Long term flight experience Aeolus 50 3D GF – part 1

[Raptor30_V1]

Hello,

Let’s share our long-term flight experiences for the Aeolus 50 3D GF (glass fiber) version. Please note, my experiences made, must not match yours, as flight-style and other influences might vary. Anyway happy if you want to share your findings.


About every 5 flight or so, I completely check all of my screws if tightenend and check as well for some play of bearings, shafts etc. One day, grabbing the muffler, I noticed the muffler to have some play, when some pivoting force is applied horizontally. My first thoughts were the muffler coming loose, but as this can be easely checked and muffler still tightenend well on the engine, the play remained.

After a while I found out, that the plastic-resin engine mount can be shifted slightly inbetween the side-frames. First I blamed the glass-fiber frames of having some wear inside by having lost material inside, where the engine-mount touches the side-frames. After removing the engine-mount (pretty easy on this model) I saw no wear, where the engine-mount touches the side-frames, so something different must be the reason for the excess play of the engine-mount inbetween the 2 side-frames ..

So what’s the source of all of this ? Looking at the length of the hex-mounting-bolts, you will see, that the length of this hex-mounting-bolts is equal in length or even longer, then the width of the engine-mount they are seated in. So the solution is simply to rasp some 1mm of the total length on every hex-mounting-bolt (which side doesn’t matter) .. to insert them again and install engine/ mount again.

After this modification there was no play anymore and even after many hours of flight-time, everything ok ..

Checking my second Aeolus 50 3D GF – I noticed the same issue, so had to make the same mod as well ..

So as a recommendation, make the *muffler stirring-around-check* and if required, make the mod described above ..

Now some will say, hey, you see .. buy the CF-version as the engine-mount is in made out of metal. I prefer the plastic-resin engine-mount any time, not only because of price, then as it dampenens the engine vibrations additionnaly and is part of the reason, why a A50 3D GF has less vibrations than e.g. a T-Rex600 with carbon side-frames and non-one-piece engine-mount made out of non-vibration-dampening material.

Best Regards to all *friends of the Aeolus 50*,
Oliver


P.S: Hope the attachment helps to clearify, what I tried to describe above

[kevinb120]

Nice report Oliver, but the CF does have the resin mount. The aluminum setup is a factory hop-up part bought separately.

[Raptor30_V1]

Hello Kevin,

Thanks for clarifying - as I never had/ built a A50 3D CF I simply did not know that ..
Best Regards,

Oliver

[kevinb120]

I'm not crazy about the idea of an all metal mount either. After decades of using FRP nitro engine mounts in aircraft with zero failures(other then a complete torpedo crash-but those always saved the engine), I have no issues with the heli having the same material for an engine mount as well.

[UPGl2AYDD]

So far I haven't experienced the plastic mount issues mentioned above.

The only BIG issue I've had it an uncureble tailwag on my first Aeolus, which had everything from the engine, tail, servo and gyro swapped out, finally isolated it to the bloody clutch bell.

Just built a new one so looking forward to flying and it appears the weather is much improving very quickly!

[Raptor30_V1]

Hello,

That's interesting - what exactly was wrong with the clutch bell ?

I'm wondering, as the 2 last A50 3D GFs I helped to build (not my own ones, newer builts) had the problem, that the small bearings inside the clutch-bell couldn't be easely pressed into its seat in the clutch-bell. In such a case only sanding carefully the outer diameter of the small bearing made it happen

Best Regards,
Oliver

P.S: Following my current experiences with my 2 Aeolus and the ones my buddies fly, the worst part is definetly the main-gear-hub's cone. Not because of the quality of the one-way-bearing (well made) then the outer-diameter of the cone and its bore inside. The larger outer diameter (to large? or hardenend to much?) of the cone makes the AR-system to block sometimes and the very poorly made bore inside the cone leads to the main-gear having extra-play on the main-shaft..

[UPGl2AYDD]

Truthfully, not entirely sure. I had a tail wag I could NOT correct, had three different brands and model servos, two gyros, two tail assemblies, different horn lengths, engines etc. could NEVER correct it did everything possible. Rotated the gyro, relocated it, changed mounting methods, you name it it was done.

Someone said "change the clutch bell" I did and problem solved...

[Raptor30_V1]

Hello,

That's a cool piece of information, as most people would never ever take a look into that part.

Thank you,
Best Regards,

Oliver

[UPGl2AYDD]

Wish someone mentioned it sooner, pissed away 1.5 gallons of fuel and hours swapping out crap and posting.

I guess the bell was unbalanced in some way that caused vibrations?

[SkyRaptor]

I've found a "design" problem in the clutch bell.

There is only one hole to fit the governor magnet. If you do that, the clutch bell will be unbalanced - due the magnet. There should be 2 holes - opposite sides - to fit 2 magnets and have got the clutch bell balanced.

During building, I fit the magnet in that hole and made some non-through-holes beside the magnet (actually a lot of them, about 9 holes). I mean, I remove material to compensate the extra height of the magnet. In addiction, some epoxy in the opposite side helped that compensation.

The clutch bell seams quite balanced using a Balancer.

Now I will fly the heli, regulate the gyro gain and I hope no tail wag.

Best Regards.

PS: Sorry my english, I'm not a native speaker, so it's quite difficult do explain those things.

[Raptor30_V1]

Hello SkyRaptor-22,

I'm no native English speaker neither - and understood very well what you were saying

One of my 2 aeolus 50 3D GF has some MGP V1 installed on it and as gov was installed later then the build itself, never checked the clutch-bell for balancing.

So good information, following your findings AHF either:

- makes some opposite holes for 2 magnets, one of faced up-side-down or just a counterweight as e.g. CSM is practising with its RevLocks ..

- drills the magnet holes deeper .. which still makes the side with the magnet being heavier then the opposite side ..

IMO the ideal soluthion is still the backplate sensor, but even though still costs to much, not practical on an AHF Aeouls 50 3D because of the engine-mount design hyiding the back-plate.

On the other side, don't get me wrong, as the modular design of the rc-components sitting on a separate tray, the engine mount of the A50 3D GF is simple a masterpiece, as very sturdy, cheap and vibration absorbing. The only thing to be changed are the frame spacers to be shortenend.

Many thanks for your finding,
Best Regards,

Oliver

[extremrc]

Hi folks

Do any of you have a good idea about where to buy parts online for my aeolus 50?
and that will ship to norway

Thanks
Regards
Rune

[UPGl2AYDD]

afh-usa.com, newenglandheli.com and a few others, hobby-wing.com may also as well. There are many others I cannot think of off the top of my head, I'll pull it up shortly.