> > > Steve, Are you going to design and build
> > > your own helicopter rotor head?
> > >
> > > What do you think of this one?
> > >
> > > Paul Lamar ...No rotor no motor.
> >
> > Gee I don't see why helicopter maintenance is so pricey :)
> >
> > John
> >
> > Here is almost a complete articulated counter rotating rotor head.
> > I can see why counter rotating rotor head helicopters are so
> rare. I still
> > haven't figured out how to move the forward swash plate yet. I
> am thinking
> > Blue Tooth radio controlled :) Four high speed, computer radio
> controlled,> angular electric servos, one on each blade, would
do
> the trick.
> > It would vastly simplify this and make fly by radio control a
> real
> > reality.
> > It could also be done with a infra red optical link.
> >
> > Another possibility is control the swash plates with three
> servos each.
> > The servos would not have to be as fast.
> >
> > Perhaps the control rods can go into the inner shaft for the front
> > rotor. About the only company in the world that could build
this
> is Kamov.
> >
> > It is also still laking the lagging and flapping hinges.
> >
> > I am not dumb enough to try to build one of these :)
> >
> > Paul Lamar
>
> I think I read that the control input to the rotor has to lead
by
> about90 degrees? The top and bottom rotor then have to lead from
> opposite directions.
> -Jeff Martin
>
> All,
> The biggest drivers of the cost of helicopters are lawyers and the
> government. One of the simplest, toughest, and most
maintainable
> rotorheadsis the Hiller U-12 with the servo paddles. This thing
> can be maintained in
> the middle of nowhere. With modern materials, this thing would be
> bulletproof. You can see model helicopters flying with these
> things every
> day because it works and it's very cost effective. Certified
> helicoptersmust be maintained by an A&P and most helicopters are
> not designed to be
> maintained by owner/operators and they have timed out components
> that must
> be replaced on an FAA approved schedule. For example the Bell
Jet
> Rangerhas these dog-bone looking tension straps in the hub that
> must be replaced
> at (I think) 800 hours and they cost around $1200 each (there
are
> two) and
> this is NOT an afternoon job.
>
> By the way, the control inputs to the rotor lead the rotor by 90
> degreesbecause what you are doing is precessing a gyroscope.
The
> reality of what
> you're doing when you make a control input is that you are
tilting
> the rotor
> disc and the fuselage just follows the disc.
>
> Steve Brazil
And by tilting the plane of rotation, you tilt the lift vector in
from pure
Vert, so it
has a horizontal component.
It doesn't really matter what you fly, if it's certified then it's
expensive. I just found
out yestarday that the nose gear Hyd. cylinder needs to be
replaced on the
414 I fly.
It started leaking on my last trip to Cali. It doesn't have field
maintainable seals and
is basically impossible to get fixed. Price new... $20k from
cessna.. price
for a
rebuilt? $14k.. Price for a salvaged unit? $5600... for a ^%#$^
~1" bore,
12" strk cylinder..!!
It's totally nuts regardless if the wings spin or not.. [now I'm
guessingthat the fling wings
have a few more expensive components than a fixed wing.. I'm not
trying to
compete
but it's all still crazy no matter how you slice it.. :-)]
Jarrett
Jarrett,
Send me a pic of your cylinder.... I was an aircraft hydraulic
mechanic for
10 years. No such thing as we can't do it.
Larry
Ahh... they already have the replacement here and it's probably already installed.. I had to
do a last minute flight last night..[in 5hrs it leaked over a quart of 56xx fluid]
and they were going to put it in today.. I don't know if they had
to send the old one back for a core [ I suspect they did] but I'll check tomorrow and see what's
up w/ it all and let ya know.. I'm just glad I don't have to foot the bill :-)
Jarrett
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