Section 1 - Assembly

Ok guys, here is part 1 of the E-flite assembly and tuning thread. This first section is just an assembly thread and does not contain any tuning tips or modifications. Its just simply to show the assembly of the heli from skids to head. There will be more coming. It takes a long time to take all the photographs and compile them.


This thread will consist of 55 detailed pictures and text to go along with each. The pictures will be posted in order. It takes a while to post all these pictures and text, so if your waiting for the next step, be patient with me. I have ALOT of work to do.

The threads will be as follows

1. Basic assembly of the frame, rotor head, and motor installation.
   
2. Servo installation and Avionics.
   
3. Tail motor assembly and installation
   
4. Tracking and adjusting the head
   
5. Adjusting the gyro.
   
6. Performance modifications
   
7. Extreme Modifications.
   

This thread will start as though you are beginning with a bunch of parts and are constructing the heli from the bottom up.

1. First, you will start with the skids. Assembly is pretty straight forward on this part. Refer to the picture to see how it goes together. The purple part is silicone fuel tubing that was assembled over the skids for asthetic looks.
   
2. Then the unassembled frame.
   ---- The Main Shaft ----
   
   
3. Next, take the main shaft, and install one of the ballbearings as shown.
4. Slide the main shaft into the frame. You must ensure that the ball bearing fits snugly into the socket on the frame.
5. Verify that the ballbearing is in the socket on the frame.
6. Slide the top ballbearing onto the shaft
7. Press it into the top socket on the frame.
   Slide the top ballbearing onto the shaft.
8. Slide the main shaft retaining collet onto the main shaft.
   Tighten it onto the main shaft.
   
   
   ---- The Swashplate ----
   
   
9. The swashplate as shown has short and long control arms.
   Take note of this for later in the thread as it is important.
   
   
10. Slide the swashplate onto the main shaft.
    Gently pull the swashplate anti-rotation slot rearward
    and insert the swashplate anti-rotation pin into the slot.
    This keeps the swashplate from spinningonce the heli head is in rotation. An Alternative is to not teighten the shaft, and slide it in partially, install the swashplate. slide the shaft in all the way, the teighten the main shaft collet set screw.
    
    
11. Attach the control arms to the swashplate as shown in the picture.
    
    
12. It should look like this:
    
    ---- Mounting The Motor ----
    
    The motor slot is cut so that you can adjust the mesh between the pinion gear and the main gear. The mesh is extremely important. If the mesh is incorrect, it can result in stripped gears or an overheated motor. FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS.
    
    
    
13. Install the motor, and install one of the screws.
    Leave this screw loose so that you can adjust the motor in the slot.
    
    
14. Using a slip of paper, insert it between the gears as shown. Once it crinkles the paper as shown, install the second screw and tighten both down.
    Now remove the paper.
    
    
15. Spin the gear by hand to check it.
    It should run smoothly around, and should not catch or bind anywhere.
    
    ---- The Head Assembly ----
    
    The head doesnt have to be confusing. There are alot of parts. Assembly of the head is critical. If it is not assembled correctly, it wont work.
    
    
16. First, Start with one of the blade grips. Each blade grip has two ball Bearings. (The Newer ones have 3).
    and a small metal cylinder inside.
    
    Very rarely do these ballbearings come out of the blade grips.
    
    
17. Take the paddle control pushrods and line them up as shown.
    
    
18. Push them onto the blade grip and turn until it looks as shown.
    Be careful installing the pushrods as you can break them if you are too rough with them.
    
    
19. Next, attach the end cap screw and washers to the spindle.
    
    This should be assembled as follows in order.
    End cap screw washer
    Small washer
    Spindle.
    
    
20. Next, push the assembled spindle into the blade grip as shown.
    
    
21. Install the washer onto the spindle.
    
    
22. Install the o-ring onto the spindle.
    
    
23. Lubrication of the o-ring should be done at this point. The o-ring should be lubricated with silicone. Do NOT use petroleum based lubricants such as machine oil or gun oil. Petroleum based products will degrade the o-ring.
    
    NOTE: The washer is a cup, and cups around the o-ring.i
    
    acr1346 Added: I would suggest noting the washer next to the rubber dampner is of a special shape and the "hump"
    should face bearing and the flat side should touch the rubber dampner.
    I sould also recommend adjusting the correct "flybar length" (centering) without the paddles attached. A paddle not fully seated on the flybar then used to measure for centering of the flybar will cause a wabble never to be found. Center the bar, add the paddles center the paddle length on the flybar. (I know you know what I mean and may explain it better). What acro is refering to is the washer as shown in this picture, has a small raised bump on it. It should have the bump towards the ballbearing in the blade grip, NOT the o-ring.
    
    If you look closely at the second picture, you can see the raised "bump"
24. Now slide the center hub onto the spindle.
    
    
25. Slide the second o-ring onto the spindle.
    
    
26. And the second washer onto the spindle.
    
    
27. And finally, slide the second blade grip onto the spindle.
    
    
28. Now attach the second end cap screw to the spindle
    to finish the blade grip installation.
    
    ---- Now its time to install the paddle control frame.----
    
    The paddle control frame has a ball bearing in it.
    It slides over the post on the center hub.
29. Then put a ball bearing onto the remaining post.
    
    
30. Now take the paddle control frame (b) and attach it to the center hub as shown.
    Make sure that the ball faces the bal on the blade grip!
    
    
31. Install and tighten the two screws that hold the paddle control frame together
    
    Now attach the ball links from the blade grips to the rotor head frame.
    Do this for both blade grips. Dont worry about setting the control links at this time.
    
32. That will come later during the tracking and trimming thread.
    
    Now, attach a paddle to the flybar. Push the paddle all the way on as far as it will go.
    
33. Then tighten the screw and nut that holds the paddle onto the flybar.
    
    
34. Now slide the a flybar collet weight onto the flybar and tighten into place as shown.
    
    
35. Now start the flybar into the paddle control frame as shown.
    
    Now set the paddle control frame onto the rotor control frame as shown in the pic.
    
36. Slide the flybar through.
    
    
37. Slide the second flybar collet weight onto the flybar.
    
    
38. Now install the final flybar paddle all the way onto the shaft.
    Dont worry about lining or adjusting anything yet.
    That all comes later in the tracking and trimming section of the thread.
    
    
39. Snap the paddle control pushrods onto the paddle control frame as shown.
    Do this for both of the paddle control pushrods.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
40. Now slide the head onto the main shaft.
    and insert the shear pin into the head to hold it on.
    
    
41. Now snap the paddle control pushrods to the "SHORT" swashplate control arms.
    The short pins are for intermediate use. Use of the long arms will be addressed in the "Performance modifications section".
    
    Your blade may or may not have long and short control arms, in which case you can use any pair.
    
    Do NOT cut off the extra control arms. If you crash and snap one of the arms, you can switch to the other two. If you remove the extra arms, you will have to replace the entire swashplate.
    
    
42. This completes the assembly of the head.