View Full Version : Flew the Intrepid Gasser EB yesterday!! HELL Yea!!
WillJames
04-29-2005, 08:33 AM
Finally got my EB Flying thanks to Alan Bonner helping a GREAT deal on the construction and Chris Bergen coming up for a visit to help with everything from setup to test flying to giving me his carb and taking mine back for warranty return. Gary Travis also helped with answering a bunch of my questions during the setup of my Observer for optimum performance. All I can say is it flys GREAT and I was really suprised how responsive it is with the 810 V-Blades and turning 1450 on the headspeed. Chris and Alan ROCK!! What a great day yesterday!!
We also flew my Observer and it flew great. Lots better pitch range now that I spent the time to tweak it properly and really figure out how to work with push-pull. Coming from Raptor and MA machines, push pull was the biggest learning curve to face. If you already know how to setup push-pull, the Bergen setup will be a snap for you.
Thanks again to all who helped!!
NolanManley
04-29-2005, 09:23 AM
COOL :happyd Love getting first flight in on a new heli.
Going to get my Avant up this afternoon. :banana
Gary Travis
04-29-2005, 09:56 AM
Glad you got it up and flying, I was glad to provide what little help I could without being there. I am sure Chris deserves a lot of the credit as here was there to help with the setup. I am looking forward to flying with you in the future.
Gary
WillJames
04-29-2005, 10:04 AM
Congrats Nolan!! Let us know how it goes!!
Thanks again Gary, seeya soon in Cookville. :)
NolanManley
04-29-2005, 10:35 AM
Hey Gary!!! Make sure you get the Video camera from Will and get those good CLOSE UP's of his face while flying and get some commentary also!!! :D :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
Howz the saying go?? Payback is a Biatch. :shock:
Gary Travis
04-29-2005, 10:42 AM
Nolan, that could be scary in itself getting that close to his face!!! I am sure I can obtain some interesting pics of the man in action. It should be a good time wish you could meet us there.
Gary
NolanManley
04-29-2005, 11:45 AM
If I'm up around Ft Campbell I'll make a strong effort to get over to Cookville. ;)
Good deal Will! I'm curious what you did with your build as far as balancing goes. Did you add weight or just trim out the difference?
WillJames
04-29-2005, 06:41 PM
I added 1.5 pounds of tool steel. I run Duralites so I needed some weight. My EB weiged in at 13.3 pounds before adding the steel. How much did you add to yours Jon?
My all up weigh was around 15.5 pounds I believe, not sure on the accuracy of the scale but Manzers weighed in about the same on the same scale. I'll just take the whole heli to the office and start weighing parts on the UPS scale :D
I'd like to move some more of the lead lead forward to the front of the radio tray so I can drop some of the total weight but I'm worried about vibes and all the weight up front.
I run the duralites as well and with the lead weight, GY401, regulator, and reciever the heli balances great.
WillJames
04-30-2005, 05:18 AM
Mine is 15.8 pounds with a half tank of gas. I have the steel pretty close to the front of the radio tray. So far I have not noticed any vibs. This heli is SMOOTH, very few shakes at all anywhere. I love it!
WillJames
04-30-2005, 10:07 AM
You have yours set for neutral at 1/2 tank or where did you balance it Jon?
Tristan Buhler
04-30-2005, 01:57 PM
The bergen gasser flies nice doen't it. THats what I am learning on. Even with the 710 blades it is super smooth.
tapeworm321
04-30-2005, 03:33 PM
The bergen gasser flies nice doen't it. THats what I am learning on. Even with the 710 blades it is super smooth.At least I'm not the only crazy one. :banana :happyd
Greg Alderman
04-30-2005, 04:04 PM
At least I'm not the only crazy one
Well...Eric...that has yet to be confirmed! :nanabobo
tapeworm321
04-30-2005, 04:16 PM
At least I'm not the only crazy one
Well...Eric...that has yet to be confirmed! :nanaboboYour right. I just bought another gasser.So whats that say about me? :hammer :DOH
Mine balances out with the tank empty so it's nose heavy with fuel in it. I should probably chop the lead block some, but the weather here has been so lousy I've only burned one or 2 tanks since it was built :P
I'm going to tear pop the top frame off and dial out the fan before I head out to Pheonix in a couple of weeks. I bought a dial indicator but didn't see a way to center the fan. Then recently read the method of adjusting this kind of setup with taps from a ball peen hammer... seems odd but if it gets the runout in tolerance I'll give it a shot.
Got a few things to change over here, but I like the way it feels and flies. I have to get used to flying somethign this size as I've been flying a 50 for a couple months after I sold my R70.
WillJames
04-30-2005, 07:11 PM
Alan used a rubber dead blow hammer to tap my fan when it was dialed. Went from 2 thousandths to one half a thousandth. The light tapping method works great. Be sure to lubricate the crank taper before you start the process.
I measured it last night, a bit under .001 so I think it's alright. Are you planning on 3D'ing yours Will? :D
WillJames
05-01-2005, 09:38 PM
Are you planning on 3D'ing yours Will?
ONly if I loose control. :shock:
Naw seriously, yes I will see what I can get out of mine. If I don't like ti big I will turn it into the non-EB, but so far it seems to auto nice and is pretty snappy. Gotta work on my 260 a little. Naptha is hard on some sealers. :arggg:
Almost 3D'ed mine into the ground today, the tail drive gear spun on the mainshaft, made it to the ground before something bad happened but was feeding in more and more rudder the whole time. :D Gotta double check those set screws and make sure the pointed one is in the divot in the shaft, pretty sure it was.
Hey Will how's that EB working out for ya?
WillJames
05-10-2005, 06:01 AM
Hi Jon. Tried to fly it Saturday, had my muffler get loose during the first flight and had to stop. Did you get your main gear secured? How is yours flying?
I didn't get a chance to fly it this weekend, it's like mini-hurricanes keep striking on the weekends and during the weekdays it's wonderfully sunny and calm. It's inhumane I tell you!
The tail gear on the mainshaft was turning a bit (the difference between the two sides of the set screw hole I guess, I didn't have a pointed grub screw in there, I don't think I ever saw one in the kit.. Where else are 3mm grub screws used, maybe I put it somewhere else?
The major slippage of the tail rotor turned out to be the dog bone on the end of the torque tube, I drilled the holes (1 per collar) a little larger through the torque tube and cranked them down as much as I was willing to dare on Al. I'm driving out to Pheonix this weekend so unless I take the Bergen with me I won't know for a couple weeks. The Bergen is easier to pull over on a roadside and fly, but the R50 is more showy :D
fitenfyr
05-10-2005, 10:07 PM
You guys are bumming me out.... :(
Ours is down again due to the main and the tail gears going out.
Bit of a sudden stoppage when the pin in the output coupling off the tail rotor transmission came out and was literally grinding away on the tailboom. :roll:
Seems the set screw that holds the pin had backed out somehow. Not really sure if the appropriate amount of loctite was placed in there...My partner built it over a year ago. :D
So quick call to Larry last Friday and teardown on Sunday found the problem. Chris has the parts on the way to us today.
Hope we can have ours in the air next week.
I am getting really bummed with these little "teaser" flights. :D Just when I am starting to have fun with it.......
BTW the 720's work great on the non stretched kit. I had to auto it twice last Thursday when this problem was discovered. Thought I had lost all headspeed both times, but she stayed upright. :D