Rotors

[Draylon Fogg]

like he had the rotor and a beam in the middle connecting the ribs, for extra support

[thewinner]

Oh. That beam is just dead weight, IMHO. Unless you really need it.

[Draylon Fogg]

not necessarily, using the right density it could be very helpful in maintaining support in the middle of the rotor

[thewinner]

Oh well. Anyway, sorry for being blunt. But in my opinion, that beam is not neccessary.

[Draylon Fogg]

not necessarily, yours may be fine but if someone's rotor is to flimsy, then a center beam may be just what the person needs.

[kjhsscioly]

It would all depend on the size of the wood you use for the spars and ribs - if they are particularly thin, it could be vital

[illusionist]

Has anyone used basswood for the spars? If so, how does it compare to balsa (both in 1/16 x 1/16) in terms of performance and weight?

[Draylon Fogg]

bass is a lot heavier, it's stronger but still way heavier so depending on how yours flies i would probable stick with balsa or if you want bass use a very low density

[illusionist]

I think this has come up before, but has anyone collected reliable, accurate data on the effects of cambered (curved) ribs? I know that they have a positive effect, but I am curious as to how beneficial this is to flight time. I plan on trying it out myself, but wanted to do some "research" first.

[kjhsscioly]

Has anyone used basswood for the spars? If so, how does it compare to balsa (both in 1/16 x 1/16) in terms of performance and weight?

I tried, but without glue, which means I cut all the pieces and massed them in length, but it would have made a helicopter well over four grams with two rotors. I personally don't recommend unless you motorstick is super light, or you basswood is very low density.