@ Saberwing40k: You could start off by making a simple contraption. As mentioned on Parda's Technic Delicatessen, Anika Vuurzoon made this

of a flying Lego rotor. She wrote,

"Do you think it's impossible to make Lego fly? Then you have to watch my "Flying lego"! Without the use of any non-Lego parts I lift Lego up to 5 meters into the air. Enjoy your flight! More info on: http://www.mocpages.com/moc.php/288875 .

Warning: If you want to make something like this too. Make sure you take enough space and protect yourself and others.

Bye bye,

Anika Vuurzoon"

I hope I can post my little modification here too

I placed a square technic panel (yellow) in the big hole underneath the cargo doors; it fits perfectly and looks (and feels when you move it) very nice

Update time! I almost scared the crap out of myself testing the rotors. I had hooked up the rotors directly to a set of 3 coupled ungeared motors, since those go really fast. I was obviously not paying attention, as I let one of the blades run into something. Said blade went flying, but nothing broke. I really think there may actually be something to this being impossible ,but I'm still going to try.

Update time! I almost scared the crap out of myself testing the rotors. I had hooked up the rotors directly to a set of 3 coupled ungeared motors, since those go really fast. I was obviously not paying attention, as I let one of the blades run into something. Said blade went flying, but nothing broke. I really think there may actually be something to this being impossible ,but I'm still going to try.

Let's hope for you that it will fly inn Luna land , but you proved something that some pieces off it can fly

Edited August 9, 201212 yr by VFracingteam

Blakbird, what is a "4500kV brushless motor"?

That means four and a half million volts in my line work

No, LEGO 'copters will never fly with the current parts. Of course if more sofisticated controls, bearings and what not are introduced, who knows?

But today the atemp is futile

@ Saberwing40k: You could start off by making a simple contraption. As mentioned on Parda's Technic Delicatessen, Anika Vuurzoon made this

of a flying Lego rotor. She wrote,

"Do you think it's impossible to make Lego fly? Then you have to watch my "Flying lego"! Without the use of any non-Lego parts I lift Lego up to 5 meters into the air. Enjoy your flight! More info on: http://www.mocpages.com/moc.php/288875 .

Warning: If you want to make something like this too. Make sure you take enough space and protect yourself and others.

Bye bye,

Anika Vuurzoon"

Really glad someone has got some LEGO to fly, even if it is just a one-shot device. I had a toy helicopter that worked the same way and I broke one and then had a second one. It was one of my favourite outdoor toys whilst camping as a child.

Of course the aim is for continuous powered flight from a purely-LEGO model. My efforts so far have generated 200g of lift from a 270g model (not including power source) so I'm about 70% of the way there! Some of my earlier models are here.

I think the 9396 set is useful but I don't think the rotor parts (main or tail) are the best TLG has made for generating thrust or lift. The large curved panels are better, as my 2-orange-panel model shows.

The keys are light weight, high rpm, powerful fast motor and a wide rotor to get more swept area per revolution.

For the time being allow a hand-held battery pack or mains supply till we have got a motor and rotor off the ground.

The XL-motor is too slow, the M-motor not powerful enough (even 2 of them). The new L-motor (perhaps 2) has more promise but needs gearing up to get higher speed. Just tried a fan made from the long thin curved panels and an L-motor geared up but there was only a cooling air flow (useful in the summer!), not significant thrust.

None of the PF motors are really designed for flight. In the same way RC flying motors are a faster variant than RC car motors - designed for higher rpm and lower torque because gearing wastes energy. I have tried with the 5292 motor and it's a bit better but not quite there. So far I have kept it practical not burdened my experiments with too much maths - pure LEGO will either fly or it won't and the key will be to match power source, motor capability and rotor thrust per rev. I don't think 60 Amps will be needed though - my best experiment uses about 3 Amps at 10 Volts and perhaps 4 Amps at 12 Volts will get it off the ground initially, if I keep the model light enough. I accept that getting 9396 off the ground would need a lot more current, not suitable for any PF or previous LEGO motors or battery packs, and too much torque for LEGO axles too. I tried mounting a drill and melted and axle with 135W!

Since this thread is also about mods to 9396, the set could have done with a large turntable to facilitate individual rotor blade controls for cyclic pitch as well as collective. This would take up most of the internal space though, and have more friction from the rotor rotation. I was initially impressed that TLG has made an internal space and kept the gearing on the roof.

Mark

Thanks to EB-member patrickvdh who made a wonderfull LDD file, I was able to do some alternative color-studies.

Bigger version here

Thanks to EB-member patrickvdh who made a wonderfull LDD file, I was able to do some alternative color-studies.

Bigger version here

I LOVE the DBG and black one! It's almost one of those army-choppers we all want so bad. Hopefulle all those parts will be released in dkGreen soon!

In a few days I will post the fysical version of my 9396 here...

Here's a little teaser..

Just another teaser..

I've had a little help from the technic-figs

I love your black and gray 9396 helicopter JunkstyleGio.

I hope your black liftarms arived?!

Edited August 24, 201212 yr by VFracingteam

All the liftarm arrived..

Here it is..

wow that looks nice, lego uses yellow and red too much, and this is much more appealing

All the liftarm arrived..

I love it JunkstyleGio

Good that it's arived

Greets Edwin

The external switch. This controls the lights and motor. I really could not think of a better place to put it, even if this location is not good for aerodynamics.

Posted Image

Helicopters and aerodynamic is an oxymoron

Great mods :-)

All the liftarm arrived..

Here it is..

Looks very nice! A bit Blue Thunder-like, although I'm not sure if that was black of blue... Also you found a nice place to put lights on it, something I was struggling with for a while.

I think I've found a way to implement the PF-switch a little more efficient and less visible. I'll try to make a picture soon...

@ Rener:

Something like this?

@ Rener:

Something like this?

I guess. This little mod only requires a few very common pieces, and after putting the black liftarms into place it's nicely hidden. The black pin above the big red panel needs to be moved 1 hole back (or removed, as it is replaced by an axle 5L)

EDIT: since I couldn't resize my pic to a proper size, here's the direct link to the brickshelf page: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=5586721

Some more pics: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=510970

Edited August 27, 201212 yr by rener

Best rener,

Please resize your photo's, they are way too big. 800x600 is :MAX

JunkstyleGio, I like that black-ops version. Now you made me wanting to turn the B-model into a KA-50 'Black Shark'. Not that I mind that

This would probably look very good in Black.

@JunkstyGio, nice work on your black-ops version of the 9396.

Here is the b-model with axle-built rotors..