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114 1491
114 1486
114 1493
114 1492
114 1487
114 1490
114 1488
114 1494
114 1489
142 4227
114 1495
133 3303
Beastie so far
142 4226
114 1500
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
103 0377
114 1499
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.
142 4256
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.
132 3280
Engine in the frame, closeup
119 1954
DSC01317
A village station 2003-03-29 The village Railway Station, yet to be named or decorated. 2003-03-29
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
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.
103 0378
115 1502
b0030
Merlin [4/4]
119 1959
142 4228
119 1951
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".
132 3279
Engine in the frame
136 3607
b0013
Wasp [1/2]
IMG 0652
132 3282
The engine The slot-shaped hole you can see is where the exhaust (muffler) pipe will attach, when it arrives.
119 1937
119 1939
103 0375
Jappert
151 5107
142 4253
119 1960
132 3290
Tail rotor assembly This was a fiddly piece to put together.
132 3281
Engine in the frame, other side
DSC01323
The cottage in the village 2003-03-29 That lady is still waiting... 2003-03-29
114 1496
142 4254
104 0410
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.
106 0644
142 4252
119 1955
132 3273
Getting started When I remembered I wanted to take pictures of the construction, this is far as I was already.
132 3288
Flybar again
142 4234
136 3608
142 4255
IMG 0654
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 3283
Assembling the rotor head These bits will eventually sit atop the swash plate.
103 0388
119 1956
IMG 0649
137 3756
Front view
132 3286
Look at the mess!
IMG 0651
119 1964
119 1952
119 1933
151 5108
119 1963
106 0645
IMG 0650
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
129 2998
129 2968
106 0641
129 2973
b0014
Wasp [2/2]
129 2964
129 2971
IMG 0647
119 1953
IMG 0653
IMG 0672
129 2965
103 0386
103 0389
133 3340
Outdoors [1/4]
129 2963
129 2974
119 1957
900 0013
Merlin [2/6]
IMG 0670
IMG 0648
136 3620
104 0418
119 1961
106 0643
IMG 0675
103 0379
b0016
Tigger [1/2]
129 2957
103 0398
129 2970
136 3619
IMG 0657
129 2958
119 1966
119 1967
129 2966
IMG 0656
119 1958
IMG 0665
136 3623
136 3622
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
137 3753
Still in one piece Front view, it's been out flying a couple of times now
132 3277
Engine, closeup
129 2972
132 3274
Side view
IMG 0673
103 0364
Trig pulls a new bird
b0012
Tulips
142 4230
IMG 0646
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!
119 1965
151 5106
119 1962
900 0015
Merlin [4/6]
IMG 0655
b0011
Pansies [2/2]
136 3618
129 2967
b0017
Tigger [2/2]
115 1503
IMG 0671
IMG 0660
151 5104
b0026
Dartmouth Street
IMG 0659
104 0412
129 2937
129 2969
900 0014
Merlin [3/6]
129 2961
129 2955
129 2982
136 3609
129 2960
137 3751
Camera mount Allows me to bolt a camera, or other things, to the side of the Helicopter
DSC01325
Depot #1 2003-03-29 A view of the depot. 2003-03-29
IMG 0658
129 2962
103 0400
IMG 0674
900 0009
Merlin!
129 2959
106 0688
103 0392
142 4238
132 3278
Engine, other side
142 4232
103 0397
142 4247
899 9944
Tara!
136 3610
104 0411
136 3621
130 3009
129 2956
129 2951
129 2947
129 2983
106 0646
142 4251
b0010
Pansies [1/2]
129 2996
IMG 0666
136 3617
104 0403
136 3616
105 0558
133 3326
Progress! With the main rotor blades on, it's starting to look like a helicopter now.
136 3615
103 0393
133 3330
So far...
133 3336
Busy busy There's a lot going on with this machine.
132 3276
The engine OS 32 helicopter engine. Here it is with the Raptor cooling fan attached, basically a centrifugal fan.
100 0032
Merlin [2/5]
IMG 0661
106 0640
129 2993
100 0023
Glenns truck [1/3]
900 0012
Merlin [1/6]
133 3337
Wires/servos Much cabling. Notice how I had to trim some of the servo "horns" - they interfered with the ball-link attachments.
133 3335
The electronics arrived All the servos are on, the receiver is mounted and hooked up.
133 3331
The body/canopy This will be it's ultimate shape.
129 2948
104 0408
142 4233
106 0652
IMG 0668
103 0395
900 0016
Merlin [5/6]
119 1968
129 2949
142 4245
129 2980
104 0417
b0021
The sky
105 0559
129 2975
104 0414
103 0399
142 4235
IMG 0645
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 2945
129 2901
104 0409
129 2997
134 3464
Rear rotor servo cabling
142 4229
129 2979
104 0401
129 2936
129 2946
136 3611
142 4244
136 3612
IMG 0664
103 0396
133 3338
The radio I decided to start small. A 6-channel JR transmitter. It came with the servos and a 7-channel receiver.
133 3329
Rotor hub It's really busy up here - I can't imagine this thing spinning as fast as it will need to.
129 2977
103 0390
IMG 0669
P0000079
130 3004
IMG 0662
106 0687
100 0035
Merlin [5/5]
142 4250
DSC01330
The village to be 2003-03-29 Where am I? In the village. 2003-03-29
129 2985
b0019
Bird in a tree [1/2] Can you spot the bird?
100 0031
Merlin [1/5]
142 4246
103 0391
129 2976
150 5072
104 0402
104 0416
129 2950
104 0407
IMG 0667
104 0419
130 3008
129 2995
IMG 0663
b0022
A plane
129 2952
104 0413
b0008
Heart-somethingorothers [4/4]
129 2902
b0027
Merlin [1/4]
b0020
Bird in a tree [2/2] ...it's in there somewhere
DSC01248
100 0022
Back porch
142 4258
129 2954
130 3010
129 2981
105 0557
104 0405
105 0547
103 0394
140 4031
106 0649
b0028
Merlin [2/4]
105 0507
130 3022
154 5438
110 1062
100 0033
Merlin [3/5]
129 2935
104 0406
100 0020
And some more foliage
100 0034
Merlin [4/5]
b0029
Merlin [3/4]
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 2994
115 1513
100 0017
Brumbrum
136 3614
129 2939
142 4231
129 2992
129 2940
154 5422
105 0563
133 3327
It's looking a bit big Note we have an exhaust (muffler) now also.
142 4249
129 2984
106 0664
129 2938
100 0030
Glenn and Tara and Wine
105 0506
130 3005
129 2905
130 3007
110 1072
100 0019
Some other plant
b0018
A bird Might be a goose
b0023
Air Canada [1/3]
130 3006
100 0024
Glenns truck [2/3]
133 3341
Outdoors [2/4]
130 3003
100 0029
Glenn and Tara
106 0650
119 1969
110 1065
100 0016
Brumbrum
b0025
Air Canada [3/3]
154 5442
136 3613
105 0556
100 0028
Glenn in workshop [2/2]
900 0019
Tara ...yes, I know you have a new toy...
154 5423
104 0447
130 3013
142 4237
110 1063
142 4248
133 3332
Rear view
106 0654
dsc sp5 0002
Canon EOS 10D
129 2912
115 1509
129 2978
129 2903
104 0421
142 4225
133 3342
Outdoors [3/4]
107 0706
154 5440
129 2991
106 0665
142 4241
129 2944
154 5432
154 5424
110 1064
130 3011
130 3032
100 0021
Blueberry tree
dsc sp5 0004
Canon EOS 10D
129 2904
134 3462
In flying shape
900 0017
Merlin [6/6]
129 2986
154 5425
100 0015
Cherry tree
142 4257
140 4007
104 0415
100 0012
Our house...
154 5436
105 0561
105 0560
100 0026
Glenn inside a truck
100 1539
104 0423
b0024
Air Canada [2/3]
110 1075
129 2953
115 1505
106 0681
140 4021
129 2909
900 0018
Tara Okay, I'm bored now...
142 4259
130 3017
154 5437
130 3002
129 2941
142 4236
126 2642
142 4242
133 3343
Outdoors [4/4]
100 0038
Tara!
129 2987
107 0708
129 2943
106 0639
b0007
Heart-somethingorothers [3/4]
142 4265
129 2934
125 2555
106 0662
115 1511
140 4033
105 0566
106 0680
100 1538
122 2295
129 2933
107 0739
105 0508
130 3081
106 0648
154 5405
142 4240
110 1073
140 4005
125 2540
100 0025
Glenns truck [3/3]
129 2928
129 2913
104 0404
900 0022
Tara ...I'm outta here.
133 3368
104 0444
130 3070
130 3001
154 5430
100 0018
Blueberry tree
100 0013
...in the middle of our street
154 5428
154 5443
130 3021
110 1071
142 4202
130 3012
129 2988
129 2907
129 2932
100 0014
More house
P0000085
106 0668
154 5426
110 1100
106 0686
129 2922
105 0555
106 0678
129 2990
126 2613
133 3308
106 0663
154 5446
129 2911
154 5464
154 5420
107 0703
140 4030
104 0446
154 5421
154 5427
106 0659
106 0637
133 3325
105 0510
142 4267
142 4201
129 2989
130 3018
104 0448
dsc sp5 0003
Canon EOS 10D
106 0657
154 5471
154 5445
106 0682
DSC01327
Depot #2 2003-03-29 A view of the depot. 2003-03-29
104 0422
154 5473
141 4199
129 2923
110 1095
154 5431
130 3023
142 4270
134 3419
142 4260
129 3000
106 0660
140 4033 crop
130 3040
123 2335
107 0741
107 0709
140 4006
125 2585 2
900 0020
Tara ...enough already.
129 2999
110 1099
100 0041
Merlin
154 5459
129 2906
106 0633
P0000087
130 3019
DSC01329
Depot #4 2003-03-29 A view of the depot, with the rest of the coal yard (such as it is) in the background. 2003-03-29
110 1067
154 5458
130 3015
106 0667
142 4243
107 0705
dsc sp5 0001
Canon EOS 10D
106 0673
105 0509
129 2942
126 2610
110 1068
142 4203
130 3047
115 1508
110 1080
105 0538
133 3333
Size comparison The universal measuring device: A Coke can.
105 0546
154 5468
154 5419
110 1079
106 0653
154 5429
154 5472
154 5470
134 3412
154 5418
129 2908
DSC01332
154 5433
110 1070
142 4266
P0000086
132 3267
125 2587
122 2293
140 4022
141 4200
b0006
Heart-somethingorothers [2/4]
P0000089
105 0562
110 1069
129 2910
125 2544
104 0420
106 0638
126 2645
P0000081
DSC01211
130 3020
105 0545
900 0024
Random shot
154 5465
107 0744
104 0429
133 3334
Size comparison
130 3014
110 1078
P0000084
107 0715
142 4208
126 2693
130 3024
100 0040
Merlin
107 0702
P0000083
154 5417
110 1081
142 4269
154 5455
154 5444
142 4264
106 0670
110 1066
106 0634
129 2925
125 2585
125 2556
125 2512
105 0548
142 4272
130 3072
106 0651
154 5441
125 2567
107 0740
107 0716
100 0027
Glenn in workshop [1/2]
100 1540
110 1076
105 0543
134 3418
130 3026
100 1536
123 2336
123 2322
105 0567
104 0445
154 5466
106 0669
130 3037
125 2539
154 5462
125 2554
125 2537
126 2615
DSC01328
Depot #3 2003-03-29 A view of the depot, with the rest of the coal yard (such as it is) in the background. 2003-03-29
105 0542
129 2914
107 0711
150 5071
140 4029
125 2586
107 0719
154 5416
125 2570
123 2332
P0000080
130 3080
125 2543
106 0658
122 2292
106 0676
106 0675
125 2587 2
107 0738
P0000082
147 4759
100 1543
105 0511
154 5469
125 2545
P0000090
125 2511
123 2337
105 0541
154 5434
113 1360
105 0544
154 5467
100 1514
106 0695
130 3071
125 2563
122 2230
130 3031
125 2542
154 5435
125 2546
130 3035
DSC01210
111 1101
107 0742
DSC01247
126 2611
106 0693
126 2608
125 2586 2
107 0704
DSC01245
130 3034
129 2931
126 2612
132 3266
107 0743
P0000088
142 4239
126 2609
107 0712
107 0707
107 0737
142 4268
133 3324
115 1506
110 1077
111 1102
107 0710
130 3039
125 2552
125 2553
150 5070
123 2326
122 2294
128 2894
129 2929
128 2849
126 2641
100 0039
More Tara!
DSC01222
110 1074
107 0745
123 2324
DSC01220
126 2698
123 2323
cDSC01183
The layout at 2003-01-25 What the layout looked like on 2003-01-25.
154 5463
127 2735
105 0539
147 4776
133 3323
107 0748
134 3420
125 2547
106 0636
105 0512
125 2558
105 0540
126 2677
kt ruth wed 0076
154 5457
130 3038
DSC01208
126 2639
105 0535
123 2335
104 0477
140 4002
126 2682
154 5456
130 3049
126 2694
113 1361
107 0714
133 3315
125 2569
125 2559
130 3073
125 2510
112 1224
107 0717
104 0469
DSC01216
129 2924
100 1541
129 2926
100 1537
113 1359
105 0537
133 3367
154 5449
154 5403
125 2588
125 2560
105 0504
154 5415
133 3322
104 0476
DSC01243
142 4278
125 2597
107 0722
130 3025
DSC01250
106 0672
100 1535
126 2640
129 2921
134 3421
125 2573
125 2538
126 2614
111 1118
105 0550
126 2643
106 0694
133 3316
126 2644
147 4758
100 1542
125 2571
142 4263
100 1512
DSC01206
133 3320
130 3027
125 2582
130 3050
DSC01209
130 3079
142 4209
105 0505
104 0479
130 3078
127 2798
125 2579
125 2557
147 4775
142 4274
100 1534
kt ruth wed 0075
129 2930
DSC01207
147 4792
104 0449
130 3033
130 3029
111 1104
106 0699
142 4204
DSC01217
154 5402
154 5406
130 3028
DSC01223
106 0698
147 4724
123 2334
128 2889
125 2550
129 2927
125 2581
128 2864
142 4273
104 0478
125 2536
106 0671
134 3422
128 2888
126 2674
126 2626
125 2575
130 3041
cDSC01204
Signal hut and environs 2003-01-25 Signal hut and it's neighbourhood. 2003-01-25
132 3272
123 2327
b0005
Heart-somethingorothers [1/4]
153 5332
Sylvia Ave.
130 3036
DSC01242
122 2202
DSC01219
125 2574
cDSC01205
Man waiting at platform 2003-01-25 Man waits at platform while a train passes on the opposite tracks. 2003-01-25
142 4262
100 1511
125 2595
147 4757
125 2548
107 0727
129 2917
125 2525
142 4275
111 1103
126 2628
147 4790
100 1533
125 2590
142 4271
128 2895
128 2890
125 2568
105 0518
128 2893
123 2331
154 5453
128 2898
125 2583
125 2541
130 3074
142 4261
110 1097
125 2564
104 0475
154 5407
kt ruth wed 0021
105 0529
105 0502
b0001
Dartmouth Street [1/4]
129 2916
150 5013
125 2572
104 0455
120 2050
kt ruth wed 0001
133 3321
104 0500
126 2675
115 1507
111 1105
107 0720
123 2325
b0004
Dartmouth Strete [4/4]
134 3424
133 3364
133 3314
130 3082
129 2915
111 1115
105 0534
105 0503
147 4725
147 4755
130 3042
DSC01331
110 1098
106 0697
105 0513
111 1168
107 0728
107 0721
142 4212
122 2296
111 1106
107 0776
122 2291
111 1190
126 2623
125 2588 2
106 0696
147 4780
112 1218
154 5447
132 3235
108 0843
105 0515
130 3046
126 2654
125 2589 2
150 5019
147 4782
132 3231
130 3044
125 2513
153 5318
Lockeland Ave.
130 3030
125 2580
127 2736
100 1485
107 0723
100 1515
125 2593
123 2328
DSC01227
147 4785
110 1091
105 0532
150 5020
132 3261
100 1520
125 2523
111 1120
133 3311
125 2584 2
kt ruth wed 0050
126 2681
107 0701
147 4797
128 2850
100 1528
105 0551
125 2598
123 2329
128 2900
100 1516
105 0549
126 2692
122 2284
105 0536
147 4791
108 0802
133 3357
130 3048
100 1513
104 0497
126 2638
104 0463
123 2340
147 4752
125 2594
148 4803
133 3318
100 1518
100 1510
125 2584
107 0732
110 1082
DSC01244
128 2848
125 2596
122 2203
DSC01253
154 5454
136 3698
125 2562
154 5460