Howdy Folks,

Some time ago there was a thread of a beautifully polished Tempest. ( http://runryder.com/helicopter/t708...=xtreme+hobbies ) This is my response.

As a side project I've been working to restore my first generation X-Cell. I bought it in 1989 and few it for years and years. It is a work in progress and if anyone sees any mistakes or omissions please let me know. To the best of my knowledge this is the way X-Cell shipped their very first helis in 1986.

The extension for the battery is not stock. Since the heli was always tail heavy and since I still fly this from time to time, I've left the extension on. Obviously the battery is new.

Non-symmetric head.

Feathering tail. Plastic gear box. Large pitch tail gears. Wire drive tail. 4 bolt tail fin. As a side note, the fin was not long enough to keep the T/R out of the ground. Then again, this was a time when the tail fin was designed to do more that stop the T/R from touching first!

Notice no bosses for screws in struts and ends of skids cut.

One piece start shaft/clutch. One piece main gear (non-CNC). No constant drive tail. Short main shaft with step at bottom. Collet with set screws, not split collet.

Single bearing start shaft block.

Again, collets with set screws, not split collet.

Top of the line Futaba!

Building the plywood tray doubled the time it took to get flying again after a crash!

Anyone know the service life for a set of servos?

Kit blades. I built these almost 17 years ago.

The tried and true OS .61SF-N. This engine has new bearings, piston, sleeve and ring. I flew it with a Super Tigre carb but for the restoration I put the stock carb back on.

Notice the bent metal frames, single tail support and Hatori pipe. X-Cell is famous for design by evolution not revolution. The cooling shroud is still the same part number on my tempest.

Tail dive gear was not supported at both ends and tended to flex up under heavy load. I don't miss the sound of it clicking as it skipped a tooth!

Like I said its still a work in progress. I need to clean it better. I have a clear canopy I need to paint. It will be white but I don't have a set of the orginal stickers. Anyone got a set in a box?

Hope you get a kick out of this.

Bill Vail

Now, That is COOL

John Crotts
www.soonerhelicamproductions.com

Edited.....

Bill Vail

Edit..........

Bill

i too have an early model xcell, but with all the new helis, expert, extreme, gasser, 90se, etc.. its hard to tinker with a grandpa of a model, not there is anything wrong with it, it actually flies descently good.

Nice job, Bill.

Fret not; there are still a few of us among all the Raptorites, 3D'o'philes, and youngsters who have burned a whole case of fuel, man! who still appreciate an old classic.

Good luck on the decals; I looked high and low for a set when I did that Sport Trainer review in MHT some years back; no joy.

I'm keeping an eye out for a #1003W kit NIB; that's the old Custom with white frames, boom, etc. My first X-Cell was a Custom with Bergen white G10 frames. In addition to being highly visible, a mainly-white helicopter just looks cool, IMO.

Steve... A fellow RunRyderer, Jay McDonald, has PMed me that he has a partial set of stickers he is willing to part with. The decals changed colors in latter production but the set Jay has sounds like the right ones. Jay said the decals missing from his sheet are the "X-Cell 60" and some of the smaller ones. These did not change on the new decal sheets and I have them.. Sooo... with any luck... I should have a clear (not blue tint) canopy soon.

Do I remember correctly, was the heli on the original heli on the X-Cell box mostly white with some yellow?

Anyone got a set of unbuilt blades they'd like to get out from under? Unbuilt plywood servo tray? Any LHS stuck with a set in the discount box?

Bill Vail

Steve... If I see a 1003w kit I'll let you know. They were pretty.

Bill Vail

Totally cool, i like it !

about 6 years ago i had one of these babies - flew darn well for a 60 size, i can dare to say it was one of the best 60 sizers i have ever flown - it felt light !!

www.liorzahavi.com

Good deal, Bill. Sounds like you will have a totally proper vintage X-Cell 60. That clear canopy was a find. Remember when they first started tinting them, and it was that hideous dark blue-green? And you are correct on the white/yellow. The yellow began just below the bottom stripe on the decal (IOW, about at the paint separation line between the bottom edge of the windshield and the canopy proper), and covered the bottom half of the canopy.

Man, you got me lit up a bit; enough to get off my ass and fix the exhaust leak on my old 98-spec ST.

If you ever head down this way, let me know; I'd love to have a look at your treasure.

Hi

I have two XCell 1001 kits that I bought back in 1988. Over the years one of them has been heavily updated to todays standard (torque tube, stacked frames uniball clutch, plastic tray, heavy duty front pinion gear kit, metal head block, etc), it still has the original tail rotor hub that uses a piece of fuel tubing as a dampner. Even though I have other helicopters, I still fly it regularly because it flys very good.

The other one I have it stock with only the plastic trays and push pull for elevator and collective, but I haven´t flown it for several years. It only needs the radio to be installed. Maybe some day.

Regards
Eduardo

I have a set of woodies unbuilt and built from that time period they are the robbe no. s 3820... I never flew the built set. I built them up about a year ago cause i thought they would look good on a scale job. they are balanced exactly Using the kroll balancer

Original Excell

You have a beautiful bird there!!! However I don't think the gyro mount is original to that production run.I looked in my original instruction manual for excell60 #5112.
JUNKPILOT

When you fly JUNK it's hard to tell when you've crashed!

Amazing how good design is timeless. The X-cell line has done a great job of evolving and staying competitive. When I started messing around with helis in the late '80s X-cells were THE machine to have in my area if you were a top pilot. Nice pictures!

-Steven Balder

ExCell

I got my first ExCell about 18 years ago it was / is the best ship I've ever flown. I've kept her polished and upgraded until possibly no original parts still live on her! see gallery
Junkpilot

When you fly JUNK it's hard to tell when you've crashed!

Junkpilot,

Sorry it took a day or two to get back to you. I've been out of town for a few days.

You are absolutely correct. The gyro mounts didn't come in the 1001 box. I think it was one of the first (of many:-)) upgrades to come from MA. I had kind-of-forgotten that point because I ordered the gyro mounts as an add on with my original kit. In other words it was always on my heli. I guess I should take 'em off and mount the gyro on the tray.

You probably already know this, but for the benefit of others, the thinking for the moving the mounting to behind the main mast was that it gave more "pure" rotational input to the gyro. Even then I remember thinking that that did not fit with what I know about angular velocity.

Bill Vail

Wow very different! Yet still has some resemblance...

NewHeli

Nathaniel Rice
Team HeliWholesaler/Miniature Aircraft
Team YS Engines

NewHeli... Nice looking heli!

Stacked carbon frames and plastic radio tray. Older skids. Upgraded anti-rotation link. Twin tail boom supports but still a single piece start shaft. I'd say yours is a very nicely done, upgraded version of the same heli at mine. Nice!

Bill Vail

I have a wooden tray still in the bag. I also have some decals not complete, left overs from several sheets. Since I have been with MinAir from before they brought out the X-Cell I have a lot of vintage parts, most used but servicable. Let me know what you are looking for. Dave

DaveDavison,Team HeliWholesaler, FBL Spectra,FBL Fury55,Stratus, JR 12x

ExCellent!

I have new clear canopies (5) and decal set! PM for details.
Also have at least 2 blue tint canopies. Junkpilot

When you fly JUNK it's hard to tell when you've crashed!