F106DeltaDart
Elite member
Got the 500 size Apache in the air for the first time in over a year today and it flew great! Thanks to Bob Mueller for the photos and Michael Brown for helping me out with a new main gear!
500 size Apache Gunship Build
- Thread starter F106DeltaDart
- Start date
PsyBorg
Wake up! Time to fly!
WOW!!!
That turned out AWSOME. Great shots too. If it werent for the hollow motor pods in the first shot you could change the resolution a bit lower and pass it off as a real one hehe.
How did the FLIR / video set up work out? Did you ever get the fpv part working?
That turned out AWSOME. Great shots too. If it werent for the hollow motor pods in the first shot you could change the resolution a bit lower and pass it off as a real one hehe.
How did the FLIR / video set up work out? Did you ever get the fpv part working?
F106DeltaDart
Elite member
Thanks Psy! The FLIR video setup is not in this bird. It will be in the big 700 Cobra though. Hoping to get back to that build soon!
PsyBorg
Wake up! Time to fly!
ahh yes that was for the AH 1... You need to have less of these things lying around to confuse me hehe
PsyBorg
Wake up! Time to fly!
I just had another Bill moment in my head.... why do all the military action figures and pilots for the hobby look like ripped body builders with massive arms and chests when in fact pilots are more likely to be the short skinny dude that is just in good shape because he actually fits in the cockpits of these craft?
#GOJOE
#MURICA
#GOJOE
#MURICA
Apache500
New member
F106DeltaDart, I know this post is old but, I'm having the same issue with the gear stripping when I do a hard bank with my 4 blade head. Can you please tell me where did you get the gear made from or can you order one for me and of course I will pay what ever it cost please?
F106DeltaDart
Elite member
I think I answered you over on Hobbysquawk, but the gear was custom made by a friend who is super busy with work right now. He hasn't had time to do any side projects recently. I think PKM Phuket Hobby Model has also talked about doing a metal gear, not sure if they ever did though. You might want to ask them through their facebook page.
Apache500
New member
Thanks for getting back to me on this issue. Well, it's great he's busy but, bad for me lol. That's fine. If he ever gets the time to make another it will be great and I will pay top dollar for it. By the way is your Apache still flying and how is that gear holding up? Thanks for the advice to look at PMK Phuket Hobby Model and see if they have any further progress with that metal gear.
I have one more question, does the gear heat up running against the pinion gear and is the gear made from aluminum ? Thanks again.
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F106DeltaDart
Elite member
You are free to reach out to him about it, I just can't guarantee he'll be able to do much. I can PM you his name and info if desired.
The Apache is still flying, but it doesn't fly much. I'm still troubleshooting some tail authority issues, so it only goes flying on perfect weather days.
As for how things have held up, it's worked pretty well after making some other changes. I found a brass 16T pinion on ebay and am using that. The brass doesn't wear the aluminum down like the stock hardened steel pinions. I also use a dry fluid lubricant on the gears: https://www.aeropanda.com/collections/grease-lubricants/products/dryfluid_gear_10ml. That seem to have minimized wear on the gears. Hope this helps!
PsyBorg
Wake up! Time to fly!
Hiya DD long time no see mate
F106DeltaDart
Elite member
Hey Psy! It's definitely been a while. Things with work have been crazy over the last year, and I'm finally starting to get back into RC projects. How have you been?
PsyBorg
Wake up! Time to fly!
Not bad. I have migrated away from RC stuff. Specially since last November. Not liking where this is all going with the added level of "THOSE" people invading what we do. Wont even bother going into the regulation fails that will finish off the hobby the more people "Accept" the regulation the will stack more and more on over time.
Wont be long before they are showing up at peoples doors with warrants to confiscate their toys like they are doing with the RPM act and drag racing. They are searching, seizing, fining, race car builders and owners over EPA regulations for road worthy cars for car that will only ever be on a race track. Its all about the profitability of the politicians in office and the people paying them off lobbying for all the stupid laws being written.
Frankly its all pissin me off A LOT and I need to step away before I am on the evening news.......
On a bright note I have entered into a guitar building competition that is currently in the voting phase if you are interested at all. I have a thread here about the process and if you feel like throwing me a sympathy vote I would appreciate it hehe. As of an hour ago I am 33rd out of the 63 that made the requirements before time ran out. Looks like to be top 10 and move on its going to take 125 Plus votes before the 5th when it ends. Maybe even more then that. Right now top 10 are between 91 and 347 votes.
The FT family has doubled my votes in under 12 hours so thats really cool.
https://greatguitarbuildoff.com/products/william-brown
Wont be long before they are showing up at peoples doors with warrants to confiscate their toys like they are doing with the RPM act and drag racing. They are searching, seizing, fining, race car builders and owners over EPA regulations for road worthy cars for car that will only ever be on a race track. Its all about the profitability of the politicians in office and the people paying them off lobbying for all the stupid laws being written.
Frankly its all pissin me off A LOT and I need to step away before I am on the evening news.......
On a bright note I have entered into a guitar building competition that is currently in the voting phase if you are interested at all. I have a thread here about the process and if you feel like throwing me a sympathy vote I would appreciate it hehe. As of an hour ago I am 33rd out of the 63 that made the requirements before time ran out. Looks like to be top 10 and move on its going to take 125 Plus votes before the 5th when it ends. Maybe even more then that. Right now top 10 are between 91 and 347 votes.
The FT family has doubled my votes in under 12 hours so thats really cool.
https://greatguitarbuildoff.com/products/william-brown
Apache500
New member
I was talking with the guy at PKM through messenger, he told me that he has new gears that are plastic but, much stronger than the Roban ones. The problem is they are still in the prototype stage. He said that he can make a metal one but, I told him that it might cause the gear and pinion to heat up...so, better to stay with the plastic ones. I still have 3 left of the oem. He did tell me the gears are made by a erosion system (cnc). I have the cascade tail and I was getting the issue othe helicopter tail rotating clockwise because, of the Torque of the main 4 blade head. It would not lock into head hold.. Since, you can't put a higher tooth count for the autorotation tail drive gear so it can spin the tail faster to counteract the main 4 blade head, I found if you bring the headspeed up higher it would then stop the tail from spinning clockwise when taking off and flying. Thats the same dry fluid lubricant I use. I also pick up some of the Vario gear lube which is good as well.
F106DeltaDart
Elite member
Over the past 3 months I have flown with new tail pinions that speed up the tail rotor with next to no difference in tail performance. This left me incredibly confused, and I had spent a while trying to experiment to see if there was a weird aerodynamic issue going on. Then yesterday I finally had the breakthrough that I needed.
For a while, I have had a tail servo (MKS X6 HBL599) siting around that was planned for a Roban 800 size EC135. I never pulled the trigger on it, so it was just sitting around unopened. I figured just to eliminate the servo as a potential issue, that I'd try installing it. The 22T tail pinion was also installed. I figured this would do nothing. I already had a stupidly oversized tail servo.
Original servo: MKS DS8910A+, 6V Stall torque of 2.6 kg-cm (I use this in all my other 500 helis)
1st Upgrade servo: BK 7005HV, 6V Stall torque of 8.4 kg-cm (This was in the Apache for the last several years)
2nd Upgrade servo: MKS HBL599, 6V Stall torque of 30 kg-cm (The nuclear option!)
I took the mechanics out for some flights and was shocked to find excellent tail response! No more slow, faltering pedal turns. I guess that the cascade tail really requires a ton of torque. I'm sure I could get away with less, but I'm certainly not messing with it now! Next step is to try it with the fuselage installed, and in a bit of wind.
For a while, I have had a tail servo (MKS X6 HBL599) siting around that was planned for a Roban 800 size EC135. I never pulled the trigger on it, so it was just sitting around unopened. I figured just to eliminate the servo as a potential issue, that I'd try installing it. The 22T tail pinion was also installed. I figured this would do nothing. I already had a stupidly oversized tail servo.
Original servo: MKS DS8910A+, 6V Stall torque of 2.6 kg-cm (I use this in all my other 500 helis)
1st Upgrade servo: BK 7005HV, 6V Stall torque of 8.4 kg-cm (This was in the Apache for the last several years)
2nd Upgrade servo: MKS HBL599, 6V Stall torque of 30 kg-cm (The nuclear option!)
I took the mechanics out for some flights and was shocked to find excellent tail response! No more slow, faltering pedal turns. I guess that the cascade tail really requires a ton of torque. I'm sure I could get away with less, but I'm certainly not messing with it now! Next step is to try it with the fuselage installed, and in a bit of wind.
Apache500
New member
Hey F106DeltaDart,
Good to hear from you and good to hear you have resolved the tail issue. I have put my Apache on the back burner a bit. I think I have brought it to the field like 6 times and 0 test flying. I did at one time took the mechanics out of the body and adjusted and tested with the Bavarian Demon 3SX and It flew like a charm. Flew it 8 times over 3 weekends and notice it's flying great so, I decided to put it in the body. Ready for takeoff and it hovered great then all of a sudden it will not stay into head lock and had to battle to keep the tail straight in a hover. Brought it down and scratch my head. What the hell is this BS. I give up and thinking of taking this out and putting it into another helicopter body.
You know for 2 years I put this Apache together I had no issues. It flew like a cream puff but, lately it will not fly worth a dam... Maybe I should mothball this or just fly the mechanics, thats when it wants to fly right... This is my AH-6i 600 size. This flys like a beaut and it has a cascade tail. Absolutely no issue with the tail either lol..
Good to hear from you and good to hear you have resolved the tail issue. I have put my Apache on the back burner a bit. I think I have brought it to the field like 6 times and 0 test flying. I did at one time took the mechanics out of the body and adjusted and tested with the Bavarian Demon 3SX and It flew like a charm. Flew it 8 times over 3 weekends and notice it's flying great so, I decided to put it in the body. Ready for takeoff and it hovered great then all of a sudden it will not stay into head lock and had to battle to keep the tail straight in a hover. Brought it down and scratch my head. What the hell is this BS. I give up and thinking of taking this out and putting it into another helicopter body.
You know for 2 years I put this Apache together I had no issues. It flew like a cream puff but, lately it will not fly worth a dam... Maybe I should mothball this or just fly the mechanics, thats when it wants to fly right... This is my AH-6i 600 size. This flys like a beaut and it has a cascade tail. Absolutely no issue with the tail either lol..
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F106DeltaDart
Elite member
Your AH-6I looks excellent! Unfortunately that experience with the Apache is all too familiar. I have been fighting the tail for 4 years on this thing. Hoping this will be the final change to make it work reliably.
Apache500
New member
Well, I hope so for your sake. Its winter time and think I'll take it out of the body and revisit the mechanic parts to see if something went wrong installing it into the body. I can't see myself buying that tail servo that you mention and have it not fly right. I guess I'll wait until you have several flights before I take the plunge. There gotta be a less costing servo that can do the trick.. I wonder..
PsyBorg
Wake up! Time to fly!
DD!!!!!! long time no see mate. All good? Hope you have been safe and healthy all this time mate. When we gonna get more pics n vids from you? Gotta have some serious progress on some of your awesome toys by now.
F106DeltaDart
Elite member
Good to see you around Psy! All has been good, just work has been very busy. Have still continued working on heli projects, just fell behind on documenting them. Here’s a few of the projects I have been working on/completed over the last year or so. Those include a 500 size UH-34 Choctaw, 500 size Sikorsky H03S-1, and a 450 tandem size Piasecki HUP Retriever.
PsyBorg
Wake up! Time to fly!
Oh man you HAVE to also make an alternate CH 46 fuselage for that tandem. We have a reserve squadron not far from me and they regularly fly over where I live. You KNOW what is in the air long before you see those beasties. There was actually two of them in the air in that video I made with the geese migrations a while back. You just could not see them with just the FPV camera.
