you examine the construction of the first rc helis, wood, lots of
it, and beautiful fiberglass fuses were common. This led to heavy and
rather fragile machines, unlike the framed mechanics of today.
I hate fuel proofing formers, and I hate wood in my helis, so...
Building a new in box 40 year old model of the first rc heli
commercially made in the world, I decided to do it with no wood at all. Building this one is very sentimental for me, my first heli, (I still have my first one, never crashed...) and it really does take you back; a cheap way to a second childhood. This machine will have
all original mechanics, and be flown with no gyro.
The Cobra uses extensive longerons and formers of wood construction. Braided carbon fiber cloth is laminated with west system epoxy, and it works very well, no special tools of any kind needed. I used bubble wrap with foam and (human finger) compression, and it wetted out and conformed essentially bubble free. Pics 2,3,and 4 show the tail pylon support just laid up as I posted this. Saran wrap, bubble wrap here, or even ziploc or any such material you have laying around works fine. You can press the CF in easily, and put weight on it with foam rubber over the plastic, and the plastic peels off like masking tape when it cures, (pic #4) for a perfect light and super strong reinforcement. Fast and easy, and the added benefit of instantly being done and fuelproofed when cured makes it the only choice for me. No more cellulose fuel soaked mess after a few hundred flights.
Much lighter and stronger than original...I used a hair dryer to speed the curing.
The pylon supports the full weight on this machine, (mechanically correcting the transmission lugs previously supporting it unmodified,
a notorious weak point on this machine). Here you see CF
cloth inlay, and cloth longerons, and tail rotor support inlay. It is 50% complete now, for the support carbon "framing".
I am going to do all my old machines this way now. Next, a graupner 212, NIB, and a schluter gazelle.
If anyone has an old cobra, gazelle or ds-22, even crashed; I will consider buying it...pm if you have or know of any available. Also looking for a schluter expert head, new or excellent condition.
michael
Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.
