[NSRCA-discussion] Arming plug and Failsafe +

Mon May 18 13:40:18 AKDT 2015

I'm a bit of a history buff.  All this discussion is reminiscent of the
heated discussions that occurred in the newspapers of the day when, first
Britain, and later the United States, imposed rules on how one drives a car
on the motorways of the day.  People complained bitterly at being "confined
to the side" of roads (left or right) and being "constrained to a speed
little more than walking speed" (which, was, in fact, the constraint in the
early 1800's when cars were steam powered).  When signage, and, later,
traffic lights appeared in the early 20th century, the uproar was quite
similar.  Everyone had an argument why "their" driving process was
absolutely accident proof and if everyone just followed their brilliant
safety system there would be no need for such ridiculous and outrageous
"regulation" and "government intrusion" into their preferred activities.

The proposed rule makes no requirement for an arming plug, but it does
require:

 "the electric power circuit(s) must not be physically connected, before
the starting time is begun or the aircraft is preparing to be taken out to
the runway for the flight and must be physically disconnected immediately
after removal of the aircraft from the landing area."

 Personally, given the hassle of canopy removal and replacement,
particularly just prior to flight, I will use an arming plug as I have
since I got into this sport.  Even my first electric helicopter (which is
how I got back into RC after a 15 year hiatus) had an arming plug, even
with the added safety of a throttle hold switch on the TX.  It was cheap
and easy insurance to be certain I never had a situation where I'd
unexpectedly encounter a 290mph blade tip speed...

I've been at a *lot* of contests where people from the anti-arming plug
camp have lost their canopies in flight.  Hmm.  Maybe the task loading of
preparing the fly a round, telling your caller where you want the plane
positioned on the runway, AND removing your canopy to plug your batteries
in and then replacing the canopy is too much?  Or maybe relying on a caller
to know exactly how your canopy needs to be secured is expecting too much
of them?  I trust anyone on the flight line to take my plane out and plug
in the deans arming plug securely and remove it before they roll my plane
into the pits...

Peter+

On Mon, May 18, 2015 at 8:13 AM, Vicente Bortone via NSRCA-discussion <
nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org> wrote:

> Jason,
>
> The most important part of your experience is that you were able to see
> that the arming plug was still in place. At least you have chance to ask if
> plane was armed and question the pilot. I got a real experience that I
> would like to share. We were only three pilots at the field. One of them
> put his plane in the pits. The other pilot and me were next to him. Few
> minutes later the owner went to get something and walk away from the plane.
> After he left, his plane took off in flying over the pits and flew away
> crashing in the middle of the runway. We were lucky that nobody was hit and
> were were only three pilots. I was a real wake up experience since we never
> were aware that the plane was armed.  We never found what was the real
> cause of the problem since the plane was destroyed. For sure the owner left
> the plane armed and didn't have the arming plug. The radio was off as far
> as I know but never really have a chance to confirm this.  After the scare,
> I had a chance to talk and recomend to add an arming plug.  The plane
> owner went ahead and added arming plugs to all his planes and he was glad
> to know that there is a way to potentially avoid this type of incident
> again.  It is clear that the arming plug won't fix anything if pilots
> leaves the arming plug in place but give the oportunity to fellow pilots to
> warm him of a potential problem.  I just read John Ford's e-mail.  He makes
> the point more clearly than me but I think this is one real life
> example that confirms what he just said.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Vicente "Vince" Bortone
>
>
>
>
> On Sun, May 17, 2015 at 7:36 PM wayg2013 via NSRCA-discussion <
> nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org> wrote:
>
>> Hmmm arming plug.... My 1911 'll plug about anything... Now thats what I
>> call being armed...hee hee
>>
>>
>> Sent via the Samsung GALAXY S® 5, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone
>>
>>
>> -------- Original message --------
>> From: Larry Diamond via NSRCA-discussion <
>> nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org>
>> Date:05/17/2015 5:31 PM (GMT-06:00)
>> To: Jas <justanotherflyr at gmail.com>, General pattern discussion <
>> nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org>
>> Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Arming plug and Failsafe +
>>
>> Looks like the arming plug debate has surpassed the snap debate.... Gotta
>> love progress.
>>
>>
>>
>> Sent via the Samsung GALAXY S®4, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone
>>
>>
>> -------- Original message --------
>> From: Jas via NSRCA-discussion <nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org>
>> Date: 05/17/2015 3:19 PM (GMT-06:00)
>> To: General pattern discussion <nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org>
>> Subject: [NSRCA-discussion] Arming plug and Failsafe +
>>
>> Random thoughts about all this.
>>
>> I've watched a pilot forget to turn off his plane (and subsequently not
>> having pulled his arming plug) and idle up while near the pits (he happened
>> to have a hold of it still). It surprised him when it did it. It was during
>> practice here and we normally taxi up the taxi way to the no taxi line, so
>> its not a 'normal' contest type situation. Point: arming plug did nothing
>> in this case.
>>
>> I personally feel that fail safe and an external on-off Rx switch is
>> 'safer' (when fail safe is set correctly) and should be mandatory. If the
>> fail safe is set correct then even if the Tx is turned off the motor won't
>> turn on. If there is an external Rx switch and it gets turned off then (in
>> theory and so far in all my years flying E) the motor doesn't run after
>> it's off. I've always asked Dave (or whoever gets my plane) to turn off the
>> Rx BEFORE picking my plane up from the runway. Haven't had one start back
>> up when done this way. But once back to me, I pull the canopy and disarm it
>> before it goes anywhere else.
>>
>> For the way that I do things, I don't see an advantage of a safety plug
>> on my personal planes. I've been flying electric pattern since '03, so my
>> habits (Rx power off once landed) are just normal for me. I can certainly
>> see where some would benefit from an external plug (screws holding on
>> canopy, battery connection not easy to get to and newcomers to electric),
>> but I think there is just a different issue...
>>
>> Maybe as pilots we just need to be more self-aware and responsible?
>>
>> Sent from my iP
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-- 
Director, Fixed Wing Flight Training
Santa Clara County Model Aircraft Skypark
Associate Vice President, Academy of Model Aeronautics District X
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