Aww a lil' sister for OG Protos - a Mini Protos build

[ted_wears_a_hat]

I spent a long afternoon at work with the Mini-P in a cardboard box in tantalising sight on my desk. A great turn around from Fast Lad Performance and delivered safely into my eager hands.



Finally I got mine home and went through the basic contents of the box.

The box itself is pretty tiny, not much longer than a shoe box and about the same height and depth. Nicely detailed, 'classy'. :p



With the rest of the setup.



Note the three kit options, A, B and C. Mine is with motor, ESC and blades and is marked B. I assume A is the naked kit but I am not sure what C is, power system but no blades?

Made in Italy, just like a Zonda.



I noticed the box had a quality seal. Mmm shiny.



Opening the box there are a couple of nice touchs, I really like the bare frames laid out with the canopy so it looks like a semi built model and the raised MSH logo. General quality and fit is good as well, this little box will keep everything from rattling around in transit nicely.







The speed controller is prominantly displayed in the box. A quality ESC is definately a seeling point, I've never used a YGE (or Kontronik) ESC so I don't know what to expect but I am looking forward to finding out.



In the top section above the cano are all the long bits of the build, blades, boom, tail control, blah blah.

SAB blades look mmm.



Just like a good box of chocolates under the first layer is another, this one containing a bag of parts, the landing gear and a CD. I'm hoping secretly the CD is full of funky tunes to build by but I know it is actually the manual. :p



Now a few detail shots of frames (no rough edge, and nicely cut), motor (seems light but robust, seems to turn smoothly with no slop) and cano (very nice, even my other half thinks it's sleek).















It's been a fun evening.

[JASON671]

very nice! great job on the packagine msh! please more pics during the build

[ted_wears_a_hat]

Cheers Jason. More pics from the build over the weekend.

[NEAGRON]

Yes Please Ted,
Can we have more pictures and details as you build please,am seriously thinking of getting one next week so am more than interested,mine will be the same full kit as yours and will be using savox0527 servos jr 3500G on tail and either a miniGor jr770 gyro.
Many Thanks
Marty.

[FlyAndFix]

Will be watching the build progress.

[ozace]

nice work

[NEAGRON]

Very keen to know how its coming on,hope to by one end of week,please post progress.
Many Thanks,
Marty.

[ted_wears_a_hat]

Hi guys, thanks for the kind words. I haven't made as much progress as I would have liked as I have been taking my time and documenting as I go for a build diary.

Part 1 - Unboxing:


Part 2 - Tools and Components:


I have only got as far as completing Bag A but am hoping to get a little more done tonight.

Before I did Bag A though I bound a receiver and and got my servo arms as close to 90 degrees as I could mechanically. I haven't sub trimmed them to be perfect as I'll do that once they are in the heli.

Like the OG Protos you can adjust your arms when everything is installed but it's easier to do it with the bearing blocks outside of the frame so I did it now.

Images from Bag A:

Servos - You need to make sure the arms are trimmed neatly or when they are installed in the bearing blocks they will touch. These images are pre-trim and file.



The double arm that comes stock (but not attached) with the HS-65mg has a hole bang on 15mm as recommended by the manual. The balls are M2 and the holes on this arm need to be drilled out so the ball can screw in and through.



Servo Holders/Bearing Blocks - A little bit of flashing on the edges of these but 2 seconds with a file cleaned them up fine. Bearing are seated well, a little force required but easy enough to do by hand.





As with the OG Protos you have two hex heads supporting the lower bearing block.



Installing the Servos - Just like I learnt when installing the same part in the OG Protos you need to be careful doing this parts so that the bearings are correctly aligned. First I installed the servos loosely to the top servo/bearing block. Then I slid a main shaft through the top block and slid the bottom block down the shaft and loosely attached the servos. I then played with this fit until I had the shaft sliding through both bearing cleanly and with as little friction as possible. Only then did I tighten everything down.







Video for Bag A should be up later tonight.

Take it easy all.

[NEAGRON]

Many Thanks,
Look forward to next installment and of course the maiden flight.
Many Thanks,
Marty.

[FlyAndFix]

Please, keep us updated.

It looks like you just cut and did not file the backside of the servo arms round. Is there enough clearance so the corners will not touch during cyclic/collective movement?

[OICU812]

Quick question, are rumours true and everything you need to do it "flybarless" is in this kit? Yes or no?

Sure hope so as I am going FBL from start and am counting on it all being in this same kit.

Please let me/us know. Thx

[Lubebosch]

Yes, I confirm, everything is in the kit.
I assembled it with BeastX. Only change is on the swashplate link lenghts, slightly longer, but still fully workable with the provided ones.
Hope it helps
Luigi

[ozace]

Yep, all the flybar less bits and instructions are in the box.
Shawn, you are good to go

[jyheli]

confirm....been flying FBL with beastX last few days all stock components.

Jonathan

[vworley]

Intently following this thread. Maybe a xmax present for me!

[rcman]

I will be doing the first few flights on mine today with a Mini-V. This is a very nice kit
MSH did a great job on the whole thing, It is just like the large 500 carbon kit.

[ted_wears_a_hat]

Originally Posted by OICU812

Quick question, are rumours true and everything you need to do it "flybarless" is in this kit? Yes or no?...[SNIP].....Please let me/us know. Thx

As other have said the kit has both options. The manual covers both FBL and FB setups. I will initially be building FB and will later use the Mini P as my first foray into FBL, perhaps next year.

Originally Posted by FlyAndFix

It looks like you just cut and did not file the backside of the servo arms round. Is there enough clearance so the corners will not touch during cyclic/collective movement?

You're right, they do need to be trimmed pretty neatly. I left them rough for the initial shots of fixing the servo arms but in the build vid I talk about filing the arms and I think I have them pretty well spaced now.





Thanks for your kind comments and feedback.

Originally Posted by vworley

Intently following this thread. Maybe a xmax present for me!

Only four weeks to go. I better get a move on!

Originally Posted by rcman

I will be doing the first few flights on mine today with a Mini-V. This is a very nice kit
MSH did a great job on the whole thing, It is just like the large 500 carbon kit.

Be sure to report back on your initial impressions, I am really looking forward to flying this thing myself. I loosely fitted the frame together today just to hold it up against the OG Protos and it is like looking at a perspective trick initially. Small.......Far Away........Small.......Far Away.

It's surprising how much time it takes to video each step though so I might be ready for a spring maiden.

Talking of video, I edited and uploaded the Bag A preparation and build vid late last night:





I ain't no Finless baby!

[JASON671]

nicely done! thanks for making these build videos.

[ted_wears_a_hat]

Thanks Jason. I quite enjoy doing the videos though it does delay the build significantly!

In terms of the build I have finally completed Bag B via Bag H and via a brief stop in Bag C. This means that the entire main frame of the heli has been built and the power system is installed but not setup.

So far it's been a great build. As ozace said MSH have really gone the extra yard in terms of thinking about how it is all going to go together. The manual is great and there are plenty of little details to make the build go a little easier. For example the cutouts for cyclic servo wires and the matched cut outs for the zip ties that will hold these wires.

Quality, fit and finish is also very nice. There is a very little flashing on any of the plastic parts and the carbon frame is nicely cut and smooth edged. Getting all the bearing blocks aligned and the main shaft sliding smoothly felt simple compared to in the bigger Protos but it may just be that I am used to doing this already with the Mini's bigger sister. All the frame holes line up neatly with the plastic parts and it all screws together well.

Most of the frame screws are metal into metal so there is not much chance of stripping anything but there are a couple of metal into plastic fastenings that you need to be careful with.

Only a couple of things so far are of any concern.

Firstly the speed controller is a tight fit with limited clearance to the pinion and capacitors hanging out of the nose. It's not a show stopper and you can get everything near and clearances OK but it takes a bit of work.

Secondly, my belt pulley support seems to be off cant by a couple of degrees. I can't see it being a problem but it isn't perfect like I would like it to be.

Anyway, below are some images from Bag B (frame), Bag H (motor and pinion) and the belt from Bag C, slow internet connection users, I apologise!

Part Detail Shots (Bag B)















Part Detail Shots (Bag H)













Part Detail Shot (Belt)



And a few pictures from the build:



























































It's coming together nicely. I'll edit the videos and get them uploaded soon I hope.

Take care all.

[OSOFAM]

Great pictures, and awesome looking helicopter. Thanks!