Step one: Think.

Since I had the privilege of reviewing the Helizone RC Lightning Bird helicopter for this site, I now count myself among the ranks of the WLtoys V911 faithful.

This is one fun little heli.

Sadly, all things eventually break and so was the case with the tail motor. The endbell and brushes finally popped off like something out of a Road Runner cartoon. Those who remember cartoonist Don Martin and his work for Mad can envision that motor popping apart accompanied with such onomatopoeic embellishments as "GLORK," "TOING" and "SPLAB-A-DAP." I sure did.

No motors on Helizone's Amazon store, "Halley R Us." A quick call to the main office later, I was promised a new motor which arrived this morning. Having glued and debonded more tail booms from my old E-flite Blade CP than I can count, I thought this would be a cinch.

Nope. Here's where thinking came in.

I cut the wires near the motherboard, put a few drops of CA debonder, let the stuff work and...nothing. That boom wasn't going anywhere and the slightly ominous sounds of overstressed carbon fiber warned me not to try anything rash.

Well, no problem. I'd just strip and resolder the cut leads and solder the new motor leads back at the tail. Right?

Nope again.

The insulation had gotten torn down where the wires exited the tail boom. The result of all this is a working Lightning Bird...with exposed tail wires taped to the boom. It's a neat repair and doesn't look too bad, but let's say it upsets my aesthetic sensibilities.

(Yeah, I know. Poor baby. )

That little heli is too nice a model, so the next time it needs a tail motor, I'll pick up a new boom and frame because some things are worth doing right.

Like thinking.