wonwinglo
SMF Supporter
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2004
- Messages
- 6,754
- Points
- 113
- First Name
- Barry
Not one of the latest model helicopter designs but certainly one of the more well proven is the Hirobo Shuttle design,properly assembled and set up this machine will guide you carefully through your training programme and make a helicopter pilot of you.
One good thing about the basic design is that everything is modulated,in other words if you need to remove the engine,clutch,flybar,boom,tail assembly,main shaft,gearbox etc then you can do this without too much disruption or dis-assembly of parts alongside,this is more than can be said for some designs which require a lot of stripdown to replace a simple drive belt ! maintenance & adjustment is an essential part of helicopters and in this area the Shuttle excels,as you work your way through the build you really get to appreciate the immense amount of design that went into this model,once more there is enough very detailed information within the manual to get her set up and flying even if you live in the outer sticks away from immediate help.
One important feature is the bag of alternative spacers and bushes to allow the fitting of different engines,my option was for the adequate Irvine 36 heli motor which fits neatly into the frame with the cooling shrouds only requiring a slight cut to allow full throttle movement,just makew sure you know which is fully open and paint a small mark on the shroud as once mounted it is difficult to see the throttle/collective motion without the use of the inspection mirror,also make sure the tail rotor drive belt is turned slightly the correct way otherwise you will have no tail rotor anti-torque and she will spin like a top on the ground ! check this and gyro orientation before you attempt flight otherwise it will catch you out and quickly.
Make sure that the fuel tank is well sealed as this is the one area where access is not brilliant and you may need to split the frames,check and double check before you mount it.
Follow the instructions as regards the main rotor set up checking the collective for all movement and above all avoid slop in the assembly,set the helicopter on a level surface,attach the pitch gauge and eye up everything from the side making sure that the fly-bars have zero pitch and set eqi-distant apart otherwise the dreaded vibration will develope and shake everything to pieces.
Before you mount the main rotors check them statically for balance and weight,rectify any difference which will be quite small with tracking tape,make sure this is placed just outside of where the blades balance at mid-point,if you are not sure how to do this then check any good helicopter manual ( best one is 'Rays Helicopter manual' a classic publication and a gold mine of info ) also if possible balance the tail rotor assembly with a knife edge balance,you can make one easily by pressing two razor blades into a block of balsa but watch yopur fingers ! remember balance everything and check for slop in any linkages,and keep checking as you fly the model.
The boom stays are advised as there is a little harmonic set up at that point,they will make a big difference believe me.
Now for your first test flight,if possible get someone experienced with helicopters,someone who is a steady flyer but if you have to fly on your own simply set the helicopter up onto a level grass surface and slowly open the throttle,she will probably want to turn to the right so throttle back and set a bit of left tail trim ( called rudder even on helicopters ) try again and note the sound coming from the main blades,if you get a waffling noise then shut down and re-check the pitch which is too coarse at the mid setting,this is critical and will mean the difference between lifting off or not ? the secret is just the right pitch in relation to the throttle ie the term collective,get her about shoulder height and let the helicopter settle into the hover,note the main blades for tracking,probably one will be higher than the other,note the offending tip colour and shut down,now adjust the tracking rods in or out as required a little at a time until the blades are well tracked and make use of all available energy thus making efficent flight.
I will speak again about your learning curve and what you should be doing to achieve success based on my own experiences,above all dont progress too quickly beyond your personal limitations,be honest with yourself and tread carefully,helicopters can be tricky but on the other hand a real challenge.
Omce you have mastered it you will really begin to enjoy flying helicopters,your Shuttle is probably one of the finest trainers around,look after her and she will reward you with hours of flying.
PS-One tool well worth the purchase is the ball joint removal tool,this saves lots of effort splitting the links during adjustment.
One good thing about the basic design is that everything is modulated,in other words if you need to remove the engine,clutch,flybar,boom,tail assembly,main shaft,gearbox etc then you can do this without too much disruption or dis-assembly of parts alongside,this is more than can be said for some designs which require a lot of stripdown to replace a simple drive belt ! maintenance & adjustment is an essential part of helicopters and in this area the Shuttle excels,as you work your way through the build you really get to appreciate the immense amount of design that went into this model,once more there is enough very detailed information within the manual to get her set up and flying even if you live in the outer sticks away from immediate help.
One important feature is the bag of alternative spacers and bushes to allow the fitting of different engines,my option was for the adequate Irvine 36 heli motor which fits neatly into the frame with the cooling shrouds only requiring a slight cut to allow full throttle movement,just makew sure you know which is fully open and paint a small mark on the shroud as once mounted it is difficult to see the throttle/collective motion without the use of the inspection mirror,also make sure the tail rotor drive belt is turned slightly the correct way otherwise you will have no tail rotor anti-torque and she will spin like a top on the ground ! check this and gyro orientation before you attempt flight otherwise it will catch you out and quickly.
Make sure that the fuel tank is well sealed as this is the one area where access is not brilliant and you may need to split the frames,check and double check before you mount it.
Follow the instructions as regards the main rotor set up checking the collective for all movement and above all avoid slop in the assembly,set the helicopter on a level surface,attach the pitch gauge and eye up everything from the side making sure that the fly-bars have zero pitch and set eqi-distant apart otherwise the dreaded vibration will develope and shake everything to pieces.
Before you mount the main rotors check them statically for balance and weight,rectify any difference which will be quite small with tracking tape,make sure this is placed just outside of where the blades balance at mid-point,if you are not sure how to do this then check any good helicopter manual ( best one is 'Rays Helicopter manual' a classic publication and a gold mine of info ) also if possible balance the tail rotor assembly with a knife edge balance,you can make one easily by pressing two razor blades into a block of balsa but watch yopur fingers ! remember balance everything and check for slop in any linkages,and keep checking as you fly the model.
The boom stays are advised as there is a little harmonic set up at that point,they will make a big difference believe me.
Now for your first test flight,if possible get someone experienced with helicopters,someone who is a steady flyer but if you have to fly on your own simply set the helicopter up onto a level grass surface and slowly open the throttle,she will probably want to turn to the right so throttle back and set a bit of left tail trim ( called rudder even on helicopters ) try again and note the sound coming from the main blades,if you get a waffling noise then shut down and re-check the pitch which is too coarse at the mid setting,this is critical and will mean the difference between lifting off or not ? the secret is just the right pitch in relation to the throttle ie the term collective,get her about shoulder height and let the helicopter settle into the hover,note the main blades for tracking,probably one will be higher than the other,note the offending tip colour and shut down,now adjust the tracking rods in or out as required a little at a time until the blades are well tracked and make use of all available energy thus making efficent flight.
I will speak again about your learning curve and what you should be doing to achieve success based on my own experiences,above all dont progress too quickly beyond your personal limitations,be honest with yourself and tread carefully,helicopters can be tricky but on the other hand a real challenge.
Omce you have mastered it you will really begin to enjoy flying helicopters,your Shuttle is probably one of the finest trainers around,look after her and she will reward you with hours of flying.
PS-One tool well worth the purchase is the ball joint removal tool,this saves lots of effort splitting the links during adjustment.