Augman37
06-13-2008, 11:53 AM
I am new to RC Heli's and have just built my first TRex 500. I did not want to crash and break the bird while first learning (even though I have Phoenix and have flown before (8yrs ago)) so I wanted to start hover practice with training gear. The "sticks with balls" gear I was not happy with because if you try and land tilted in the wrong direction, the single ball that strikes, twists the heli awkwardly and can cause a crash in and of itself. When I first learned 8 years ago, my mentor had an old hoola hoop he gave me for training gear. It was great as far as safety (when you come in to land unevenly, it does not swing the heli but simply helps straighten it out), but was HEAVY (842g).
I have designed a simple hoola hoop device that is much lighter and only cost me $8.32 and about 20 min to make. It is very stable and easy to mount to the heli.
This is how I made it:
1. Purchase 1/2" pvc cold water plastic pipe, one 1/2" plastic connector (mine weighed 5g, you must weigh it), four 1/4" dowels, unbraded wire (about 10", match weight with weight of connector), gorilla glue, four #4x3/4" wood screws and zip ties. you will also need a dremel or file with a sander diameter of 1/4".
2. Use use small amount of glue on connector ends and push the piping on it making a complete circle.
3. Place dowels 4" apart and paralled with the diameter of the circle centered between the dowels.
4. Measure dowel length at the pipe so that the dowel will only cover 1/4" of the pipe (leaving a 1/4" of pipe visible beyond each end).
5. Mark the pipe with a pen where the dowel is.
6. Cut the dowels to length.
7. Using a dremel (or round file) with a 1/4" sanding tip, bur out a groove in the pipe 1/4" deep (remember to leave a 1/4" outer rim of pipe also. Do this at all four points where the dowel will intersect the pipe.
8. Drill a small hole from the outside of the pipe inward directly in line with the dowel center. also drill a small hole in the dowel center (do this at all four intersections).
9. Insert the dowels into the grooves and secure with the screws.
10. Place a small amount of Gorilla glue (it is strong and expands as it dries securing the dowel and re-enforcing the screw) at the intersection joints of the dowels and piping.
11. Flip the pipe over and repeat the same procedure with the last two dowels leaving a 6" gap between them (this fit the spacing between my TRex 500 landing gear. adjust this number per your heli's gear width). One set of dowels is on one side of the hoop and the other set on the opposite side so they lightly touch where they cross (no belding of the dowels).
12. Use wire measured to the same weight as the plastic connector and wrap it around the plastic pipe on the opposite side of the hoop to balance the weight caused by the connector. Cover with electrical tape.
13. Place the heli stradling the 6" gapped dowlels with the main shaft centered in the square created by the crossing dowels.
14. Secure with zip ties in an "X" pattern around gear to prevent sliding and to hold the heli to the gear.
The tail sticks out a little beyond the hoop but still offers excellent crash or tilt protection. You could make the hoop larger for more protection but the weight of the heli will go up and the "feel" of the heli will get worse due to the weight being distibuted farter away from the center of gravity of the heli. This gear as described weighed in at 368g.
It feels great in a hover and simple circuits and is very easy/quick to install and remove on flight days.
I have designed a simple hoola hoop device that is much lighter and only cost me $8.32 and about 20 min to make. It is very stable and easy to mount to the heli.
This is how I made it:
1. Purchase 1/2" pvc cold water plastic pipe, one 1/2" plastic connector (mine weighed 5g, you must weigh it), four 1/4" dowels, unbraded wire (about 10", match weight with weight of connector), gorilla glue, four #4x3/4" wood screws and zip ties. you will also need a dremel or file with a sander diameter of 1/4".
2. Use use small amount of glue on connector ends and push the piping on it making a complete circle.
3. Place dowels 4" apart and paralled with the diameter of the circle centered between the dowels.
4. Measure dowel length at the pipe so that the dowel will only cover 1/4" of the pipe (leaving a 1/4" of pipe visible beyond each end).
5. Mark the pipe with a pen where the dowel is.
6. Cut the dowels to length.
7. Using a dremel (or round file) with a 1/4" sanding tip, bur out a groove in the pipe 1/4" deep (remember to leave a 1/4" outer rim of pipe also. Do this at all four points where the dowel will intersect the pipe.
8. Drill a small hole from the outside of the pipe inward directly in line with the dowel center. also drill a small hole in the dowel center (do this at all four intersections).
9. Insert the dowels into the grooves and secure with the screws.
10. Place a small amount of Gorilla glue (it is strong and expands as it dries securing the dowel and re-enforcing the screw) at the intersection joints of the dowels and piping.
11. Flip the pipe over and repeat the same procedure with the last two dowels leaving a 6" gap between them (this fit the spacing between my TRex 500 landing gear. adjust this number per your heli's gear width). One set of dowels is on one side of the hoop and the other set on the opposite side so they lightly touch where they cross (no belding of the dowels).
12. Use wire measured to the same weight as the plastic connector and wrap it around the plastic pipe on the opposite side of the hoop to balance the weight caused by the connector. Cover with electrical tape.
13. Place the heli stradling the 6" gapped dowlels with the main shaft centered in the square created by the crossing dowels.
14. Secure with zip ties in an "X" pattern around gear to prevent sliding and to hold the heli to the gear.
The tail sticks out a little beyond the hoop but still offers excellent crash or tilt protection. You could make the hoop larger for more protection but the weight of the heli will go up and the "feel" of the heli will get worse due to the weight being distibuted farter away from the center of gravity of the heli. This gear as described weighed in at 368g.
It feels great in a hover and simple circuits and is very easy/quick to install and remove on flight days.