NYC Teenager killed by his own RC Helicopter

steingar

steingar

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In a stunt gone wrong, an NYC teenager was struck in the head and killed by the remote control helicopter he was flying. Gives new meaning to the phrase "you'll poke your eye out". Story on the BBC.
 
I have been into radio controlled planes since the old "escapement" days, the mid 1960s, and I can only remember 1 other fatality in all that time. It also involved a helicopter. I think a young child in Korea or Japan was killed a couple of years ago.
I have seen a lot of people maimed by model planes (myself included). Mostly prop strikes to the hand.
 
Hmmm, seems like a good way to 'accidentally' kill someone without having to take them to sea....
 
Well that's something poor kids growing up don't have to worry about.

I used to fly RCs as a kid but never had the money for a huge chopper.
 
NineThreeKilo said:
Well that's something poor kids growing up don't have to worry about.

I used to fly RCs as a kid but never had the money for a huge chopper.
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I walked into a hobby shop in Indonesia and was amazed to find big model helos complete with radios for $250. Granted not cheap for a kid, but in high school I still had enough money for race car parts.
 
Henning said:
I walked into a hobby shop in Indonesia and was amazed to find big model helos complete with radios for $250. Granted not cheap for a kid, but in high school I still had enough money for race car parts.
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I have a little blade hobby grade chopper for terrorizing the hangar, it was about 250ish like you said, also it can't really break skin....ask me how I know lol.

That article said the chopper in question had nearly a 5 foot rotor on it :yikes:
 
There are a lot of comments on the RC boards. Combine a 19 year old, a 700 sized helicopter which is no toy, and doing aerobatics 10 feet or less from your head and tragic results happen. There is a YouTube of him flying in this manner this July. I've stood next to a fellow that was doing the same thing with a 500 sized electric one and it was both thrilling and also didn't feel right because he was pretty close in. Most people try to keep a 50 feet distance from themselves and even more from spectators.
 
Shepherd said:
I have been into radio controlled planes since the old "escapement" days, the mid 1960s, and I can only remember 1 other fatality in all that time. It also involved a helicopter. I think a young child in Korea or Japan was killed a couple of years ago.
I have seen a lot of people maimed by model planes (myself included). Mostly prop strikes to the hand.
Click to expand...


Yep. Back in the 1980s, I nearly severed a finger on the prop of a gas-powered RC plane.

After that, I vowed to stay INSIDE the planes I flew. :)
 
While on the subject of RC aviation, September 07 and September 08, at Sanford, ME Airport KSME will be the 2013 version of Maine Jet Rally. The airport will be closed between 1330 and 1430 both days while the RC airshow will be occurring. I intend to be there on Sunday.

HR
 
Jay Honeck said:
Yep. Back in the 1980s, I nearly severed a finger on the prop of a gas-powered RC plane.

After that, I vowed to stay INSIDE the planes I flew. :)
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I never had an RC plane, but I had those gas powered planes that you held on to with a handle and 50' of line, and "flew" the plane in a tight circle. :vomit::vomit: It was great practice for unusual attitude training in a real plane.
 
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