3 ms·

I've been flying RC planes for years, and have seen many really bad injuries because people don't consider a plastic propeller spinning at a few thousand RPM "d

by apapli 12y ago

I've been flying RC planes for years, and have seen many really bad injuries because people don't consider a plastic propeller spinning at a few thousand RPM "dangerous". Most people don't think of drones (quad copters etc) as essentially flying lawnmowers. If you find yourself at the wrong end of a prop I can assure you that your opinion will change. The weight of them is probably the least important factor when it comes to safety.

bigiain 12y ago
I've hit myself with my own 5" and 6" plastic props on my ~400g class quadcopters with ~120W motors (several times actually), and it _hurts_, but I haven't "injured myself" (though I have no doubt a mother of a small ch9ild I hit would view that differently even with identical results - a few red marks and a bloodstream full of adrenaline). I have a _great_ deal of respect/fear of friends 12 and 14" carbon fiber props with ~2000W motors spinning them. One friends main machine is arguable 8 flying lawnmowers strapped together, with all the blade guards removed. And I fear that uneducated or uncaring owners of that second class of "unambiguously dangerous machines" are reasonably likely to impact my enjoyment of the sub 500g class machines. The "drones bad" meme is already affecting people who fly ~300g gliders - a lot of people flying F3K handlaunch gliders are getting booted out of various parks (including, I believe, all US Federal National Parks?). These things literally weigh 50% less than a football or only 50% more than a Frisbee, and - and have the added safety of being under active control by the pilot (who _really_ doen't want to hit anyone with his expensive and delicate toy).
rectang 12y ago
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/06/nyregion/remote-controlled-copter-fatally-strikes-pilot-at-park.html http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/06/nyregion/remote-controlled... A remote-controlled copter killed this poor fellow.

by apapli 12y ago

bigiain 12y ago

I've hit myself with my own 5" and 6" plastic props on my ~400g class quadcopters with ~120W motors (several times actually), and it _hurts_, but I haven't "injured myself" (though I have no doubt a mother of a small ch9ild I hit would view that differently even with identical results - a few red marks and a bloodstream full of adrenaline). I have a _great_ deal of respect/fear of friends 12 and 14" carbon fiber props with ~2000W motors spinning them. One friends main machine is arguable 8 flying lawnmowers strapped together, with all the blade guards removed. And I fear that uneducated or uncaring owners of that second class of "unambiguously dangerous machines" are reasonably likely to impact my enjoyment of the sub 500g class machines. The "drones bad" meme is already affecting people who fly ~300g gliders - a lot of people flying F3K handlaunch gliders are getting booted out of various parks (including, I believe, all US Federal National Parks?). These things literally weigh 50% less than a football or only 50% more than a Frisbee, and - and have the added safety of being under active control by the pilot (who _really_ doen't want to hit anyone with his expensive and delicate toy).

rectang 12y ago

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/06/nyregion/remote-controlled-copter-fatally-strikes-pilot-at-park.html http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/06/nyregion/remote-controlled... A remote-controlled copter killed this poor fellow.