Tx, a change in ergomonics?

There's rarely a sound way to make something moron-proof....

jjvb opined

The Multiplex Evo has a button on the right side that is setup as an engine kill switch.

-ash Cthulhu for President! Why vote for a lesser evil?

Actually the throttle is on the steering wheel (handle bar) of a motorcycle :)

Well, on my Jaguar, theres one on the steering wheel as well...cruise control.. :D

Throttle on the steering column was standard on the Model T Ford for many years. In 1929 the Model 'A' adopted a standard foot pedal in addition to the column throttle lever. Bill (oc)

My Hitec Eclipse has a throttle kill button that shuts down my planes.

The Multiplex Evo has a button on the right side that is setup as an engine kill switch.

Would someone please tell me how much each of these Tx costs?

Wan

I fly with a Futaba 9CAP and you can program any switch you want as a engine kill. I use the trainer switch because it's a momentary switch and defaults to engine 'on'. Keeps me from trying to start my plane fro 30 minutes with the switch 'off'! The best price can be found by shopping around online. Better service is sometimes found at your local hobby shop. remove my-wife to reply :-)

My Hitec Eclipse has a throttle kill button that shuts down my planes.

The Multiplex Evo has a button on the right side that is setup as an engine kill switch.

Would someone please tell me how much each of these Tx costs?

Wan ======================= Hitec Eclipse - online dealers in the US.

If it's still available, the Hitec Flash 5X has an engine kill button and is less than $200.

Multiplex - don't know where to buy, you can search for it on any search engine and find dealers in a few seconds.

Sorry to hear about your friends accident. However anybody standing in the front of plane with engine running is asking for trouble and doesnt show common sense. Engine could increase RPM without his help due to glitch for example. Changing Tx layout would create many problems due to people expecting certain controls at certain locations and moving them around would probably cause other mishaps. I'm not sure if you are aware that most top of the line Futaba TX have function called cross trims which do exactly what you're asking for, that is moving trims for throttle to oposite side of the radio where elevator trim should be and vice versa. Probably other makers have similar functions. I never used it and probably never will as it is confusing to me and never had problems with original setup. However I would never willingly stand in front of ready to go plane. That is one of the first safety rules along with never standing next to the propeler in case it breaks off.

Just for the record, the "old' ACE Micropro 8000, (circa 1979) has a throttle "preset button", that one can set to any throt position. Most I know of are set to "kill" the engine.

Nice to see some other manufacturers are finally catching up! :)

Dave

I haven't fully read through this thread, but I would like to add my two cents. As a full scale pilot learning to fly R/C, with a R/C instructor who is also a full scale instructor, I fly a lot trim (elevator mostly) while I"m flying the airplane. I do it that way because that's how I was trained in full size, and my instructor insists that I trim the airplane to fly hands off for whatever flight regime I'm in. I think it's a worthwhile thing to learn.

But, at least for me, it's very difficult to reach around either stick to grab the trim button. I'm using a Futabe 7CAP as my trainer box, which will become my main radio after I'm signed off for solo, so I have digital trims. I would honestly prefer to see trims for the throttle and elevator moved to the outside of the gimbels, where they would be more easily reached, and for me, in a more natural position.

As to the incident in the original post, our club rules mandate that single pilot operations on start up, the aircraft will be secured from behind by some restraint system. It also says that no one will taxi from the pits to the runway, and also, no taxi from the runway to the pits. Furthermore, it is encouraged that the engines be shut down, and when taxiing in, the airplane should be parallel to the runway before shut down, to avoid this unfortunate incident.

I have the 'A' switch on my radio set up as Throttle Cut, but on the radio that came with the airplane, all I can do is retard the trim to 0 to stop the engine.

Gary

The Airtronics RD6000 and RD8000 series of radios comes with a built in throttle kill button.

All three suppliers below have the Hitec Eclipse LXAHK8 for $218.99;

I am pretty sure other manufacturers have the kill feature and will inform my friend. Perhaps he will have learned his lesson. He is back building a bipe.

You have been very informative. Thanks.

Wan

Wan

But, at least for me, it's very difficult to reach around either stick to grab the trim button.

As to the incident in the original post, our club rules mandate that single pilot operations on start up, the aircraft will be secured from behind by some restraint system. (*This he did) It also says that no one will taxi from the pits to the runway, and also, no taxi from the runway to the pits. (*This he didn't follow the rules) Furthermore, it is encouraged that the engines be shut down, and when taxiing in (*This was not done), the airplane should be parallel to the runway before shut down (*This was not done), to avoid this unfortunate incident.

Gary, I agree these rules should be rigorously enforced in every flying club. What my friend did was an instinctive movement to shut the engine down. It was no excuse for sloppy handling of a powerful plane.

It was an education for those if us who know my friend. Actually it was the only serious accident at our field. Was there something the club should have done?

The (* ...) insertions are mine.

Wan

Wan, Sometimes real bad things happen. We all need to make sure we don't try to create a rule for every real bad thing that happens. Your friend made an expensive and painful mistake. Be glad he did not pay the ultimate price and try to learn from his mistake (which I already know you have!).

I would like to see all trims moved to the 'edge' of the transmitter. At a minimum, elevator and aileron, so you don't have to take your hand off the stick to trim! With the digital trims now used, relocating them anywhere on the box shouldn't be much of a challenge.

Hi Dave, glad to see someone finally bring this one on the table. I have one of those ACE Micropro 8000 and use it for all my R/C flying. It still does everything all these new ones can do, and I've never found any reason to go to anything later. Incidentally, I think circa

1979 may be a tiny bit early, more like 1988 or 1989. What ACE was selling before that was convertible to the Micropro 8000 but had a different name. One of our club's members, who has since moved from here, had one that he got converted.

In addition to the throttle "preset button", one of the other features that keeps me totally enthused is the "auto trim" button. Also I can download the programs for the eight models stored therein, down to my computer, and replace any or all with others from the computer. Will confess that's not something frequently used. The least used feature is the buddy cord, since it requires another transmitter of the same type to connect to, and there aren't many around any more. In fact, at the last meet I checked it into impound, the guys running the impound had no idea of what it was. When I showed them the ease of switching from 72 MHz to 50 MHz by switching the TX module they were again surprised.

Olin McDaniel, AMA 30932, W4PFZ

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----------------------------------------------------- "Ignorance is treatable, Stupidity is incurable. Sometimes the difference is hardly distinguishable, however."

Wan , I don't think there is no need to totally redesign Tx's.............if you hold yours and close your eyes you probably know were all the trims, buttons, switches are. It becomes second nature because you are accustomed to it. People have those "brainfade" moments...........even myself............just a part of life.

Mike

Relocating the trim tab to the outside opens up a whole new can of worms, I'm afraid. With it outside, you can easily brush against it while you're flying and change the idle setting. Sweep it ahead, and the engine mysteriously won't idle down when you come in to land. Sweep it back, and you're suddenly low, slow, and deadstick on final approach.

The full scale horizon issue you describe was a design flaw. Your friend's injury was a simple mistake that could just as easily have happened no matter where the throttle trim was placed.

That throttle stick is still there, and far more prominent than the trim tab. If we're to follow your logic, the throttle stick should be removed so it can't accidentally be bumped.

You don't stand in front of an untethered airplane, period. IMHO, that's the root cause of this accident, not the location of the throttle trim.