[MOC] AW 169 helicopter [US Navy edition]

[Rudivdk]

This thing looks great! I love the silhouette, and all the controls are awesome. Don't think I have ever seen a helicopter MOC with tail rotor pitch control! Amazing you were able to fit it all in this scale. Awesome job!

Now if TLG were looking along... it's about time for a new heli in the official line-up, and this is how it should be done

[steph77]

This model is, i think, a real acheivement in my building skill. It's about 6 years i work on differents solutions and i found this one is a good one, specially for the commands localisation.

Thanks all for comments and support

Regards,

Steph.

[MangaNOID]

I think we need a photo of the controls/internals so we know how it all works in there 

[steph77]

LDD file is in progress

[Ivan_M]

Truly awesome, I think this is the ultimate helicopter for now, till we receive some new parts (if ever). Even better if you are working on digital file, I would like to build it in future, when I collect the necessary parts.

[therealjustin]

Incredibly well done! I agree, this is everything a Technic helicopter can and should be. I would proudly display this on my shelf...after playing with the functions of course

Edited December 14, 2017 by therealjustin

[Jeroen Ottens]

Incredible! I really like the way you thought about the controls. It is a perfect balance between playability and realism. This is the true spirit of a LEGO Technic set, enticing the owner to understand the real mechanics by offering a model that is easy to play with.

And of course to get all those linkages in such a small frame without making it look bulky is fantastic

The colourscheme gives it a futuristic vibe to it with all the darkgrey/white and a few touches of red to spike things up a bit.

[brunojj1]

This heli is just great! I love the functionality with all the controls, must be fun to play with. And finally the work really paid off when you decided to rework details and polish the final looks .

[steph77]

first shots of the LDD:

At first: the four axonometrial view of the real colored build.

All controls of main rotor are in place and basically the beginning of the main frame. A little bit hard to understand no?

 

Ok. So here are two colored view. one / function.

-in light blue is the main collective linkage,

-in purple is the cyclic lateral controls

-in yellow is the cyclic frontwards/backwards control

-And finaly, in light purple is the jaw controls.

Black parts are obviously the joysticks assemblies

 

 

To be continued...

Thanks all for kind comments and HOF nomination ;)

Steph.

EDIT @Jim : I've tried to removed my attachment in the file manager. I do edit the two topics that contain files in order to post her my new LXF. But it fail. How to do that?

 

Edited December 16, 2017 by steph77

[steph77]

Enough for today:446 bricks, all internal flight mechanics done.

Next step is winch gearbox, landing gear and cockpit...

[steph77]

Here are the actual progress on LDD

I do not find the swashplate metapiece on LDD, i was nearly sure it was in the library As i come mad with this, can someone help me to find it?

On the other hand, LDD does not like some of my assembliesas  at the base of the tail rotor, the piece that fix the angle doesn't match in LDD however it fits perfectly well and smooth in real life

EDIT: the piece you see on base of main rotor is a system piece i'll use as basic design for going in with the LDD

Edited December 18, 2017 by steph77

[steph77]

Ok, it's done.

1252 parts + 2 (the old swashplate assembly that I didn't find in the library)

Here are the LDD instructions:

http://www.moc-pages.com/moc.php/443813

Some assemblies are not finalized as the back panels on the sides and flex elements, I didn't managed to.

Regards,

Steph

[Ivan_M]

You are awesome, I'm missing only ball with groove and swashplate with ring. I'm glad there are only 6L and 9L links as they are widely available (unlike 3L which are sometimes used in helicopters)

[Aventador2004]

Just now, Ivan_M said:

(unlike 3L which are sometimes used in helicopters)

3l? can you show which part?

[Ivan_M]

It is of course steering hub, but it is probably used more as 3L link rather than hub. PN is 6571

[Aventador2004]

Just now, Ivan_M said:

It is of course steering hub, but it is probably used more as 3L link rather than hub. PN is 6571

Oh, i have 2 of them, but i thought a real link was what you meant.

[HorcikDesigns]

Thank you for LDD, this is great model. 

[MangaNOID]

Great work! Thank you for sharing LDD file. Lots of work goes into these awesome MOC's 

it's always good to see how others build when one hasn't done much building themselves.

[steph77]

4 hours ago, MangaNOID said:

Great work! Thank you for sharing LDD file. Lots of work goes into these awesome MOC's 

it's always good to see how others build when one hasn't done much building themselves.

Your are right on that point

BUT WAIT,

This model is not exactly a good exemple, a good base to begin building.

Of course, all the basics rules of building are respected : The structure is stiffen in 3d all around, all parts fix by minimum 2 points etc....

But, if you extract the structure by removing all functionnal parts you will quickly understand that this Moc comes to the point where the structure itself has to match with all the internal functionalities. I a sense, the approch is more sculptural than technical in order to achieve the goal of demonstrate the rotor functionalities.

So, It is not perfect so far, lots of parts could be replaced and the building still can be simplified.

I think this is all i love in building with lego parts.This point when just building become not enough and when you need realy to get your mind into the Inside of your model and begin the art's work.

Thanks for comments,all

Regards

Steph.

[steph77]

update time :

Hi everybody,

First of all thank you for your feedback and advice;) After some weeks on my shelf, I began to find that some things could have been better and I restart working on it :)

So I reworked my model by small keys, here are the improvements:

First of all, the upper part of the cabin reworked with panels placed more clearly and especially a bit further from the swashplate removing any conflict. The front carboy portion is made using the new right angle panels and is securely attached to the load-bearing structure of the helicopter. on the cabin head I added the safety cable cutter blade

A closer look, the curvature of the flex gives a nice dynamic, the assemblies are simple but effective: what do you think?



At the back is the revolution. At least in the structural part which is strongly reinforced. I also removed the gray beam between the two panels of the tail, made clean the fixing points and pivot.



I say pivot because this rear part now opens with a real mechanism for the maintenance of the MOC (connecting rods and connectors of ball head, accessible control by opening the central door and on each side.The opening of the rear panels is nevertheless synchronized). It also gives a nice kinematic and offers a clear view on the mechanisms of the tail rotor and the winch.

The red lamp at the anniversary commemorative coin rotates and is connected to the main drive shaft via a double reduction. Its rotation speed is slow enough.



Laterally, the changes are less obvious, yet in reality, the curves of the cabin are much more fluid, this photo does not do them justice.
Small addition also at the level of the front wheel of the landing gear which is now orientable and equipped with a projector (for the purpose of laying LEDs)



The interior space has been optimized to the maximum to allow the installation of a seat on each side at the back and despite the massive presence of mechanics in this area.

 

Finally a big job, even if it does not seem, was done on the rotor head itself. It integrates anecdotally the notion of gyroscopic precession on the one hand, but aesthetically especially, it is less bulky: a tenon of less height, retrieved by sliding cyclic control points laterally. Formerly they were connected by an arm at the top. The colors have also been standardized.


More uniform design and less (a little less) massive:



So? Better like this?

Edited January 4, 2018 by steph77

[Ivan_M]

The rotor definetly looks better! I would leave out the black flex axles below it, otherwise it is very nice improvement. I have already bought missing parts so I plan to build it in next week. Are you going to update the ldd file? I thought I would make PDF instructions for it, it deserve it

[grego18f]

You have accomplished an incredible work again. I am totally in love with the design and functions!

[Jeroen Ottens]

Oh wow

I love that curvy flexaxle below the rotor, it indeed gives a good dynamic. I have never built someone else's MOC, but I am very tempted to build this one. It ticks all my boxes for a great Technic set.

I kind of liked the spindly appearance of the previous rotorhead (although I disliked the big white round plate on top). The new rotorhead looks a bit large in diameter...

[JonathanM]

This is such an awesome design - will have to order those swashplate parts :)

I wonder if this might work as a slightly less bulky top rotor (also slightly more rigid?), moving things in 0.5L. The ball joint placement would probably still need your current design due to the link lengths, but with this you could use 2L thin axles instead to bring the ball joints in another 1L.

swashplate

Or alternately this, bringing it in another 0.5L (uses the 24z gear like before)

Edited January 5, 2018 by JonathanM
clarification

[Kaero]

Your model looks very interresting. Am I right the control and mechanics of rotors is very similar to the real helicopter? Would it be a good educative build to explain how helicopter works for my kids?