Helicopter PHOTO Gallery and Discussion: Post Yours

That's the heli I'm talking about in the link above yours'

Okay guys, I think I've got the frame mounting in the fuse sorted out. I'll have to bore a hole through the bottom of the fuse to get a screw in but it will be much more accessible than down from the top (and done with tool I have). I'll get a photo or two of what I've done soon.

After a closer look, the links I referred to as being to short is only because I used one of my spare main shaft. Had I bought the shorter one for FBL there wouldn't be an issue. There is only a 4.5mm difference in length but that's what I am short on the links.  :

As soon as I get the frame back together with the bottom in it, I'll roll the servo over more under the boom and see how it fits then. The control rod will run at an odd angle but I dont think that will be a problem. This may also help where it exits the fuse. The opening at the tail end would have cause some contact with the rod the way it is mounted now.

Sorry w00d, I missed the second link.    That is exactly that I remembered, you mounted the servo on some wood and then mounted the wood via screws through the bottom of the fuselage, right?

Good for you Bill.  Looking forward to seeing the mechanics mounted inside the fuselage, even temporarily.

This first photo is of the shim to raise the frame to the right height at the rear. It is sanded at a taper so the frame sits flat on it. I am only going to use one screw in the rear so the little blocks you see are to keep the frame from shifting side to side. The screws in the struts were installed through the rear windows. The screws that should have held the rear of the frame would have went into the slots just behind the struts. With the full frame installed there is just no way to reach them.
The last photo is the modification, a single screw up through the bottom. 

Nice workmanship Bill.  I like the way you did the locating screws and the fastener for the screw mounting.  It looks really clean.

A few more.


It is sitting the way it should now.



The head looks good and does not exit to far out of the fuse.


The photo is an odd angle but you can see with a ball on the servo wheel the push rod is going to be in conflict with the side of the fuse.
I think before I move the servo off the boom, I'll build a little angle bracket for the servo tray and have the servo sitting upright just under the boom.

Bill - The issue I had when I had my tail servo on the boom came later when it was time to loosen the servo to adjust the tail ... Made for a some colourful language trying to get the driver in there when it was time adjust the tail ...

Hey Yoda no problem as I forgot to say which heli I was talking about in my post

Hey wOOd, your up past your bedtime.  ;D

So far the tail on mine, being gear driven shouldn't be to much of a problem. I do see I'll have to trim a little off the fuse boom for the vertical fin to fit unless I space it out some.

There is a possibility I can extend the gyro mount out a little for the servo to sit on if need be but I want to try the piece of aluminum angle first.

I got the screw to go in through the bottom of the fuse a while ago but it was fiddley work making it stick to the end of the screw driver. Took about 3 tries.  :

Oh crap yeah I forgot your tail was gear driven, LMAO what a day not getting it right anywhere, getting beat up all over. And yeah it's past my computing/hobby/interests time and cutting into my couch potato time, TV. But NOW it's JUST insomnia it being 5am and I've been awake ALL night. Going to try and get a couple of hours before the maid gets here, yup really I have a MAid. hehe

Good Lord, I hate when that happens. Hope you got a little shut eye. 

hehe thanks Bill

NO shut eye yet, didn't GET that 2hr I had hoped for but I tried ... Yup still here - 10am (Eastern Standard)

Well, I started making an angled mount for the tail servo as I had mentioned earlier but gave up on the notion before finishing. It probably would have worked but I would still either have to bend the link rod as it exits the fuse or use a "golden rod".
I trimmed the gyro mount to length and cut a hole to accommodate the servo then trimmed and sandwiched the cf servo mount and installed it under the servo to add stiffness to the plastic gyro tray. By using the mount in the frame I was also able help move the COG slightly forward.
Also got the ccpm programing done and the cyclic servos going the right direction and am now waiting on some servo to swash links that are closer to a workable length. I finally found some for the Outrage 550 that have a 40mm length. They are a couple of mm long but the ones I have are more than that to short.  :

Great job Bill!  That's where I think all tail servos should be mounted!  Very clean, looks like it will be better for CG and the boom/blade strike issue is gone.  Win!

Agreed as that servo location does look the best! I would only add when mounted in that position we allow the servo some forward/back adjustment!

MicroHeli (albeit expensive) offeres an adjustable Push-Rod ...
... just for this and general ease of adjustment especially when the servo is mounted in the conventional location, on the boom

Although for my POD & Boom Heli's I'm thinking DIY 

Thanks for the comments guys.
I think one of the two rods below by Sullivan should fit my needs. Hopefully the LHS has one or both in stock so I can get a first hand closeup look.
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXHML5&P=SM
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXFU92&P=SM

I agree wOOd, the servo would have best been adjustable. That gyro mount however, didn't allow for it and if it had, would had to been removed from the frames to make the adjustment.  : We'll just have to get her mechanically correct before installing her into the fuse. 

Hey, I hear ya. I'm sorry I wasn't able to use the cf link I built.    It and a number of other parts I have bought then changed my mind on are starting to pile up in the parts bin.  :-[

Yep, I got to thinking of the CG issue while making the angle mount I was going to use on the boom, that's why I changed my mind. Every little bit helps. 

hehe I'm busted ...
... Sometimes as I did above I post to just to gauge interest and if "interest" is found then I'll expand upon my thought(s).
If No "interest" is found then it saves allot in typing {LOL} So here we go w/ the expanding --->

For my w00d designed DIY Push-Rod I'm thinking of using the typical Push-Rod but with a Turn-Buckle inserted (near a convenient
place to adjust) within the Push-Rod's length. Well it sounds doable or at least workable in so much as I'm thinking it a more precise
and convenient way to do this adjustment ?!?

EDIT: Your Sullivan pick is the one I used for my Scale build Bill ... Although I haven't tested (which by the way is my next step
in my UH-1's build) I'm only assuming it will work as it's a better solution than teh one supplied in my kit ... But as i said I will NOT
be using my DIY method for my Scale build as I was thinking it ONLY for my other heli's, my Pod & Boom birds

Well I don't see a "pile up of unused parts" as a BAD thing, after-all it's only FUEL for our future DIY projects, yeah

As y'all know by some POSTS back I've been playing w/ the Throttle Curves on my GAUI ep255 (pic)
Now I have what I'm calling an "official" Flight Time or what I'll be flying this helicopter at for the best flight time

Battery: Hyperion LiPo 2S / 850 mAh / Charged @ 6C / 5100 mAh giving a charge time of 11 min

• Trottle Curve: 0 - 65% - 73% - 73% -73%
• Flight Time = 8:30 min / LVC = 9:05 min

• Trottle Curve: 0 - 70% - 100% - 100% - 100%
• Flight Time = 5:30 min / LVC = 6:12 min

Anyhow it's been an interesting lesson and the next time someone wants to know how to optimize their Flight Times
we will have an answer for them. I think the numbers speak for themselves so as for the subjective, such as "stability"
best I leave that for any wishing to try this for themselves. I'll just say the flying and of course the flight time was great
around 73% or 70% ...  {LOL} Also is a very quieter helicopter which is the bonus or added-value out of ALL this FUN

However your mileage may vary, point being TRY it for yourself and maybe your "numbers" are better ...

      [shadow=Orange,left]w00d[/shadow]

EDIT: Should have noted this yesterday: What will also be apparent is the less overall vibration at the lower settings!
Which I'm sure would be especially helpful to the Aerial Photographers in the group - FYI:

I got to thinking about the adjust-ability of the tail servo and what Align now does since they have moved them into the frame. I looked up the manual for the 500 EFL Pro version.
The tale servo is fixed and adjustments are done at the ends of the rudder control rod. 

[sup] Edit: 4:38 PM [/sup] The hobby shop had the rod I was looking for.  ;D

Hey Bill I also had wondered HOW the ALIGN's adjust their Tail setups given their newer servo locations ...
... but I had never got around to looking for the answers {LMAO} Stupid really given they HAD an "option" for exactly what we are discussing here 

More Throttle Curves (TC) experiments but w/ my ALIGN TRex 450 this time

At 100% TC we get near to 5min which is typical for it's battery (3S/2200mAh). After setting to
75% we got close to 7.5 min. Given this heli w/ it's 13T pinion is setup for some relatively high
RPM we could do better again if I changed out the pinion to 12T and an even lower TC again

    [youtube]GY21vde12Fw[/youtube]
   
My take-off was a little wobbly but after we get our self out of the down-wash she
stabled out into a nice steady hover. Although flying the larger helicopters inside is scary
enough which in it's self adds to the poor flying but after awhile the overall turbulence within
the room increases and keeps increasing making it even more difficult to fly a stable hover
indoors. That said and it's also generally said that indoor flying of the larger birds is certainly
NOT recommended

Going to try again with the 12T pinion then w/ a 12T and 70% to see what that gives

    [shadow=Orange,left]w00d[/shadow]