[HAL9KPCM]

Originally Posted by Max

Hi Cliff. I've been waiting for others to respond but everyone seems silent. I guess the "old stuff" scares them?



I wouldnt worry about the covering overlap on the bottom of the blades. That used to be the norm in those days. I don't think you can even buy blade covering anymore. No-one really does that these days.

As for training gear, you can search around to get instructions on making more advanced style training gear. The simplest ones you can make is just get some hardwood dowel from the hardware store and add whiffle balls to each end. X-them under the skids and use zip-ties to secure them to the skids.

Hope this helps.

Sorry... been away for a bit and forgot about this thread.

As for the covering, I can remember using Monokote trim sheets. You just made sure that the seam wasn't into the wind, it will stay in place.

As for training gear, in my area, we used to just get a hula hoop, tape some dowels in an X pattern to the hoop, then attach it to the landing gear. No corners to dig into anything no matter which way it tips.

[kip51035]

Hi Jason;
I just turned 75 the other day. I have been doing R/C for a long time. I have been an aircraft mechanic for 58 Years and enjoy the repair more than the flight. Three "D" is out of the question. I just want to fly around a little bit while I still can. Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated.

As for the gyro power drain I put a 3300 NiMH 4.8V battery in it.

Kip

[Max]

Originally Posted by kip51035

As for the gyro power drain I put a 3300 NiMH 4.8V battery in it.

Kip

If that's the case, use a voltage tester that applies load before each flight, or use on on-board voltage LED. If you are not careful, those gyros suck the battery dead before you know it. You take off thinking you have plenty of juice, but it goes dead in the air. Scary! I got in the habit of checking voltage before each flight, and swapped out/quick charged if it looked low. It never hurts to be cautious

[kip51035]

Good idea Max! I think I have one here somewhere. I still have some more questions but I am headed for the Tuesday morning coffee meeting at the Quinte Mall. Thanks to all for the help!!!

[Jimmy P]

Hi Cliff glad your going to give it a try, I had my dad hovering when he turned 74 , three years ago now, he loves it. He can only hover around but he enjoys it, he is flying planes and a heli. Let me know there how it goes I am sure we can help you out.

[tporter416]

Just a cautionary note, 2 years ago I resurrected my 12 year old Nexus 30. Got it all running well and working fine. We checked the head speed was correct with another flies instrument. On one flight the last third of one of the main blades flew off. the wooden blades were covered with a plastic cover, however it looked like over time the wood dried out anyways and came apart in flight. Well the heli went in and all the parts that are not broken are in a box in my basement. We did eventually find the end of the blade a few hundred feet from where my heli crashed. My experience is if you do start flying old heli's, replace the main blades with some new ones to be safe...

Tom

[Jimmy P]

Kip!!!!! We haven't had any updates in quite some time??? How are you making out with this adventure?

[kip51035]

I have been practicing in doors with some small Heli's, an 8" , a 12" and a couple of 24" rotor size. I have been trying to buy a 12V LIPO charger so I can take them out to the field. I bought one off Ebay for small one and two cell packs. It does not work. I left it on for three hours with no effect. It has been really windy lately. I took them outside in my drive way a couple of weeks ago, it was a nice day until I started to fly then mother nature had to prove what a miserable broad she is. The wind changed directions about four times in an hour and then got really strong. Shortly after I quit it was calm again. The big heli with the .60 engine in it I removed the main blades and put a coat of thinned polyurethane clear spar varnish on the uncovered roots. I hope it will make them a little stronger. I have to run and set the engines yet. I was thinking of doing it with the main blades removed. The smaller nitro heli is fixed pitch so running the engine up would mean instant takeoff.

[Trumpetman]

I'm not a heli guy, but why not just tie down the skids to the table or bench to do the engine run up testing? You could leave the main blades in place and really get a sense of how the motor is running.

[dashpuppy]

Originally Posted by Trumpetman

I'm not a heli guy, but why not just tie down the skids to the table or bench to do the engine run up testing? You could leave the main blades in place and really get a sense of how the motor is running.

Just use a piece of wood through the skids that's what we used to do when breaking in motors & testing.