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Does anyone know of an alternative site to order a division C helicopter other than Freedom Flight? They are running 4 weeks behind schedule.

fridner wrote:Does anyone know of an alternative site to order a division C helicopter other than Freedom Flight? They are running 4 weeks behind schedule.

You could try the Ward's kit.

While I am not directly aware of alternatives, I know the effort Dave has put into making his kit highly competitive, and taking advantage of the Chinook bonus. It is unfortunate that there are delays. I believe it is because of the reported success with his kit, especially with the bonus.

In our State, the Regions are in January, and States in February. Therefore, we had no choice but to custom design and build. This is taking several iterations, and hopefully in the end will be competitive. This is always an option, but takes some time. It should be more rewarding if successful!

The Ward kit, https://wardsci.com/store/catalog/produ ... 470231-386 , is available, but does nto appear to be Chinook, nor does the kit contain any carbon (IMHO needed otmake the rotors strong enough and light enough).

If you had last year's FF kits (or see photos online), you can make rotors with the same methods (but larger), and then make a Chinook frame with vanes. Otherwise, waiting for Dave's kit, while frustrating, will be needed to be competitive.

Coach Chuck

These were mentioned last year: https://www.amaglider.com/?p=view&a=sta ... opter-2016

They meet last year's specifications, so you might have to add more weight on them, but they're still legal. You also might want to enlarge them to meet this year's specs.

Has anyone constructed a carbon fiber prop that is not from one of Dave's kits?

Our team has made 6 different sets of rotors from carbon without the FF kit. Some have been simple X-spar design, some similar to Dave's, and some with stiffness modifiers to try to perform better at launch.

The key, whether carbon or not, is having an accurate fixture. We spend more time on the fixtures than on the rotors. Unfortunately, each small change requires a new fixture, or at least modifications.

I think one could benefit from making 3-D printed fixtures, or a fixture with moveable/adjustable parts to provide flexibility.

We will probably build at least 4 more sets before Nats, applying what we learn from testing each variation. The kids are excited and want to keep building new ideas.

Coach Chuck
Albuquerque Area Home Schoolers