My VTOL Project-Based Around Osprey

[Osprey WannaB]

I have just started my own VTOL Project And Have Based It Around an osprey. I am hoping to be able to fly it like a plane Or Helicopter, With Full Functions. I am hoping to build evry thing my self without buying parts. the only thing i want to buy is the materials and the electrics.
WAT HAVE I ALREADY DONE???
I have already made one of my Rotor heads...
Am am going to start one my swashplates and then make the second rotor head after..
This may take a few days as i have to jugle my helicopter building and school work...
i Hope to have at least one of my rotors set up soon. so i can start my testing... ;)

Jamie :p

[rdresch]

Way to go! Good luck. It's a lot of work. Trust me I know. Been working on mine for over a year and half. Of course as I build I learn so I then rebuild.
Rudy

[v22chap]

as I build I learn so I then rebuild.
That is the name of the game..... ;) :rolleyes: :D
I have been at it for 18 yrs now.... :eek: :p :rolleyes: :D
Larry

[Osprey WannaB]

I have already built one of my swashplates and one of my rotor heads. I am going to make of set first then i will work on the second, but first i need to make the housing/pods then i will start thinking about the second one. I will try to upload some photos soon...
Jamie

[Osprey WannaB]

just so u all know, i am trying to make a helicopter rotor head ect. so i can fly it just like a chopper or a plane.. i think my idea will be gud if i can get it to work... but i have a small budget as i am only 15 yrs old... If I had the money i would just buy two 4 chanel heli's and hook them on the wings :D But instead i am making all of the parts out of alloy... I sort of had some trouble with my main blade holders snapped... so i have to rebuild them.. i have also had trouble with my camera so i was unable to upload pictures...
all feed back is respected... thanx u for the feed back... ;)

Regards, :rolleyes:
Jamie :p

[rdresch]

Wow, very impressive! I assume you have access to a mill etc. Rotor heads must be precession machined. I admire your ambition.
Good luck Rudy

[Osprey WannaB]

Yes i have access to alot of machinery as my dad loves his "big boys toys" :p
After making the rotor head i sort of broke it as it was only alloy (i guess i was to rough) so now i gotta start all over again... but at least i like doing it :D

[rdresch]

Just keep at it and don't get frustrated when when things don't work out. If it was easy it wouldn't be worth doing. Everything you learn now will help you be a problem solver in the future. Keep us up to date.
Rudy

[v22chap]

Also learn to keep records of what you do.... it will save you time down the road of not doing what you all ready tried...believe me I know the hard way.This little project that my son and I started nearly 18 yrs ago has went down many paths and has been yrs inbetween attempts and I didn't always keep a record of what I did and now that I do ,,I reread some of it and think woowww ,,I was going to try that again ,, I had forgot that it didn't work out 4 yrs ago.
Good luck and keep us posted.
Larry

[Osprey WannaB]

hey guys,
Does any one here own or has made a 3 blade rotor head? mine keep breaking and i need a new idea... If u have can u please post u pictures of it here... and may be a comment or two on how u think i could fix my problem of them breaking.. ?? :confused: i am seriously confused and i don't know why they are breaking :(
ohh well ur help will be Appreciated.
thanx a lot,
Jamie

[rdresch]

I'll try to help. I need a picture of your head. If you can't upload a picture please explain what material you are using and what is breaking. I might add that 3 blade heads present their own problems. First you cant use a flybar, so stability is a problem. Now you you need a gyro on pitch as well as roll and yaw. Even then they are touchy. Building a head is a lot tougher than it looks.Balance must be spot on. Also the geometry is critical. I am trying a three blade head on my Osprey, but I have crashed my Raptor 3 times testing the head and gyro combonation. I would seriously consider a 2 blade flybar head for initial tests. Then when you work it out you can try a 3 blade.
Rudy

[v22chap]

And to add what Rudy just stated ,, the micro heads are not that expensive either ,,, the MS 3 bladed head hub is only like 19.00 and the blade holders and bearings about another 20.00 or so . It might be better to just use commercial stuff on this part ,,although I understand the part about wanting to make them.
Try to discribe them and the problems and maybe someone can help you with the problems you are having with yours.
Larry

[Osprey WannaB]

Okay then i will try to describe it as beast as i can.:)
I cut a circle out of alloy aprox 15mm thick.. and the circle would be 25mm radius. I have 3, 5mm holes each at 180 degree's. now wen i attach the head to the shaft on the "test Bench" (a Metal frame with the motor and gears on it) and start up the engine it gets up to 1/2 throttle and starts to vibrate so i stoped it and realized the head had a crack from one side through to the middle (it followed one of the holes). The second time i saw it vibrating and went to full throttle and it wanted to lift the frame then the blades just came flying off.... Same thing except it was broken in to two very unstraight cracks... and thats all that happens... i dunno if its just the alloy i'm using or not but i will try to find something similiar to alloy in wieght and try it....
thanx for ur intrest and i think i might choose to use a normal 2 blade flybar head...

Jamie

[v22chap]

Jamie

When you say alloy ,, do you mean alum or metal or fiberglass or what ???
Even with the blades badly out of track ,,it still should hold up longer than that .
Larry

[Osprey WannaB]

Larry,
wen i say alloy i mean Aluminium
:)

[v22chap]

O.K. that is something to work with ,, the strength must not be good enough then,,, as the MS ones are alum and only about 18 mm dia. by 10 mm thick ,, with 3 ,,3mm holes with bolts fastening the blade holders into it.
Larry

[rdresch]

A picture would help a lot
Rudy

[Osprey WannaB]

I agree.. A picture would help... and i'm not very gud with machining metal down to realy small but i can work with bigger... thats the only reason why i went with the bigger head. but the one u discribe sounds almost perfect. Can u up load a pic Please?:)

Jamie

[v22chap]

Jamie
Here is the MS 3 bladed hub ,it cost 19.95 from MS composit usa,, then you buy the plastic blade holders 14.99 and bearings 4.85
ms 3 bladed hub (http://www.mscomposit-usa.com/shoponline/products/upgrades/electrics/metal.php)
http://www.scalerchelis.com/albums/V22-Tilt-rotor-and-old-helis/3BladeHead.jpg
Larry

[Osprey WannaB]

Kool Larry,
It looks great and i'm sure it would work great as well... i'll look in to it..
:)
Jamie

[Osprey WannaB]

larry,
I spent all day on the lathe and am half way through making a rotor head jst like the one pictured above. it is going to be a bit heavier as i am making out of a stronger metal..(i'm unsure on wat it is but it is the second lightest metal i have laying around:D) i hope to finish them both within the week and hope to upload some photos...
one question, who is using full heli functions on there VTOLs?:D
Jamie

[v22chap]

Jamie ,,that is great ,,good luck on this newer version
Not sure the picture shows it ,but the head is fastened to the shaft with a set screw (3mm ) into a flat spot ground on the main shaft . The shiny alum looking parts on the 3 mm blade holder bolts are just spacers and not milled in to the head or the bolts.This setup allows the blades to "flex " a little and give it a soft feel on cyclic.

I know that Rudy and I are both using cyclic on our VTOL's and one guy in Germany that I know is using it too.
Larry

[Osprey WannaB]

Thanx for the extra info,
I was talking to one of my mates the other day and he loves to draw up new design ideas for planes. he actualy drew up a vtol which just looked like a normal plane 2 wings a tail section and a body, and he said to put to edf's in the wings, and one or two on the tail of the plane just like a lear jet. So u have the two in the wings to lift and the two at the back to puch forwards. do u guys think this could work.. it has no transition. all the props/blades stay exactly where they sit..? i told him to go home and make a model if he had time:D . One issues i can see is getting the edfs in the wings in the right position,"Centeralised" for them to both pick up the plane carfuly.

[v22chap]

It might work if he would put one of the rear fans vertical and use it for pitch control other wise it will have no way to control that axis.Or maybe at least put a diverter vane on both of them and throttle back a little on those two fans and let them control the pitch (up and down ) and then straighten out the vanes and throttle up to blast into forward flight,,but with the extra weight of the fans on the tail the two wing ones have no chance to control the pitch of that bird. It wouldn't even work if you had the birds CG right on the two fans with no tail fans.
Just my 2 cents ,,,what you think Rudy or VTOLman

[Osprey WannaB]

Here is a basic picture of the design not quite the same shape but very similar i added an extra edf to the tail for vertical... My mate said he might try to make a little foamy :D

[v22chap]

A little foam of that just might fly ;) :D :cool:

[rdresch]

I think that may work but remember once you go to forward flight those big lifting fans are dead weight. Several full scale birds tried this system. Lack of range and payload because of the extra weight doomed them. But I think it would be fun in a foamie and with lipos could work.
Rudy

[Osprey WannaB]

Well i might just get him to build it then:D. If he does i will post his progress here or in a new thread. I agree this would be a funn bird in a foamie, and i was also thinking of using the vetical edf's to keep the bird in a hover as well as to fly up and down as well as the evevator flaps. Now thats just an idea... But i might try to test it if the bird can fly:D
Jamie