RAK402
Key Veteran
Location: Alhambra, CA
My Posts This: Topic Forum | It is a Competitor-I worked at the GMP factory when they were being developed.
The side frames, gears, head, tail gear box (about 90% of the helicopter) were made by Hirobo-that is why the parts are marked "Hirobo".
The "I" levers to keep the swashplate level are missing and the bellcrank to raise and lower the swashplate (collective) is put on upside down (correct for a Competitor).
The Competitor was based on the Falcon 808. GMP changed the gearing, changed from a belt start to a cone start, reduced the main rotor diameter, shortened the tail boom, used the servo trays and fins from the Falcon 505, and changed the canopy to tailor the machine for the American market (i.e. hotter aerobatic type flying-the 808 was geared more towards FAI). GMP also changed from the very heavy, stock Hirobo paddles to Schulter/Heliboy type paddles (thin, sharp, light).
I suspect that Mr. Gorham sold many, many more Competitors than he ever could have sold Falcon 808's.
CONING ANGLE
"GMP used the Hirobo blade grips with their Pro yoke that took out the coning angle of the Hirobo yoke."
Technically, Hirobo took the coning out of the yoke. The original yoke, used on the Falcon 707 and the scale (flatbed) ships, was die cast and had a coning angle. The "Pro" yoke, was simply the 808 yoke (machined with no coning angle) re-named the "Pro" yoke by GMP.
The GMP/Hirobo parts were painted a satin black. The same parts when sold in their original Hirobo kits, were painted a gunmetal color (some say greenish gunmetal-I cannot tell).
SIDE FRAME DEVELOPEMENT
Someone commented on the "ribbed" side frames. These were simply another iteration in the evolution of Hirobo side frames, and the later Competitors had them.
The first side frames were natural metal, with the fold at the bottom turned inward. There was something different about the motor mount area, which I can no longer recall. These were found on the Falcon Mk I and Mk II.
When the Falcon 505 and 707 came out, the side frames were modified slightly, and were anodized red, still with the bottom folded inward.
When the Falcon 808 appeared, the side frames were still red anodized, but the fold at the bottom was turned outward (I think to accommodate the installation of a .60 engine). These are the first frames used on the Competitor-the Competitor variation being anodized black, in Japan, by Hirobo.
The next version of the side frames had the rib pressed into them for added stiffening. I purchased GMP/Competitor sideframes like this and used them to replace the frames on my Falcon 808, which had developed cracks along the bottom fold.
KBDD-Field Rep.Common Sense/Compass Field Rep. |
