Where is your kill switch located??????????????????????????????????????

Gyrodes · 28-07-2007, 01:56 AM

Well here I am again.
WELL WHERE IS YOUR ENGINE KILL SWITCH LOCATED, beside the throttle control? Or is it on the dash or some out of the way place. In my presonal opinion you should have it located right beside your throttle hand. WHY. When the shit hits the fan you will not think lodgicaly, so the closer to that throttle hand, the less you have to think about where you have to put your hand to find the switch.
Allow me to give a hypotheticaly real situation. We are cruising along at 55 knots when we decide to give our 912 a bit more throttle to climb whin our return spring decides to part company. Buggar now we cant get the reves below 3400 and as our machine is a two seater with heavey blades and I'mon my own, Where I find we are starting toget close to excceeding our VNE for the machine weight so we need to kill that motor now.
Wheres all your brain concentration now? on the what now condition. Are you going to remember. I don't believe so.DANGEROUS bloody owth. kill switch and put her down. buggar where is it at.
OK THINK ABOUT IT. Regards Des Garvin

disco · 28-07-2007, 07:57 AM

If you were getting near vne, you should climb i think. You could plan to climb back over the strip and then cut.
Loose a prop blade and you want to instant cut.

My gyro's kill switches were in a shit of a place where i couldn't reach em comfortabley, I had to rock foward and swing my arm. If i missed i had to rock foward again. I recon in an emergency i could got em quic though.

My new instrument panel will have the switches (finishing it this weekend) but i might look at putting the switches on the throttle instead.

Do you think that spark shorting switches should be on the side of a seat tank?? Leaking fuel could get near em or spillage when you fill up....

???

Gyrodes · 28-07-2007, 11:17 AM

I must state that I personally have not been nor want to get into the hypothetical situation I have qouted, BUT OTHERS HAVE and the resaults are out there.
Disco 1 as to your question on the fuel tank location in my view for the type you mentioned solong as the switch was well vented, the likelyhood would be minimal. REMEMBER WELL VENTED.
In my walk around Lameroo nationals I noticed that a number of Gyros were set up as Disco 1 said. Switch on the dash looking all nice and pretty but not functional in an emergancy.
My greatist wish is that an emergency never happens, BUT I and you live in a real world where shit happens unexpectantly. For example Alan and the bird attack at the nationals. He was fortunate the rotors sorted the bird out first, and not the prop.
These are the type of situations where time is crusial to hit that kill switch it has to be automatic for your survival. this is why you should have that switch beside the throttle and not on the control stick. Me I would want that hand holding that control stick with out any grip interuptions to fly that rotor to aboul 7 to 8 feet above the ground where it sits when on the ground no higher or lower.
Leaving the soap box now, your turn.

Birdy2 · 28-07-2007, 06:08 PM

Both me mag grounds and fuel pump switchs are on me dash. Well within reach of me right double plugger.

Iv never missed um yet.
Why have i got um there? So i cant accidently trip um off. This is much more of a hazard than not be'n able to reach um, coz if i killed it at 10', im in the sh1t pretty deep.
Just the other day i had to rip ha.... , me passenger out for a quick, hmmmm. Anyway, coz it was quicker n normal, he exited his seat differently and caught the throttle cable on the way out, revn the crap outa the 912, and causen me to overshoot.
But thats better n accidently killn the 912 and join'n the tar....

thing on the ground.

Recon ill stay outa this while im ahead.

Bell430 · 29-07-2007, 01:58 PM

Hi Birdy,

You might have to elaborate on your little blurb, cos I thought all of a sudden you were gay..... you had to rip Ha... (I'm thinking 'Hank'), your passenger out for a quick hmmmmm... !!!!!...... WHAT THA !!??

Each to their own I guess...

Very criptic

Gyrodes · 30-07-2007, 05:43 PM

Bell430, Thems dangerous comments.

to a cirtain parts of the anatomy. Des Garvin

Birdy2 · 30-07-2007, 08:01 PM

Neva mind Bell, its not like you in danger, yet.

The point i was tryn to make was to keep all controls away from accidental activation.

Sonnyj · 02-08-2007, 04:41 PM

My kill switch is mounted in the rear right corner of the seat frame. Sittin in the sit, I have to reach around behind and under to find it. I intend on movein it to the throtle mount plate becouse if it woulda been there to begin with, I'd be flyin now instead of rebiuldin the thing.

Cheers
Sonny

Bell430 · 02-08-2007, 09:01 PM

Hi Birdy,

Sorry mate, I knew what you meant, I was just being facesious..... facetious.... fuset ..... a smart ass.

Gyrodes.... I have no fear.... I won my last fight by 50 metres and a fence !!

I use to fly a bell 47 years ago that had simple two way switches for the magneto's. I guess it was inevitable that someone (the head stocky of VRD at the time) would have a go at bumping them off in flight. He swiped them with the butt of his 303 and, thank christ, only switched one of them off... (There was a thin strip of alloy that separated the switches) the old girl coughed and farted for a bit on one mag till I could get to the switch.

Bit scary on the day, bit of a laugh in hind sight.

No offence intended Birdy

Cheers