Minicopter Joker 3 Build videos

[merlin703]

Mine is 15t pinion. My HS was over 2,000. I was trying to get middle 1,900 by changing the settings on my radio but the ESC is recommended to stay in the 85% rule for better performance. Not a big deal the faster head speed just didn't know and still don't know why my HS didn't get the the lower one desired.

My Joker 3 is grounded for the moment. I should be getting the part I need from Gerd next week, I hope. I'm sure he is a busy man. I've been watching some Joker 3 videos and other large helis now my fingers are itching badly... the Joker 3 is my first large helicopter (coming from TREX500) so I can't compare it to others but the sound of it is sweet and the feeling of a large helicopter... not to mention the quality of the work from Gerd. I still have to find a good video out there from a stick banger. I hope to meet with some buddies later on and let them fly it. I'm not a stick banger so my video would be boring as hell (just like the ones I found online).

Originally Posted by Mercuriell

I'll be using Futaba BLS 351 left over from my Henseleit MPXL-E - the ALigns servos are very good - just a tad steppy and take a little more current than the FUtabas but great bang for buck.

Often motor kV is significantly higher than stated and can easily have a 10% variation on quoted. WHat size pinion pulley are you using - I have a 13t which predicts 1700 HS and a 14t on order which comes out at 1800 - for a 90 electric 17-1800 allows you to do most anything but for high speed FFF up to 1900 is good - above that you're wasting power.

[Mercuriell]

Next up we put the frames together - no big deal except marginal thinness of the CDF meant an extra shim needed for one of the frame spaces. My Pyro 30-32 motor obviously from the batch that didn't have their end-plate secured adequately as I found my shaft had moved and had to be re-aligned - Servo install straightforward - I'm gonna use the BLS 351 on cyclic.

Joker3 Vid 5 - Frame Union, Pyro Teardown and Servo Install - wmv 141MB

[Sigma Golem]

Are you going to video the flight test?

[Mercuriell]

Rotor head assembly posted - a very solid and elegant piece of kit - the rotor head comes absolutely ready to use with the spindle bolts Loctited in but obviously good to check this every time for yourself.

The plastic ball links between swash and main grip are the chunkiest I have seen and rest on the end of 2.5mm links - excellent stuff. No big surprises I didn't tear down the rotor head just for the vids but will do one oneday when I need to change bearings. The dampers are large o-rings on a Delrin former and come in 3 grades of hardness.

PS - I didn't point this out in the vids but the balls on the swash for the blade links are slightly shorter and a thicker thread (4mm) than the others whcih goes for a super strong link - as Gerd pointed out in FBL all the stress from the swash is going via one link whereas with a Bell-Hiller mix the load is split.

Gerd has also sent me a load of tips for assembly of the TT which is what I will be doing next

Joker3 Build Vid 6 - Rotor Head Assembly - wmv 83MB

[merlin703]

Hey John, your Joker (frames) look like the Maxi Joker 3 and not the Joker 3, why is that? Compare MY pictures with the one from THIS Maxi
On Gerd's site the Joker3 still look like mine.

https://www.helifreak.com/album.php?...ictureid=23456

[Mercuriell]

Originally Posted by merlin703

Hey John, your Joker (frames) look like the Maxi Joker 3 and not the Joker 3, why is that? Compare MY pictures with the one from THIS Maxi
On Gerd's site the Joker3 still look like mine.

https://www.helifreak.com/album.php?...ictureid=23456

Gee can't get away with anything :o - some of the pictuires in this thread were beautiful photos lifted from Gerd's new multi-manual and you are quite right the pic shown in the frames thread is a MAXI joker with longer front battery tray - the top frames are identical though and only the eagle-eyed would spot the 'poetic license' taken

Anyway here's a non-studio pic of mine just FYI !

[merlin703]

LOL, actually, if I ever have the replace my lower frames (plus 1 or 2 extra plates), I would probably get the frames for the Maxi. I believe the only difference is extra long and if that is the case, it's just more room to put your stuff neatly organized. The canopy covers that area anyway, it's not like it's going to produce extra resistance while in the air... unless people like flying it with no canopy

[Mercuriell]

Boom and TT assembly done - the TT is a 5mm alloy tube runing in bearings supported by Delrrin formers which are located by screws in the boom. Unusual touch is the one way bearing at the end of the TT to grip the front bearing block output shaft. The bearing supports are tight in the boom and were helped by gentle persuasion with a rubber mallet and old MA boom !

Joker3 Vid7 - Tail Boom and TT Assembly - wmv - 113MB

[helicraze]

Looking good John, can't wait to see it flying!

[Mercuriell]

Tail gearbox - pretty straightforward open Delrin bevel gear arrangement

Joker3 Vid 8 Tailgearbox - wmv - 75MB

[BennyTRD]

I always enjoy your buils of these exotic machines. Great stuff!!

[Laurens]

Me too, its a great heli and you show it very well. That tailcase is a piece of art.

[Mercuriell]

Carying on with the slider we install the yoke levers which are a bit of a fiddle as it's vital to get them setup with correct spacers so they don't bind. The jewel in the crown for the tail is the grips with their enormous chinese weights. After tail is assembled we mount it onto the TT and into the boom - all fits beautifully

Joker3 - Vid 9 - Tail Rotor & Slider Assembly - wmv - 106MB

[Dogdocphil]

That is as elegant a tail as I have ever seen! Its a thing of beauty

[BennyTRD]

Great design on the tail.

[4cyclic]

this plus the scissor pitch control. Very ooooh nice !!!

[Mercuriell]

Got a day off on Friday so pitched in the radio gear and a quick V-Bar setup - maidened it yesterday - early days but very smooth and floaty - and fast of course !!

Transmission sound quite endearing - softer than the TDR - must be the belt drive. HS definitely on the low side with this pulley motor combo - 90% throttle gave 1760 HS. I have a nice new looking XmaX 560 motor from Minicopter which I am dying to try but first will increase the pulley on the motor 14-15t. I'd say with a 14t it needs at least a 560kV motor. I'll be doing some FDR. The packs were a a bit of a squeeze putting in with x2 6S so I'll be fiddling with that - the 12S slid in no worries.

I'll put up some pics today and film the final video of radio installation and a quick run over setup - not that that took long !



[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_bq-fXop2w[/ame]

[Dogdocphil]

Do you think you could fit KDE's Neu 1917 1.5y N42 motor in there? that is a beast of a motor

[Laurens]

Looking great John! Are you happy so far?

[Mercuriell]

Originally Posted by Dogdocphil

Do you think you could fit KDE's Neu 1917 1.5y N42 motor in there? that is a beast of a motor

Size and spindle size yes but not sure about the Neu mounting plate as this has a funny 8 hole arrangement - I'll try it and see ! Power wise the Neus are great but the Pyro certainly run cooler - one of my upcoming projects is to use the Joker as a test bed for few engines

PS - Won't fit the Joker3 motor plate - odd configuration on the KDE Neu - probably to fit their conversion kit

Originally Posted by Laurens

Looking great John! Are you happy so far?

Very much so - it's a very well behaved heli to fly - doesn't seem to want to get away from you so much as the TDR so better suited for my abilities - gonna crank up the specs though and have a drag play off between the two - I think they'll be closely mateched for speed and it'll comedown to pack and pilot abilities - it's ben an interesting exercise building the two and I'll do a comparison later but in short the quality and engineering of the two is comparable ie top notch !