Bending main shafts

[schmleff]

The first time I bent a main shaft, I ran out and bought a new one. Since then, I have hit the high chair, boxes, the fridge, the stove, the ground, the driveway, you name it, I have hit it :mrgreen:

I always pull the power to nill before it goes in so that helps, but I still bend the shaft often. I must have straightened the same shaft a dozen times now. Still working like new. I keep cutting the ends off of the blades to, and they keep working.

So, while some say this thing is not a good trainer, I beg to differ. I did know how to hover and forward fly from years ago, but I had not hovered a heli in 4 years. After a week of hitting stuff, I can nose in hover.

It should be really interesting to see the look on my wife's face when she sees it teathered inverted from the ceiling fan while I learn to hover inverted

[flyinfool]

Umm.......
I hope you turn the ceiling fan off first. :mrgreen:

[Rick Rotorhead]

How to hover inverted the easy way...... put training gear on, set the rotor spinning at full neg collective in idle up and carefully place the heli by hand skids upper most against the room's ceiling, she will stick there by herself. Then carefully push forward on your collective stick until she almost comes, but not quite, un-glued from the ceiling - then you can hover away from the ceiling a couple if inches, if she gets to be a handful just pull back on the coll to set her back-up. In principle, just like learning to hover as a noob right side up above the ground, only reversed....
Disclaimer: whilst this method works in theory no practicle application of this method has been authenticated, may cause neck ache, cramps, nausea and a short haircut. Placing a running heli anywhere by hand is extremely hazardous and may involve some pain and loss of fingers. No resposibility can/will be accepted for any aformentioned or interrelated injuries, expenses, suffering or damage whatsoever. Have fun....... :twisted:

[schmleff]

Originally Posted by Rick Rotorhead

How to hover inverted the easy way...... put training gear on, set the rotor spinning at full neg collective in idle up and carefully place the heli by hand skids upper most against the room's ceiling, she will stick there by herself. Then carefully push forward on your collective stick until she almost comes, but not quite, un-glued from the ceiling - then you can hover away from the ceiling a couple if inches, if she gets to be a handful just pull back on the coll to set her back-up. In principle, just like learning to hover as a noob right side up above the ground, only reversed....
Disclaimer: whilst this method works in theory no practicle application of this method has been authenticated, may cause neck ache, cramps, nausea and a short haircut. Placing a running heli anywhere by hand is extremely hazardous and may involve some pain and loss of fingers. No resposibility can/will be accepted for any aformentioned or interrelated injuries, expenses, suffering or damage whatsoever. Have fun....... :twisted:

that made me laugh :mrgreen:

Funny you did not get into how to catch if from the ceiling again.

[schmleff]

Originally Posted by flyinfool

Umm.......
I hope you turn the ceiling fan off first. :mrgreen:

The fan has been handy actually. after you get the hover down, then I turn the fan on to increase the difficulty.

[flyinfool]

Having the heli attached by a string to a running ceiling fan will definitely increase the difficulty level.

[schmleff]

well, the center hub i mean.

[flyinfool]

Sorry I couldn't resist. Just giving you a little bit of a hard time.

Hanging it upside down with a piece of string could be very hazardous to the heli and bystanders/victims.

when the motor first starts there will be a sudden burst of torque that will spin the heli and the tail will not be up to speed to try to stop it. It could then flop around enough to cut the string just as it is coming up to speed. The rest might not be pretty.

[schmleff]

actaully, I am going to use a light spring to take up the string tension. If if does not work, oh well, i tried. cheaper than a sim...

[flyinfool]

Just one crash can pay for a sim.

[Gary JP4]

You guys know each other right? You all probably know this, and after all that I hate to be the serious one but, seeing as how somebody else might read this, and on account of I don’t think it has been covered yet.

Be careful trimming the ends of the blades. If you’re not aware of it, assuming you have wood blades, you will eventually uncover the lead weights embedded in the wood. If you do you have weakened the wood holding them. They are drilled longitudinally from the tip and glued in. They are something like a length of solder. If all the material outboard of the end of the weight is removed the weight can then fly out. This is bad because it can hit something / somebody going very fast (that'll leave a mark). Also, it leaves the blades grossly out of balance and as easy as shafts bend it probably would.

[schmleff]

Thanks for bringing that up. Yes both the flat and the symetrical blades have weights, which have to be secure for reasons mentioned.

We don't actually know each other, however, he is only about an hour from me.

As for sims, I will eventually buy one, but I just hate the way they feel.