Quote:
Originally Posted by Tmaxx4ever
Foamies are pretty much a non issue no matter how they are flown IMHO. I have way more respect for heli's than I do foamies. The kinetic energy in the rotor head/blades at rpm is not something I want to encounter.
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It's this attitude that makes foamies dangerous. You cannot tell me that an electric motor spinning an APC electric prop at 18,000 RPM is any less likely to cause serious damage than a glow engine turning the same size prop at the same RPM.
Foamies are IMO a huge issue simply because they are NOT treated like model airplanes, they are treated with little to no respect because most don't seem to understand that a spinning prop is a spinning prop. Further to that, it's rare that you'll find glow powered models flying anywhere outside of a dedicated RC field, but you can find electrics, both airplanes and heli's being flown in parks all over the place.
When it comes down to it, they are ALL model airplanes and every single one of them should be treated with respect whether it's a heli, glow, gas, turbine, electric, or glider. Every single model out there carries the potential for injury or damage.
The models that are the MOST dangerous are those being flown by individuals who do not respect the potential energy and damage that can be caused by that energy.
As for comparing helicopters to any airplane whether foamie or otherwise in a danger level is unfair. Yes, a heli COULD lose a blade, it happens, rarely, but it does happen. A person hovering a foamie to a 40% airplane is taking just as big a risk. Lets face it, Airplanes were never originally intended to hover, at least a heli is doing it's designed flight style when hovering. Watching a 40% airplane hovering over the runway knowing that it could fall out of it's hover and come into the crowd, or watching a foamie in a hover knowing if the wind all of a sudden picks up gives me just as much concern as watching a heli.
That doesn't keep me from enjoying all types of flying though, when we fly indoors there are people hovering planes and heli's, I accept those risks based on the circumstances and I enjoy my flying.
So in short, none of these models should be treated with any less respect than any others. That would be like saying you don't have be as careful driving a 1975 Chevette as you do driving a brand new Ferrari because the chevette doesn't go as fast or have as much power. They both carry the potential for harm.
Just my 2 cents.