Helicopters

[sama]

Has any body created a proper helicopter with rotor functions, such as a cross between 8856 and 852 (functions of blade controls, not looks). I'm working on one currently but it is pretty hard to create all the functions plus a drive train, without using the flex cable system, only beams and levers, maybe pneumatics.

[nikolyakov]

Has any body created a proper helicopter with rotor functions, such as a cross between 8856 and 852 (functions of blade controls, not looks). I'm working on one currently but it is pretty hard to create all the functions plus a drive train, without using the flex cable system, only beams and levers, maybe pneumatics.

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=316589

This is not my MOC, all credits to brickshelf member name SgtPepper.

Edited December 30, 2011 by nikolyakov

[DLuders]

Blakbird is going to kill me if I say anything about this topic!

[allanp]

Here's one of mine

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=420770

I have since altered it (swapped a UJ inside the rotor head for a straight connector, removed the little white rubber bands inside the rotor head) so that the entire rotor head no longer tilts. Instead the individual blades change pitch as the rotor head rotates to make it more life like. It retains full cyclic and collective control.

[efferman]

oh my goddess, the alouette is amazing. it looks so real.

[nikolyakov]

oh my goddess, the alouette is amazing. it looks so real.

When i saw it first time i think it is. Anybody know him/her?

[JunkstyleGio]

Info from the Alouette bulder which I 've taken from his bricklink page:

SgtPepper about me page.

My name is Eric, 44 and I'm a helicopter maintenance technician.

I live in Holland together with 3 women (my wife & 2 daughters) who tolerate my hobby addictions.

I like to make real working Technic models which can be operated either manually/electric or by RCX / NXT.

As you might suspect looking at my username, my other hobby is collecting Beatles records & memorabilia.

.....

.....

Edited December 30, 2011 by JunkstyleGio

[dhc6twinotter]

That helicopter is amazing. Interesting mix of stud and studless pieces. I love the fact that the tail rotor also has variable pitch blades. Very authentic. Looks like it has working tail rotor pedals too. I wonder if there is collective control, in addition to the cyclic control? It doesn't look like it, but I may be wrong. Very nice moc.

[Blakbird]

Has any body created a proper helicopter with rotor functions, such as a cross between 8856 and 852 (functions of blade controls, not looks). I'm working on one currently but it is pretty hard to create all the functions plus a drive train, without using the flex cable system, only beams and levers, maybe pneumatics.

If you are referring to rotor head containing a swash plate with full collective and cyclic, then a couple of people have tried. I was going to mention allanp's effort, but I see that he already has. There is also an excellent example from Mark Bellis. Oddly, the official set to come closest was the original Technic helicopter, 852. It had collective pitch. A couple of other have had a tilting rotor simulating a cyclic, but this is not the way helicopters really work. They all used the Flex System. dh6ctwinotter's radial engine with adjustable pitch would be worth studying for mechanical ideas as well.

Blakbird is going to kill me if I say anything about this topic!

All thoughts welcome!

[DLuders]

There are some interesting diagrams and descriptions of a Lego Helicopter Swash Plate ("plate tilting mechanism") on this University of Amsterdam (The Netherlands) webpage:

[sama]

Man people create crazy cool things, my helicopter system could only change the angle of the blades and tilt the whole rotor assembly around (unreal). Better start doing my homework

Edited December 31, 2011 by sama

[dhc6twinotter]

Man people create crazy cool things, my helicopter system could only change the angle of the blades and tilt the whole rotor assembly around (unreal). Better start doing my homework

Yeah, helicopter blades are fairly complex to build. A realistic rotor assembly has both collective and cyclic control. Cyclic tilts the swash plate front/back and left/right. The rotor hub doesn't tilt itself, but each blade continually changes pitch as it rotates around the rotor hub. For example, for forward flight, the cyclic (control stick in the cockpit) is pushed and the swash plate tilts. Whichever rotor blade is facing the rear at that moment has the most pitch and is producing the most lift. As the blade rotates around the hub, the pitch changes, until it gets to the front where it has the least amount of pitch and produces the least amount of lift. That is for forward flight, but the same applies for other directions as well. Collective control moves the entire swash plate up/down and increases the pitch of all the blades at the same time. Collective is controlled by the collective lever that is next to the seat. The collective lever also has the throttle control. The tail rotor works similar to a collective and moves all the tail rotor blades simultaneously. The tail rotor is controlled by the pedals.

Tandem rotor helicopters (like the Chinook and Sea Knight) work similarly, but there are some differences. The swash plates don't have any forward/backward movement and are therefore a bit simpler, but the collective is more complex since it can vary the collective between the front and rear rotor assemblies.

Anyways, hope that helps. I've had a Chinook and Super Stallion on my list of mocs I've wanted to build for a while now, and this thread kinda wants me to get cracking on one of them.

Edited December 31, 2011 by dhc6twinotter