Static Electrickery

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Would like to say Hi to everyone out there.
Excellent forum, good technical stuff, and humour

Having just recently got back into C/L flying (been flying R/C
aerobatics), I experienced a strange phenomenum. After approx'
3laps something whacked my arm so hard it shot straight out, dumping the airplane into the ground.
Whatever it was, it seemed to have now long since gone, thought maybe a bird, someone tossing a rock etc. Only me and my friend at the flying field...Strange??
Model only picked up some grass, so dusted off and proceeded to fly again.
Same thing happened, however this time I noticed a spark of electrickery (electricity) Jump from the steel lines to my hand. Being in the electronics/computer industry I now realised the cause.
Homemade wooden handle insulating static electricity build up in the lines, metal handle would allow any static to pass to ground through my body.
Flying just before a thunderstorm probably did'nt help

Anyone out there experienced this.

Model :- Ancient Peacemaker with Oliver Tiger 2.5cc (.15cm)
Lines :- Ancient lightweight "Laystrate" Length approx' 52 feet
Handle:- Momemade ply with variable line spacing.. Idea from this forum.
Am now making a metal handle out of very old computer disk platters (magnesium alloy) very stiff and easy to machine.

Regards Frank.W "Captured Radical"

Frank. What you had is real. Ben Franklin tried that with a kite and a key. It happened to several C/L flyers at the VSC some years back. Static electricity shocks while flying C/L during conditions similar to local pre-thunderstorms. It is painful and frightening, but the static discharge itself is not dangerous. It is only when the earth-cloud potential is enough to generate a real lightning bolt that it is dangerous.

Been there, done that. On one outing I would get zapped whenever I went into a wingover. Got a lot of practice on low flying that day.

One last comment. If you find yourself getting jolted while flying c/l and the sky looks threatening;;; the best and smartest thing to do is fly right into the ground ASAP. A broken prop is much better than lying on a marble slab waiting for an autopsy.

>
>Homemade wooden handle insulating static electricity
>build up in the lines,
>metal handle would allow any
>static to pass to ground
>through my body.
>Flying just before a thunderstorm probably
>did'nt help

This is the understatement of the day!!

I too have flown and received some jolts just before the thunder clouds hove into view over the crest of a hill. Unlike you though I had the sense to roll up my lines and call it a day before I became toast

Serously though flying with thunder clouds in view is a very bad idea you are basically sending a 52' conductor up into the air begging to be struck by lightning. The insulation offered by the plastic handle and your shoe soles will do little to protect you and a metal handle will not offer any further protection. Remember you are dealing with kiloVolts and you would not deliberately fly your C/L plane into overhead electric cables...treat thunderclouds likewise.
>
>Anyone out there experienced this.

Oh yes. Once was enough
>
>Model :- Ancient Peacemaker with Oliver
>Tiger 2.5cc (.15cm)
>Lines :- Ancient lightweight "Laystrate" Length
>approx' 52 feet
>Handle:- Momemade ply with variable line
>spacing.. Idea from this forum.
>
I was flying a combat wing called a FART (fast aerobatic roundy thing) powered by a PAW .15 on 52 foot lines attached to a plastic handle

Just be careful with thunder clouds. Treat them with respect.

I'm sure you want to live to fly another day.....

Vernon Levy
with the perfect flying fields five minutes walk rom his house in the UK

I've had this happen using an EZ-Just handle on a hot June afternoon. About every third lap, I'd get a jolt. As soon as I could, I got the plane down and went home. I had noticed some dark clouds in the distance but didn't think they were close enough to worry about. I haven't made that mistake again! I also remembered a comment I read in a Round-n-Round column in the '60s (forget who was writing the column at the time). In a discussion of the how and why this happened and why it's not something to ignore, his opening thought to those who haven't had this happen before was- "You just haven't lived, bunky!" Boy howdy! Live like that I'll pass on.

Mike

We noticed one time that people who were flying plastic handles seemed to be getting zapped whereas those with wood didn't feel a thing. (I don't recall any thunderclouds that day--just a dry day.). I assumed the plastic is a better insulator than the wood, so it would charge up to a higher potential and then zap the pilot. Wood seemed to conduct a little, allowing the charge to dissipate.

Of course know when to hold or fold can be tricky. Maybe this is a reason CL is so dangerous!.

It's happened to all of us at one time or the other. As some have said, thunderstorms coming up are a sure sign to stop flying. But, a clear dry day can also cause you to "enjoy" this experience.

The problem as mentioned earlier is the build up of static electricity which builds until there's enough of a charge to make the jump to your hand. One solution, wrap a legnth of bare copper wire around your handle in a way to make sure that your hand is in contact with it at all times. Connect the ends of the wire to your flying lines. One end to the upper wire, the other to the bottom wire. When a charge starts to build, it disipates immediately without having to build enough energy to make the jump. You won't even feel it as it disipates this way.

Still be watchful for thunderstorms moving into your area. These have, as you know, very high voltage and amperage.

Best wishes, JohnMiller

One weekend, many years ago, I went out to the local Airport where we were allowed to use a small field alongside the narrow road that was the old way in. Above us were clear blue skies, but far, far in the distance, maybe 15 or 20 miles away, we could see a line of black storm clouds that were flickering with lightning. It seemed quite obvious at the time that there was no risk from the storm in the distance. Or was there?
I can't remember the plane that I was flying that day, but I can remember some details of the flight with awful clarity. Only a few seconds after getting the plane into the air, and halfway through a wingover I got an electrical jolt that nearly fried my brains. It hurt, and frightened the Hell out of me. Not wanting a repeat dose, I very rapidly ditched the plane. Although I didn't see anything untoward, one of the kids there had yelled at me just as I got zapped. He had seen something that I had missed. Usually, I flew with a metal, wheel handle, but this day I was using Geoff Barnes' plastic Schuco-Hegi adjustable handle. What the kid said that he had seen, was a spark running down between the two wires from the plane to me, finally jumping from the lines on to my hand. I noticed that part.
Before I flew, I was sure that thunderstorm activity so far in the distance could not possibly have been any risk to me. After getting zapped I reconsidered that view. Now, if there is even the hint of electrical storms, I will leave the control line flying to braver souls. I would recommend that you do all do likewise.

I have had hits on clear hazy humid days. The first half of the wing-over would result in a hit. This seemed to discharge the local area so there would be no more hits for the rest of the pattern. Next flight, same thing.
At the W/C in Sebnitz my opponent (F2D) got a re-fly due to big (scary) hits. He crashed, I flew out the bladder at about 2'. Fortunately I was able to beat him again the next day.

Last year I stopped at the field after work, ran the lines out, fired it up and took off. It was a little dark, but it was also early in the year, in any case, I had my sunglasses on just in case the sun came through the light clouds. Up into the wingover and I noticed the hair on my arms stand up to attention. I went inverted out of practice, but stayed there for a couple laps as I watched the hair slowly lay down. Something was up for sure, but I was over on my back and needed to come around, so I did a tight half outside and got back upright. I foound that the higher I flew, the more the hair would stand out, so I did the low flying practice where the hair didn't move a bit. After the motor shut off, I took the glasses off and looked around. It wasn't dark do to it being late, it was dark do to a squaw line coming in on me. I got everything back into the car just as the wind went from nothing to about 30 mph, then the storm hit.

I'd been really busy that day and hadn't even looked at the weather, only the flags by the park when I came over the bridge. Now, if I'm buy a computer, I'll check out the forcast at www.wunderground.com if I don't know whats going on outside. I also take the sun glasses off and give the sky a good once over when I get there.

From somewhere near Parkville, Mo.
William Crane
AMA 6733
aka Mr. Clean

> Above us were clear
>blue skies, but far, far
>in the distance, maybe 15
>or 20 miles away, we
>could see a line of
>black storm clouds that were
>flickering with lightning.

I've heard that lightning can travel seemingly prodigious distances from the cloud of origin. 15-20 miles could be as nothing, if the electrical potentials are right...

> Now, if there is
>even the hint of electrical
>storms, I will leave the
>control line flying to braver
>souls.

"Braver?" I'd have a different word for it...

Did any of you see that news segment about some university measuring lighting bolts. They sent up a small model rocket with some metal line atached. the line was about same size as used on some of the big ships. I forget how high the rockets flew but the bolt looked scary.

Most of my experience with static in C/Lers has been on low overcast days with slight winds. A few years ago at Hobby Park I was flying Dee Rice's plane and just kept flying it low, occassionally doing a touch and go to try to discharge the buildup on the lines, not wanting to hurt his plane.. Then I got the idea to drag the handle on the circle- All the time shouting at the sky at each hit. Dee thought I was having a stroke and wanted to run into the circle to check on me, but I kept flying too low. Anyway, it finally quit and so did we. So maybe we should put static wicks on the planes? dale g

I'm convinced this can happen on days when there is no danger of lightning whatsoever. When it was happened to me, it was just plain grey overcast, no rain, no storm clouds, no lightning nor thunder. A grounding strap to the handle ought to work to keep from getting shocked.

Incidentally, what disk platters are made out of aluminum? What about old PDP-11 disk packs? You sometimes run across these in junk yards and such. PC type hard drives from 15-20 years ago might be another source, perhaps.

If only I could find a use for those CD-R "coasters" I've accumulated.

>If only I could find a
>use for those CD-R "coasters"
>I've accumulated.

I use them for line reels. I need to ruin some more CD-Rs!! Two dead CD-Rs with a smaller ply disc epoxied in between them and some slots for the line ends...

Then you use the plastic locking disc case the blank CDs came in to hold two or three sets of lines.

I've never experienced or heard of static shocks from lines here before. Maybe the air never gets dry enough in Auckland to build a charge at ground level?

>Incidentally, what disk platters are made
>out of aluminum? What about
>old PDP-11 disk packs? You
>sometimes run across these in
>junk yards and such. PC
>type hard drives from 15-20
>years ago might be another
>source, perhaps.
>
>If only I could find a
>use for those CD-R "coasters"
>I've accumulated.

Iskander,

Your correct about PDP 11 Disk Packs, or any multi platter disk packs from late 70's. Usually made out out some type of magnesium alloy. Very hard material (for an aluminium alloy).
One drawback is that it does not bend easily. Great for landing gear, very light and easily machined. The smaller platters in modern disk drives are useless. Although if you drill a small (.062) dia hole close to the edge in 4 or 5 of these, attach some 4lb test fishing line, hang them in a sort of staggered formation, they make excellent wind chimes.

CD-R's make good dog frisbies.

Regards,
Frank (captured radical)

I want to point out that lightning does not always jump from the cloud to the earth- sometimes it is the other way around. If you happen to be the path of least resistance- it's a crap shoot. You may get zorked permanently or might wind up as the next President. As an example, one lad as a teenager got zinged by a lightning bolt- other than being knocked senseless for a bit he was none the worse off. He woke up and eventually became our (USA) 34th President: Dwight David Eisenhower.

jake

I hear about using copper wire warpped around you hand and attached to the flying wires. It makes me shutter.

I work in the electonic industry that designs high voltage equipment (servos and electric meters). Thereis always a shock hazard and damage from ESD. We ESD sensitive (static straps ect),but we would never connect up to a potential shock source like that!

Modern ESD (electrostatic discharge) straps are not simple wires, there is a large resistor (several Mohm) in the path to protect the weares from getting killed (in the case of a connection to the wrong thing) and still bleeding off the charge.

I wonder if an ESD strap integrated into a safety throng would be a good idea?

Check out Tesla's work- MOST fascinating...
I recall reading years ago that a single lightning bolt has enough juice in it to supply all the power needs of an entire average size (25-30,000 people) American town for a whole week...