Smartmodels AH-1 Cobra (600 size) Build thread

[HornDog]

Video of the final gun turret. Servo City aluminum servo blocks with built in bearings and servo horn towers. HITEC HS-5585MH servo swapped out to replace the HITEC 311 (reversed) to control turret rotation to mirror Rudder inputs. Gun motor is an electric train motor running on a 1S Eflite 450mah lipo and switched from the receiver with a Hobby King RX switch inline.

[Andy01]

Originally Posted by HornDog

but with the 45C packs it is still a little over 1000rpm higher than set.

The pack C rating should not affect RPM at all. RPM is all about kV, voltage & gearing (and efficiency), not the ability of the lipo to deliver amps.

My 4 blade Seahawk 600 runs at 1350rpm, so I would think that somewhere around 1500rpm should work well for a two blade 600. I would not go as low as 1200-1300rpm - I think you will need heaps of pitch and lack tail authority at this speed.

Originally Posted by HornDog

Hoping to start the primer work tomorrow or Wednesday. New airbrush secured for the actual painting. Excited to see how it turns out!

Are you planning to paint the whole heli with an airbrush ? Based on my (limited) experience with an Iwata BCS airbrush, it was not really enough to paint my 600mm blades with - I was getting the stripey effect going on, but maybe that was just my poor painting skills It did a great job on the tail blades, and the stripes on the mains, but not the main part of the mains.

I would use a touch-up gun at least for painting a 600 sized fuselage, but perhaps others have had more success with airbrushes.

Colin

[HornDog]

Primer work about finished... prepping the fuse for paint next weekend. Still working out the tail cowling but getting ready for two Fun Flys in the next two months. Ready so see some color on this thing!

[echopoint]

I like the turret action. That's pretty sweet. Very creative. It's going to look really nice in the air when you are all done. Please keep us updated with pics and keep up the good work!

[HornDog]

Originally Posted by echopoint

I like the turret action. That's pretty sweet. Very creative. It's going to look really nice in the air when you are all done. Please keep us updated with pics and keep up the good work!

Will do! Just finished molding the tail cowling so I can get her prepped for paint maybe as early as Monday! SUPER PUMPED!

[HornDog]

Finally started the painting phase. Took some searching for the right color and tools to apply the paint but had to opt for a happy median. BNase coat is laid and I will make some tweaks before moving into the brown and black for the JGSDF paint scheme. Gun reassembly will follow promptly and the remainder of the weapons will be mounted. The cowl is finally moulded and sealed. Just needs to be primed then it too can be painted.

[sergbaja5t]

Very nice, Good job on mech's. I built a scaler about a year ago but havent flown it because of angled tail gear issues.

[HornDog]

Originally Posted by sergbaja5t

Very nice, Good job on mech's. I built a scaler about a year ago but havent flown it because of angled tail gear issues.

I did too... took a LONG look at all the options before opting for the flex shaft.. so far 50+ flights later it is running well and holds great. you do have to be VERY SPECIFIC in the install to make sure it has a long life. Dr. Tim of Approach Engineering squared me away! You should come out to the District V AIRFEST in November in Statesboro, GA... I'm bringing the Cobra to fly there.

[HornDog]

Just a few pics of the paint. 98% done minus some touch-ups and a few more black stripes along the tail boom. Stuck as close as possible to the original paint scheme picked out by cobra-attack when I purchased the fuselage, as promised! The Japanese JGSDF scheme. Wiring up the gun turret tomorrow and remounting the revolving barrels. Securing the tail gearbox cover (still undecided on just how to do that yet) but minus that and a wash for weathering she is finished. Windows are still taped until I finish the wash and final matte coats. 19 shot tubes will be mounted as well tomorrow as soon as I determine if i want them removable or not. This as my first scale project has been lots of fun and definitely a learning curve but I am hooked. And ready for the next one!

[HornDog]

Thought I had posted this one but I guess I didn't. Well I did a noon flight demo at AIRFEST but the video camera ran out of card space so we didn't get enough footage. Planning a Spring Flight video with a pro videographer/ photographer for a full feature video on the build and features. Here is a flight from before I painted the main rotor hub, blades, tail rotor and tail blades flat black. Still needs weathering and a wash but I'm holding out for warmer weather (working in NC now) before I try my first time doing so!

[bladerunner469]

WOW Sweet Love the look and the Flight!!

[HornDog]

Thanks bladerunner469! Ready to finish this SKYHERO 1000 so I can get back to scale and start my next project!

[HornDog]

Still a ways off from what I want for a final video but after 5 months of bad weather and mixed schedules I got time with the videographer to get some shots in. Still need to deal with the tail wag (Trex 600E PRO tail gear box at low RPMs has a known issue) and we had strong tail winds in the video due to the left and right and area behind us all being a construction site so the best shooting angle was the WORST flying angle for anything slow and precise. But when you have lemons, you trade 'em in for a scale heli.... or something like that! Hopefully the weathering that has been on hold all most 6 months, with fair weather setting in minus pollen all over everything, i will have time to age her a bit. Check this out!