Freedom Flight Kit top bumper and rotor hook

[bjt4888]

Here's a student question received via email that I am posting here for all to benefit:

"Hi,

I am currently working on building the 2025 Freedom Flight Helicopter. I am having a hard time with shafting and I need some guidance on this portion.
Can you give brief information about how to do shafting and how to make the bumper for the helicopter? I tried to use the manual, but it is not clear.

Thanks,

Ja"

Ja,

I am not sure what you mean by "shafting". Do you mean 1. bending the rotor hook 2. inserting the shaft in the thrust button and rotor and bending the shaft end to 90 degrees 3. something else?

The teams that I coach have built nine of the freedom flight helicopters (with our modifications) and the top bumper is just a .020" carbon rod glued perpendicular and centered on one side of the top disc in the middle hole of the ceiling bumper shaft support (small circular part that has notches for the four stabilizing cross bars).

There are nine pictures and a diagram in the FFM kit instructions for bending the hook and inserting in the nose button and rotor red tube and bending the end. Which of the steps are you having difficulty with?

Brian T