[NSRCA-discussion] Arming plug and Failsafe +

Mon May 18 14:03:29 AKDT 2015

Yep.  Trying to fix Human nature is not an easy thing.  Education to the dangers may do more than yet another rule that can be overlooked. Peer pressure helps as well.  

The first thing I do is remove the canopy and take all the connections apart.  One time the canopy latch broke.  I wished I had an arming plug that day, but I immediately ripped the canopy off to get it disconnected.  

In general though, I don't like another connector in the mix.  I've had a HD Deans plug go intermittent due to some arcing damage.  It had only about 10 flights, and luckily when the motor cropped out it was still in the takeoff roll.  I want fewer connectors, not more.

> On May 18, 2015, at 12:58 PM, Keith Hoard via NSRCA-discussion <nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org> wrote:
> 
> So what happens when you don't have the Arming Plug Police on scene?  
> 
> I submit that the same guy that leaves his batteries connected in his plane in the pits won't remove the arming plug either. 
> 
> 
> -Keith Hoard
> -Sent from my Windows Phone
> From: Peter Vogel via NSRCA-discussion
> Sent: ‎5/‎18/‎2015 11:48
> To: Vicente Bortone; General pattern discussion
> Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Arming plug and Failsafe +
> 
> 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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> -- 
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