3D Printed Quadrotor Maiden flight video. A not so epic Fail

[JohnnyRobot]

I've never seen a nitro quadrotor. There are some prototype videos on YouTube, but I've never seen anything to get excited about.

It would definitely be cool.

[JohnnyRobot]

Hey everyone,

I want to share my story. I'd like for everyone to see this and be reminded that safety is THE MOST important element to consider when working with these machines.

It could be that I'm an idiot. Whether I am or not, it's important to know that this could happen to anyone given the right circumstances.



I was trying to diagnose an issue I had with the motors not arming.

I thought it was due to the battery failsafe. What it actually ended up being was the throttle signal was reversed. My controller entered ESC calibration mode without my knowledge.

When my testing moved on to the transmitter, the battery was still plugged in from the battery failsafe testing. (I usually unplug it for safety reasons)

I was frustrated, angry, and not paying attention. It's one of those moments when you just need to put everything down for a while and come back to it later with a clear head.

It took off from the table, and I grabbed it to protect my face and neck. I aimed for the center but it all happened so fast.

My pinky finger on my right hand was cut 40% of the way through. There are also 3 deep lacerations on my right palm.

My left hand has 2 deep lacerations. One of which would not stop bleeding, even with gauze, up until it was stitched.



Luckily, I still have all of my fingers in their entirety. No tendon, bone, or major nerve damage. My Pinky is numb at the tip, but the doctor says the sensation will likely go away.

For now... I'm fine. Harsh lesson learned. Even if you're frustrated as hell. ALWAYS stop and think about safety. Please.

[jsc]

Wow. Thanks for sharing. Gives me new respect for the spinning rotors on mine.

[jimc]

[pyronaught]

I had a motor with an 8" prop break free of a test stand a few months ago and bite me. Luckily it wasn't going full speed and hit a few things first before hitting me, but it cut my finger pretty bad. Not 40% like yours, but still a deep cut. Needless to say I completely redesigned my test stand and put a big extension on the ESC throttle dial so that I'm nowhere near the damn thing when taking thrust measurements. When things go wrong with this stuff it does indeed happen too fast to be able to get out of the way if you are close.