mnwizard
04-26-2008, 02:21 PM
While trolling through the internet looking for new stuff, I came across the best looking Airwolf co-axial I have ever seen. It wasn’t the usual thin lexon material and looked quite detailed. Here’s a link to the site –
http://www.agehobby.com/rcracoaihe4c.html
I have a ton of Lama parts laying around, and I really didn’t want another Tx adding to the clutter, so I just ordered the body.
It arrived fairly quickly and the body came with the landing gear and tail rotor. There are also 2 LEDs installed in the body and an on/off switch. I didn’t wire them up so I don’t know what color they are.
The body is very detailed and could be mistaken for a 1/32 model kit.
I should mention right away that the landing gear is pretty fragile and will not stand up to anything more than a gentle, level landing.
So here’s how I installed the Lama V3 mechanics and electronics –
I started with stock Lama V3 mechanics. The servo arms have been shortened, but they don’t need to be, there’s plenty of clearance for the stock ones.
The swash plate had one of the balls broken off so I used one of the CNC swash plates. I had it in a box of parts and I’m not certain which brand it is.
http://i31.tinypic.com/2j2dgsy.jpg
The body arrives in 2 halves.
http://i26.tinypic.com/2uz5euu.jpg
The Lama mechanics fit beautifully with only minor trimming of the body required.
The top of the fuselage needs a little trimming to clear the rear motor.
http://i29.tinypic.com/if0j7o.jpg
One of the locating pins on the bottom of the fuselage needs to be removed to make room for the battery.
http://i29.tinypic.com/2lwd38.jpg
Of course Airwolf has wheels rather than landing skids, and I wanted the battery to be entirely inside the fuselage. So I took a stock Lama V3 skid assembly, and carefully cut the skids off the battery holder,
http://i25.tinypic.com/okbuwj.jpg
With the skid assembly on the bottom of the frame using the stock screws and mounting posts, the battery clips in just like the stock one.
http://i29.tinypic.com/fxyt07.jpg
With the frame and battery in place, the Lama 4 in 1 slides in under the shelf on the front of the battery mount and on top of the front wheel. It’s a tight fit, and takes some careful wiggling, but it does fit. With the close fit, it doesn’t require any servo tape to hold it in place.
http://i30.tinypic.com/2n1t9xw.jpg
So here’s what it looks like so far –
http://i30.tinypic.com/2rp4412.jpg
I looped the antenna up placed it inside the tail. I usually fly fairly close, seldom more than 20 feet away, so this antenna placement works for me, but if you’re going to need more range you’ll have to stretch the antenna out, outside the body.
http://i26.tinypic.com/24ccrk6.jpg
The rear mount on the Lama frame (which is actually for the top screws of the tail assembly on the stock V3) lines up with the right side, top, vertical screw hole on the fuselage.
http://i29.tinypic.com/20gbogj.jpg
With everything in place, I carefully pressed the body halves together and then drilled 2 holes through the fuselage and into the frame. I used 2 of the 1.5 mm screws from a Lama blade holder to mount the body to the frame. The blade screws are black and if you didn’t know they were there, you would never notice them.
http://i29.tinypic.com/2mocxsh.jpg
http://i27.tinypic.com/28kletz.jpg
http://i27.tinypic.com/hrekuh.jpg
With everything together, the hatch for the bottom of the bottom of the fuselage slides in to place. With everything buttoned up there are no external wires, no visible antenna and it really looks great!
I leave the battery in place for charging. I just remove the hatch and pull the charger wire out of the hatch to plug it into the charger.
When ready to fly, I turn on the Tx, plug in the battery, wait for the 4 in 1 to set up (you can see the LED thru the windshield). Then I tuck all the wires up into the fuselage and put the hatch on.
Ready to go, just waiting for Stringfellow Hawk to get here.
http://i27.tinypic.com/1rt2dl.jpg
http://i28.tinypic.com/5ares3.jpg
http://www.agehobby.com/rcracoaihe4c.html
I have a ton of Lama parts laying around, and I really didn’t want another Tx adding to the clutter, so I just ordered the body.
It arrived fairly quickly and the body came with the landing gear and tail rotor. There are also 2 LEDs installed in the body and an on/off switch. I didn’t wire them up so I don’t know what color they are.
The body is very detailed and could be mistaken for a 1/32 model kit.
I should mention right away that the landing gear is pretty fragile and will not stand up to anything more than a gentle, level landing.
So here’s how I installed the Lama V3 mechanics and electronics –
I started with stock Lama V3 mechanics. The servo arms have been shortened, but they don’t need to be, there’s plenty of clearance for the stock ones.
The swash plate had one of the balls broken off so I used one of the CNC swash plates. I had it in a box of parts and I’m not certain which brand it is.
http://i31.tinypic.com/2j2dgsy.jpg
The body arrives in 2 halves.
http://i26.tinypic.com/2uz5euu.jpg
The Lama mechanics fit beautifully with only minor trimming of the body required.
The top of the fuselage needs a little trimming to clear the rear motor.
http://i29.tinypic.com/if0j7o.jpg
One of the locating pins on the bottom of the fuselage needs to be removed to make room for the battery.
http://i29.tinypic.com/2lwd38.jpg
Of course Airwolf has wheels rather than landing skids, and I wanted the battery to be entirely inside the fuselage. So I took a stock Lama V3 skid assembly, and carefully cut the skids off the battery holder,
http://i25.tinypic.com/okbuwj.jpg
With the skid assembly on the bottom of the frame using the stock screws and mounting posts, the battery clips in just like the stock one.
http://i29.tinypic.com/fxyt07.jpg
With the frame and battery in place, the Lama 4 in 1 slides in under the shelf on the front of the battery mount and on top of the front wheel. It’s a tight fit, and takes some careful wiggling, but it does fit. With the close fit, it doesn’t require any servo tape to hold it in place.
http://i30.tinypic.com/2n1t9xw.jpg
So here’s what it looks like so far –
http://i30.tinypic.com/2rp4412.jpg
I looped the antenna up placed it inside the tail. I usually fly fairly close, seldom more than 20 feet away, so this antenna placement works for me, but if you’re going to need more range you’ll have to stretch the antenna out, outside the body.
http://i26.tinypic.com/24ccrk6.jpg
The rear mount on the Lama frame (which is actually for the top screws of the tail assembly on the stock V3) lines up with the right side, top, vertical screw hole on the fuselage.
http://i29.tinypic.com/20gbogj.jpg
With everything in place, I carefully pressed the body halves together and then drilled 2 holes through the fuselage and into the frame. I used 2 of the 1.5 mm screws from a Lama blade holder to mount the body to the frame. The blade screws are black and if you didn’t know they were there, you would never notice them.
http://i29.tinypic.com/2mocxsh.jpg
http://i27.tinypic.com/28kletz.jpg
http://i27.tinypic.com/hrekuh.jpg
With everything together, the hatch for the bottom of the bottom of the fuselage slides in to place. With everything buttoned up there are no external wires, no visible antenna and it really looks great!
I leave the battery in place for charging. I just remove the hatch and pull the charger wire out of the hatch to plug it into the charger.
When ready to fly, I turn on the Tx, plug in the battery, wait for the 4 in 1 to set up (you can see the LED thru the windshield). Then I tuck all the wires up into the fuselage and put the hatch on.
Ready to go, just waiting for Stringfellow Hawk to get here.
http://i27.tinypic.com/1rt2dl.jpg
http://i28.tinypic.com/5ares3.jpg