Ok,,,heres my helicopter. I was just asked where its at.
I finished my room, had my health scare over with…and now I am back very steady on this. The last three weeks I have installed the transmission, have built the tail rotor driveshaft, installed the tail rotor gearbox, and am now working on the pitch change mechanism for the tail rotor.
This kit comes agonizingly slow to you over 4 shipments spread over 16- 18 months. I received the first shipment last Feb. 2008, then ran out of parts by spring…but went and had it all painted by August. I shut down on it because of no parts…but the 2nd shipment came in November. I was adding on to my shop at the time…plus extremely overloaded with that DeWalt Top17 contest I was competing in…and just drew a line in the sand and vowed not to touch the new shipment of parts until my new room was painted. Well…it was finished a month ago except for epoxy painting the floor, and nailing the trim around the window.
My 3rd shipment is due next month followed by the last shipment of the Solar T62 Turbine engine due in July. If these shipments are on time…I will be flying it this year….if not…I will have a nice final finish time this winter.
You can see where I am using fishing line stretched very tight to check alignment for perfectly straight.
Excuse the double posting of some of the pictures.
Stan
Stan
Replies
Stan,
What are the specs on the engine? Hp, etc. If you mentioned it before sorry I missed it.
Ken- Its a Solar T62-32 turbine engine,....160 horse derated to 90 horse. It idles at 45000 rpm and runs a constant 61500 rpm during flight.
Its a very reliable engine that is found in APU's on Chinook helicopters and many other power units. Many are flying and they are sweet running engines..
stan
what kind of maintenance schedule do you have on the T62? Borescopes? Igniter change interval? Fuel Control mtc? Is it a mechancal control or electronic? Derating extends the standard maintenance intervals but not in all cases IIRC.
What does derated mean? Do they make a modification to it so that it produces less hp?"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
derating is when the lower the operating limits of a turbine engine. In most cases it extends the maintenance intervals on the major components which tend to be very expensive especially for a private operator. Airframe power requirements are set to the 90hp and not the 160hp so it's not like the aircraft will underperform with the derate.
Like in this case the max output was 160hp was the max output for any use of the t62-32. All of the mtc intervals would be relaviley short since you'r operating at max design limits. Derate that 90hp which is about 56% all the operating limits such as turbine temps and speeds drop. The mtc intercals don't necesarrily increase by 56% but they do get strecthed out making it less expensive to operate.
So is there a mechanical governor on the turbine to keep it from running at full power? Or is it so overpowered for the application that Stan will never have to run it at 100%?"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
usually the limiting will be inside the Fuel Cotrol Unit, sometimes it's as simple as an adjuster screw accessed externally on the FCU. and if all is set right the pilot won't ever get more than the derated power, so no extra boost if you were ever to get into a situation where extra power was wanted.
That's a big derating. Then again, I've seen APU's run for hours at a time in all kinds of conditions. Usually powering electrical busses and air conditioning. A derated one should really last a while.Turbines are pretty reliable in my experience. It's the accessories or the gearbox that gets you. In some cases it was the mid-compression bypass, but they retired that plane. And in a couple of cases, birds. Anyhow, looks like fun, was just curious what would be pushing the rotor.
"It's the accessories or the gearbox that gets you."Yeah tell me about it!!!!!
Lived it this week. A330 APU with a leaking Generator. Changed the gen and the APU rained it's oil all over the tarmac. Changed the o-ring at the gen face and tried again. Darn thing blew it's guts again.
Found out that we stock the pre-mod o-ring but not the post-mod o-ring.
24 hrs to get the right o-ring.
Gotta hate days like that. We chased a door open light for weeks, finally found broken linkage hidden behind panels that were rarely opened on inspections, and never as part of the door troubleshooting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk1kyeQixC0
yeah great but when are you going to trim the door? jk, lol
Stan, I've absolutely freakin' GOT it.
Make your 'copter a WOODY! With real wood, precisely curved to shape.
You would have the only one
Forrest - jus creatin' all hell alla' time
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Great project, But how do you get any work done in such a tight space?
LOL.. Great shop!! Making me drool
Stan, is this yours?
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That's his. No trim around the door."Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
ggod one....you guys are so cruel.......ha
Here are some updates... I have the main transmission in..the driveshaft to the tail rotor...and the tail rotor on.
I am taking it apart , painting these components and starting to put it back together again.
What's to paint? it looks painted already. What is the grey thing in pic 37?"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
How much longer to finish?
frammer....all I have left is installing the instruments...all the wiring...radios...gps.....rotorhead...swashplate....rotor blades....clutch.......turbine engine.... It should be later this year when its flying.
The biggest delays are getting the part shipments. I was shut down for 6 months waiting.
Stan
Can't wait for the picts of it in the air!!
Um, you will make sure it fits through the door before you put it all together, right?
Cool project, but for me, I cant stop looking at your shop!! Way too clean and organized to be real.
Oh, I get it, you haven't moved in yet (:
how much do you think you saved by putting it together yourself? and is it worth it or do you just really enjoy the build? I already know you like a challenge from loking at your stairs and the dewalt contest:)
Mike- Its not only what I have saved by doing it myself...probably $15-20000....but its what I have learned. This maching is going to be flying my butt around...and I had better be intimate with its inner workings....and adjustments.
All my aircraft have been excellent investments...and this is no exception. I could sell this unfinished immediately....as I have a few hounding me now. It wont be for sale...this is the last one I am building.
Stan
Thanks for the update on the machine, I really enjoy following your progress and like others here admire the fact you have the talent to fly among many other things
Keep the pictures coming and take your time build the copter, saftey first.
Paul No one should regard themselve as "God's gift to man." But rather a mere man whos gifts are from God.
you are the man!