Ecureuil/BCP

[Rebuild]

About finished with this balsa thing. Only windows and a few other doodads to put on. Weighs 2.25 oz. Got carried away and put a green LED strobe behind the main rotor too. Looks really decent reflecting off the dark metallic green fuse. :)

[carlo_the_wonder_frog]

WOW!! Nice job, no way anyone is going to think its a CP under there, looks like it was meant to have that on there.

[Rebuild]

Finished with windows and doodads. Will post flying video soon. Fuselage all up weight ended up 2.25 oz. Overshot my AUW goal by about 3/4 oz. Got a little heavy on the sealer and paint and then the instrument panel, console and strobe light bumped it over projected weight. Brushless set-up doesn't seem to mind the extra weight though and it flys dandy. :)

[Funky]

Looks beautiful. Great job :noteworthy

[wcc963]

WOW :WOW :noteworthy that is amazing. better scale job than i've seen on some nitros.

where did you get the kit? or is it just a plastic kit fitted of the mechanics?

[Rebuild]

Thanks! It's a scratchbuilt balsa shell from a scaled up Janes 'Helicopters of the World' three view drawing.

[Rebuild]

You still have a GMP Competitor flying, Funky? That was one hot machine in its' time. Used to watch Bob Gorham wring them out in Calabasas (sp), CA many years back.

[Rick Rotorhead]

THATS REALLY A BCP UNDER THERE??????

Fantastic job - I'd be too scared to fly it :lol:

[Heli_harry]

Very nice work

[Funky]

You still have a GMP Competitor flying, Funky? That was one hot machine in its' time. Used to watch Bob Gorham wring them out in Calabasas (sp), CA many years back.

My dad bought that heli when I was 4 years old. He only flew it a few times then put it up. Something must have scared him :D I pulled it out of their attic a few years ago. I learned to hover on it, but put it up when I almost wrecked it after only a month. My dad always said I couldn't try it because I would end up wrecking it. I didn't want to prove him right. Its really a beautiful heli for being 25 years old. When I flew it again since learning to hover with my Rex it is so smooth and stable in the air. Besides the canopy it really doesn't look like that old of a heli. Not as much has changed in 25 years as you would think. Now it is hanging up in my bedroom, but its always ready for another flight. I always planned on updating the electronics... but I have some other helis that need attention first.

[Rebuild]

Very cool! Brings back lots of memories. That's back when you flipped a switch to fly inverted. Mechanically, this is typical Hirobo quality that transcended the times. Electronically, well, I would like to see what a Competitor could do with the new radio systems and present day gyro technology. Would likely keep up with the best in that class! Got any pictures of it? :glasses2:

[Funky]

I'll get a few pics tonight when I go home. I was looking at it the other day and was thinking about pulling it down for a few pics, I just needed an excuse :wink: I'll have to snap some pics of the electronics too, very classic stuff.

I love this Astar you built. My dad flies one for the State Highway Patrol. I sent him an email with some of the pics you attached and he loves it too. Ever since I started flying these helis lately he wants me to build one that looks like the one he flies. Maybe something to pay him back for the competitor I adopted :D Unfortunately there are very few custom Astar bodies out there. How long did the overall build take? Did you post the pics here from when you were building it? I saw the build pics on Runryder (Funky TRex over there).... very impressive. How many custom bodies have you made before this one?

[Funky]

Well, I was wrong about how old it is. The receipts in the box are all from 1986 so it looks like its 20 years old. I was older than I thought when my dad bought it... no wonder I remember it so well :D Anyways, here is a couple pics of the Competitor. I have a few more in my gallery. Its really dusty :( I threw in some pics next to a 30 and 50 raptor for size comparison. The Competitor is a .60.

http://www.helifreak.com/album_mod/upload/f78a326ec528dbdbfb07baaaaac05a6b.jpg

http://www.helifreak.com/album_mod/upload/284264ffe4346de0638fd7f97379f357.jpg

http://www.helifreak.com/album_mod/upload/96d9c18aa65a2227c4741133312dcca9.jpg

http://www.helifreak.com/album_mod/upload/1c35fd3b27c840c7a5c8f27bce53048f.jpg

[marcw]

GMP Competitor Pro !!! Wow that is a blast from the past! I used to have one of those back in the day (graduated up from the cricket). John and Bob Gorham (father and son) used to fly them out here in SoCal. Do you still fly it????

[Rebuild]

Very classic cool machine. :wink: Thanks for the pics. I had a cricket then too and flew with the Gled Hill heli crew out around Canoga Park. John, Bob and friends (all excellent pilots) were usually there flying there products, mainly the Competitors. Ahhh..the memories. When gyros were a gimbled motor with a flywheel! hehe....But, to answer your question, Funky, that AS350 took me about 3 to 4 weeks of maybe 6hrs a day to build. It could be built in a fraction of that time now that I know how to go about it. I am on the verge of launching into a Jet Danger here one of these first days after I get some other loose ends taken care of. It will quick change onto the same airframe the same way the Ecureuil fuse does so I don't need extra helicopters for these bodies. I did take tons of pictures throughout the build process and I will gladly share those pics with anyone interested in building something like this. Thanks again for the memory jolt. I can still see that thing going through the paces with Bob Gorham on the sticks. Jeeeze! :WOW :D