I've always used those darn 7amp dry cell batteries in my flight box and they seem to die every year no matter how much care I give them. This year I decided no more can I tolerate them. I switched to 40c/5400Mah/7.4 LiPos in series to run the starter, fuel pump and glow driver. I also switched to a Graylor pump because it'll pump Glow OR Gas fuel. I run the yellow Tygon fuel lines and suck the fuel back to empty the lines on every fill. Takes like 6 seconds. No problems this year. Plus I can charge with my Sirrus charger if needed from the flight box. Best switch I've ever made.. Makes me wonder why I never seen this before. The weight went WAY down and I don't need a lead acid mower/motorcycle/car battery to pack around in a separate case.

Dan

We're all aware, or should be, of common sense accidents that happen within the hobby because we were lax or inattentive. But sometimes things happen outside the scope of our flying that are or should be preventable. Such is my case. I was truly negligent and the fault is of my own doing. It was a simple mistake but a mistake none-the-less. The end results are not final but I expect the effects to be on-going for a LONG time. As in for the rest of my life.

The real irony is that I have 26 years of industrial/commercial construction as a Union Ironworker with never such an accident. Zero body damage in all those years and this happens while working on a lawn mower for our field. I guess the odds finally caught up with me. Ironically enough, the damage didn't hurt until I went to the emergency clinic. They had to deaden the finger to stitch it back together. Lordy did that hurt! But since the bleeding wouldn't stop, I had no other recourse. Unknown what parts will fall off or what the final results will be but I'm sure it will affect that one digit forever.

I guess I'm posting just to say things happen, or can happen, outside of flying, and we all need to be cognizant of everyday things wherein the potential exists to injure us. This incident was only because my finger was caught between a manual safety arm and a safety switch due to MY lack of attention. No power was involved.

Dan

Well the Pauly went down the road to a new pilot. I'll probably kick myself in the backside for selling it. It was 'different'. But it was just to darn long for my house to get in & out. But lordy did it fly nice and look good. So I blew the funds on a new 1/4 scale H9 J3 because I have a new 20cc Zenoah that needed a home. Maybe I'll trick it out a little. No hurry on my end.. I still need to dump my Saito glow GP Cessna, SeaGull Decathlon and my electric E-Flite Super Cub to make some room. Yea, they're the old "I need that plane" condition that bites my backside for some reason. I can't say what the wife says.. I guess I'm on the 'ol RC adage of buy high and sell low side of things. Oh well...

Dan