Static/Electric Shock When Hand Catching

Don't hand catch much but I have never experienced that.

What is the humidity where you fly?

In S. Fla. it's too humid now for this to occur anyways.
 
Plastic landing gear shouldn't be able to conduct much electricity so if you feel something there may be an issue there!

Every time I hear people "hand catching" their phantom pilots, this always comes to mind:

hillbilly-handfishin-81.jpg
 
AsiaFlyer said:
When I hand catch my V+ I get what feels like a static/electric shock, is this normal?

It's hard to imagine how an object mostly constructed of insulating plastic could acquire much of a charge. It's capacitance has to be extremely low, and if you are catching it by its plastic shell then there is no conduction mechanism anyway.
 
It's quite the opposite.

Non-conductive materials tend to have a higher propensity towards accumulating 'charges' (due to molecular structure) which result in static electricity discharges.

If it is acquiring a charge it's likely from the air friction at the props.

It's been awhile but I think you'll find that's the case. ;)
 
N017RW said:
It's quite the opposite.

Non-conductive materials tend to have a higher propensity towards accumulating 'charges' (due to molecular structure) which result in static electricity discharges.

If it is acquiring a charge it's likely from the air friction at the props.

It's been awhile but I think you'll find that's the case. ;)

Good call. :oops:
 
N017RW said:
It's quite the opposite.

Non-conductive materials tend to have a higher propensity towards accumulating 'charges' (due to molecular structure) which result in static electricity discharges.

If it is acquiring a charge it's likely from the air friction at the props.

It's been awhile but I think you'll find that's the case. ;)

No, that is incorrect. Charge separation in insulators can only be a local surface effect, and so an insulator is unable to accumulate any significant charge. You will never get a static electric shock from an insulator. Insulators interacting with conductors can, on the other hand, lead to significant charge separation and charge accumulation on the conductor. That is the mechanism of charge separation that leads to metal aircraft, and in particular helicopters, floating to a high voltage while airborne.
 
Balloons build up a static charge and I believe rubber is non-conductive, but I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that the Phantom would build up a charge. It seems the hardened plastic would make it more difficult to arrange the electrons the way you can with the balloon.

Everything that passes thru magnetic fields will build up a charge to some degree, but I'd think the Phantom would be less than most.
 
AsiaFlyer said:
When I hand catch my V+ I get what feels like a static/electric shock, is this normal?

I hand catch my phantom every flight and have never experienced anything like that!
 
CarlJ said:
Balloons build up a static charge and I believe rubber is non-conductive, but I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that the Phantom would build up a charge. It seems the hardened plastic would make it more difficult to arrange the electrons the way you can with the balloon.

Everything that passes thru magnetic fields will build up a charge to some degree, but I'd think the Phantom would be less than most.

Balloons do build up a very small surface charge due to charge separation induced by frictional interaction with other materials. It's enough to cause electrostatic attraction to dielectric materials, but you will never get a detectable static shock from a rubber balloon, since the charge is both too small and not mobile.

FYI - magnetic fields do not cause charge separation.
 
To Simplify...
In a very dry environment, it's possible the airflow from the props could cause a static charge to build on the plastic.

You can't get a static shock from plastic, since it doesn't conduct. It would make the hair on your arm stand up but you won't feel a shock.
Also, if you are hand catching, it's in the air and can't complete a circuit in any case.
 
cahutch said:
To Simplify...
In a very dry environment, it's possible the airflow from the props could cause a static charge to build on the plastic.

You can't get a static shock from plastic, since it doesn't conduct. It would make the hair on your arm stand up but you won't feel a shock.
Also, if you are hand catching, it's in the air and can't complete a circuit in any case.

Correct, except that if it were charged and conductive, the circuit would be through the catcher to ground. That's the reason never to touch a helicopter winch line until it has first made contact with the ground - it can give a very nasty shock.
 
It's hard to explain what the shock is like, I can feel it for several seconds (not every flight), I live in Thailand and it is very humid here, I don't normally where anything on my feet as most of my flying is done on the beach.

I hand catch it by the left rear leg (where the compass is) I thought it might be coming from this or possibly I have touched the gimbal as I have caught it?
 
sar104 said:
AsiaFlyer said:
When I hand catch my V+ I get what feels like a static/electric shock, is this normal?

It's hard to imagine how an object mostly constructed of insulating plastic could acquire much of a charge. It's capacitance has to be extremely low, and if you are catching it by its plastic shell then there is no conduction mechanism anyway.

Did you ever wonder how a rubber balloon, or styrofoam packing beads, can hold a static charge and stick to things? Same deal.
 
The plastic slide at Mac D's play ground shocks the crap out of me when trying to play with the kids (bear foot)........don't know the science but.... it is, what it is. Now im going to finish my happy meal thx. I wouldn't worry its just static.
 
Any motor spinning plastic probe will develop static electricity , to sense it depends on what you are wearing and how much your body is grounded .
 

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