With the Raven mechanics flight tested, I completed final assembly of this kit. Inside, are futaba 9202s on cyclic, a GY401+9253 gyro and servo, 3003+GV-1 engine governer, a Team Delta switch to switch the front flood lights on and off, OS50 +Hatori SB-9 muffler. Externally, the kit came pre-painted, and features a main body, a bubble canopy, tail portion, the mast fairing, and tail fins. I added HeliMax lights for the navigation LEDs which really "light" up the heli.

 

Full details of this heli can be found on Century Helicopter's site.

 

Until the weather gets better, it will be awaiting it's first flight complete!

 

I attended this years RAMs RC Helicopter Fun fly this year and had a blast! I brought my new Mikado Logo 10, my JR Voyager in a Bell 230 fuselage, and my trustworthy XCell Fury.

 

My 12Z transmitter got wet and no longer functions so I had to send it in for repair.  I'll be using my Futaba 9C in the mean time, but I won't be able to fly my Fury and Hirobo Eagle 3 since they use the newer G3 reciever.

 

Thanks to KC for the fantastic Logo 10 pictures, and Dave at Skyway Photography for the fun fly pictures!

 

 

 

 

Purchased in June06 from http://www.heli-pro.de, arrived mid Sept 06 (yeah, that's a 3 month wait), and finished a couple of weeks after. The canopy isn't fitted and painted yet, since the weather got very cold. That will be a spring project.

 

This heli is quite uncommon, made in small batches in Germany- not many exist in the US. This model is the Revolution CF model (carbon fiber), unlike the S model that contains plastics. Unusual features, compared to other helicopter kits I've built include:

Details, details. I pondered some time ago on how to paint the 6 vent grills on the fuselage. Should I hand paint them? Naw! By using a scanner and the vinyl cutter, I was able to paint them with professional looking results.

Masking the black detail is going to be a chore. Today, I specifically chose to mask and paint the DRF logos on the doors and underneath, only the breit shadow on the bottom, and some misc details such as handles and ports.

 

I'm quite impressed with the masking job. This time, only one small area of overspray (again, masking around compound curves is always risky), but in general, the black went on good.  When I have time, I'll continue to add black details such as the rest or the breit star shadows, the masking around the windows, and skids.

 

Laid down the white base coat last week. This took a lot of time and paint due to not sure if the white was "white" enough (is it grey in some parts?).

 

A week later, this memorial, I masked and painted the red base coat. I printed much of the masks, including the main demarkation oval line, with my Roland SX-12. There were many masks as you can see with the pictures. The hardest part was applying the masks over curved surfaces.

 

When all was done, there were a few oversprays where the masking didn't quite cover enough, some mask bleedings, and two spots of lifted paint (probably due to poor primer or preparation), but at 3 feet away, you would not notice them. The only stickers I will apply are the German flags (white rectangle in the hood), and a Eurocopter logo sticker that will also appear on the hood. Other than that, everything will be painted on.

 

Next is cleanup (fix oversprays, bleeding) and black basecoat around the windows, the breit (star) shadows, and the main skids. After that, I will shade and detail the panel lines to give the body more depth- as you can see, the body still looks "flat", with no detail.  Finally, I have to find a way to clear coat the entire project (toxic stuff).

 

Now that the weather is getting warmer, some paint work is in order. I believe everything that needs paint has been primered, except the exhausts, which I plan to do some special metalizing work on it. 

The interior was painted dark grey, but still looks a little like primer. Perhaps some shading and texture will help out. The main body is being masked and painted for the first coat of white.

 

An example of the paint scheme I'm aiming for is here http://www.drf.de/Englisch/DRF-EC135.htm  It involves lots of specialized masking, which I'm doing with my Roland SX-12 vinyl cutter. Here is my paint sequence:

[X] Fuse interior

[X] Door interior

[X] Hood interior

 

Prepare for White Base Coat
[X] Mask main fuse interior (leaving interior grey)
[ ] Mask door interior
[ ] Mask hood interior

 

Apply White Base Coat Paint
[ ] Paint entire exterior body white
[ ] Paint door exterior white
[ ] Paint hood white

 

Prepare for Red Base Coat
[ ] Mask upper tail using trim tape
[ ] Mask lower tail using trim tape
[ ] Mask 2.46in tail star using negative (TailBreite.stx)

[ ] Mask tail boom NOTARZT using positive mask

[ ] Mask main fuse delimiter using .27 trim tape. From tail to front
[ ] Mask main fuse arc
[ ] Mask main fuse 4.478in star using negative (BodyBreit.stx)

[ ] Mask 4.53in star underneath using negative (UnderBreite.stx)
[ ] Mask NOTARZT underneath using positive (underNOTARZT,HoodMarkings.stx)
[ ] Mask LUFTRETTUNG underneath using positive (underNOTARZT,HoodMarkings.stx)
[ ] Mask 4.675in DRF underneath using negative (UnderDRF.stx)

[ ] Mask hood markings: D-HDRB, ec135 using positive (D-DHRB.stx)
[ ] Mask German flag on hood using positive (underNOTARZT,HoodMarkings.stx)  Note: the black\red\yellow will come from decals

[ ] Mask door DRF using blank positive mask (DoorDRF.stx)

[ ] Mask nose 1.23in star using negative (UnderBreite.stx)

Paint Red Base coat
[ ] Main fuse
[ ] Door exterior
[ ] Hood

 

Prepare for Black Paint Basecoat
[ ] Mask window frames using trim tape
[ ] Mask 6 door handles (?????- get diameter of the brass used to make them)
[ ] Mask hood interior

[ ] Mask door DRF using negative. (DoorDRF.stx) Note: use star for alignment, then cover it
[ ] Mask underneath DRF using negative (UnderDRF.stx) Note: use star for alignment, then cover it

[ ] Mask tail star shadow: place positive over red, place negative to create shadow (TailBreite.stx)
[ ] Mask body shadow: (BodyBreiteShadowPos.stx) (BodyBreiteShadowNeg.stx)
[ ] Mask under shadow: (UnderBreiteShadow.stx)

Paint Black Base coat
[ ] Window Frames
[ ] Door DRF Masks
[ ] Hood interior
[ ] Handle masks
[ ] Underneath DRF mask
[ ] all Star shadows
[ ] Skids

 

 

 

 

My new Futaba 12Zhp finally arrived. I've already setup two helis on it and am pretty exited over the fantastic controls it provides. I can't believe the recievers are over $300.00 each.

 

Read all about it on the Futaba site: http://www.futaba-rc.com/radios/futj9300.html

 

 

Rain is clearing ouT!  Finally. I bought a used caliber 30 for $215, included the heli, engine and blades. After replacing that joke of a tail pushrod - zbends suck-, replacing the fan and thrust bearings, it flys flawlessly... for a 30 size.

 

KC, a local flyer, took some great photos.

The Hornet flys again! Story about this Hornet. This actually my first RC "thing" ever, bought back in 2003, when my brother-in-law, who flew RC airplanes, came to our house for vacation. To pass the time, I bought this pandora's box and never really got it to fly. After a CCPM upgrade, brushless motor, and a Futaba 9C transmitter, I finally got it to fly. After a few mishaps, I gave up on it- any crash means a busted tail section (difficult to build or repair) or an imbalance that is near impossible to fix, other than to build a new one. I gave it away to Alister back in 2004, who then also gave up on it. Recently, he cleaned out his garage and gave it to my buddy, Sylvestre. He mentioned to me about the hornet and I got excited as I still had the brushless motor for it. Anycase, after some new servo horns, and battery connectors, I was able to get this flying again using only spares, PFM, and constructing carbon bits (like servo plates, the entire front end tray) from a crashed 680 MS main rotor blade.

 

I'll soon put a fuselage to hide the mess as soon as I nail down some of the vibration and tail wag.

 

Broke out a project that I started way back in 2001- the Italian 1/8 scale Alfa Romeo kit by Pocher, K73. Back then, I collected a few of these kits, including a Mercedes Roadster, several Bugattis, and the newer Porche 911 and Ferarri Testarossa kits. Expensive kits, this one cost me about $350 USD. I stopped building this particular one back in 2001 because the body was very warped and I was discouraged. But now that I finally got a heat gun for heli work (heat shrink tubing, mainly), I was able to break out this kit, reshape the body and finish the chassis. The chassis needed exhausts system and fuel tank.

 

All is not easy with these kits. The plastic pieces are poorly molded (like the body I mentioned above), missing pieces (I had to steal a steering gear from the Mercedes kit, missing door handles), and generally, poor fitting components (see the picture on how to fix the common toe-in problem. Also, the engine hood doesn't fit.). You realy have to have some tools, materials, and fabrication skills to complete a model of this type.

 

These kits are fantastic! It features:

I just completed the chassis, and took some images since once the body is mounted, all that incredible detail will be hidden. Check out the photo album for additional pictures.

The projects are put away due to work and weather, however, I did get the itch to work on this Tamiya RC Body for my old TB-01 chassis. Unfortunately, I could not find the "Rabrig BLue" needed to match the stickers, so I had to bail on the nice Blue\Silver fade. The stickers for this body are fantastic and the result is impressive. It joins my Ferarri Enzo body on my TA-03. My TB-04 EVO chassis still has no body.

No building today. Just flying the electrics!

We are waiting for the lightend paddles, but other than that the logo 10 is ready to fly. Nonstock parts include the head button, light aluminum split collar, and the paddles. The head and tail is tight enough to not get upgrades. Powered by a 4s2p LiPoly that weighs 1lb 7oz, it should rock. Other components include futaba 148dp PCM Rx, 401+9253 gyro and tail servo, JR digital servos, UBec, Schulze 18.46k, and Kontronik 600-17 motor.

 

My buddy and I are putting together a Mikado Logo 10. I had one back in 2003, but sold it right away for my first 60 sized nitro heli, a Fury. Because the cost for a ready-to-fly logo costs as much as a nitro heli, we decided to split up the costs. With today's LiPoly technology, it should be a much mor fun flying heli than when I had one with NiCads. Components to it include: Kontronik motor, Schulze speed controller, GY401 and digital servo, futaba 148 pcm receiver, a UBEC, and MAH 500mm main blades. Not sure what cyclic sevros we'll use.

 

Work on th ec-135 is proceeding. Yeah! the doors are nearly done, the homemade hinges fitting and working nicely. I had to scrap the kit hinges since the spacing was off. I ordered some Vario hinges and modified them (cutting them down) to work. The cheapo harbor freight mill (http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=47158) came in handy in making a jig to make cutting od the hinges consistent. All that's left on the door construction is the door handles and windows.

 

Long time ago, I started cutting the window, and now, I'm at the point where I'm fitting them in. It's pretty critical, as you can't undo cuts. Spares probably would be next to impossible since it's not a common heli in the US. The front of the heli is composed of four clear bubble window pieces, all that have to be slowly cut to fit. Next to painting, this part of the construction is what I dread most. The side windows will be a snap since they are pretty much flat sheet. It may take weeks of 2hr blocks to get this done.

 

Let's see, what is left: Skids, interior detail, electrical hookup, painting, etc.. 

 

And oh, my wife loves me!

 

 

Well, now that the staysee is flying well (had to address some cooling issues), I busted out the ol hirobo EC135 project.  The mechanics are pretty much done started long ago when I first bought it in 1993, although I'll have to replace the Hatori SB-16 with a different muffler due to space (the front of the muffler is in the canopy area). Also, the tail is essentially done, fenstron fan fits just fine, and the horizontal tail is mounted. Scale lighting system works as well- I had to write down all the transmitter settings due to the special mixes to get the lights to work.

 

Right now, I've got to get the canopy area all finished up. This includes gettin the floorboard, the backboard (firewall), finishing the edges of the window cutouts, getting the seats and console done,adding the doors with the custom hinges. Also, I need to find a place to seat the battery that will serve the on-board start system. Whew! lots of work.

 

On top of all that is the final painting- not sure how I'm going to do this, but I'm hoping a $100 compressor at Harbor Freight will do the job.

 

 

First flights with the Staysee fuselage on the XSpec. Wow, it sounds great- much quieter, good smoke, but man, the engine temp went way up, from 185 deg F to around 200F! Probably due to the added weight, but most likely, due to cooling issues of the fuselage.

 

It's 1 week to the RAMs funfly, so I've got some time to muck around with it. Some ideas:

- Cut bigger holes in the fuselage. Yuck.

- Add some electric fans. I'm concerned about the power it will draw or the added weight of fan batteries

- richen the motor. Personally, I think it's running near it's ideal temp, but the mixture curve is pegged minimum, so it won't hurt to richen it up so I can bring up that mixture curve.

 

Finally completed enclosing the Xspec in the Staysee! The mechanics have 1.5 gallons of coolpower through it, and with the remote needle controlled through the Futaba 9C radio mixture curve page, I'll be able to adjust the mixture remotely.

 

Targetting Friday 8-12 to take some pictures and trya run-up.