Helicycle Hatchery

Vance- Thanks. It is a pleasure to have some more progress being done again with more parts to gnaw on. Tim- Thanks also. The rotorblades actually won't be installed until the factory checkout. That's when I receive my elastomeric bearings for the rotorhead. I wil be installing the tip weights, finishing up the drag links, and polishing the blades. By then my turbine should be here. Stan
 
Finally some wood in this chopper! I had to make the root end plugs, epoxy and countersunk screws for their permanent attachment.

The tip end plugs were also made, but they wont be installed until after the 12 oz. tip weights are permanently installed.

I traced the airfoil pattern...and ground away what didnt belong, then just took an 8 pound sledge and drove them in......ha....just kidding. These were slowly ground down so it was a nice push fit....I didnt want the airfoil shape at the tip end to be changed. I drilled the pilot holes into these blocks first for the screws...then drilled the aluminum skins and countersunk them for the wood screws that along with epoxy hold these into place. The tip blocks weigh around 1/2 ounce and I was told they exert 18-20 pounds of centrifugal force. The 12 ounce tip weight exerts over 700 pounds.


Stan
 

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Stan,

How are the 12oz tip weights secured to resist the 700 pounds trying to pull them out?

Mike
 
Hi Stan
I have been following your build, and what a great job.how long did it take to get all the parts from eagle ?

ken-
 
Mike- Good question on how the tip weights are going to be secured. I will be temporarily installing them soon. There are several large screws that work in shear to hold these weights in. The will be right behind the wooden tip plugs..but of course the tip plugs are not holding these energy boosters in.


Ken- Thanks....I cant answer how long it took me to get all the parts, until my turbine arrives. Then I will have all the parts! My first shipment arrived in February of 2008.


I forgot to mention that these root and tip plugs will have three 1/4 inch holes in them for ventilation.

Stan
 
Stan-What do you think of the MH-1,I talked to john and he had said that if everything goes good they might have kits for sale in a year or so.I will be buying a kit this year and wanted to wait till i see how the MH-1 does.the mini 500 had alot of problems but anything can be fixed. And it looks like John and them might be the people to do it.

Ken-
 
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Ken- I can't say I am a good source for information on the MH-1 . It looks like it flies nice on the videos I have seen. I was really looking forward to getting to see it in person and fly it at Bensen Days. I personally have a rule to let a new machine be flown for 5 years before I invest in one. Not trying to put a damper on any MH-1 sales, but that is my way of letting others work the bugs out, and there are always upgrades made in those first 5 years. I waited on the Helicycle 5 years before I bought one, and I was pleasantly surprised receiving the latest upgrade to my engine mounting system. The group 5 I am in now all have this upgrade, and it is one reason my turbine has been delayed. Stan
 
Stan,

Are the tip weights an optional addition? I don't recall seeing any screws, besides the ones holding the plugs in, on the Helicycle blades I looked at when I was at Homer's last year. Maybe I just don't remember them, I'll have to go look at some pictures.

Edit: Never mind, I looked at some other build pictures and I now see the two large screws that hold the weights in the back channel of the leading edge.

Thanks,
Mike
 
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Mike- The tip weights are held in with three 1/4 X 20 bolts. One in from the top and two up from the bottom. The tip weights are not an option, but a standard integral part of a rotor system designed for very goor autorotative characteristics. I know how to fly an R22 and everyone tells me that there is a lot more energy to play with. Those tip weights provide a lot of that. I will soon be giving first hand flight reports rather than 2nd hand. Nothing like experiencing it yourself. Stan
 
I received my last instrument this morning.....the digital tach that will be reading ou 62000 rpm someday. Its the rectangle one just above my top row of switches.

I had pre-cut the hole trusting Blakes measurements over the phone. I almost never do this..but I did....and was aprehensive about it until it slid in very nice and snug. Now if I had something to let this take the pulse of!

Its going to be tough to work on this the next several days as I am out of town finishing a stairway before Bensen Days.


Stan
 

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Mike- Heres a clearer answer to your question about the tip weights. The 12 oz. tip weight will slide down inside the spar, and after all the work on the blades is complete...these will be secured with those 3 screws I have pictured. The tip weights will be one inch away from the end of the rotor, leaving a 1/4 inch space behind the wooden tip plug. Energy in motion! I incorrectly calculated the energy of these by using 8 ounces.....they are 12 ounces...and each tip weight is pulling out with a force of 962 pounds at 610 rpm. Thats some serious power!

Stan
 

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Nothing exotic like depleted uranium then Stan?:)
 
Leigh- No depleted uranium! That is some heavy stuff. I am the type that if 12 oz. is better than 0 oz. why not put 12 pounds pounds down that spar? Once you get the blades up to speed....you could shut the engine off....pull collective and go fly for awhile! ha



Stan
 
I just posted these pictures in another thread directed to Chuck Beaty for his opinion. I precisely balanced my rotorblade on two fulcrum blocks spaced exactly parallel to the leading edge...until it was perfectly balanced. I then placed the tip weight in its channel....and noticed that the centerline of this 12 oz. tip weight was right over the balance point...so the chordwise balance does not change with the addition of the tip weight.

The balance point is exactly 2.0 inches from the leading edge...and the chord width is exactly 7.25 inches. This means the chordwise balance is at .2758...or slightly over 27.5%.

I had to file a little to get this tip weight nestled all the way to the front of the channel in the spar. This satisfied my curiosity and I can at least give someone an answere where the chordwise balance is.


Stan
 

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Stan
Does Eagle sell the builder's video's to people that are thinking of buying there product?

Ken-
 
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Ken- Call Eagle R&D at 208-466-4120 and ask them if they will sell you a set. If they wont....contact me and I will sell you an extra set that I have.


Stan
 
Thanks Stan ill do that...Also I would like to hear about if you get to fly the new MH-1 at Benson day,and what you think ..

Ken-
 
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Ken- The MH-1 isn't going to make it to Bensen Days according to what I know. Some necessary upgrades are being done and I am not the one to say what these are. Stan
 
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