I ended up getting a second kit so I could start with a fresh canopy. Crystal clear! I also used Eduard’s mask for the Trumpeter kit and there were some fit issues…but I made it work.
The starboard chip LED solder joints broke so I had to dig for another, slightly larger chip in my stash. Some material from the top of the wing had to be removed to make room. It will have to be back filled. And to address the scale issue of the luminosity, yes, it is bright. It’s partly the camera and partly that it hasn’t been finished out yet…which will come at a much later stage.
Since I’m using Round 2′s dome base, I added a support block inside the fuselage belly where I’ll be drilling for the support rod.
Cool beans! Have you tried dipping those clear parts in Future (or whatever the current name is)? That fills the microscratches and viola! Perfect canopy. Just sayin'!
oh yeah, the first canopy was dipped and polished about 4 times and it still was too foggy. i'll use it later on another one, but it's best to start fresh.
Ok so I’ve officially stalled out on this one. Maybe it was the wedding, maybe it was school starting again. Maybe.
I ended up ordering various gears and worm gears in tiny sizes as well as a couple spring style U-joints for the tail rotor.
Now that I sit here and try and piece it all together I’m not having so much fun. I’m debating whether or not to even pursue the tail rotor. Granted it would make things way easier and I’d be able to wrap this project up sooner, but then it wouldn’t be as cool!!! In the past I’ve given up at such points…but I think I’ll press on with this one. It’s very much a learning process. So now I’m going to do some research into micro pulley systems and belts. That’s about the only other system that I can think of that will do what I need it to. A pulley on the tail rotor shaft, a double-pulley and the elbow a 90° twist in the belt running the length of the tail and viola! Hopefully. Can someone maybe help point me in the right direction for such little pulleys and belts?
i was thinking that a u-joint would work, too. but then the spring style u-joint seemed to be appropriate. but it doesn't really matter because a) there are no companies that carry/manufacture timing-belt pulleys in the size i need, b) 3D printing something that small is 1) cost prohibitive and 2) not possible for the level of detail needed AND be sturdy and c) it turns out the tail boom on the kit is actually too short by about a 1/4". So even if i were to go ahead with the dual-rotors-in-action mode, they would hit each other. so main rotor only
Really trying my damnedest to keep patient with the build. The gear systems just aren’t working how I want them to. And as it turns out the kit’s tail is too short to have both rotors working without hitting each other. So it’s main rotor only. And I tried using a few different combinations of gears, worm on the engine, worm on the shaft, radial on each…ugh. Then the damn plastic shaft cracked so I had to fit the guide with brass pipe for less friction during rotation. Then one of the blades snapped and I had to pin and glue it back in place…only it drooped too much compared to the other four. So, this is going to be shelved for a little while so A) I can take a breather from it before it “takes a crash†and B) so I can focus on getting commission and mastering work done. Bah.