The flying monkeys got me...

Helis and fixed wing

AMA 957918
IRCHA 4345
AMA Intro Pilot Instructor

Pirate Kid Skeleton by RadDezigns.

Friday, November 23, 2012

Lookin' for that lovin' feeling...

As I scrolled through my blog I realized I haven't done much of anything related to flight. Getting tucked into a new job with a lot less free time, weather windier than down south, and a general funk. This adds up to a pokey attitude and a whole lotta nothing going on. I've lost that lovin' feeling.
 
I went looking for it today. I put the EXI450 FBL on the lab table and let it sit there for a few hours this morning, waiting for the return of the love.
 
I thought I had mentioned that I had taken the EXI450 FBL out, was flying it and it started to spin down despite high throttle, and I had to auto to land in a thick weedy field. (I think it was on the same day I dropped my HK500 being stupid). Bent a swash control rod when a weed wrapped around it, and stripped a few teeth on the main gear. I hung it on the wall for several weeks during the funk... I took it down today and inspected it. I found out that, as I suspected, the main motor pinion had come loose and was spinning freely. Replaced the main gear, rolled the main shaft (no bend), reset and snugged the pinion, put it all back together.
 
The pic shows it displaced. Fixed the heli. Rezeored the blades. For giggles, I spun her up about 10-20% in my living room to check the disk, flat, vibration free, flight ready. Yeah, I was bored, glad it didn't get any more exciting.
 
Flew the sim today. Flew great. Now if I could just duplicate the hand shaking that accompanies real flight I would have the whole experience.
 
Stlii lookin' for love in all the wrong places. Noticed later my badly wrinkled HK500 found its way onto the lab bench.
 
Maybe I'll get lucky tonight?