ok so basicly heli #2 will work, i'll just find which way to wind the motor.
jander14indoor wrote:
And vice versa, top prop left handed, bottom right, you wind counter-clockwise, again, whichever is 'free'.
and if on heli #2 i switch which side is right handed and left handed it would still work, i would just have to wind differntly.
my issue is no longer about the winding, since that is easy to see whats wrong and easy to fix. i just wanna make sure it will work winding either way.
jander14indoor wrote:BUTTERFLY come from? What the heck was I thinking about??? I mean its so obvious you need to wind moth... err... dragonfly... err...
it doesn't fly in a circle like a WS plane. it's supposed to fly perpendicular to the floor [*edit* depeneding on your design]. altitude is gonna be an issue espeically if the ceiling has stuff the heli can get caught on and stay there forever. be careful.
Last edited by smartkid222 on October 19th, 2009, 2:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Control the power (rubber width), control the pitch to control height.
The contra rotating designs basically fly straight up and then down. Not much horizontal movement. Penni style single rotor with tail rotor designs can move horizontally, circle controlled by the tail rotor to main rotor ratio.
Ceiling bumpers are typical for dual rotor designs, a simple wire or stick above the top rotor.
Helicopter wasn't flown at nationals last year. This coming will be the first.
30 seconds or so is fairly doable, I believe that in Ohio there were times above a minute with last years rules, heavier copter and smaller rotors. I'd expect 1:30 to be doable this year.
Alright, so I'm confused on the way to approach this. It says we can buy a kit, but would it be easier to just make it by hand and with wood? Also, I saw the earlier post on the different ways to make a helicopter, but I'm still confused about how I to go forward. I know it sounds vauge, but I would be very appreciative if I could get some ideas on what to do. Thanks!
No problems, that's what this forum is for, questions and answers.
Kits vs plans vs own design.
- Kits are great for someone starting off as they have all the materials in one place. However, they are seldom the best possible design or materials as the compromises needed to keep prices reasonable and still make a profit necessitate short cuts. Plus, there are no purpose built kits for this event that I've seen yet. There are helicopter kits out there, not optimized for these rules. Some are wrong size or weight, some have rotor pre-made (illegal with these rules). Look for the Penni Copter, Wright Bat or Ceiling Walker. BUT, you may still be money ahead buying one, building it, and flying it if you have no experience. You get some building experience, and some flying to get an idea of the principles.
- Plans. Eventually there will be good plans available that fit these rules, not yet. With plans you can select the best materials and significantly improve your helicopter. Strength with lightness. And you'll know how to repair it, a real positive. With a good plan you can compete with the best.
- Own plans. If you know enough and have enough experience, this may give you a special edge. But without the knowledge or experience, its a path to disappointment. So start with kits or published plans. Learn what makes them work. Make small changes to see what improves them. Then expand your modifications, try those special ideas, etc.
Where to get started.
As I said above, to get started buy one of the available kits. Build it, fly it, understand how it works. At the same time research. Understand the principles, etc.
The conventional wisdom says a two rotor ceiling walker design will work well. Look for plans on the internet, or in some of the reference books. Indoor Flying Models by Lew Gitlow and Building and Flying Indoor Model Airplanes by Ron Williams both have excellent helicopter plans. They are a little hard core for this event (lighter and larger) but as a starting point give the idea of this type of copter and how to build the rotor. Pick a design, scale it to these rules, and beef it up to the rule minimum weight for strength and it should fly.
Hope that gives you a starting point, feel free to ask more questions. The more specific, the better, but ask anyway.
2008 NY BLG Champ
