TDR II - Tips and observations

[CyprusFlyer]

No doubting the manual is great, totally up to my expectations and Jan is king as far as I am concerned in producing the best engineered model helicopters in the world.

Build has gone really well, there are a few parts of the manual where translation may blur the intended meaning but on the whole very happy with it, certainly on par with my first experience.

So started this thread with a few of my tips so far, maybe others may like to add once they have made some progress, here goes:

1. I found the roll servo gear central position easy if the position of the gear was viewed with the servo upside down.

2. I installed the roll servos before fitting the Gear Rack(0642a) and corresponding tooth rack guide. Actually I undone the grub screw and lifted up the rods,removing the racks installed the servos then its really easy to get the rack on the correct spline of the gear wheel.

3. To install the 0648 "Pusher for gear rack guide rod", I used a hex wrench in the grub screw to easier handle this small part, used CA on the chamfered bottom of the part, then quickly put it in place. beware, only a few secs handling time! Otherwise Jan recommends position the part and let CA work its way in.

4. Tail Rod, I always prefer slow setting Araldite to glue in the threaded rod, never failed. My tip is to shrink on a piece of tube so that exactly 11mm is covered. Handling is really easy, the heatshrink acts as a stop so no measuring thereafter required, and you can make as much mess as you like because the threads are covered, finally a cloth with some acetone gets every last bit of epoxy off the outside, finally secure with masking tape until cured, then cut off the heatshrink. Finally I run an M2.5 screw in and out of the links a few times with some silicon grease before screwing onto the rod ends.

5 The "Henseleit Helicopter" decal can be a nightmare or piece of cake, I experienced both!

I originaly followed the manual and took all the backing sheet off, i accidently let one end touch the boom where it shouldn't. the glue is very tenacious and I thought I had written it off, however, 30 minutes to rescue it with fine tweezers etc.

The second was a cinch, here's how I figured it out:

Mark the boom with masking tape as per the manual.

Position the decal with backing onto its intended position, take care with Jan's marked end.

Use a piece of masking tape to secure the decal at the forward end of the boom.
(Now we have no worries about the far end moving out and away from the intended line)

Peel about 1" of backing of the end near the rear of the boom, bend that sharply underneath so that it remains parallel to the remaining decal.

Lower the exposed part of the decal until it sticks to the boom in the correct place.

Smooth it down with a cloth to make it stick well.

Using thumb and forefinger on eack side, slowly draw the backing sheet underneath the decal, smooth down towards the front of the boom and repeat until near the masking tape.

Once close to the tape, remove it, then carry on until the backing is free, you may have to cut some off to keep it manageable.

Finally observe the direction Jan recommends to remove the excess "foil", it makes a difference when pulling bits out of "E" and "C" letters especially.

6. The top boom vinyl decals are easy, those that have done TDR canopies will know. So for the distance measurement, I cut a strip of the backing material to 35mm exactly, then cut a 15mm notch in one end for the first decal, then its easy to use the strip to measure the gap for the rest of the decals.

[Joeribar]

I don't have a tdr II but I think those tips are pretty handy! Nice tips man!

Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-N910F met Tapatalk

[crickr1]

I am in awe at the quality of Jan's work! Not sure if anyone noticed but, if you "ping" the blade grips, it's like a crystal wine glass! Perfect pitch as tuning forks, identical in every way!

[mkovalcson]

Originally Posted by crickr1

I am in awe at the quality of Jan's work! Not sure if anyone noticed but, if you "ping" the blade grips, it's like a crystal wine glass! Perfect pitch as tuning forks, identical in every way!

I noticed that with the original TDR

[craigdieselmac]

+1 on point #2.. i discovered that myself last night after I got one of the racks off by one tooth, it was way easier to ensure center by removing them, plugging in the servos, and installing the rack right on the middle tooth.

[lionel70]

Yes, much more easier like this...

[taoY]

Hi,
Page 57 of the user manual documents the tail belt idler assembly. I tried several times but the lock nut interferes with the tail slider. Does this happen to you? Can you share a picture?

P.S. I ended up moving the lock nut to the left side.I will be a pain if I had to remove it.

Thanks

[CyprusFlyer]

Sorry, not got that far myself, working in USA until next week, miss tinkering with the new toy!

[smwht]

On mine the tail slider just runs up against the bolt at the edge of the travel, didn't even notice until I checked just now though. Haven't flown it yet so I don't know if it will cause any problems in flight.

[craigdieselmac]

I will try to get a picture in the morning, mine is installed as directed in the manual and does not interfere with the slider. Make sure you have the support flanges seated correctly.

[smwht]

Here's mine. There's a bit of play in the idler, the slider bottoms out before it hits the idler even with the idler pushed over close to it.

[taoY]

Originally Posted by smwht

Here's mine. There's a bit of play in the idler, the slider bottoms out before it hits the idler even with the idler pushed over close to it.

Thanks.
It can the angle of the camera. It looks like the bell crank touches the lock nut/bolt and there is about 1mm gap between the flange bearing and the slider.

Mine looks like this. Then again, It can be the angle of the camera.

[belgoheli]

Simply slide the bolt in from the tailrotor side so that the nut is on the other side and all will be fine.

Belgo

[belgoheli]

Originally Posted by taoY

Hi,
Page 57 of the user manual documents the tail belt idler assembly. I tried several times but the lock nut interferes with the tail slider. Does this happen to you? Can you share a picture?

P.S. I ended up moving the lock nut to the left side.I will be a pain if I had to remove it.

Thanks

Removing is easy: use a 3 mm diameter rod (or an M3 treated rod) of approx. 4cm long to push out the bolt but leave it in so that all parts remain in place. Then push the rod out with the bolt in the same way and you're done.

Preferably no or little tension on the belt.

Regards,

Belgo

[craigdieselmac]

I had to file the exposed threads down because it didn't pass a paper drag, but it doesn't hit and it is installed correctly

[Mentalic]

Had a little issue with the 0610a "gear shaft elevator linkage". It would not fit into the flanged bearings nor the 0612 and 0614. Checked with caliper and shaft was 4.99 and so was the id of the other components its supposed to fit into. This would be a press fit.
So I chucked up shaft and polished it with 1000 wet/dry and oil. Used heavy paper in drill chuck so not to mar the shaft. Its like the shaft missed the polishing step?

[belgoheli]

In some cases the tailboom has a tendancy to wander to the front.
I produced a plastic block and screwed it into the existing M3 threaded hole. The bock has to sit tight to the carbon side plate nr 0840 to prevent it from rotating. Dimensions can be taken from part nr 0839d (alternatively order a spare 0839d and grind it or machine it to suit the position of the tailboom which is typically sticking out approx 1 mm).

Pics below are self explanatory

[belgoheli]

Trick to check proper alignement.

Given the fact the motor rests onto a separate frame (i.e. the carbon side frames 0840) other than the main frame (i.e. frames nr 0201), it is not self evident that the motor shaft and the first gear shaft (0510) are 100% parallel to each other. Obviously this could result in a poor mesh of the motor pinion.
This is how I've checked: remove the two M3x10 bolts above the gear nr 0506 in order to be able to let a small platform resting on top of the gear. Now check with a digital pitch gauge as in the pics below.
Repeat the same trick at 90 degrees with the gauge now resting on the upper bearing frame nr 0221.
If needed correct the angle using the space available in the slotted holes for fixing the motorplate.
.

[Mentalic]

Originally Posted by belgoheli

In some cases the tailboom has a tendancy to wander to the front.
I produced a plastic block and screwed it into the existing M3 threaded hole. The bock has to sit tight to the carbon side plate nr 0840 to prevent it from rotating. Dimensions can be taken from part nr 0839d (alternatively order a spare 0839d and grind it or machine it to suit the position of the tailboom which is typically sticking out approx 1 mm).

Pics below are self explanatory

Attachment 651364

Attachment 651365

I like this plan!

[ChopsyWA]

For Scorpion 4535 motors, there is no recess in the stator face allowing the pinion to get close enough to the stator. So, I have just fitted a 4530 shaft to the 4535 motor, which ends up with the shaft circlip groove inside the stator bearing, and the pinion can get close enough to the stator. This is an off-the-shelf alternative to machining a 4535 shaft in lathe.