Joker CX front mount

[AZ ChopperCam]

hmmmmm..........

:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

[Art-Tistic]

count me in :glasses2:

[Crjbenny]

WoooHooo! :cool:

[AZ ChopperCam]

well... it's official. There will be a Joker CX at AZ ChopperCam within two weeks.

I have not given up on E*RaptorCam, but I've got some power combo issues to resolve that will likely have to wait until the weather cools out here (Sept?). For now I need a ship that is already proven as an electric hauler.

swing arm front mount will be researched on this ship. With any luck and alot of midnight oil you may see a Joker CX with my front mount by the middle of July.

the beat goes on.....

[DebianDog]

Umm you should try and work a deal out with Chris Bergen

He is looking for "electric testers". Getting your mount on an E*Observer would suite you both.

Just a thought...

[AZ ChopperCam]

hell... I'll try anything. I'm going to see him in the end of August when I go up to MI. Maybe by then he and I can work something out.

[DebianDog]

I wish I had more $$$ I would look into something myself.

[SeaHawk]

what is the advantage of the front mount over the underslung? Cost? Function? Or, is it just an alternative to the underslung. Got to admit, the front mounts look cooler. Have you worked out vibration isolation issues...seems the underslung/bungee is a nice effect solution. Would love to see you suceed with the Joker. Best of luck.

[DebianDog]

what is the advantage of the front mount over the underslung? Cost? Function? Or, is it just an alternative to the underslung. Got to admit, the front mounts look cooler. Have you worked out vibration isolation issues...seems the underslung/bungee is a nice effect solution. Would love to see you suceed with the Joker. Best of luck.

Going from forward flight to a hover is better with a front mount
An underslung mount also has a "weird" feel to it.
BUT
with an underslung mount you can rotate 360 and keep the heli going in the same direction.

[dreslism]

well... it's official. There will be a Joker CX at AZ ChopperCam within two weeks.

I have not given up on E*RaptorCam, but I've got some power combo issues to resolve that will likely have to wait until the weather cools out here (Sept?). For now I need a ship that is already proven as an electric hauler.

swing arm front mount will be researched on this ship. With any luck and alot of midnight oil you may see a Joker CX with my front mount by the middle of July.

the beat goes on.....

Nice, I looked at that one for a while also. Used to Dakines I think.

What are you coming up to MI for?
What part of MI?

I would love to see some of your heli's if you're bringing some.

Specifically a Joker flying. I don't know anyone around here with one.

Thanks

[AZ ChopperCam]

what is the advantage of the front mount over the underslung?

weight is the biggest advantage. front mounts are usually 50% less weight.. .. maybe even more.

next would be ability to auto with forward or slight side speed. any amount of lateral motion at the end of an auto with an underslung and you roll the rig over.

finally the maneuverability, and ease of flying. you fly it like you would any other heli. not having to worry about slinging the underslung mount around.

of course the side benefit is the front mounts tend to look much better. they appear to be purpose built machines rather than "toy" helicopters repurposed for carrying a load.

disadvantages? you bet. harder to setup for smoothness. EVERYTHING has to be balanced and tracked perfectly. they require patience but the end result is soooo worth it.

to those who bad mouth front mounts (yes there are a few) I say most of them have never even flown one properly set up and if they did they'd not have bad to speak of them.

"once you go nose, under the heli blows!"

What are you coming up to MI for?

I go up every 3rd weekend in August to visit my cousin. he has a 2700'x100' grass strip in his back yard. he's got a '46 Taylorcraft that we fly around all weekend.... lots of fun! He lives in Edwardsburg which is like 10 minutes from the Bergens

[k2pilot]

it's a good idea.

my front mount cx was nice,

http://www.k2shots.com/images1/IMG_4717.jpg
http://www.k2shots.com/images1/IMG_4719.jpg

shortly after it's creation it was bought by dakine :mrgreen:

i should make up another one.

only thing i can say for when you make your front mount is give some good stiffening on the lower frame half(if you're mounting it like i did) it sure had alot of flex, but some extra carbon fixed that problem.

[AZ ChopperCam]

that's kick ass! how was the vibration situation?? Mine arrives Friday! woohoo!

[k2pilot]

it was so steady it even handled a slightly bent feathering spindle for a good couple flights, then once i get a new spindle i couldn't believe how smooth the thing was! only reason i went back to a underslung mount(aside from selling my only front mount) was i like to fly my joker around normally with the canopy doing soft 3d and such, but when i get my 2nd joker it'll be back to the front mount! then the cx will be my fun ship.

[AZ ChopperCam]

is that your own front mount design?

is there any vibration isolation mounts anywhere?

is than a Sony HC3?

I have heard that Jokers are the supreme heli for minimal vibration.

[k2pilot]

that was my own front mount bored one day and i've got a lathe and mill right in my shop so i made the mount.

i had vibration isolation at the gimbal mount, although it would be much more effective at the actual mounting of the posts.

and the camera is an hc1.

the joker is a fantastic heli for just about any purpose!

[AZ ChopperCam]

The Joker is now in my posession. Going to do a bit of working on it this weekend. That Future 40.160WK ESC is a MONSTER! damn it's huge!

[AZ ChopperCam]

status of Joker mount

this project will not be done at the pace I normally work. Reason being is I am making some major mods to the mechanics and going about this mount a different way than my Raptor mount.

I'll be flipping the lower frames around backwards to clear up alot of frontal space for the camera and also to allow the battery to me mounted further aft. This should allow me to run up to a 3lb worth of camera gear on the gimbal.

For the main camera support tubes I'll be going with twin cut down Raptor 50 booms. thin wall, large diameter tubing ought to keep the system light yet very rigid.

I'll post pics as I go but don't excpect the first installment for a couple weeks. This project won't likely be finished and flying before the end of August but that's still not too bad right? :roll:

[k2pilot]

This project won't likely be finished and flying before the end of August but that's still not too bad right?

hmm well i made mine in a day.... and you're much better at these things than me, i wan't to see a mount by tomarrow night! :wink:

[Art-Tistic]

Ian,
Dude....I love ya man...but let's be honest, you used a rotorkraft gimbal (already built) and then you made a knock-off of Rhandal's Maxi mount (Remote-i). That you and I had spoken about many times before. DJ has just received his CX and needs to do his share of R&D. You didn't have to do that ...Kevin Morrison and Randal Sayat did that for you. I'm not saying that the mount didn't come out looking "killer", it did.....but it actually it took longer to make than you are claiming. You just milled some aluminium tubing and cut some CF tubing to length and bolted it up.


JM2C :wink: :wink:
Regards,
Ant

[k2pilot]

haha i i know, i was just giving dj a hard time!

and ya all it was, was some aluminum on the lathe haha. that tube design sure does work out well though, quick construction and strong as hell! i love that 12mm carbon tubing i get.

dj you should take a look at carboncopyuk.com for some of their carbon tubing, it's strong as hell and comes in all shapes and sizes! well just sizes....

[MPA]

that tube design sure does work out well though


Pity its so under utilised on most mounts.