July 2004 129
HI ALL! This being the July issue, the
summer events are in full swing by now.
There’s something to do every weekend, and
most weekends you have to choose which
event to attend.
In the February issue I wrote about a
local helicopter fly-in in Rochester, New
York. We’ve decided to do it again, and it
will be bigger this year. The Northeast
Model Helicopter Jamboree will be August
27-29, and it will be sponsored by the
Rochester Aero Modeling Society (RAMS)
and Performance Hobbies. The RAMS will
host again this year, and Curtis Youngblood
will be back! Go to www.rcplane.com for
more information.
I can tell when it gets close to flying season
again. The telephone calls and E-mail
messages start, and helicopter pilots start
looking for help in getting their machines set
up for hovering.
I’ve done many of these setups through
the years. No matter how I try to speed up
the process, it takes roughly four hours to go
completely through a new helicopter, fix
things that were assembled incorrectly, set
up the radio, make the necessary
adjustments to the machine, and finally put
fuel into it and fire it up. Then there are the
adjustments to the engine, helicopter
mechanics, the radio again, etc.
However, I enjoy it immensely when I
can find the time to devote to it. If you
haven’t been through this aspect of the
hobby, consider it. I feel like it’s a way of
giving something back to the hobby.
There are a few things that bother me,
though. Some pilots expect everything to be
done for them. There are those who won’t
listen about an issue with the machine,
ignore it completely, and then expect
Dan Williams, 27 Treeline Dr., Liverpool NY 13090; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL HELICOPTERS
The new HUI Robbe/Schluter Millennium III Pro model sports a
fiberglass canopy and a bunch of new features.
No more crown gear! The new tail drive takeoff configuration
looks robust, and you can see the new carbon-fiber pushrods.
Bob Harris brought his Vario Dauphin N2 finished in Maryland
State Police colors to the WRAM Show in White Plains NY.
Alan Delena knows that it doesn’t get any sweeter than his Vario
Hughes 600E with a JetCat turbine for power!
07sig5.QXD 4/23/04 10:03 am Page 129
130 MODEL AVIATION
someone else to deal with the consequences.
I have my ways of dealing with it, and you
should solve it the way you feel is best. I’m
thankful that it doesn’t happen very often.
I also feel bad for the new person who
has just spent a ton of money and didn’t buy
the right stuff. Someone told him or her to
get the wrong model, engine, or radio, and
then I have to tell that person the bad news.
Get with your local hobby shop and help
educate the staff members about the right
helicopters and the correct accessories, and
let them know you’re available for help.
Give them your name, telephone number,
and E-mail address.
I usually meet the person at the shop, go
out back, and start the process. Try to
remember exactly what it was like when you
decided to start flying helicopters. Do you
remember the excitement during the buildup
and how frustrating it was when you
couldn’t get help? Many of us are fortunate
not to have had to go through that.
It could be that you’ve just dumped a
great deal of money, you want to get on with
the flying, and you can’t connect with help,
the weather doesn’t cooperate, or something
is wrong with a part and you have to wait
for orders to come in.
My fixed-wing club runs a flight school
one evening every week, and the field and
personnel are devoted only to helping the
new people. We don’t fly our own stuff until
all the teaching is done. The newbies know
they can go there and get expert help from
the modelers who do it all the time. It’s a lot
Marc Lapin made his Hirobo Boeing Vertol to look like a CH-46
Sea Knight and powered it with an O.S. .46 engine.
Tony Tirone’s Coast Guard HH-65 Dauphin has mechanics by
Vario.
THE BEST IN SCALE PLANS
ACCESSORIES & LASER CUT PARTS
61" Brian Taylor ME-109F – $40.00
Laser cut parts – $100.00, Accessories $85.00
PLANS
* Spitfire MK 1X 83" $45.00
* Spitfire MK 1 69" $40.00
* Spitfire MK 14/19 69” $40.00
* Spitfire MK 1X 110" $49.00
* Hawker Hurricane 70" $40.00
* Hawker Typhoon 72" $40.00
DH Mosquito 71" $40.00
* DH Mosquito 81" $45.00
Hawker Tempest 61.5” $30.00
* P-47D 76” $45.00
* Hellcat 64" $30.00
* Hellcat 80" $35.00
* F4U-1 82" $45.00
* Storch 72” $30.00
* Storch 96” $35.00
* Harvard 94” $45.00
* P-51D 69” $25.00
* Bf 109E 68” $40.00
* indicates laser parts available
Please add $8.00 for postage.
Best in scale catalog $5.00 + $3.20 p.p.
Cards Ok. • UK and German catalogs available.
BOB HOLMAN PLANS
P.O.BOX 741 San Bernardino CA 92402
909-885-3959 • [email protected] • www.bhplans.com
Please
add
$10.00
for
postage.
OWN A MACHINE SHOP
1-800-476-4849
O r V i s i t u s a t w w w.smithy.com
GUARANTEED To pay for itself! FREE!
Info Kit
FREE!
Info Kit
Call
Today!
“I can fix ‘most anything. I don’t know how I lived
without my Smithy. It paid for itself in no time.”
• Easy to use – No
experience
required.
• Versatile – Fix or
make almost anything.
• Affordalbe-- 6
models starting
at $995.
• CNC Compatible
Do It Yourself on a Smithy Lathe•Mill•Drill!
07sig5.QXD 4/23/04 10:03 am Page 130
of fun. You get to fly someone else’s stuff
and it’s not even your fuel!
Through the years we’ve developed a
regular flight-training program that all the
instructors follow. We have a preseason
session at the hobby shop during which we
go over the models and help educate the
new fliers. They have tons of questions;
it’s no wonder we have a tough time
getting new blood into the hobby.
If your club is looking for something
new to do, think about a flight-training
program; you’ll be surprised by the results.
Your club will grow, you’ll have new help
for field chores and events, and best of all,
you’ll make a bunch of new friends.
As I’m writing this, the Westchester
Radio Aero Modelers (WRAM) Show in
White Plains, New York (which was held
February 20-22), just ended. WRAM Show
time is a reminder for me to start working
on the helicopters, cycling the battery
packs, doing engine maintenance, and
generally getting my act together for the
flying season.
The WRAM Show is also a big help in
eliminating my cabin fever from the long
winter months. Seeing all the new models
that will be coming out for the year makes
me want to sell what I have and get new
stuff.
Cycling battery packs is cheap
insurance against losing a machine because
of battery failure. It won’t guarantee to
catch every type of malfunction, but if
there’s a soft cell in the pack, you’ll find it.
If a pack of mine is more than three
seasons old, I ditch it and get a new one. I
can’t say this enough: new batteries are
cheap compared to buying a new machine.
With all the fast chargers out there, I’ve
gotten out of the habit of charging my
packs overnight and leaving them on
trickle for the next flying session. I find
myself fast-charging the packs on the way
to the flying field. Battery cycling takes on
even more importance in my mind because
of this. Plus I’m generally paranoid about
failures.
I still use Ni-Cds for my battery packs,
but this year I picked up a few NiMH
packs to see how they would fare. Don’t
forget the transmitter packs; I had to
replace one during the winter because of
exceptionally low capacity.
Now that I’m approaching a year of
doing this column, attending the WRAM
Show was a bit different from how it has
been. I feel as if I know many more people
in the industry. Going around to the
various helicopter manufacturers and
helicopter-accessory booths, I enjoy
talking to the people as part of the media as
opposed to a regular modeler guy. They
really do try to give me the latest scoop on
their new stuff.
Not all the manufacturers are attending
the WRAM Show anymore. In the past few
years, the model-helicopter industry has
been shying away from this event and
focusing more on the Toledo, Ohio, show.
July 2004 131
VIBRATION = CURRENT DRAIN + EQUIPMENT WEAR
HYDE CUSTOM SOFT MOUNTS
• Used by 2002/3 NATS/World/TOC
Champions and Flyers.
• NATS/World use ratio approx. 40 to 1.
• Proven life approx. 7000 flights, ask Mike Hill, a 2002/3 NATS winner.
• Save $600-$3600 per 1000-6000 flights by eliminating
replacement type isolators that require replacement every
25-75 flights.
• As compared to all others: 60-90% less vibration and current
drain. Double to triple flight time per charge. Extends equipment
life 10-20 times.
25% off all undrilled beam and backplate mounts. Easy to follow instructions provided. For all: DA, 3W,
ZDZ, Zenoah, Brison, BME, Saito, Webra, OS, ST, YS, and etc. – Engines. to 20.0 cu in.
3 years/3000 flights complete satisfaction money back guarantee. (includes competition/commercial/military UAV use)
$64.95 - $284.95 + $7.00 S&H. Please specify engine size and make. From dealers or direct.
Orders/info: Merle Hyde, 3 Golf View Drive, Henderson, NV 89074
Ph/fax: 702-269-7829 or e-mail: [email protected]
$99.95
SPECIAL
Type "B"
Any Large Engine
Backplate Mount
PATENTED 3 Year
Trial Offer
07sig5.QXD 4/23/04 10:04 am Page 131
There are so many shows now and costs are
escalating, so I guess they pick the biggest
bang for the buck.
HUI (Helicopters Unlimited Inc.)
Robbe/Schluter introduced the latest in the
Millennium series: the Millennium III Pro. I
have a Millennium II, so the changes
incorporated into the new machine made it
easy for me to identify with and relate to.
The representatives and sponsored pilots
have their machines, so the helicopters
coming across the pond now are for the
masses.
Robbe/Schluter introduced the model
worldwide all at once, which was a
departure from past introductions where
Europe has benefited from being first. In
today’s world economy, things such as this
have to be done to keep from getting ripped
apart on various Internet sites. Everybody
knows the news immediately, it seems.
Starting from the front, the canopy is a
new design and is constructed from
fiberglass instead of plastic. The windshield
is screwed into the canopy. The canopy has
a large cheek on the muffler side to
accommodate various mufflers without
having to carve it up.
What stunk in the past was when you cut
up the canopy to take one muffler and then
swapped mufflers. That looked ugly; it was
new canopy time. Since the new style is
fiberglass, it can easily be painted to suit.
Under the canopy is a new-style radio
tray that is slotted for attaching radio gear.
The servos are mounted on their sides for
CCPM (Cyclic Collective Pitch Mixing)
swashplate control. The pushrods are carbon
fiber and are precut to size. The ends are
assembled with J.B. Weld and are
adjustable.
The engine mount is one piece instead of
the old two-piece affair that used the engine
as a structural member in the mounting. The
fan is huge to accommodate 90-size enginecooling
needs, the shroud is resized, and the
fuel tank is larger. Despite these changes, the
lower side frames are identical to the Millie
2’s and are unfortunately still metal.
The starter assembly now has two ball
bearings. There are two pinions included in
the kit; one for 7.5:1 ratio and one for 8.5:1
ratio. They will accommodate 60- and 90-size
engines. The main shaft has three support
bearings. The washout mixer is new. The
flybar is new, along with the rectangular
flybar control-arm support, and has adjustable
ratios. There are three O-rings in the head
now, along with a rosette bearing for spindle
support.
There is no more crown gear to strip out!
The tail drive takeoff is a second gear on top
of the main gear, with a second pinion gear
and bevel gears to rotate the drive to
horizontal for the torque tube. The torque tube
is stainless steel and is supported with two
bearings in the boom. The boom is longer, to
accommodate all blade lengths. The tail rotor
is now mounted on the right side of the
model, along with scissor tail pitch control.
The tail pitch control rod is carbon fiber.
There are probably more features, but I
could only write so fast while two guys were
pointing them all out. Can you tell I’m
excited? I’ve had my Millie 2 for a couple
years, and I’m looking forward to getting one
of these. I need a raise.
Go to www.robbeusa.com to catch all the
updates. All the new stuff is available as
upgrades for the older Millennium. It is
something to think about for existing
machines as parts get busted and replaced.
Something that fascinates me—and someday
I hope to have the time to do it justice—is
Scale. Scale models take special people and
special talents. I guess I like to fly more than I
like to build, so right now I’ll stick to flying,
but there’s nothing cooler than a good Scale
helicopter.
Helicopters are tough to model because of
all the exposed mechanics and, many times,
fully exposed cockpits. With exposed
cockpits and cabin areas, there isn’t much
room for servos and other model necessities.
Unless you want to get really adventurous,
you’re usually stuck with normal head
mechanics and flybars.
A few companies do have scale head
mechanics and have done a good job locating
electromechanical necessities; these include
Vario and Hirobo. Both have done a nice job
with their Scale helicopter offerings, and they
make it much less intimidating to step into
that arena.
Most of the pictures for this column are of
Scale entries from the WRAM Show. I wish I
had more knowledge in this area, because I do
get questions from time to time about Scale
helicopters. All I can suggest right now is to
go to www.modelrectifier.com for the Hirobo
kits and www.variousa.net for Vario kits.
An accompanying photo shows a
Dauphin N2 in Maryland State Police
colors that Bob Harris of Virginia built
from a Hirobo kit. It features a four-blade
head and a Fenestron tail. Another picture
features a Hughes 600E that Alan Delena
of New Jersey built from a Vario kit and
powers with a JetCat turbine. There’s
nothing cooler than a turbine helicopter!
Marc Lapin of New Hampshire built the
Hirobo Boeing Vertol done up as a CH-46
Sea Knight. It has an O.S. .46 engine for
power. I’m pretty sure the original Hirobo
kit used a 30-size engine.
If you don’t think you can have fun
flying a Scale helicopter, Sandy Jaffe of
New York looped a Hirobo Boeing Vertol
some years ago at the IRCHA
(International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association) Jamboree. I saw it with my
own eyes!
And last, Tony Tirone of New York
built the Dauphin HH-65 finished in Coast
Guard colors that is shown. It’s a Vario
Sky Fox inside the Dauphin wrappings.
That’s about it for this month. I’m going to
the Toledo show (the first weekend of
April), and I’ll have some good stuff for you
from there next month. Until then,
remember that “Altitude above you and fuel
on the ground below do you no good.” MA
132 MODEL AVIATION
07sig5.QXD 4/23/04 10:04 am Page 132
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/07
Page Numbers: 129,130,131,132
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/07
Page Numbers: 129,130,131,132
July 2004 129
HI ALL! This being the July issue, the
summer events are in full swing by now.
There’s something to do every weekend, and
most weekends you have to choose which
event to attend.
In the February issue I wrote about a
local helicopter fly-in in Rochester, New
York. We’ve decided to do it again, and it
will be bigger this year. The Northeast
Model Helicopter Jamboree will be August
27-29, and it will be sponsored by the
Rochester Aero Modeling Society (RAMS)
and Performance Hobbies. The RAMS will
host again this year, and Curtis Youngblood
will be back! Go to www.rcplane.com for
more information.
I can tell when it gets close to flying season
again. The telephone calls and E-mail
messages start, and helicopter pilots start
looking for help in getting their machines set
up for hovering.
I’ve done many of these setups through
the years. No matter how I try to speed up
the process, it takes roughly four hours to go
completely through a new helicopter, fix
things that were assembled incorrectly, set
up the radio, make the necessary
adjustments to the machine, and finally put
fuel into it and fire it up. Then there are the
adjustments to the engine, helicopter
mechanics, the radio again, etc.
However, I enjoy it immensely when I
can find the time to devote to it. If you
haven’t been through this aspect of the
hobby, consider it. I feel like it’s a way of
giving something back to the hobby.
There are a few things that bother me,
though. Some pilots expect everything to be
done for them. There are those who won’t
listen about an issue with the machine,
ignore it completely, and then expect
Dan Williams, 27 Treeline Dr., Liverpool NY 13090; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL HELICOPTERS
The new HUI Robbe/Schluter Millennium III Pro model sports a
fiberglass canopy and a bunch of new features.
No more crown gear! The new tail drive takeoff configuration
looks robust, and you can see the new carbon-fiber pushrods.
Bob Harris brought his Vario Dauphin N2 finished in Maryland
State Police colors to the WRAM Show in White Plains NY.
Alan Delena knows that it doesn’t get any sweeter than his Vario
Hughes 600E with a JetCat turbine for power!
07sig5.QXD 4/23/04 10:03 am Page 129
130 MODEL AVIATION
someone else to deal with the consequences.
I have my ways of dealing with it, and you
should solve it the way you feel is best. I’m
thankful that it doesn’t happen very often.
I also feel bad for the new person who
has just spent a ton of money and didn’t buy
the right stuff. Someone told him or her to
get the wrong model, engine, or radio, and
then I have to tell that person the bad news.
Get with your local hobby shop and help
educate the staff members about the right
helicopters and the correct accessories, and
let them know you’re available for help.
Give them your name, telephone number,
and E-mail address.
I usually meet the person at the shop, go
out back, and start the process. Try to
remember exactly what it was like when you
decided to start flying helicopters. Do you
remember the excitement during the buildup
and how frustrating it was when you
couldn’t get help? Many of us are fortunate
not to have had to go through that.
It could be that you’ve just dumped a
great deal of money, you want to get on with
the flying, and you can’t connect with help,
the weather doesn’t cooperate, or something
is wrong with a part and you have to wait
for orders to come in.
My fixed-wing club runs a flight school
one evening every week, and the field and
personnel are devoted only to helping the
new people. We don’t fly our own stuff until
all the teaching is done. The newbies know
they can go there and get expert help from
the modelers who do it all the time. It’s a lot
Marc Lapin made his Hirobo Boeing Vertol to look like a CH-46
Sea Knight and powered it with an O.S. .46 engine.
Tony Tirone’s Coast Guard HH-65 Dauphin has mechanics by
Vario.
THE BEST IN SCALE PLANS
ACCESSORIES & LASER CUT PARTS
61" Brian Taylor ME-109F – $40.00
Laser cut parts – $100.00, Accessories $85.00
PLANS
* Spitfire MK 1X 83" $45.00
* Spitfire MK 1 69" $40.00
* Spitfire MK 14/19 69” $40.00
* Spitfire MK 1X 110" $49.00
* Hawker Hurricane 70" $40.00
* Hawker Typhoon 72" $40.00
DH Mosquito 71" $40.00
* DH Mosquito 81" $45.00
Hawker Tempest 61.5” $30.00
* P-47D 76” $45.00
* Hellcat 64" $30.00
* Hellcat 80" $35.00
* F4U-1 82" $45.00
* Storch 72” $30.00
* Storch 96” $35.00
* Harvard 94” $45.00
* P-51D 69” $25.00
* Bf 109E 68” $40.00
* indicates laser parts available
Please add $8.00 for postage.
Best in scale catalog $5.00 + $3.20 p.p.
Cards Ok. • UK and German catalogs available.
BOB HOLMAN PLANS
P.O.BOX 741 San Bernardino CA 92402
909-885-3959 • [email protected] • www.bhplans.com
Please
add
$10.00
for
postage.
OWN A MACHINE SHOP
1-800-476-4849
O r V i s i t u s a t w w w.smithy.com
GUARANTEED To pay for itself! FREE!
Info Kit
FREE!
Info Kit
Call
Today!
“I can fix ‘most anything. I don’t know how I lived
without my Smithy. It paid for itself in no time.”
• Easy to use – No
experience
required.
• Versatile – Fix or
make almost anything.
• Affordalbe-- 6
models starting
at $995.
• CNC Compatible
Do It Yourself on a Smithy Lathe•Mill•Drill!
07sig5.QXD 4/23/04 10:03 am Page 130
of fun. You get to fly someone else’s stuff
and it’s not even your fuel!
Through the years we’ve developed a
regular flight-training program that all the
instructors follow. We have a preseason
session at the hobby shop during which we
go over the models and help educate the
new fliers. They have tons of questions;
it’s no wonder we have a tough time
getting new blood into the hobby.
If your club is looking for something
new to do, think about a flight-training
program; you’ll be surprised by the results.
Your club will grow, you’ll have new help
for field chores and events, and best of all,
you’ll make a bunch of new friends.
As I’m writing this, the Westchester
Radio Aero Modelers (WRAM) Show in
White Plains, New York (which was held
February 20-22), just ended. WRAM Show
time is a reminder for me to start working
on the helicopters, cycling the battery
packs, doing engine maintenance, and
generally getting my act together for the
flying season.
The WRAM Show is also a big help in
eliminating my cabin fever from the long
winter months. Seeing all the new models
that will be coming out for the year makes
me want to sell what I have and get new
stuff.
Cycling battery packs is cheap
insurance against losing a machine because
of battery failure. It won’t guarantee to
catch every type of malfunction, but if
there’s a soft cell in the pack, you’ll find it.
If a pack of mine is more than three
seasons old, I ditch it and get a new one. I
can’t say this enough: new batteries are
cheap compared to buying a new machine.
With all the fast chargers out there, I’ve
gotten out of the habit of charging my
packs overnight and leaving them on
trickle for the next flying session. I find
myself fast-charging the packs on the way
to the flying field. Battery cycling takes on
even more importance in my mind because
of this. Plus I’m generally paranoid about
failures.
I still use Ni-Cds for my battery packs,
but this year I picked up a few NiMH
packs to see how they would fare. Don’t
forget the transmitter packs; I had to
replace one during the winter because of
exceptionally low capacity.
Now that I’m approaching a year of
doing this column, attending the WRAM
Show was a bit different from how it has
been. I feel as if I know many more people
in the industry. Going around to the
various helicopter manufacturers and
helicopter-accessory booths, I enjoy
talking to the people as part of the media as
opposed to a regular modeler guy. They
really do try to give me the latest scoop on
their new stuff.
Not all the manufacturers are attending
the WRAM Show anymore. In the past few
years, the model-helicopter industry has
been shying away from this event and
focusing more on the Toledo, Ohio, show.
July 2004 131
VIBRATION = CURRENT DRAIN + EQUIPMENT WEAR
HYDE CUSTOM SOFT MOUNTS
• Used by 2002/3 NATS/World/TOC
Champions and Flyers.
• NATS/World use ratio approx. 40 to 1.
• Proven life approx. 7000 flights, ask Mike Hill, a 2002/3 NATS winner.
• Save $600-$3600 per 1000-6000 flights by eliminating
replacement type isolators that require replacement every
25-75 flights.
• As compared to all others: 60-90% less vibration and current
drain. Double to triple flight time per charge. Extends equipment
life 10-20 times.
25% off all undrilled beam and backplate mounts. Easy to follow instructions provided. For all: DA, 3W,
ZDZ, Zenoah, Brison, BME, Saito, Webra, OS, ST, YS, and etc. – Engines. to 20.0 cu in.
3 years/3000 flights complete satisfaction money back guarantee. (includes competition/commercial/military UAV use)
$64.95 - $284.95 + $7.00 S&H. Please specify engine size and make. From dealers or direct.
Orders/info: Merle Hyde, 3 Golf View Drive, Henderson, NV 89074
Ph/fax: 702-269-7829 or e-mail: [email protected]
$99.95
SPECIAL
Type "B"
Any Large Engine
Backplate Mount
PATENTED 3 Year
Trial Offer
07sig5.QXD 4/23/04 10:04 am Page 131
There are so many shows now and costs are
escalating, so I guess they pick the biggest
bang for the buck.
HUI (Helicopters Unlimited Inc.)
Robbe/Schluter introduced the latest in the
Millennium series: the Millennium III Pro. I
have a Millennium II, so the changes
incorporated into the new machine made it
easy for me to identify with and relate to.
The representatives and sponsored pilots
have their machines, so the helicopters
coming across the pond now are for the
masses.
Robbe/Schluter introduced the model
worldwide all at once, which was a
departure from past introductions where
Europe has benefited from being first. In
today’s world economy, things such as this
have to be done to keep from getting ripped
apart on various Internet sites. Everybody
knows the news immediately, it seems.
Starting from the front, the canopy is a
new design and is constructed from
fiberglass instead of plastic. The windshield
is screwed into the canopy. The canopy has
a large cheek on the muffler side to
accommodate various mufflers without
having to carve it up.
What stunk in the past was when you cut
up the canopy to take one muffler and then
swapped mufflers. That looked ugly; it was
new canopy time. Since the new style is
fiberglass, it can easily be painted to suit.
Under the canopy is a new-style radio
tray that is slotted for attaching radio gear.
The servos are mounted on their sides for
CCPM (Cyclic Collective Pitch Mixing)
swashplate control. The pushrods are carbon
fiber and are precut to size. The ends are
assembled with J.B. Weld and are
adjustable.
The engine mount is one piece instead of
the old two-piece affair that used the engine
as a structural member in the mounting. The
fan is huge to accommodate 90-size enginecooling
needs, the shroud is resized, and the
fuel tank is larger. Despite these changes, the
lower side frames are identical to the Millie
2’s and are unfortunately still metal.
The starter assembly now has two ball
bearings. There are two pinions included in
the kit; one for 7.5:1 ratio and one for 8.5:1
ratio. They will accommodate 60- and 90-size
engines. The main shaft has three support
bearings. The washout mixer is new. The
flybar is new, along with the rectangular
flybar control-arm support, and has adjustable
ratios. There are three O-rings in the head
now, along with a rosette bearing for spindle
support.
There is no more crown gear to strip out!
The tail drive takeoff is a second gear on top
of the main gear, with a second pinion gear
and bevel gears to rotate the drive to
horizontal for the torque tube. The torque tube
is stainless steel and is supported with two
bearings in the boom. The boom is longer, to
accommodate all blade lengths. The tail rotor
is now mounted on the right side of the
model, along with scissor tail pitch control.
The tail pitch control rod is carbon fiber.
There are probably more features, but I
could only write so fast while two guys were
pointing them all out. Can you tell I’m
excited? I’ve had my Millie 2 for a couple
years, and I’m looking forward to getting one
of these. I need a raise.
Go to www.robbeusa.com to catch all the
updates. All the new stuff is available as
upgrades for the older Millennium. It is
something to think about for existing
machines as parts get busted and replaced.
Something that fascinates me—and someday
I hope to have the time to do it justice—is
Scale. Scale models take special people and
special talents. I guess I like to fly more than I
like to build, so right now I’ll stick to flying,
but there’s nothing cooler than a good Scale
helicopter.
Helicopters are tough to model because of
all the exposed mechanics and, many times,
fully exposed cockpits. With exposed
cockpits and cabin areas, there isn’t much
room for servos and other model necessities.
Unless you want to get really adventurous,
you’re usually stuck with normal head
mechanics and flybars.
A few companies do have scale head
mechanics and have done a good job locating
electromechanical necessities; these include
Vario and Hirobo. Both have done a nice job
with their Scale helicopter offerings, and they
make it much less intimidating to step into
that arena.
Most of the pictures for this column are of
Scale entries from the WRAM Show. I wish I
had more knowledge in this area, because I do
get questions from time to time about Scale
helicopters. All I can suggest right now is to
go to www.modelrectifier.com for the Hirobo
kits and www.variousa.net for Vario kits.
An accompanying photo shows a
Dauphin N2 in Maryland State Police
colors that Bob Harris of Virginia built
from a Hirobo kit. It features a four-blade
head and a Fenestron tail. Another picture
features a Hughes 600E that Alan Delena
of New Jersey built from a Vario kit and
powers with a JetCat turbine. There’s
nothing cooler than a turbine helicopter!
Marc Lapin of New Hampshire built the
Hirobo Boeing Vertol done up as a CH-46
Sea Knight. It has an O.S. .46 engine for
power. I’m pretty sure the original Hirobo
kit used a 30-size engine.
If you don’t think you can have fun
flying a Scale helicopter, Sandy Jaffe of
New York looped a Hirobo Boeing Vertol
some years ago at the IRCHA
(International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association) Jamboree. I saw it with my
own eyes!
And last, Tony Tirone of New York
built the Dauphin HH-65 finished in Coast
Guard colors that is shown. It’s a Vario
Sky Fox inside the Dauphin wrappings.
That’s about it for this month. I’m going to
the Toledo show (the first weekend of
April), and I’ll have some good stuff for you
from there next month. Until then,
remember that “Altitude above you and fuel
on the ground below do you no good.” MA
132 MODEL AVIATION
07sig5.QXD 4/23/04 10:04 am Page 132
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/07
Page Numbers: 129,130,131,132
July 2004 129
HI ALL! This being the July issue, the
summer events are in full swing by now.
There’s something to do every weekend, and
most weekends you have to choose which
event to attend.
In the February issue I wrote about a
local helicopter fly-in in Rochester, New
York. We’ve decided to do it again, and it
will be bigger this year. The Northeast
Model Helicopter Jamboree will be August
27-29, and it will be sponsored by the
Rochester Aero Modeling Society (RAMS)
and Performance Hobbies. The RAMS will
host again this year, and Curtis Youngblood
will be back! Go to www.rcplane.com for
more information.
I can tell when it gets close to flying season
again. The telephone calls and E-mail
messages start, and helicopter pilots start
looking for help in getting their machines set
up for hovering.
I’ve done many of these setups through
the years. No matter how I try to speed up
the process, it takes roughly four hours to go
completely through a new helicopter, fix
things that were assembled incorrectly, set
up the radio, make the necessary
adjustments to the machine, and finally put
fuel into it and fire it up. Then there are the
adjustments to the engine, helicopter
mechanics, the radio again, etc.
However, I enjoy it immensely when I
can find the time to devote to it. If you
haven’t been through this aspect of the
hobby, consider it. I feel like it’s a way of
giving something back to the hobby.
There are a few things that bother me,
though. Some pilots expect everything to be
done for them. There are those who won’t
listen about an issue with the machine,
ignore it completely, and then expect
Dan Williams, 27 Treeline Dr., Liverpool NY 13090; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL HELICOPTERS
The new HUI Robbe/Schluter Millennium III Pro model sports a
fiberglass canopy and a bunch of new features.
No more crown gear! The new tail drive takeoff configuration
looks robust, and you can see the new carbon-fiber pushrods.
Bob Harris brought his Vario Dauphin N2 finished in Maryland
State Police colors to the WRAM Show in White Plains NY.
Alan Delena knows that it doesn’t get any sweeter than his Vario
Hughes 600E with a JetCat turbine for power!
07sig5.QXD 4/23/04 10:03 am Page 129
130 MODEL AVIATION
someone else to deal with the consequences.
I have my ways of dealing with it, and you
should solve it the way you feel is best. I’m
thankful that it doesn’t happen very often.
I also feel bad for the new person who
has just spent a ton of money and didn’t buy
the right stuff. Someone told him or her to
get the wrong model, engine, or radio, and
then I have to tell that person the bad news.
Get with your local hobby shop and help
educate the staff members about the right
helicopters and the correct accessories, and
let them know you’re available for help.
Give them your name, telephone number,
and E-mail address.
I usually meet the person at the shop, go
out back, and start the process. Try to
remember exactly what it was like when you
decided to start flying helicopters. Do you
remember the excitement during the buildup
and how frustrating it was when you
couldn’t get help? Many of us are fortunate
not to have had to go through that.
It could be that you’ve just dumped a
great deal of money, you want to get on with
the flying, and you can’t connect with help,
the weather doesn’t cooperate, or something
is wrong with a part and you have to wait
for orders to come in.
My fixed-wing club runs a flight school
one evening every week, and the field and
personnel are devoted only to helping the
new people. We don’t fly our own stuff until
all the teaching is done. The newbies know
they can go there and get expert help from
the modelers who do it all the time. It’s a lot
Marc Lapin made his Hirobo Boeing Vertol to look like a CH-46
Sea Knight and powered it with an O.S. .46 engine.
Tony Tirone’s Coast Guard HH-65 Dauphin has mechanics by
Vario.
THE BEST IN SCALE PLANS
ACCESSORIES & LASER CUT PARTS
61" Brian Taylor ME-109F – $40.00
Laser cut parts – $100.00, Accessories $85.00
PLANS
* Spitfire MK 1X 83" $45.00
* Spitfire MK 1 69" $40.00
* Spitfire MK 14/19 69” $40.00
* Spitfire MK 1X 110" $49.00
* Hawker Hurricane 70" $40.00
* Hawker Typhoon 72" $40.00
DH Mosquito 71" $40.00
* DH Mosquito 81" $45.00
Hawker Tempest 61.5” $30.00
* P-47D 76” $45.00
* Hellcat 64" $30.00
* Hellcat 80" $35.00
* F4U-1 82" $45.00
* Storch 72” $30.00
* Storch 96” $35.00
* Harvard 94” $45.00
* P-51D 69” $25.00
* Bf 109E 68” $40.00
* indicates laser parts available
Please add $8.00 for postage.
Best in scale catalog $5.00 + $3.20 p.p.
Cards Ok. • UK and German catalogs available.
BOB HOLMAN PLANS
P.O.BOX 741 San Bernardino CA 92402
909-885-3959 • [email protected] • www.bhplans.com
Please
add
$10.00
for
postage.
OWN A MACHINE SHOP
1-800-476-4849
O r V i s i t u s a t w w w.smithy.com
GUARANTEED To pay for itself! FREE!
Info Kit
FREE!
Info Kit
Call
Today!
“I can fix ‘most anything. I don’t know how I lived
without my Smithy. It paid for itself in no time.”
• Easy to use – No
experience
required.
• Versatile – Fix or
make almost anything.
• Affordalbe-- 6
models starting
at $995.
• CNC Compatible
Do It Yourself on a Smithy Lathe•Mill•Drill!
07sig5.QXD 4/23/04 10:03 am Page 130
of fun. You get to fly someone else’s stuff
and it’s not even your fuel!
Through the years we’ve developed a
regular flight-training program that all the
instructors follow. We have a preseason
session at the hobby shop during which we
go over the models and help educate the
new fliers. They have tons of questions;
it’s no wonder we have a tough time
getting new blood into the hobby.
If your club is looking for something
new to do, think about a flight-training
program; you’ll be surprised by the results.
Your club will grow, you’ll have new help
for field chores and events, and best of all,
you’ll make a bunch of new friends.
As I’m writing this, the Westchester
Radio Aero Modelers (WRAM) Show in
White Plains, New York (which was held
February 20-22), just ended. WRAM Show
time is a reminder for me to start working
on the helicopters, cycling the battery
packs, doing engine maintenance, and
generally getting my act together for the
flying season.
The WRAM Show is also a big help in
eliminating my cabin fever from the long
winter months. Seeing all the new models
that will be coming out for the year makes
me want to sell what I have and get new
stuff.
Cycling battery packs is cheap
insurance against losing a machine because
of battery failure. It won’t guarantee to
catch every type of malfunction, but if
there’s a soft cell in the pack, you’ll find it.
If a pack of mine is more than three
seasons old, I ditch it and get a new one. I
can’t say this enough: new batteries are
cheap compared to buying a new machine.
With all the fast chargers out there, I’ve
gotten out of the habit of charging my
packs overnight and leaving them on
trickle for the next flying session. I find
myself fast-charging the packs on the way
to the flying field. Battery cycling takes on
even more importance in my mind because
of this. Plus I’m generally paranoid about
failures.
I still use Ni-Cds for my battery packs,
but this year I picked up a few NiMH
packs to see how they would fare. Don’t
forget the transmitter packs; I had to
replace one during the winter because of
exceptionally low capacity.
Now that I’m approaching a year of
doing this column, attending the WRAM
Show was a bit different from how it has
been. I feel as if I know many more people
in the industry. Going around to the
various helicopter manufacturers and
helicopter-accessory booths, I enjoy
talking to the people as part of the media as
opposed to a regular modeler guy. They
really do try to give me the latest scoop on
their new stuff.
Not all the manufacturers are attending
the WRAM Show anymore. In the past few
years, the model-helicopter industry has
been shying away from this event and
focusing more on the Toledo, Ohio, show.
July 2004 131
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$64.95 - $284.95 + $7.00 S&H. Please specify engine size and make. From dealers or direct.
Orders/info: Merle Hyde, 3 Golf View Drive, Henderson, NV 89074
Ph/fax: 702-269-7829 or e-mail: [email protected]
$99.95
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07sig5.QXD 4/23/04 10:04 am Page 131
There are so many shows now and costs are
escalating, so I guess they pick the biggest
bang for the buck.
HUI (Helicopters Unlimited Inc.)
Robbe/Schluter introduced the latest in the
Millennium series: the Millennium III Pro. I
have a Millennium II, so the changes
incorporated into the new machine made it
easy for me to identify with and relate to.
The representatives and sponsored pilots
have their machines, so the helicopters
coming across the pond now are for the
masses.
Robbe/Schluter introduced the model
worldwide all at once, which was a
departure from past introductions where
Europe has benefited from being first. In
today’s world economy, things such as this
have to be done to keep from getting ripped
apart on various Internet sites. Everybody
knows the news immediately, it seems.
Starting from the front, the canopy is a
new design and is constructed from
fiberglass instead of plastic. The windshield
is screwed into the canopy. The canopy has
a large cheek on the muffler side to
accommodate various mufflers without
having to carve it up.
What stunk in the past was when you cut
up the canopy to take one muffler and then
swapped mufflers. That looked ugly; it was
new canopy time. Since the new style is
fiberglass, it can easily be painted to suit.
Under the canopy is a new-style radio
tray that is slotted for attaching radio gear.
The servos are mounted on their sides for
CCPM (Cyclic Collective Pitch Mixing)
swashplate control. The pushrods are carbon
fiber and are precut to size. The ends are
assembled with J.B. Weld and are
adjustable.
The engine mount is one piece instead of
the old two-piece affair that used the engine
as a structural member in the mounting. The
fan is huge to accommodate 90-size enginecooling
needs, the shroud is resized, and the
fuel tank is larger. Despite these changes, the
lower side frames are identical to the Millie
2’s and are unfortunately still metal.
The starter assembly now has two ball
bearings. There are two pinions included in
the kit; one for 7.5:1 ratio and one for 8.5:1
ratio. They will accommodate 60- and 90-size
engines. The main shaft has three support
bearings. The washout mixer is new. The
flybar is new, along with the rectangular
flybar control-arm support, and has adjustable
ratios. There are three O-rings in the head
now, along with a rosette bearing for spindle
support.
There is no more crown gear to strip out!
The tail drive takeoff is a second gear on top
of the main gear, with a second pinion gear
and bevel gears to rotate the drive to
horizontal for the torque tube. The torque tube
is stainless steel and is supported with two
bearings in the boom. The boom is longer, to
accommodate all blade lengths. The tail rotor
is now mounted on the right side of the
model, along with scissor tail pitch control.
The tail pitch control rod is carbon fiber.
There are probably more features, but I
could only write so fast while two guys were
pointing them all out. Can you tell I’m
excited? I’ve had my Millie 2 for a couple
years, and I’m looking forward to getting one
of these. I need a raise.
Go to www.robbeusa.com to catch all the
updates. All the new stuff is available as
upgrades for the older Millennium. It is
something to think about for existing
machines as parts get busted and replaced.
Something that fascinates me—and someday
I hope to have the time to do it justice—is
Scale. Scale models take special people and
special talents. I guess I like to fly more than I
like to build, so right now I’ll stick to flying,
but there’s nothing cooler than a good Scale
helicopter.
Helicopters are tough to model because of
all the exposed mechanics and, many times,
fully exposed cockpits. With exposed
cockpits and cabin areas, there isn’t much
room for servos and other model necessities.
Unless you want to get really adventurous,
you’re usually stuck with normal head
mechanics and flybars.
A few companies do have scale head
mechanics and have done a good job locating
electromechanical necessities; these include
Vario and Hirobo. Both have done a nice job
with their Scale helicopter offerings, and they
make it much less intimidating to step into
that arena.
Most of the pictures for this column are of
Scale entries from the WRAM Show. I wish I
had more knowledge in this area, because I do
get questions from time to time about Scale
helicopters. All I can suggest right now is to
go to www.modelrectifier.com for the Hirobo
kits and www.variousa.net for Vario kits.
An accompanying photo shows a
Dauphin N2 in Maryland State Police
colors that Bob Harris of Virginia built
from a Hirobo kit. It features a four-blade
head and a Fenestron tail. Another picture
features a Hughes 600E that Alan Delena
of New Jersey built from a Vario kit and
powers with a JetCat turbine. There’s
nothing cooler than a turbine helicopter!
Marc Lapin of New Hampshire built the
Hirobo Boeing Vertol done up as a CH-46
Sea Knight. It has an O.S. .46 engine for
power. I’m pretty sure the original Hirobo
kit used a 30-size engine.
If you don’t think you can have fun
flying a Scale helicopter, Sandy Jaffe of
New York looped a Hirobo Boeing Vertol
some years ago at the IRCHA
(International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association) Jamboree. I saw it with my
own eyes!
And last, Tony Tirone of New York
built the Dauphin HH-65 finished in Coast
Guard colors that is shown. It’s a Vario
Sky Fox inside the Dauphin wrappings.
That’s about it for this month. I’m going to
the Toledo show (the first weekend of
April), and I’ll have some good stuff for you
from there next month. Until then,
remember that “Altitude above you and fuel
on the ground below do you no good.” MA
132 MODEL AVIATION
07sig5.QXD 4/23/04 10:04 am Page 132
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/07
Page Numbers: 129,130,131,132
July 2004 129
HI ALL! This being the July issue, the
summer events are in full swing by now.
There’s something to do every weekend, and
most weekends you have to choose which
event to attend.
In the February issue I wrote about a
local helicopter fly-in in Rochester, New
York. We’ve decided to do it again, and it
will be bigger this year. The Northeast
Model Helicopter Jamboree will be August
27-29, and it will be sponsored by the
Rochester Aero Modeling Society (RAMS)
and Performance Hobbies. The RAMS will
host again this year, and Curtis Youngblood
will be back! Go to www.rcplane.com for
more information.
I can tell when it gets close to flying season
again. The telephone calls and E-mail
messages start, and helicopter pilots start
looking for help in getting their machines set
up for hovering.
I’ve done many of these setups through
the years. No matter how I try to speed up
the process, it takes roughly four hours to go
completely through a new helicopter, fix
things that were assembled incorrectly, set
up the radio, make the necessary
adjustments to the machine, and finally put
fuel into it and fire it up. Then there are the
adjustments to the engine, helicopter
mechanics, the radio again, etc.
However, I enjoy it immensely when I
can find the time to devote to it. If you
haven’t been through this aspect of the
hobby, consider it. I feel like it’s a way of
giving something back to the hobby.
There are a few things that bother me,
though. Some pilots expect everything to be
done for them. There are those who won’t
listen about an issue with the machine,
ignore it completely, and then expect
Dan Williams, 27 Treeline Dr., Liverpool NY 13090; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL HELICOPTERS
The new HUI Robbe/Schluter Millennium III Pro model sports a
fiberglass canopy and a bunch of new features.
No more crown gear! The new tail drive takeoff configuration
looks robust, and you can see the new carbon-fiber pushrods.
Bob Harris brought his Vario Dauphin N2 finished in Maryland
State Police colors to the WRAM Show in White Plains NY.
Alan Delena knows that it doesn’t get any sweeter than his Vario
Hughes 600E with a JetCat turbine for power!
07sig5.QXD 4/23/04 10:03 am Page 129
130 MODEL AVIATION
someone else to deal with the consequences.
I have my ways of dealing with it, and you
should solve it the way you feel is best. I’m
thankful that it doesn’t happen very often.
I also feel bad for the new person who
has just spent a ton of money and didn’t buy
the right stuff. Someone told him or her to
get the wrong model, engine, or radio, and
then I have to tell that person the bad news.
Get with your local hobby shop and help
educate the staff members about the right
helicopters and the correct accessories, and
let them know you’re available for help.
Give them your name, telephone number,
and E-mail address.
I usually meet the person at the shop, go
out back, and start the process. Try to
remember exactly what it was like when you
decided to start flying helicopters. Do you
remember the excitement during the buildup
and how frustrating it was when you
couldn’t get help? Many of us are fortunate
not to have had to go through that.
It could be that you’ve just dumped a
great deal of money, you want to get on with
the flying, and you can’t connect with help,
the weather doesn’t cooperate, or something
is wrong with a part and you have to wait
for orders to come in.
My fixed-wing club runs a flight school
one evening every week, and the field and
personnel are devoted only to helping the
new people. We don’t fly our own stuff until
all the teaching is done. The newbies know
they can go there and get expert help from
the modelers who do it all the time. It’s a lot
Marc Lapin made his Hirobo Boeing Vertol to look like a CH-46
Sea Knight and powered it with an O.S. .46 engine.
Tony Tirone’s Coast Guard HH-65 Dauphin has mechanics by
Vario.
THE BEST IN SCALE PLANS
ACCESSORIES & LASER CUT PARTS
61" Brian Taylor ME-109F – $40.00
Laser cut parts – $100.00, Accessories $85.00
PLANS
* Spitfire MK 1X 83" $45.00
* Spitfire MK 1 69" $40.00
* Spitfire MK 14/19 69” $40.00
* Spitfire MK 1X 110" $49.00
* Hawker Hurricane 70" $40.00
* Hawker Typhoon 72" $40.00
DH Mosquito 71" $40.00
* DH Mosquito 81" $45.00
Hawker Tempest 61.5” $30.00
* P-47D 76” $45.00
* Hellcat 64" $30.00
* Hellcat 80" $35.00
* F4U-1 82" $45.00
* Storch 72” $30.00
* Storch 96” $35.00
* Harvard 94” $45.00
* P-51D 69” $25.00
* Bf 109E 68” $40.00
* indicates laser parts available
Please add $8.00 for postage.
Best in scale catalog $5.00 + $3.20 p.p.
Cards Ok. • UK and German catalogs available.
BOB HOLMAN PLANS
P.O.BOX 741 San Bernardino CA 92402
909-885-3959 • [email protected] • www.bhplans.com
Please
add
$10.00
for
postage.
OWN A MACHINE SHOP
1-800-476-4849
O r V i s i t u s a t w w w.smithy.com
GUARANTEED To pay for itself! FREE!
Info Kit
FREE!
Info Kit
Call
Today!
“I can fix ‘most anything. I don’t know how I lived
without my Smithy. It paid for itself in no time.”
• Easy to use – No
experience
required.
• Versatile – Fix or
make almost anything.
• Affordalbe-- 6
models starting
at $995.
• CNC Compatible
Do It Yourself on a Smithy Lathe•Mill•Drill!
07sig5.QXD 4/23/04 10:03 am Page 130
of fun. You get to fly someone else’s stuff
and it’s not even your fuel!
Through the years we’ve developed a
regular flight-training program that all the
instructors follow. We have a preseason
session at the hobby shop during which we
go over the models and help educate the
new fliers. They have tons of questions;
it’s no wonder we have a tough time
getting new blood into the hobby.
If your club is looking for something
new to do, think about a flight-training
program; you’ll be surprised by the results.
Your club will grow, you’ll have new help
for field chores and events, and best of all,
you’ll make a bunch of new friends.
As I’m writing this, the Westchester
Radio Aero Modelers (WRAM) Show in
White Plains, New York (which was held
February 20-22), just ended. WRAM Show
time is a reminder for me to start working
on the helicopters, cycling the battery
packs, doing engine maintenance, and
generally getting my act together for the
flying season.
The WRAM Show is also a big help in
eliminating my cabin fever from the long
winter months. Seeing all the new models
that will be coming out for the year makes
me want to sell what I have and get new
stuff.
Cycling battery packs is cheap
insurance against losing a machine because
of battery failure. It won’t guarantee to
catch every type of malfunction, but if
there’s a soft cell in the pack, you’ll find it.
If a pack of mine is more than three
seasons old, I ditch it and get a new one. I
can’t say this enough: new batteries are
cheap compared to buying a new machine.
With all the fast chargers out there, I’ve
gotten out of the habit of charging my
packs overnight and leaving them on
trickle for the next flying session. I find
myself fast-charging the packs on the way
to the flying field. Battery cycling takes on
even more importance in my mind because
of this. Plus I’m generally paranoid about
failures.
I still use Ni-Cds for my battery packs,
but this year I picked up a few NiMH
packs to see how they would fare. Don’t
forget the transmitter packs; I had to
replace one during the winter because of
exceptionally low capacity.
Now that I’m approaching a year of
doing this column, attending the WRAM
Show was a bit different from how it has
been. I feel as if I know many more people
in the industry. Going around to the
various helicopter manufacturers and
helicopter-accessory booths, I enjoy
talking to the people as part of the media as
opposed to a regular modeler guy. They
really do try to give me the latest scoop on
their new stuff.
Not all the manufacturers are attending
the WRAM Show anymore. In the past few
years, the model-helicopter industry has
been shying away from this event and
focusing more on the Toledo, Ohio, show.
July 2004 131
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07sig5.QXD 4/23/04 10:04 am Page 131
There are so many shows now and costs are
escalating, so I guess they pick the biggest
bang for the buck.
HUI (Helicopters Unlimited Inc.)
Robbe/Schluter introduced the latest in the
Millennium series: the Millennium III Pro. I
have a Millennium II, so the changes
incorporated into the new machine made it
easy for me to identify with and relate to.
The representatives and sponsored pilots
have their machines, so the helicopters
coming across the pond now are for the
masses.
Robbe/Schluter introduced the model
worldwide all at once, which was a
departure from past introductions where
Europe has benefited from being first. In
today’s world economy, things such as this
have to be done to keep from getting ripped
apart on various Internet sites. Everybody
knows the news immediately, it seems.
Starting from the front, the canopy is a
new design and is constructed from
fiberglass instead of plastic. The windshield
is screwed into the canopy. The canopy has
a large cheek on the muffler side to
accommodate various mufflers without
having to carve it up.
What stunk in the past was when you cut
up the canopy to take one muffler and then
swapped mufflers. That looked ugly; it was
new canopy time. Since the new style is
fiberglass, it can easily be painted to suit.
Under the canopy is a new-style radio
tray that is slotted for attaching radio gear.
The servos are mounted on their sides for
CCPM (Cyclic Collective Pitch Mixing)
swashplate control. The pushrods are carbon
fiber and are precut to size. The ends are
assembled with J.B. Weld and are
adjustable.
The engine mount is one piece instead of
the old two-piece affair that used the engine
as a structural member in the mounting. The
fan is huge to accommodate 90-size enginecooling
needs, the shroud is resized, and the
fuel tank is larger. Despite these changes, the
lower side frames are identical to the Millie
2’s and are unfortunately still metal.
The starter assembly now has two ball
bearings. There are two pinions included in
the kit; one for 7.5:1 ratio and one for 8.5:1
ratio. They will accommodate 60- and 90-size
engines. The main shaft has three support
bearings. The washout mixer is new. The
flybar is new, along with the rectangular
flybar control-arm support, and has adjustable
ratios. There are three O-rings in the head
now, along with a rosette bearing for spindle
support.
There is no more crown gear to strip out!
The tail drive takeoff is a second gear on top
of the main gear, with a second pinion gear
and bevel gears to rotate the drive to
horizontal for the torque tube. The torque tube
is stainless steel and is supported with two
bearings in the boom. The boom is longer, to
accommodate all blade lengths. The tail rotor
is now mounted on the right side of the
model, along with scissor tail pitch control.
The tail pitch control rod is carbon fiber.
There are probably more features, but I
could only write so fast while two guys were
pointing them all out. Can you tell I’m
excited? I’ve had my Millie 2 for a couple
years, and I’m looking forward to getting one
of these. I need a raise.
Go to www.robbeusa.com to catch all the
updates. All the new stuff is available as
upgrades for the older Millennium. It is
something to think about for existing
machines as parts get busted and replaced.
Something that fascinates me—and someday
I hope to have the time to do it justice—is
Scale. Scale models take special people and
special talents. I guess I like to fly more than I
like to build, so right now I’ll stick to flying,
but there’s nothing cooler than a good Scale
helicopter.
Helicopters are tough to model because of
all the exposed mechanics and, many times,
fully exposed cockpits. With exposed
cockpits and cabin areas, there isn’t much
room for servos and other model necessities.
Unless you want to get really adventurous,
you’re usually stuck with normal head
mechanics and flybars.
A few companies do have scale head
mechanics and have done a good job locating
electromechanical necessities; these include
Vario and Hirobo. Both have done a nice job
with their Scale helicopter offerings, and they
make it much less intimidating to step into
that arena.
Most of the pictures for this column are of
Scale entries from the WRAM Show. I wish I
had more knowledge in this area, because I do
get questions from time to time about Scale
helicopters. All I can suggest right now is to
go to www.modelrectifier.com for the Hirobo
kits and www.variousa.net for Vario kits.
An accompanying photo shows a
Dauphin N2 in Maryland State Police
colors that Bob Harris of Virginia built
from a Hirobo kit. It features a four-blade
head and a Fenestron tail. Another picture
features a Hughes 600E that Alan Delena
of New Jersey built from a Vario kit and
powers with a JetCat turbine. There’s
nothing cooler than a turbine helicopter!
Marc Lapin of New Hampshire built the
Hirobo Boeing Vertol done up as a CH-46
Sea Knight. It has an O.S. .46 engine for
power. I’m pretty sure the original Hirobo
kit used a 30-size engine.
If you don’t think you can have fun
flying a Scale helicopter, Sandy Jaffe of
New York looped a Hirobo Boeing Vertol
some years ago at the IRCHA
(International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association) Jamboree. I saw it with my
own eyes!
And last, Tony Tirone of New York
built the Dauphin HH-65 finished in Coast
Guard colors that is shown. It’s a Vario
Sky Fox inside the Dauphin wrappings.
That’s about it for this month. I’m going to
the Toledo show (the first weekend of
April), and I’ll have some good stuff for you
from there next month. Until then,
remember that “Altitude above you and fuel
on the ground below do you no good.” MA
132 MODEL AVIATION
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