Help With Stratus Build - Rotor Head Assembly

[chopperben1]

Guys,

I am building a new BW Stratus kit, and I need a little direction if possible on the Rotor Head Assembly.

The manual indicates that a 15mm piece of silicone tubing needs to be placed on a silver coloured head axle, and then a number of rubber washers and shims are put in place and held with two "retainer clips".

My kit came with a black head axle, and also came with two plastic dampeners that seem to replace the rubber washers.

My question is: Do I still need to put the 15mm of silicone tubing on the middle of the black head axle before inserting into the head assembly, or is the tubing not necessary with the BW kit?

Also, the manual indicates that there is a "clip tool" required to put the retainer clis on the axle, and my kit does not have this "clip tool". Any advice for how to secure the clips without this tool...looks like I just pry the clips apart with two sets of tweezers?

Any advice is appreciated! Pictures below may help let you know where I am in the build.

Thanks,

Ben

[Knud Pedersen DENMARK]

Hi
My question is: Do I still need to put the 15mm of silicone tubing on the middle of the black head axle before inserting into the head assembly, or is the tubing not necessary with the BW kit?


I use thoese one-piece-dampers AND the Silicone tube, in my Stratus.
I dont think the use of this depend on if it is a BW or not.....

"clip tool" required to put the retainer clis on the axle,
I think there is a big Risk to try an put on the retainer with out the Clip tool....
You could try and visit your local Car-repair shop, they have thoese clip tool...

Chopperknud

[rstacy]

My question is: Do I still need to put the 15mm of silicone tubing on the middle of the black head axle before inserting into the head assembly, or is the tubing not necessary with the BW kit?

Like Knud, we used the one piece dampeners AND the Silicone tube.

Also, the manual indicates that there is a "clip tool" required to put the retainer clis on the axle, and my kit does not have this "clip tool". Any advice for how to secure the clips without this tool...looks like I just pry the clips apart with two sets of tweezers?


You should purchase snap ring pliers from your local tool store. It makes getting the clips on and off so much easier. Use the included "clip tool"(I see it in your picture-its the brass tube) to seat the clip in to the groove.

[WayneBrown]

We always lost the brass tube and cut a piece off a crashe landing gear tube, that will work just as well.
You only need the clip pliers to remove the spindle/axle.. Installation can be done without it.
Place one clip on the shaft out of the head, add spacer/ washer and slip into the head. slide silicone tube on, followed by spacer/washer then clip. Insert brass tube onto shaft and using blade grip screw and washer, tighten brass tube until the clip seats.
remove tube and install blade grips.

[hoot]

Yes the "clip tool" is a piece of brass tubing. You probably have it there but didn't realize it was a tool. The assy manual shows an aluminum tube. Mine was brass. MA changes so much that they don't keep up with the manual.

My head axle is black also.

What the tubing does is pushes the last snap ring (circlip) into the grove while compressing the dampers. You slide the brass clip tool on after you have the snap ring close to the groove. Then you use the spindle cap screws and washer to push the snap ring into the groove. Use the tool to push the snap ring down the shaft nice and square till it pops into the groove.

Check all of your supplemental papers... everybody tends to not read them.

This picture shows the old o-ring style dampers but the tool concept is the same. It's a great design as it removes all loading from the dampers away from the grip bearings.

[DavidH]

Everyone has told you how to use the tool to seat the clip. If you got the O-rings instead of the one piece dampeners. Use the Orings. I prefer the Orings over the one piece dampener and also do a few other of the Team pilots. The black axle is an item that came out after the instructions were written. IT is a slightly different material than the natural colored axles. The silicone tubing on the axle in the center. This provides a pivot point for the axle. It basically lets the dampeners do what they are designed to is to dampening the head. The silicone tubing helps support the weight of the heli and keep it off the dampeners.
On the Tempest head, I actually put a delrin sleeve on the axle about 10 mm long in the center of the axle. This helps greatly with how the head operates.

David

[chopperben1]

Guys, thanks for the replies! This helps a lot, and I know what I need to do.

On to the next step...

- Ben

[hoot]

The reason you cut the silicone sleeve is so it only does it's work on the center of the axle. It provides a "fulcrum" point for the axle to tilt on and also helps to dampen bowing or bending of the axle in the center.

[NewHeli5005]

Yes, use the silicone and the rubber dampers. If you dont have snap ring pliers, what I did was bend to small paper clips to hook into each hole in the ring. Then pull them just enough to slide onto shaft, then use the metal tube to slide it on. It's sort of a pain, which is now why I have the pliers :)

Nathaniel

[WillJames]

MA went to black feathering shaft and also tail hob to signify the latest materials used. I think it was the same year they migrated to both. Easy to tell what level of revision you have if the new is black.

Do not lube the o rings or one piece dampners either one. Install and get a TON of flights on the machine.

MA costs to crash, but it costs a lot less to just fly. No 20 flights slop in this or that on MA machines. More like I might detect slop after many hundred flights... but I am not sure... ;) Quality costs money.....

Alslo... you should be able to cut the clear silicon tube that goes in the center of hte feathering shaft in the head into 2 pieces and use only 1/2 and still achieve the desired effect. Or maybe my last couple of kits had extra length, but I doubt it....

[chopperben1]

Perfect. Thanks again for the replies! I got the rotor head together tonight, no problems. I am looking forward to my first few hundred flights with this heli!!!