No more snagged landing gear

Skyepuncher · Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 1:00 am Post subject: No more snagged landing gear

A couple of near misses, AND My last crash were due My landing
skids getting snagged in the grass at lift-off. This happened with
both stock B-400 gear, and Scale Fuse gear. So I made a heli-pad.
Took a 4' x 4' piece of 1/4" plywood, cut it round,sprayed it with
adhesive, added fake grass. Cut a hand-grip into it for easy
carrying. Works out well.

Scott

admiral · Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 5:05 am Post subject:

Simple, Practicle and cheap, I really like it, ticks all the boxes Laughing

_________________
Keep your rotors spinning

Keith

Skyepuncher · Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 5:09 am Post subject:

Thank You Admiral. Wish I could get out & use it.
Been really windy lately.

nick_onelove · Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 7:36 am Post subject:

Uh oh, is this the start of another marathon helipad thread? Very Happy

That looks great by the way, Scott.

A guy from the RCgroups forum sells these great portable helipads:

I had him custom build me an even bigger one and it's just perfect. It's super light and folds for portability, yet remains very rigid when unfolded.
_________________
Align: Trex 250 3GX + Trex 450 Pro with Vbar
Blade: 450 X, mCP X, 120 SR, mSR X, CX3, mCX2
Esky: Belt-CP X and V2 - Futaba: Heli-Max Axe 400
Walkera: V500D01, M120D01, V100D08, DEVO 8
Spektrum: DX8 - AMA #967873 - IRCHA #4095

Tom Lauten · Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 8:29 am Post subject:

Sweet. I want to make one that fixes to a small camera tripod so that I can use it in taller grass and hopefully avoid some ground effect at the same time.
_________________
If only I could fly as well as I spend money I don't have...

All Blades, all the time...
MSR
MSR X
MCP X
120SR
Blade 400

tombo242 · Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 9:25 am Post subject:

nick_onelove · Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 11:25 am Post subject:

Wow, awesome new avatar Tombo! Very Happy

I didn't even know they had RC back in medieval times! Laughing

Haha just teasin'.
_________________
Align: Trex 250 3GX + Trex 450 Pro with Vbar
Blade: 450 X, mCP X, 120 SR, mSR X, CX3, mCX2
Esky: Belt-CP X and V2 - Futaba: Heli-Max Axe 400
Walkera: V500D01, M120D01, V100D08, DEVO 8
Spektrum: DX8 - AMA #967873 - IRCHA #4095

tombo242 · Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2011 12:28 am Post subject:

Single channel spark Tx, just a button on a box. Inside the fuse, a 4 point escapement driven by a rubber band moved a weight (the 90V ht battery) right-center-left-centre when released by the Rx. (A 3 valve super-regen system.) Same weight shift system as now used to turn in a hang-glider, moving the CG sideways off the center line.

Engine ran flatout for 15 sec and ran out of fuel. You glided back down. Tx & Rx made from ex WD components, your are correct in that there was no commercial kit available. (Or if there was I couldn't afford it!) We had to make our own.

Control was simple, if flying straight one press would give either a left or right turn. If you were going left and wanted to go to the right you pressed twice, (one for center, next for right) etc.

Range was very limited - a real park flyer, and the Rx very unreliable at best.

Tom.
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solentlife · Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2011 12:36 am Post subject:

We could of course discuss Galloping Ghost ?

When you think back to not so long ago and the development to todays radio systems ... it's a bit like the PC world ... in days you get leaps forward that previously took years ...........

The difference of button radio to my 1980's JR was astounding ........ but so is the difference of that JR to the digital stuff we have now.
_________________
If you don't crash - you ain't flying !
Fast learning to be 450 Heli Repair specialist !
Have : 2ch Bumblebee,
Co-Ax Syma S006 Alloy Shark
2x Clone 450 SE V2
+ fixed wing stuff ...
Returning to RC after 20 odd yrs away .. Ex Display flyer.

pjdog · Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2011 12:54 am Post subject:

I had a Galloping Ghost system. ACE. In the early 1970's. Installed in a small bird dog powered by a COX .049. Lots of fun.

Red wing black birds hated it. would attack it at once.

Ah - the old days.

Skyepuncher:

Very nice helicopter & landing pad.
In fact both pads look great.

Jack
_________________
RC Submarines (3)
RC Planes (20)
RC Boats (3)
RC Helicopters (5) B400-EXI 450 pro-EXI 450-MSR-MCX
DX6I (2)
AMA-952547

nick_onelove · Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2011 1:31 am Post subject:

Wow.

You guys are why I love this forum, you literally have decades of experience . . .

I want to extract the knowledge from your brains, via drill and shop-vac if necessary. Laughing

_________________
Align: Trex 250 3GX + Trex 450 Pro with Vbar
Blade: 450 X, mCP X, 120 SR, mSR X, CX3, mCX2
Esky: Belt-CP X and V2 - Futaba: Heli-Max Axe 400
Walkera: V500D01, M120D01, V100D08, DEVO 8
Spektrum: DX8 - AMA #967873 - IRCHA #4095

pjdog · Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2011 1:44 am Post subject:

First Galloping Ghost I had was a citizenship in a red aluminum box with open gimbals. Antenna was real long powered by a dry cell battery. Inside the buzzard bombshell was a big fat rubber band that powered the cycle of the rudder.

Plane few away - never did see it again. Lost up in Indianapolis Indiana on the south side. Plane few great, just went south.

jack
_________________
RC Submarines (3)
RC Planes (20)
RC Boats (3)
RC Helicopters (5) B400-EXI 450 pro-EXI 450-MSR-MCX
DX6I (2)
AMA-952547

solentlife · Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2011 2:00 am Post subject:

My first set had a switch instead of a button ...

Inside plane was a clockwork escapement instead of rubber band.

Radio was reed tuned if I remember and drifted like crazy ! To be honest like PJD ... it was more like free-flight with a faint possibility you MIGHT get it back !!

Never did get it to work ... and then I saw an early two stick on 27Mhz ... I just HAD TO HAVE IT !!

Never looked back then ... I was in heaven.

My first RC plane with that 2 stick radio was a Veron Robot 2 ch. Despite my use of it - I lent it to another guy 4yrs later still in flying condition - who promptly crashed it !

But let's be honest - those days were a good foundation for later, as it taught you CoG, balance, wing incidence, trimming ... items that seem to be lost amongst the RTF and unpack and throw models of today ... but still relevant today as then.
_________________
If you don't crash - you ain't flying !
Fast learning to be 450 Heli Repair specialist !
Have : 2ch Bumblebee,
Co-Ax Syma S006 Alloy Shark
2x Clone 450 SE V2
+ fixed wing stuff ...
Returning to RC after 20 odd yrs away .. Ex Display flyer.

admiral · Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2011 3:50 am Post subject:

Hi All,

Missed the earliest radios, knew about them knew people that had them, but still at school did not have the knowledge or money, by the time I had the money and know how, discovered Cars, Girls & Booze all about the same time, dropped out of aeromodelling and by the time I came back about 5~6 years later the early proportional sets were in.

Know how it feels to watch a model sail away though Jack had a big free flight sail plane called the Apache do it, dethermaliser fuse must have gone out or something, Gee it looked beautifull sailing off into the distance, whats that crap about if you set it free and it comes back, hell that was a months pocket money sailing away. Never did find it.

Sorry, Scott looks like us old farts highjacked your thread.
_________________
Keep your rotors spinning

Keith

Skyepuncher · Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2011 4:20 am Post subject:

Haha! No problem Keith. Funny Sh&t. Love it.
I`m 53, so go on about the old farts. Blow
the dust off. Very Happy

(edit) I had a similar experience w/the cars, girls, booze thing.
We`re only Human. Wouldn`t trade it for nuthin` Wink