the mirror and thought to myself. Ouch. It gashed me on the right side of my face near my mouth and the blade also just hit under my eye but left no mark.

Felt like someone karate chopping you across the face, not nice. But i have a feeling its because my transmitter batteries are blinking red. I hope it is.

I learnt a lesson. Dont sit 3 inches away from the blades with low transmitter power.

Photos -





Watch out for these little buggers lol.

[David Drew]

You were well lucky.

Have a look at this. Toys they are not!!

Hasn't your Mum told you never to bite your finger nails?

David

[gazza]

Dan Dan Dan oh dear....
Dont ever have your face 3 inches from ANY heli unless the battery is DISCONNECTED. You could have been blinded son.

You've learned your lesson and had a VERY lucky escape.
I had my twister glitch on me once or twice when reaching over to disconnect the battery. Nothing more than a quick jolt of the motor and a rap on the knuckles but still...It hurt & it taught me to absolutely do everything at arms length when theres battery power to the heli as a micro will still damage you at low throttle as you now know..Though fortunately no major injuries...THIS TIME>>>

Be careful!!! And that includes flying it too near yourself too mate.

[Leebert]

Lucky or what!! Could so easily been a lot worse.

I got caught when I was spraying Mr Sheen on the tail drive belt of my T-Rex. I thought it would be a good idea to spray the belt whilst the heli was just "ticking over". My knuckes got too close to the tail blades and I ended up with half a dozen or so small but deep cuts. Bloody stung and wouldn't stop bleeding. Then my wife told me off for being stupid saying I should have turned it by hand

Don't get complacent - even the little helis have a serious bite!

[marktigere1]

On a Trex, the throttle hold becomes a good friend.

But don't even rely on that.

Hope you get better soon Dan, fly safe.

Cheers

Mark

[Thomas]

Shyte, was the heli alright?

[danb]

Heli is all good and so am I now. But learnt my lesson

[Thomas]

I had a 690mm carbon blade knock my leg after the head had spooled down and hardly turning, hit my shin and bloody hurt.

[danb]

I feel more attahced to the heli now tho if you get what i mean. hehe

[pchristy]

Must be about 15 years or so ago now, I had just built my first "modern" 60 class machine. It was a Hirobo Condor, fitted with a Super-Tigre 61 and own design radio gear. I'd been flying it around for about half-an-hour, and was really pleased with it. So pleased, that I decided to hand the tranny around so that some of the others in the club could have a go.

As I unhooked the neck-strap, the model went to full throttle, and leaped off the ground, zooming towards us! We all scattered, but the thing locked on to me like a homing missile! I looked over my shoulder just in time to realise it was gaining on me, and bent down to throw myself forward and on the ground!

It hit me right where I keep my brains - a sound thwack on the posterior!

Luckily it only had wooden blades, and the engine promptly stalled! Also luckily, it was mid winter, and in addition to my jeans, I was wearing thick ski-trousers and a waxed jacket. I remember thinking that I was going to have a massive bruise on my rear.

It wasn't until I got home, I realised how lucky I had been. The wooden blade had cut right through three thick layers of winter clothing, and I had a cut two inches long on my arse! The blood had caked on, and taking my underwear off was very painful! I had a bruise the size of a dinner plate, and had difficulty sitting down for a week!

And the cause of the accident? When I'd been unhooking the neckstrap, I must have inadvertently switched the tranny off! Being a basic FM system, everything had gone hard over, in this case including to full throttle!

The damage to the model was fairly minimal - I've still got it, and flew it at the Scottish Nats last year in the vintage event - but the damage to my pride lasted a lot longer! I was lucky that it wasn't a more serious part of me that got damaged!

I now have a lock on that transmitter so that I can lock it ON as well as OFF........!

And the moral? These things are not toys! And when they hit you, THEY HURT!

--
Pete

[gazza]

Really glad You're okay mate anyway

[ChrisB]

Heli blades and faces dont mix

I am glad you are OK though and know to take better care in future

[danb]

Ye thanks for the love lol. I have had my heli over at ma aunts just. My uncle has asked me where he can buy one and even my grandad wants one. Thats three people who are buying one due to my part, i should be getting bloody comission lol. They have all asked about my gash along my chin and my nan went at it with a magnifying glass insisting there was a part of the main blades wedged in my face lol. But...... there wasnt, she was being....... old again.

[kevinh]

you were lucky,

i on my raptor and zoom i make use of the throttle hold switch, not set to preform autos but to stop the engine revving whilst walking the heli to from the pits to the flying area, just in case i catch the throttle stick.

[ChrisB]

Kevin

Thats a good bit of advice,its very easy,especially with a coat on etc to knock the throttle stick while carrying the heli,,

Throttle hold would remove this potential hazard