Weight Reductions on the Whiplash Gasser..

[Doug Darby]

After one of Tim Jone's EPIC flights with the gasser at HeliFreak Fun Fly he said he could only imagine how fun it would be to fly making the power it does if it weighed a pound or two less...
Well that comment inspired me to take a serious look at reducing the flying weight of the heli... Just like any diet, the first few pounds (ounces in this case) come off really fast, but it's the rest of the weight that is done in small increments... Here are some of the things I have done so far to reduce the weight by a little over one pound from what it was when Tim flew it several weeks ago...

Reduced the Receiver pack size from a 14 flights per charge to 3 flights per charge = 4.09 oz
Installed Tuff Strutt II landing gear with 53mm cut out of the center of them = 2.735 oz
Removed the ADA fan guard and installed a small plastic fan guard = 2.65 oz
Replace the aircleaner with a lighter version with no choke on the venturi = 2.82 oz
Replaced the Stator Gator With an Align sensor =0.705 oz
Removed the Permanent Bluetooth adapter = 0.430 oz
Removed the switch = 0.640 oz
Removed the permanent cylinder head temp guage = 0.97 oz
Removed supplemental fan air duct = 0.20 oz
Replaced the engine fan base with a carbon fiber fan base = 0.92 oz
Total savings to date = 16.16 oz or 1.01 lbs

I still have a few other parts to change and I am hoping in the end to accomplish an additional 3-8 oz of weight savings over the current 16 oz. But at this point it is getting hard to find.
Most importantly I won't remove any weight that could possibly impact the structural integrity or durability of the heli...

[Ranger71d]

Nice job.

R71D
Sent from my phone, excuse the bad grammar and auto corrections.

[AlvaSpeed]

Change the clutch for this one. Weights nothing compared to stock and it is adjustable.

http://www.davesmotors.com/s.nl?c=88...054mm%20Clutch

Change the flywheel for this one (increased throttle response)

http://www.davesmotors.com/s.nl?c=88...20CY%20Engines

I have used this in my RC cars but I do not see why they cant be used in the heli application.
Right now I am building a Whiplash gasser (not mine) with stock parts but when I build mine I will use this parts for sure.

[Doug Darby]

Thanks for the ideas. I actually looked at both. I think the clutch function is so different Ina Heli versus a car or truck. In cars you are on and off the throttle and the clutch plays an important function in acceleration where as in helis you want a clutch to engage and stay locked up consistently. So I'm not sure how the clutch would work. I do have a lightened conventional shoe clutch on the way. Should help some.
Thanks again for the ideas.

[fastflyer20]

Looks good!

What blade are you running? FB blades will shave some weight, Rotortech 690's are light and preform well.

Do you have a link to the CF engine fan base?

What is your total weight now?

[Doug Darby]

Currently Mitch prefers Align 3G 690 narrow cord blades. It's really a personal pilot preference. The blades is about the only area where regardless of weight I let the pilot preference dictate.
As for me, it's Maverikk G5 WC 710's.
The CF base and matching shroud are from Go Faster Racing in CA. It should pop up on a search. If not let me know and I'll hunt down the link for you.
As for the current weight, I don't have an accurate scale for that size. I do know I carefully weighed everything that came off and went on and it is a very accurate measurement of how the weight changed. Ill try to find a way to measure the whole Heli. Just want it to be accurate.

[fastflyer20]

Many use luggage scales from Target or Walmart for around $20, they have a hook or strap and you can grab onto the heli from the head block. I compared mine to the certified scale at work and it was very accurate.

[DEDO]

Hi Doug,

You could probably save a several grams by using Ti. hardware. Too Expensive for Me

Have you thought of this ;

Have 4 small angled mounting blocks (.500x.500 machined to mount flat carbon plate landing gear. The angle deturmines landing gear width apart stock looks about 45*

The top face of the clutch bell could be drilled with 5 or more holes
and have dynamicly balanced to 20k

These are things I am thinking of doing to my Whiplash to cut weight.

I hope this helps

[AlvaSpeed]

I have used the lightened conventional one also. It is designed to engage at higher rpms than stock. The clucth shoes are drilled to lower the weight somewhat and a harder spring is provided for higher rpm engaging. You will have to give more throttle to make the clutch engage.
To lower the engaging rpms you will have to install the original (softer) clutch spring.

The adjustable clutch I am talking about is installed by using just one bolt directly to the crank. You dont need the clutch plate, nor the 2 bolts and washers holding the shoes to the plate. and the clutch itself weights very little.
Besides the very low weight you can adjust the engaging rpms from low rpms to high rpms by turning just 4 screws. Set it and forget it.

Tomorrow I will try to weight both clutches.

Originally Posted by Doug Darby

Thanks for the ideas. I actually looked at both. I think the clutch function is so different Ina Heli versus a car or truck. In cars you are on and off the throttle and the clutch plays an important function in acceleration where as in helis you want a clutch to engage and stay locked up consistently. So I'm not sure how the clutch would work. I do have a lightened conventional shoe clutch on the way. Should help some.
Thanks again for the ideas.

[Doug Darby]

I don't believe this clutch will allow the use of the top start one way bearing block. It uses the normal clutch mounting hole bolts to attack to the top of the clutch.

[AlvaSpeed]

Doug,

I guess you are right.
I havent gotten to this part in the build, but went ahead and took a look at the manual and the bearing block itself. It is designed for the standard clutch.
Maybe the aftermarket will come out with something or a removable pull start will allow this adjustable clutch to be used. But trust me, it is very, very light.

[rbort]

If I may suggest:

Remove the quick-fill, you don't need that. Just remove the hose from the return line and fill the tank from there. Remove the line from the carb inlet to empty the tank from there. That's what I do.

Remove the fan guard, you don't really need it. I fly mine with my starter removed (made it removable) and there is nothing on the bottom there just an open fan. Just don't land in tall grass as you'll chop it all up and end up with grass in the cylinder fins.

That should get you some more weight savings

-=>Raja.

[Rudy]

Originally Posted by rbort

If I may suggest:

Remove the quick-fill, you don't need that. Just remove the hose from the return line and fill the tank from there. Remove the line from the carb inlet to empty the tank from there. That's what I do.
-=>Raja.

Not that fuel line weights much, but I only use four pieces, clunk line, vent line, supply line, and return line. With no fittings in the middle. I pull the return line to fuel with, and pull the supply line to drain if I need to.

[fastflyer20]

I don't use a return line, never need to hit the primer, just add a tee in the supply line and a 1" piece of hose with a plug, even simpler and less weight. You can replace the primer with a Zenoah steel plate like the 257 uses for even less bulk.

[Doug Darby]

All great ideas. I will incorporate many of them.

[fastflyer20]

I just installed the new canopy, it is .18# lighter than the green one, hopefully not just by chance. Even with an RJX muffler in place of the V2, I am at 12.6#

[eluminous]

Nice Doug...

Not sure how or who could implement this one, but we could probably save another 60-100 grams with lighter carbon versions of the tuff strut and skid pipes. Both of these two items are quite heavy together and are only really needed for short times while on the ground. Seems a little "extra" weight to be lugging around on the machine when most of the time is spent in the air flying. Just a thought probably already been discussed somewhere down the line.

Maybe MA have already considered this in the past?

[eluminous]

Originally Posted by DEDO

Have 4 small angled mounting blocks (.500x.500 machined to mount flat carbon plate landing gear. The angle deturmines landing gear width apart stock looks about 45*

Oh crap! Sorry guys and DEDO, You basically said the same thing in your previous post that I just posted now. I should have read more carefully.

[cbrkhan]

Originally Posted by Doug Darby

Removed the ADA fan guard and installed a small plastic fan guard = 2.65 oz
Replace the aircleaner with a lighter version with no choke on the venturi = 2.82 oz
Replaced the engine fan base with a carbon fiber fan base = 0.92 oz

Where can I find these parts? I googled but no luck finding this stuff

[Varelco]

Originally Posted by Doug Darby

Replace the aircleaner with a lighter version with no choke on the venturi = 2.82 oz

Uber thread bump!

I know this was done a couple of years ago now but is there/was there any implications of running this filter set up? Obviously you lose quite a lot of surface area therefore you would have to clean/replace it more frequently but is it still effective at filtering the air without being restrictive?