Safety

The MHA strongly advises all members to remain vigilant where safety is concerned when operating a model hovercraft.

The following incident just emphasises why we should be vigilant at all times.

 A member, name withheld to avoid embarrassment, was checking out his model following modifications. Just like most of us he was keen to see the results of the mods so ran up his motor, an IC glow engine, without the shroud or safety guard. While checking the RPM using a rev counter he was distracted by someone calling and promptly put his hand into the path of the propeller.

The damage caused can be seen in the picture below. One shows the damage to the propeller, which has not complained, while the other shows the damage to our members right thumb, which did complain in no uncertain terms.

This happened some weeks ago and the thumb is still healing. The picture of the thumb is so horrible to see in colour we have reproduced it in black and white to protect those of you with a nervous disposition.

The moral is "Do not, under any circumstances, carry out any engine tests without a shroud or safety guard in place"

If the model is a scale unit with unshrouded propellers then extra care is required and tests should preferably be conducted with a helper to hold the model.

This story is true, just ask the member concerned. Who is he?  Check out the pictures for a person with their right thumb in bandage.

Further to the above , having heard all about the dangers caused by unguarded props, what does our Honourable Chairman do during Hover Show 2005?, he does a similar thing trying to save his model by putting his left hand through the converging arcs of the twin propellers on his model.

This time luck was on his side and only slight laceration occurred but very painful all the same.

Please take care when operating your models.