Bell 206 balsa fuselage for HB CP2/BCP/BCPP

[Rebuild]

Here is a picture of my latest balsa fuse attempt for micros. This is almost ready for paint now and weighs approx 1.5 ounces. Rear section is halved for installation and front is secured with magnets and is removable for changing/plugging in battery. Strobe and paint will put it right at 1.75 ounce for AUW. It is resin sealed making it as hard as fiberglass but will not shatter like plastic or fiberglass and is easy to repair if it gets dinged. How do ya like her so far? :)

[Skiddz]

Man, that rocks.. I like it better than your other balsa fuselage.. I think an MD500 should be next. :)

[Rebuild]

Thanks, Skiddz...I was thinking the same thing on the MD500! Maybe wrap a Compy in one of those. That would be kinda interesting. :twisted:

[Buzzkill]

Awesome work!! wish I had those skills. I'm working on a Dart A119 lol

[Skiddz]

So you're building a balsa "armature", sheeting with balsa and then grinding the armature away??

That pic SO makes me want to turn my "CP" into a JetRanger...

[Rebuild]

That's about all there is to it, Skiddz. If you think you might want to give one of these things a try, checkout http://www.rchangout.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=64 That will give ya a pretty good idea on building the 206.

[Skiddz]

Man, I don't know if I have the time to do something like that. I'm the official homework liason for my 3 kids and I do all the cooking. Spare time is not something I have a lot of...

Not to mention the patience.. Excellent work tho! How many hours do you think it takes to make something like that??

[Rebuild]

Skidzz, here's the trick! Preparation! Work the build out entirely from the beginning to end on your plans. If everything fits as you build, a week of evenings will get you a finished shell. The build time is inversely proportional the the planning that went in to the project. It is akin to catching a fox. It takes a good while to get it cornered but once you get your hands wrapped around it, the rest is pretty easy. I built a Kaos 40 ARF a couple years back that took longer the this thing did, honestly! At one point in that build, I somehow managed to CA the entire wing to the downe comforter on the bed.! :arggg: In your situation, I personally would just concentrate on the planning and drawing development of the project you would like to model. Your time constraints will eventually loosen up and when the door opens, you will know it. That's when ya whip out the old plans and knock one of these things out. Draw up several different projects and put them aside. Each build has its' own peculiararities and the creative process will spill over into all of them as you come up with different approachs to each task. The actual build takes no longer than , say, a Guillows stick and tissue model once you get started, so perhaps it is something you may want to at least consider giving a try. Good luck and teach those children well! :wink:

[HeliDan]

Beautiful work man.

I KNOW that I would not have the patience to even think about doing something like that :lol:

Cant wait to see it painted

[Rebuild]

Thanks, Helidan! This thing will be white yet today and trimmed with vinyl Callie-Graphics tomorrow. I will post a picture of it when finished. I am tired of staring at that bare balsa so it will be super to get some color going. :)

[ch47dfe]

That Bell 206 is Awesome!!! I didn't know that you could build a body for a CP out of balsa. You definitely have wayyyy more patience than I have to do something like that. I wanted something different for my CP so I built a Darth 206. I'm happy about the way I finished it... not so much time involved in putting it together so if I crash, it won't hurt as much. LOL You may have seen it earlier in a post I had.

[Skiddz]

Skidzz, here's the trick! Preparation! Work the build out entirely from the beginning to end on your plans. If everything fits as you build, a week of evenings will get you a finished shell.

See.. I'm just about to log off when I see this thread again, so now I'm looking for some 3 view drawings of a 500D and thinking about driving to work to pick up the SolidWorks CDs so I can start designing the thing. Work is 1.3 miles from the house and I'm sure I'll find some 3-view drawings very shortly...

My CP is sitting on top of the stereo cabinet in my office and I'm looking at it going, "Yeah, I can model that in SolidWorks before I go to bed.."

I still have to repair my Hyperion Yak 55 I crashed a month ago, need to finish the retract install on my Hyperion P51, finish final tweaks on my 600, finish setting up my Raptor and getting it broken in, put the base color coat on my pickle fork outboard (Dumas HotShot IV if anyone cares..) and finish repainting & reassembling my field box. Oh, and build/paint my new workbench out in the garage...

Yeah, I've got PLENTY of spare time.. hehehe

[Rebuild]

That Bell 206 is Awesome!!! I didn't know that you could build a body for a CP out of balsa. You definitely have wayyyy more patience than I have to do something like that. I wanted something different for my CP so I built a Darth 206. I'm happy about the way I finished it... not so much time involved in putting it together so if I crash, it won't hurt as much. LOL You may have seen it earlier in a post I had.


You bet! I admired that Darth build for a good long while. You did a beautiful job with that fuse. The only real advantage to going with balsa is the unlimited choices one has to build any fuse for any mini/micro heli one may have. Darth has some pretty slick looking heli bodies though and you have definately done this one up proud!! :wink:

[Rebuild]

Be dang, Skiddz, If you have CAD software at your disposal, you have no excuse for not giving that 500D a shot! :twisted:

[Skiddz]

I've been looking for 3 views since that post!! Nothing but garbage on the net... Not even an OH-6A drawing bigger than a postcard - and poor resolution at that! I did find a decent CH-53 3-view tho. :)

I did end up running up to work and grabbing the SolidWorks CDs.. Couldn't find the 2007 set, but found the 2006 set and got it installed.

[Rebuild]

Way to go! I will stay on the look-out for a decent 500D, 3 view for ya! :smokin:

[Skiddz]

I may have found a good source. The school I train at had a 500D until October of 05 (Idiot wadded it up on an island off the coast here) and the maintenance guys think they still have the service manuals. There's a good chance I'll find all the info I want in them. Gonna head over after work and see if they've found 'em yet.

[Rebuild]

Good deal, that would be perfect! I was not having much luck finding something suitable on the internet either. I was probably looking at the same crap you had already found and it was mostly pretty useless for your purposes. :dontknow

[ch47dfe]

[quote="Skiddz"]I've been looking for 3 views since that post!! Nothing but garbage on the net... Not even an OH-6A drawing bigger than a postcard - and poor resolution at that! I did find a decent CH-53 3-view tho. :)

A CH-53 would look soo awesome!!! Would love to see it on a blade.

[Skiddz]

Good deal, that would be perfect! I was not having much luck finding something suitable on the internet either. I was probably looking at the same crap you had already found and it was mostly pretty useless for your purposes.

Yeah, terrible, isn't it?? I have some awesome 3-views of an XB-71 Valkyrie but someone I don't think those would translate to a heli. :)

If ya did a CH-53, you'd HAVE to build a multi bladed head to match... 2 blades just wouldn't cut it. :)

Didn't get to the heli joint before all the maintenance guys had bailed tonight so their office was locked up. I'm gonna go try to fly early tomorrow so will hit 'em up either before I lift off or after I'm skids down...

No luck at all again tonight looking for 3-views... If I can find a good set and scale up the pics, I can import 'em into SW and use the outlines to dimension parts pretty quickly... If I can remember how the sheet-metal tools work, I can even lay out the skins on the formers, then use the flatten feature to make templates for cutting out the balsa sheet. This could be fun...

[Rebuild]

That software you have sounds like the way to go. I am ready for trim on this 206 now and then get some windows installed. Came out pretty smooth on the base coat and clear coat. Here it is loosely put together on the CP2 while the finish cures. :shock:

[Buzzkill]

Jeezus, that looks sweet as all get out. I'd be so scared to fly with that thing on my CPP. Would probably just sit in my den! You really should think of selling those things (hint hint).

[Skiddz]

Yeah, no doubt. I would think the labor involved would preclude a reasonable price tho..

[Buzzkill]

One word. ART. Something like that, a one of a kind custom fuselage would be worth the exspense. The best factory made fuselage (prefinished) for a blade CPP I've seen was a Bell 222 fully painted and ready to go for $179. Rebuild's work could easily fetch twice that much. Just a thought and pardon my ignorance but, would it be possible to vacumn for around the disassembled balsa fuse? I mean you already know it fits correctly.

[Rebuild]

Tain't done yet, but here is a picture of the trim. May add some flat black to the top of the nose. Still have to stuff the CP2 and get it flying. Of course, windows! Need to get out the Rit dye and get the windows for this thing greyed up a little. Should really look good with smoked windows! By the way, thanks for all the nice words on this build, everyone!