My big helo flying with a 5 blade head.

[lrogers]

It's been much too long since I bored you all with talk about "that other hobby", so here goes.

My Vigor is going to be turned into a H-3 (S-61) Sikorsky Sea King. The first step was to fit the scale, 5 blade head and get all the tweeking done.

Flying with a scale head is "different" than the standard 2 blade/flybar set up, but it hasn't been too bad. I still have a bit of tweeking to do before I'm completely satisfied, but it's not too far off now.

One of my flying buddies shot this video yesterday then did some editing and added music.

Please forgive the smoke, the engine is still running on the rich side.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnOZIsFI_M8

[leehljp]

NICE looking. Love the 5 blades. What kind of tweaking do you have to do?

When will you go to the Sikorsky look?

[Uncle Cracker]

Foggin' fer skeeters!

[lrogers]

Hey Hank!
I still have to get the trim right. I was holding way to much back pressure on the stick. The instructions for the head called for a 3 deg forward tilt of the swash; that was WAY too much. I also have to lean that engine out to cut down on the smoke. I think I've just about the got the throttle curve where I want it for the head speed I want.

If I the next series of test flights go the way I hope they do, I'll be tearing the mechanics down for inspection of all parts, conversion of the tail drive from belt to torque tube/flex and the addition of a governor. Also have to stri[ off all the parts that will be longer be needed like the stock tail gear box, fins, tail boom and skids. So, my guess is that the Sea King will fly in raw form in 6-8 months. Probably a year or more before it's complete.

You had your little bird in the air?

[Kristofor]

Well it flies rather than crashing and looks realistic which is 90% of the battle.

Better stay away from flying near any sporting events or federal buildings though until you get the engine tweaked or J. Edgar's finest may be looking to pay you a visit to inquire about the chemical warfare dispersal unit you're flying...

[crokett]

That is very cool. I wish I could do something like that but I'd have to sell my tools to finance it. I look forward to future posts with the completed conversion.

[leehljp]

You had your little bird in the air?

No Flying for me: Everyone knows we are headed home in just over two years from now and they are getting every last minute they can out of us. I feel like a Japanese salary man. Working 6 days a week is a break, - 7 days is quite normal. When I get a day off, I sleep or set in my easy chair like a zombie. I do get online between meetings to keep my brain clear.

Shucks, we have our 39th wedding anniversary coming up in two weeks and my regional leader calls a few days ago and says we are going to have a 3 day meeting in my area (over our Anniv date). And we had already cleared our schedule to leave the day before and after open - which now crowd the days around our meeting. That is the way things go for some of us. It ain't always good to be so popular or the one that gets things done!

I was looking my little copter the other day and one of my RC planes and thinking I need to give them a try SOON.

I still have to get the trim right. I was holding way to much back pressure on the stick.

Reminds me of my first "semi-scale" - a Piper Cub 72 in wing span (about 35 years ago). Naively expecting everything to be perfectly aligned I let it take off - one side at a time. It wanted to do a roll to the right - on takeoff! Quick adjustments were made by giving a sharp yank to the left. It worked and rolled to the left - right into the ground and into a hundred pieces!

[shoottx]

The helo is really cool

Reminds me of my first "semi-scale" - a Piper Cub 72 in wing span (about 35 years ago). Naively expecting everything to be perfectly aligned I let it take off - one side at a time. It wanted to do a roll to the right - on takeoff! Quick adjustments were made by giving a sharp yank to the left. It worked and rolled to the left - right into the ground and into a hundred pieces!

Your comment about the crash reminded me of my one and only attempt at building a scale airplane kit. I had made enough money selling cookies for the YMCA to fund a full balsa kit. I spent several Sat afternoons at the Y working on the kit. Had it just about ready for controlls and skin, and I took it home to finnish a couple of details (and to show off). Glued a couple of parts and placed the model on the window to vent the smell.

In the morning the kit was flat as a pancake. It had started raining and mom ran in and closed the window on the plane. Picked up the pieces and provided a proper burial for a downed plane.

[Pappy]

May I suggest a paint scheme?

The H-3 has done service as Marine One I know since 1970 when I was stationed at Quantico.

[footprintsinconc]

WOW! that i s cool!

is it my eyes, or is the craft tilted towards the right side?

[lrogers]

No, you aren't seeing things, it does have a tilt. This normal and the tilt varies from right -to-left depending on the direction of main rotor swings and which side of the tail boom the tail rotor is mounted. In this case, clockwise and on the right side.

Pappy, that color scheme made it to the final two. In the end I couldn't decide between it and the last Sea King SAR bird flying out of Key West. I put it up to a vote and the SAR scheme won by better to 2-1! It will be white, gray and orange.

Here's a little preview of what to expect when the Sea King is finished:
retractable lading gear w/functional oleo struts (all ready built)
rivet lines
rescue winch-I hope to make it functional from the transmitter
sliding side door-again, I hope to make it open/close from the transmitter
nav/anti-collision and landing lights
5 blade tail rotor
at least a partial cockpit with flight crew