Trex500 Israeli tow defender

[Andrew u.k.]

This will is my first scale project apart from painting a fuselage before.

It's still a work in progress.
I started with the align US army tow defender fuselage. After reading up that it hadn't been bought by the US I decided to go with the Israeli version. This is my second tow fuselage, I had painted 1 black before to make a Korean version but I found orientation a little hard and I wanted to try something different.

[Andrew u.k.]

I decided to add leds. I bought a flasher kit, however it's not great so I will change this in the future.
Once you start down a path it opens up all sorts of avenues. Having never done much with leds, next week I'll be making up a flashing circuit with a 555 timer and maybe a strobe.

[Andrew u.k.]

I wanted to install a pilot. However the fuselage is quite tight with the battery.
As it's my first build using the avaliable equipment I'd just have to squeeze him in somehow.
I bought a pilot on eBay and cut him in half. I have mounted him on depron and have installed him into half of the front fuselage. I will probably light him with a small led.
I'm pretty happy with it so far.

[Andrew u.k.]

I'll test fly again with pilots in place and then will start on the missiles.
To be honest I'm enjoying the building more than the flying... After putting some hours in to the fuselage it makes me nervous.
I've had a test flight at each stage.

[cobieg]

It's looking good! All the nerves go away once it is airborne. Have fun.

Ron

[Andrew u.k.]

Cheers, I've got her flying nice now. Good flights today. I'm however reworking the pilots to mount them on to the main frame.
A beautiful morning to be out flying.

Trex 500 tow defender helicopter (1 min 48 sec)

[Andrew u.k.]

Modified how the pilots sit.
I have cable tied corex to the main frame and have velcroed the pilots to this. I did however have to cut off his arm.

[Andrew u.k.]

Nearly finished.

Installed the windows with UHU Por. It made it nice and easy and any smudges were easily rubbed away.
I realised I have made a mistake with the rear windows and the armour plating, cooking the Sunday lunch and Modelling isn't a good combination...

I had a dawn test flight today and was very happy with it. She looked great in the air.

I'm going to add some internal Led's to shine at the pilots, just for effect.

But I'm pretty chuffed. And now I'm addicted to (rough) scale building.

Cheers
Andrew

[rex09]

Hi, yours looks great

I have one simlar, with 5 blade head, over 500 flights and so far only one mishap picture with a Roban 700 size Blackhawk in Australian colours, Up until this formation I do not think the Isrealie's and Auzzies flew together

[rex09]

We had a warbird event over the weekend, put 8 great flights on my 500, the only heli there, I got heaps of complements from well know warbirders, on how great it looked and flew, yep from plankers made me feel great

[rex09]

We had a warbird event, if the link works, there are a few snips of my 500 flying in among other warbirds

Sunday 7/04/2019 (3 min 38 sec)

[rex09]

Went to another warbird event waiting to hover taxi to the runway about 200mm high, I was cleared on to the runway buy a planker who said he would stay up high . before I could even get to the runway, not going any higher than 200mm, he T boned me, knocking the hozontal stab off, hitting TR and stripping the gears, got to throttle hold and a auto, but a bit of a heavy landing
Damage was front & back umbrella gears, fin cracked, $60 worth, but they are getting hard to find, had to ship from USA to Aus, $58 so doubled up + a couple of extras, looking at what was around, not sure how many repairs I have left . has anyone put any other mechanics in this fuslage?

[rex09]

Originally Posted by rex09

Went to another warbird event waiting to hover taxi to the runway about 200mm high, I was cleared on to the runway buy a planker who said he would stay up high . before I could even get to the runway, not going any higher than 200mm, he T boned me, knocking the hozontal stab off, hitting TR and stripping the gears, got to throttle hold and a auto, but a bit of a heavy landing
Damage was front & back umbrella gears, fin cracked, $60 worth, but they are getting hard to find, had to ship from USA to Aus, $58 so doubled up + a couple of extras, looking at what was around, not sure how many repairs I have left . has anyone put any other mechanics in this fuslage?

The parts turned up during the week, a couple of evenings and it was ready to go, test flight went much better than expected, given I had to use a 13 th pinion to replace the worn 12 th. Then a couple more flights at a fun fly, best it has ever flown, recieving many great comments from heli guy's and plankers

[ic-racer]

I just finished one of these.