Can anyone help? Is this a Mini 500?

luckyluciano

Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2009
Messages
210
Location
Clitheroe
Hello,
This was my late father’s project.
We’d like to sell it and have no idea how much to ask for it. We think it could be a Mini 500?
We put it on Facebook marketplace, and within only a few hours had lots of messages, but we fear people just want to buy it for scrap, and we’d like to sell to someone who is genuinely interested in it as a project.
It’s a tough one 😔
Any advice would be so much appreciated.
Thank you!
(Lucky Luciano’s daughter)
Lancashire, UK

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Not an OEM Mini 500. Possibly a Millenium. Looks to have a Three cylinder Snowmobile Yamaha Engine.
 
I was truly sorry to hear about your fathers passing. We exchanged a bit of correspondence when I had my Mini 500 project and I had the pleasure of meeting him once at the Bensen Days event in Florida. He will be missed.

As for his project it is a one of a kind machine. While he did use some Mini 500 components it is far from being a Mini 500. And although he utilized a 3 cylinder Yamaha engine that is the only similarity to a Millennium upgrade. So in reality it cannot be considered to be either one of those machines.

That said it is an interesting project and they do pop up once in a while. I hope you find someone over there that wants to take it on. Shame it's across the pond.
 
Sorry for your circumstances, it looks a good project from the photos. I expect value would be the sum of the major off the shelf components. If you were further south I would be interested to have a look. Hope you find the right person to take it on.
 
I was truly sorry to hear about your fathers passing. We exchanged a bit of correspondence when I had my Mini 500 project and I had the pleasure of meeting him once at the Bensen Days event in Florida. He will be missed.

As for his project it is a one of a kind machine. While he did use some Mini 500 components it is far from being a Mini 500. And although he utilized a 3 cylinder Yamaha engine that is the only similarity to a Millennium upgrade. So in reality it cannot be considered to be either one of those machines.

That said it is an interesting project and they do pop up once in a while. I hope you find someone over there that wants to take it on. Shame it's across the pond.
Many thanks for your reply Barney. 🙏
It’s wonderful to hear you met my dad! He is sorely missed - an absolute genius ❤️ What you have written is very helpful indeed. Interesting that you mentioned Florida - I’m taking my family there early next month for a couple of weeks. We’re going to Universal and have hired a car to get away to a few nice beaches.
Wishing you all the best, and thanks again!
Enza
 
Sorry for your circumstances, it looks a good project from the photos. I expect value would be the sum of the major off the shelf components. If you were further south I would be interested to have a look. Hope you find the right person to take it on.
Thank you very much indeed for taking the time to reply. It’s helpful to us ‘girls’ who have zero technical knowledge about helicopters (although I can recognize a Robinson R22) ☺️
Enza
 
Sorry for your circumstances, it looks a good project from the photos. I expect value would be the sum of the major off the shelf components. If you were further south I would be interested to have a look.
Funny, in the US a couple hundred miles would be considered almost next door. Like... Orlando to Miami? :)
 
Funny, in the US a couple hundred miles would be considered almost next door. Like... Orlando to Miami? :)
Ha, Yes I thought you US people would think that. Different mind set I suppose.
 
It's definitely the mind set. In Manhattan (NYC), I know folks who think five miles is "far".

I once worked with an Englishman, visiting our New York office, who said he was planning to go to Iowa (!) for the weekend. I asked if he had booked a flight. He said he thought he would just hire a car.
I said "You cannot drive to Iowa and back in a weekend".
"Well, why not?"
"It's 1,000 miles each way!"
"Oh, is it really that far?"
:rolleyes:
 
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Hi Ezna,

I regularly conversed with your late Dad during the build of his project. I was engaged in a similar one down in Australia.

The core of his machine came from a Mini-500. He modified the frame extensively, and converted the powerplant to a Yamaha FX Nytro engine. He had it running, but not tidied up the electrical installation. His main transmission was internally modified as well. The unfortunate thing is, it's a personal design on the fly. With his unfortunate passing, the design intent still outstanding was lost, so it's not something someone can pick up an continue with, unless he disassembles it all, determine the status of each part, and develop the balance of the design to completion.ge

As I have a similar engine installed into mine, and the original parts could be used as spares, I would be interested in taking over his project. This would require me to come over to the UK, disassemble and discard the unwanted parts, and crate up the parts I would like to keep.

Please PM me to establish contact again. You did e-mail me a while back, after I enquired about the health of your Dad. You could make contact again at fransie at bigpond dot com.

BR, Francois
 
Hello,
This was my late father’s project.
We’d like to sell it and have no idea how much to ask for it. We think it could be a Mini 500?
We put it on Facebook marketplace, and within only a few hours had lots of messages, but we fear people just want to buy it for scrap, and we’d like to sell to someone who is genuinely interested in it as a project.
It’s a tough one 😔
Any advice would be so much appreciated.
Thank you!
(Lucky Luciano’s daughter)
Lancashire, UK

View attachment 1155386
Definitely looks like my MH1 which is a up dated mini 500
 
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