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New Skids
Posted Saturday February 10, 2007 at 11:32 pm
(4 years ago)
I finished the new skids I've been working on for my helicopter. Like the original skids, these are made out of carbon fiber. But instead of the 2 mm rods that the original gear was made out of, I used 4 mm hollow tubes instead. (To make it fit at the helicopter frame's attachment points, I had to incorporate short 2 mm segments into the ends of the struts.) I assembled the skids using one-hour epoxy. Going for the ultimate in durability, I then lashed the joints together with upholstery thread and covered that with super glue.
The disadvantages to the new skids are: (1) They are heavier. I'm not sure how much heavier, but it doesn't feel like much. (2) They took a long time to make. I'm not sure I'll want to do it again if these break beyond repair. (3) Unlike the originals, these can't be easily removed without breaking them.
The advantages are: (1) They should be considerably more durable. Time will tell. (2) The forward battery mount is integrated by design. (3) The battery mount is high enough to double as a support for the 4in1 controller, solving another problem I've been having. (4) Since they are hollow, the antenna can be passed through the skids instead of just wrapping it around them. (5) The canopy fits back on! (Little known problem with my previous battery mount.)
The skids weren't the only thing broken in my recent crash. I also straightened the main shaft, replaced the paddle control frame, and replaced the tail rotor gear. I rebalanced everything and retracked the blades as well.
I've only been able to hover a little bit so far, but I think it's safe to say that it's flying the best that it ever has. There is no detectable vibration. None. I know I've said before that I eliminated vibrations, but I meant that I had reduced them drastically. Now, there really is no vibration. I can attribute that mostly to straightening the main shaft and balancing the rotors, but it's probably also helpful that I spent a good bit of time making sure the flybar paddles were perfectly parallel to the control frame. I'm looking forward to trying it out a little more extensively tomorrow.
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| Making skid marks |
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| Heli: new battery mount |
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| Heli: antenna |
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