
- 129 2910
- 126 2680
- kt ruth wed 0050
- 105 0542
- 129 2995
- 107 0709
- kt ruth wed 0016
- 126 2628
- 125 2564
- kt ruth wed 0074
- 126 2638
- 147 4776
- 129 2956
- 125 2536
- 125 2548
- 125 2520
- 104 0444
- 147 4775
- 125 2590
- 125 2589
- 106 0671
- 154 5407
- 126 2643
- 133 3316
- 129 2993
- kt ruth wed 0077
- 100 0040
Merlin - 125 2562
- 110 1078
- 105 0567
- 154 5453
- 133 3327
It's looking a bit big Note we have an exhaust (muffler) now also. - 125 2573
- 147 4757
- 125 2596
- 142 4243
- 107 0740
- 154 5458
- 129 2906
- 100 1512
- 123 2327
- 127 2735
- 126 2609
- 129 2928
- 106 0660
- DSC01245
- 154 5457
- 154 5416
- 142 4259
- 133 3308
- 110 1076
- 129 2943
- 126 2626
- 107 0743
- 132 3267
- 154 5406
- 129 2911
- 129 2908
- 125 2584
- 154 5462
- 129 2939
- 100 1511
- 122 2294
- 122 2230
- 154 5444
- 130 3009
- 125 2541
- 123 2334
- 129 2944
- 123 2325
- 104 0429
- 154 5442
- 126 2640
- 126 2639
- 133 3328
The exhaust It's shiny now. I'm sure that will change. The silicone pipe runninf from it is a fuel tank pressurisation aid. There's no fuel pump - a certain amount of exhaust gas is used to push the fuel into the carb of the engine. Quite neat, really. - 129 2983
- 134 3421
- 128 2849
- 126 2614
- 125 2584 2
- 125 2566
- DSC01327
Depot #2 2003-03-29 A view of the depot. 2003-03-29 - 122 2293
- 110 1069
- b0008
Heart-somethingorothers [4/4] - 154 5403
- 142 4265
- 142 4272
- 123 2333
- 105 0538
- 123 2331
- kt ruth wed 0052
- 110 1068
- 107 0705
- 129 2979
- 125 2538
- 106 0658
- 106 0633
- 126 2615
- 125 2571
- 123 2337
- 106 0676
- 134 3464
Rear rotor servo cabling - 129 2934
- 142 4270
- 125 2568
- 140 4007
- 142 4267
- 125 2512
- 104 0448
- dsc sp5 0001
Canon EOS 10D - DSC01211
- 134 3420
- kt ruth wed 0022
- 154 5464
- 142 4231
- 105 0539
- 104 0476
- 140 4033
- 100 1539
- 110 1067
- 107 0742
- 104 0422
- 142 4260
- 110 1065
- 110 1066
- 140 4031
- 126 2641
- 125 2559
- 142 4248
- 125 2597
- 100 0041
Merlin - 133 3329
Rotor hub It's really busy up here - I can't imagine this thing spinning as fast as it will need to. - 126 2682
- 110 1073
- 106 0686
- 107 0741
- 105 0505
- DSC01210
- 105 0510
- 126 2612
- 106 0670
- 105 0544
- 129 2959
- 129 2912
- 126 2693
- 125 2537
- 123 2335
- 129 2975
- 125 2588 2
- 133 3335
The electronics arrived All the servos are on, the receiver is mounted and hooked up. - 105 0540
- 133 3331
The body/canopy This will be it's ultimate shape. - 106 0673
- 142 4229
- 125 2595
- 129 2907
- 125 2572
- 110 1062
- 154 5441
- 115 1507
- 129 2980
- 132 3275
The swash plate This little device is freaky. In a nutshell, the pitch of the blades varies through their rotation, according to the motions of the aileron/elevator servos (called cyclic on a helicopter) and the collective pitch. It's all a bit mad and I onyl slightly understand it so far. - 129 2909
- DSC01216
- 129 2940
- 154 5418
- 110 1063
- 129 2955
- 105 0548
- 154 5469
- 129 2950
- 110 1070
- 154 5467
- 140 4033 crop
- 106 0637
- 125 2542
- kt ruth wed 0021
- 107 0708
- 900 0024
Random shot - 125 2560
- 106 0659
- 125 2557
- 107 0703
- 129 2957
- 104 0423
- 154 5459
- 100 1538
- 123 2332
- 142 4240
- 106 0651
- b0010
Pansies [1/2] - 125 2569
- 125 2552
- 123 2326
- kt ruth wed 0076
- kt ruth wed 0075
- 125 2563
- 123 2324
- 110 1064
- 154 5465
- 125 2558
- DSC01330
The village to be 2003-03-29 Where am I? In the village. 2003-03-29 - 154 5421
- 133 3337
Wires/servos Much cabling. Notice how I had to trim some of the servo "horns" - they interfered with the ball-link attachments. - 125 2546
- 125 2539
- 154 5435
- 142 4225
- 104 0420
- b0025
Air Canada [3/3] - 100 0027
Glenn in workshop [1/2] - 106 0682
- 106 0669
- 125 2586
- 900 0020
Tara ...enough already. - 126 2611
- 106 0638
- 115 1506
- 107 0706
- 133 3330
So far... - 129 2951
- 110 1071
- 133 3338
The radio I decided to start small. A 6-channel JR transmitter. It came with the servos and a 7-channel receiver. - 154 5419
- 123 2323
- 106 0675
- b0024
Air Canada [2/3] - 154 5446
- 129 2958
- 133 3325
- 126 2610
- 125 2545
- b0023
Air Canada [1/3] - 129 2960
- 105 0545
- 154 5471
- 129 2982
- b0018
A bird Might be a goose - 154 5470
- 125 2540
- 106 0653
- 154 5443
- 125 2543
- 107 0739
- 122 2295
- 154 5420
- 106 0662
- 154 5445
- 137 3751
Camera mount Allows me to bolt a camera, or other things, to the side of the Helicopter - 126 2642
- 106 0665
- 129 2938
- 106 0650
- 134 3419
- 129 2949
- 154 5473
- 106 0668
- 150 5072
- 129 2967
- 110 1072
- 105 0566
- 105 0546
- 154 5466
- 133 3336
Busy busy There's a lot going on with this machine. - 154 5472
- 154 5429
- 125 2567
- 106 0657
- 105 0509
- IMG 0663
- 134 3418
- 106 0667
- 129 2966
- 123 2336
- DSC01248
- 129 2998
- 125 2570
- 106 0663
- 125 2586 2
- 106 0680
- IMG 0662
- 142 4244
- 142 4241
- 132 3276
The engine OS 32 helicopter engine. Here it is with the Raptor cooling fan attached, basically a centrifugal fan. - 104 0447
- 142 4249
- 125 2553
- 125 2547
- 142 4236
- 129 2946
- 129 2903
- 115 1508
- 110 1075
- 154 5405
- 106 0681
- 100 0038
Tara! - 100 0012
Our house... - 142 4257
- 132 3274
Side view - 105 0562
- 100 0013
...in the middle of our street - 129 2969
- b0027
Merlin [1/4] - 126 2613
- 100 0025
Glenns truck [3/3] - 100 0014
More house - 154 5433
- 129 2962
- 125 2588
- 154 5437
- 106 0687
- 105 0547
- 129 2935
- 129 2947
- 129 2948
- 125 2544
- 106 0639
- 123 2322
- 154 5434
- 129 2945
- 134 3463
Rear rotor servo Moved the servo from the front of the chassis to the tail boom to shorten the control rod - less chance of flexing - 133 3340
Outdoors [1/4] - 119 1969
- 129 2904
- 105 0508
- 900 0022
Tara ...I'm outta here. - 100 0028
Glenn in workshop [2/2] - 132 3278
Engine, other side - b0028
Merlin [2/4] - 154 5427
- 106 0678
- 154 5431
- 133 3339
I fired it up... So, I took it outside, just to fire up the engine. Nobody else around to take pictures, so this is after the event. They definately make good lawn mowers - notice all the grass and grass stains. I'm so far away from flying this thing (still practising on the simulator) but I thought it would be good to give the engine and mechanics some exercise before it does fly. These things are not quiet! - 154 5438
- 125 2554
- 125 2587
- 142 4230
- 129 2970
- 129 2905
- 125 2556
- b0020
Bird in a tree [2/2] ...it's in there somewhere - 154 5430
- 100 0018
Blueberry tree - 129 2961
- 100 0026
Glenn inside a truck - 100 0015
Cherry tree - 129 2972
- 106 0648
- 104 0421
- 900 0018
Tara Okay, I'm bored now... - 125 2585
- 154 5432
- dsc sp5 0004
Canon EOS 10D - 106 0654
- 154 5426
- 125 2587 2
- 106 0649
- IMG 0645
- 129 2902
- 154 5428
- 106 0664
- b0019
Bird in a tree [1/2] Can you spot the bird? - 154 5468
- 154 5423
- 900 0017
Merlin [6/6] - 129 2968
- b0029
Merlin [3/4] - 134 3412
- 133 3306
Digital servo The Gyro came with this servo. Because the tail rotor pitch is being computer controlled, and you want it to react fast, you have to use a fast servo. Better yet, you use a digital servo, which mostly means the servo PWM's the motor inside much much faster. This is a reasonably speedy digital servo. When it's going, it whines a bit, but I am pretty sure that's normal. - 105 0555
- b0011
Pansies [2/2] - 100 0029
Glenn and Tara - 129 2936
- 100 0016
Brumbrum - 100 0022
Back porch - 100 0017
Brumbrum - 142 4238
- 142 4237
- 129 2973
- 123 2335
- 132 3283
Assembling the rotor head These bits will eventually sit atop the swash plate. - 132 3277
Engine, closeup - 136 3612
- 132 3286
Look at the mess! - 105 0563
- 142 4258
- 137 3753
Still in one piece Front view, it's been out flying a couple of times now - b0022
A plane - 154 5436
- 100 0030
Glenn and Tara and Wine - dsc sp5 0002
Canon EOS 10D - 142 4233
- 900 0019
Tara ...yes, I know you have a new toy... - IMG 0658
- 125 2585 2
- 154 5425
- b0026
Dartmouth Street - IMG 0664
- 129 2974
- dsc sp5 0003
Canon EOS 10D - 106 0652
- b0021
The sky - 129 2963
- IMG 0669
- 142 4245
- 105 0560
- 142 4250
- 137 3756
Front view - 104 0415
- 154 5424
- IMG 0661
- DSC01325
Depot #1 2003-03-29 A view of the depot. 2003-03-29 - 100 0031
Merlin [1/5] - 129 2937
- 115 1505
- 100 0035
Merlin [5/5] - 142 4232
- 129 2971
- 136 3613
- 104 0417
- 142 4246
- 115 1511
- 132 3273
Getting started When I remembered I wanted to take pictures of the construction, this is far as I was already. - 105 0561
- 105 0506
- 154 5422
- 100 0024
Glenns truck [2/3] - b0016
Tigger [1/2] - 106 0688
- 115 1509
- 119 1968
- 129 2965
- IMG 0657
- IMG 0667
- 142 4235
- 104 0404
- IMG 0656
- b0012
Tulips - 105 0507
- 100 0034
Merlin [4/5] - IMG 0668
- 100 0021
Blueberry tree - 100 0032
Merlin [2/5] - 104 0414
- IMG 0675
- 132 3282
The engine The slot-shaped hole you can see is where the exhaust (muffler) pipe will attach, when it arrives. - 104 0419
- IMG 0671
- 105 0556
- IMG 0655
- 136 3614
- 100 0023
Glenns truck [1/3] - 129 2964
- 106 0640
- 125 2555
- 100 0019
Some other plant - 129 2901
- 104 0405
- 142 4247
- 100 0033
Merlin [3/5] - IMG 0660
- IMG 0674
- 104 0413
- 136 3611
- b0017
Tigger [2/2] - 900 0016
Merlin [5/6] - 104 0406
- IMG 0659
- IMG 0650
- 104 0407
- 104 0416
- 133 3305
Gyro This is described by many as the "most cost effective" stabilisation gyro on the market at present. It's job: keep the machine pointing in the direction you want it to. In the old days, you would program a "revolution mix" into your radio which altered the tail rotor blade pitch according to what you were doing with the throttle/collective, the idea being that you could match the rotational energy being put out by the main rotors to make the tail rotor counteract it, and keep the machine steady. Technology these days simply measures the rotation and does what it needs to counteract it. Funky. This is what makes the difference between whirly-top-with-dangerous-bits and simply "dangerous". - 103 0394
- 100 0020
And some more foliage - IMG 0666
- 103 0395
- 104 0402
- IMG 0665
- 132 3285
Rotor head bearings At this point, I only assembled one end of this piece. The bearing set in the bag fit onto the shaft with a collection of washers, spacers, bolts, loctite and so on. It's all a bit busy. Particularly sicne I forgot to put in a supporting piece rigth in the centre to had to disassemble the thing. - 104 0403
- 133 3304
Clutch The silver drum in the centre of the picture is the clutch bell. Inside this is a clutch disc, which runs directly from the engine below it. It's designed to be fully diengaged below about 7000rpm and fully engaged above 10000rpm. The rotor blades operate at a fraction of this speed, not normalyl going faster than about 1700 rpm. - 104 0401
- 900 0012
Merlin [1/6] - 900 0009
Merlin! - 132 3288
Flybar again - 103 0399
- 104 0409
- IMG 0673
- 142 4251
- 132 3290
Tail rotor assembly This was a fiddly piece to put together. - IMG 0646
- 104 0408
- 136 3610
- 136 3616
- 115 1513
- 132 3281
Engine in the frame, other side - 106 0646
- 119 1966
- 103 0390
- 136 3617
- 899 9944
Tara! - 137 3749
Fuel line arrangement This t-piece arrangement allows me to load/unload fuel to the tank without pulling the pipwork away from the engine. Just use the right fuel line clip to direct the flow to/from the tank. Similarly, the left clip allows me to inject after run oil without having to do fiddly stuff, or remove the engine. - b0014
Wasp [2/2] - 132 3279
Engine in the frame - 105 0557
- 104 0411
- 105 0559
- 103 0393
- 103 0391
- IMG 0670
- 136 3615
- 119 1967
- 136 3609
- DSC01318
The village to be 2003-03-29 A lady waits in front of a cottage in what is to become the village. 2003-03-29 - b0013
Wasp [1/2] - 142 4254
- 105 0558
- 104 0412
- 119 1965
- 103 0400
- 132 3287
Rotor head and flybar The fly bar, I think, ,ostly balances the main blades. They are on a single bar whose pitch alters with the cyclic, but not the collective (I think, lots of "I think"'s here!). The bar is supposed to be near-perfectly balanced otherwise it causes really nasty vibrations in the rest of the machine. Rememeber, this thing is a huge spinning top, really. - IMG 0672
- 142 4234
- IMG 0653
- 115 1503
- 900 0013
Merlin [2/6] - 142 4252
- 103 0397
- 136 3621
- 142 4253
- 106 0643
- 136 3623
- 132 3294
Tail rotor The orange material you can see through the hole is the belt. The blades twist together, in opposite directions. This is how you point the helicopter. - 132 3280
Engine in the frame, closeup - IMG 0654
- 119 1961
- IMG 0648
- 103 0396
- 104 0418
- IMG 0649
- IMG 0647
- 136 3618
- 119 1962
- 136 3619
- 103 0364
Trig pulls a new bird - 132 3295
Main drive wheel The belt goes back to the tail rotor. The grey spindle meshes with a drive wheel on the engine drive shaft. There is a shaft going up through these two wheels directly to the rotor hub. - IMG 0651
- 106 0641
- 142 4255
- 136 3622
- 103 0379
- 103 0392
- 103 0398
- 900 0014
Merlin [3/6] - 119 1958
- 900 0015
Merlin [4/6] - 133 3303
Beastie so far - 119 1955
- 119 1956
- 132 3291
Tail rotor assembly The red coloured pulley is a two-piece item, a flange fits on one end, and it can go two ways round. The correct way si with the shorter end into the pulley, longer end outwards. Otherwise, as I discovered, there is about 2 to 3mm play in the tail rotor shaft. Not good. - 119 1959
- 103 0386
- 151 5104
- 119 1957
- 106 0645
- 136 3608
- 119 1960
- 136 3620
- DSC01323
The cottage in the village 2003-03-29 That lady is still waiting... 2003-03-29 - 119 1963
- 119 1953
- 106 0644
- 103 0389
- DSC01319
Towards the industrial area 2003-03-29 Progress has occured in the industrial region with the addition of some storage tanks and a depot. 2003-03-29 - 132 3292
Coming together nicely now Tail piece is in, various tail-plane bits and bobs. The tail rotor blades are on the wrong way round here (and remained so for a while) until I realised I had the belt on the wrong way. I noticied this long before firing up the engine, thankfully. - IMG 0652
- 151 5106
- 142 4256
- 119 1933
- 119 1952
- 104 0410
- 142 4228
- DSC01317
A village station 2003-03-29 The village Railway Station, yet to be named or decorated. 2003-03-29 - 103 0388
- 119 1964
- b0030
Merlin [4/4] - 136 3607
- 151 5108
- DSC01322
Tunnel ahoy! 2003-03-29 At the rear of the layout, a long passenger train headed by two Class A3s enters what will be a tunnel. 2003-03-29 - 119 1939
- 103 0378
- 119 1937
- 119 1954
- 114 1496
- 103 0375
Jappert - 119 1951
- 115 1502
- 142 4226
- 151 5107
- 103 0377
- 142 4227
- 114 1499
- 114 1500
- 114 1489
- 114 1495
- 114 1488
- 114 1487
- 114 1490
- 114 1486
- 114 1494
- 114 1491
- 114 1492
- 114 1493