View Full Version : Can't have nothin' nice...
Funflyer
06-15-2008, 06:21 AM
After flying today I noticed two small nicks in my carbon blades. At first I thought I hit something like a rock or half a pinion, but then I realized the damage is on the trailing edge. That means I damaged them. :oops: I now remember adjusting the blade pitch with both main blades the other night. I had to fold one back while I set the pitch on the other one so the heli would fit on my workbench, otherwise known as a computer desk. Apparently I banged both of them into the bolts on the main grip/flybar mixing arms. The nicks are only 1-2mm deep.
My ideas:
1) Stop flying them because they are unsafe. Looks mostly just cosmetic to me though.
2) Tape over the damaged spots with some packing tape (the new duct tape, especially for RC).
3) Wick some CA into the damaged spots to keep them from getting worse.
I'm think #3 is the best idea. What would you do?
Flybar-less
06-15-2008, 08:26 AM
3...
ppridday
06-15-2008, 09:19 AM
#3
Wbird
06-15-2008, 01:15 PM
Make sure that the CA is foam safe if your blades are foam core.
what are your blades?
V-blades are awesome and can be flown with some fairly serious damage because of the strong wooden core. you can use thin CA and get all the strength back.
Radix are foam core so wont have the huge strength, and thin CA will melt the core away killing the blade.
which brand are they, have you got pics of the dmaage/
Funflyer
06-16-2008, 08:00 AM
The blades are Rotortech 560's, I don't know if they are foam core or not. I took some pictures, but I don't have a good light source so try to ignore the flash glare. Like I said before, the damage is a couple millimeters deep and looks purely cosmetic to me although I'm not a carbon fiber doctor.
looks minor to me. i would fly them
if in doubt though, scrap them, heis are too dangerous.
But i would fly :D
Panda
06-17-2008, 09:47 AM
The blades are Rotortech 560's, I don't know if they are foam core or not. I took some pictures, but I don't have a good light source so try to ignore the flash glare. Like I said before, the damage is a couple millimeters deep and looks purely cosmetic to me although I'm not a carbon fiber doctor.
Any friends in an X-Ray lab? You could X-Ray them, to see if there is structural damage...
/Peter
Funflyer
06-17-2008, 10:58 AM
No, I don't have access to an x-ray machine. This was done on the bench so I highly doubt any structural damage. I'm going to add some CA mostly to keep the damage from spreading. Thanks for the advice everyone.
Wbird
06-18-2008, 12:41 AM
I have had nicks in my blades from folding them too far in metal blade grips. I never worried about it although the cosmetic damage bothered me. I flew them without any problems. I do have a set of new blades that have slight damage on the tips thought (mishap on bench) and I will not fly them. If in doubt don't risk a $$$$ heli and possible injury for a $100.00 set of blades.