500 size UH-1C Huey - 174th AHC

F106DeltaDart

Elite member
For quite a while, I've wanted to model one of the Shark-mouth Huey Gunships of the 174th AHC. I am planning on configuring this bird with the Mk5 Thumper up front, and the older style 7-shot rocket pods:



After several months of waiting, I just received my 500 UH-1C Fuselage from PKM, so its time to get started. I already had a few of the parts waiting at the ready, including a microhelis scale head, and some zeal 500mm blades modified with the Huey's signature squared off blade tips. The cockpit and pilot shown were purchased from another forum, and are a perfect fit in the airframe. Overall first impressions of the airframe are very good, surface detail is great, but lacking in a few key areas. The door sliding tracks, steps, and fuel caps are not present, and will have to be added later. Stay tuned for more progress..





 
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F106DeltaDart

Elite member
The first thing I got to work on was the rocket pods. Ok, maybe it's not the most important thing to start on, but you can't have a gunship without them! I picked up some 9/32" aluminum tube and some 11/32" brass tube. After a few hours of cutting and gluing lots of tubes, its starting to look like a rocket pod:



Also did some research and found the flight manual for the UH-1C. Planning on 3D printing the panel as soon as the model is finished:
 

Fluburtur

Cardboard Boy
Ooooo a huey!
I played a lot of rising storm 2 recently and I love playing it (transport role, acts as a mobile deploy point)
The Australians also have a gunship in the game but I prefer playing transport than attack heli.

Wouldn't mind having a huey myself, those look nice!
 

F106DeltaDart

Elite member
Haven’t had much time to work on this, but I’ve started on the basics. Yesterday, I glued in a 1/4” plywood base over the gear mounts, with will serve as the mounting point for the mechanics. Also finished installing all the servos and electronics within the mechanics. Tonight, I installed a Freewing light controller and some of the LEDs from the 90mm F-16, and they are super bright! Still have to install white lights on either side of the tailcone, and the beacon above the engine.
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Today, I installed the roof antennas and pitot probe, completed rivet work in a few missing spots (mostly the entire underside). After some primer to seal over the rivets, I couldn't resist shooting some OD on, and painting the glade shield on the nose. Still have to work on a few more airframe details before continuing paint, but its starting to get there. I need to install the "towel rack" VHF antennas on the tail, add the tail stinger, and am considering a rework on the H-stabs. The manufacturer appears to have put B model sized stabs on, and they aren't perfectly aligned. The C had a much larger chord than the B, so I might try extending them with balsa and FG. Also looking at adding the cargo hook on the bottom, it's too prominent of a feature for me to omit from the airframe.



 

foamtest

Toothpick glider kid
Yay, another awesome scale heli build! I'll be watching this one for sure as I flew in a marine corps simulator for one of these a few years ago. It was an awesome experience and I wish I could fly it some more, it sure beats the one I have on my phone lol
 

F106DeltaDart

Elite member
Yay, another awesome scale heli build! I'll be watching this one for sure as I flew in a marine corps simulator for one of these a few years ago. It was an awesome experience and I wish I could fly it some more, it sure beats the one I have on my phone lol
Very cool FT! That sounds awesome.

First test flight is complete, and the shark mouth has been added! Still needs some tuning and work, but handled 16 mph winds without any issues. Time to work on the detailing now. Adding windscreens/windows, final paint work, rocket pods, doors, etc.




 

PsyBorg

Wake up! Time to fly!
Wow I disappear for a day and you skip to a maiden.. That looks sweet in the air. When the detailing is complete that will be another amazing build
 

Fluburtur

Cardboard Boy
With some weather it will look super nice!
I have been watching videos of this guy recently, he puts crazy amounts of skill and efforts into his models so you could get something from that!
 

F106DeltaDart

Elite member
Wow I disappear for a day and you skip to a maiden.. That looks sweet in the air. When the detailing is complete that will be another amazing build

Thanks Psy! I'm in rush mode to try to get it mostly finished by Helis Over Apache Pass this weekend. Some of the details like the gunners and grenade launcher won't be done by then, but most of the rest is on track to.

Flub, thanks for the video. Will definitely be looking at weathering once everything else gets finished up.
 

F106DeltaDart

Elite member
Finished up a few more basic items this week. Doors and windscreens are on, rocket pods coming soon, as well as the tailboom paint work. Trying to get everything mostly finished so that I can fly it in the event this weekend. Since the weather was cooperative today, I took the opportunity to do a couple more flights to get my settings sailed in. Turned down the headspeed down to 1800rpm and it flies awesome now! After 5 minutes, the motor was barely warm and still had 64% left in the battery.


 

F106DeltaDart

Elite member
So, this weekend I brought the Huey out to Helis Over Apache Pass along with my 500 Apache and Little Bird. I mostly tend to bring my choppers to warbird events, so this was my first ever heli-only event. Got everything finished on the Huey at the last minute the day before, including the tailboom paint and rocket pods. Flew a few flights on each bird with no issues, until flight #2 on the Huey.. In the middle of a flyby at about 20 ft, I saw the tail rotor come completely to a stop! The bird started a slow spin, and I brought it down to about 2 ft before I hit throttle cut for a hovering auto. It hit hard, but the damage is fixable. One of the H-stabs dug in and fractured the fiberglass on the tail. The skids broke apart as well, but it appears that only the plastic Ts failed. Windows popped out, and the cockpit interior broke up in a few spots as well. Blades are also totaled, and a servo horn broke. Luckily, the head and mainshaft are undamaged.

After removing the mechanics, it was pretty easy to locate the failure point. A bearing failed in the angle gearbox, and overheated. This melted straight through the gear, and sheared it off completely. Just a reminder to double check your bearings and lubrication! Will likely be changing them out for aftermarket bearings next time around:




I'll also post photos from the event when I get them. One of the other guys there took a lot of photos of them in the air. Unfortunately, the accident was the only flight he didn't photograph, and I have no video either. Next time around I guess... Stay tuned.
 

PsyBorg

Wake up! Time to fly!
Wow DD sorry to hear this mate. You put a lot of work into your birds. At least you caught the issue in its early stage and had the sense and ability to get it down in good condition all things considered.

It does not look like there was much lubrication in that tail unit at all. Usually closed nylon gear systems have quite a healthy helping of lithium grease on them. I don't see any. It looks more like a shot or two of light machine oil was all that got used.
 

F106DeltaDart

Elite member
Wow DD sorry to hear this mate. You put a lot of work into your birds. At least you caught the issue in its early stage and had the sense and ability to get it down in good condition all things considered.

It does not look like there was much lubrication in that tail unit at all. Usually closed nylon gear systems have quite a healthy helping of lithium grease on them. I don't see any. It looks more like a shot or two of light machine oil was all that got used.
Thanks Psy, I agree on the lubrication 100%. The next gearbox will have some added. I contacted Roban through Motion RC, and they are sending a replacement gearbox. Might end up using aftermarket bearings as well just to make sure.
 

PsyBorg

Wake up! Time to fly!
Just need ta stuff a door gunner with the mounted M 60 and it will look super awesome with the doors open in flight. Any word on the new tail gears?
 

F106DeltaDart

Elite member
Just need ta stuff a door gunner with the mounted M 60 and it will look super awesome with the doors open in flight. Any word on the new tail gears?

That will be happening soon! I've got some pilot and crew figures being made by realmodelpilots, and will include 2 M60s. They won't be the hard mounted versions though. Most M60s in gunships were attached only straps/bungees.

I don't really know when the new gearbox will arrive. It's coming from China so it may take a while. I have another box of the same type I had waiting to go on my H-34, so I'll probably transfer that to the Huey for the time being.
 

F106DeltaDart

Elite member
started working the new Hstab yesterday. The ones that came on the model were easily the worst part of the airframe. They had a very thin chord (sort of close to a B model) but it definitely wasn’t correct for a C. They also weren’t aligned 100% correctly either. The funny thing is, I think PKM noticed as well, because they included some new H-stabs with the kit. I added a bit more chord with some styrene, as well as a bit of span to match the measurements of the full scale.

Here is the old (red) vs the new:



And both new stabs installed:


Also, I just got a photo of the crew from realmodelpilots. Can’t wait from them to arrive!
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