Busting the Landing Gear on my helicopters would seem to be very common (except when my heli's are landing on Gorilla Gear, simply put they simply DON'T bust) and being too damn CHEAP to buy NEW ones each time I crack em up this series of photos will archive my procedure for fixing them The Landing Gear I will be fixing is for my GAUI ep255 ... ... PhotoBucket, pwoodyp - The GAUI's [size=0.7em]Click Click for Bigger [/size] This being a series of photos as such I will NOT be creating a new POST for each and every photo. Instead I think the best approach would be to ADD them (when ready) to this post [hr] First Step: And the LAST time I use the term "First Step" {LOL @ white space fill} Affix the Gear using Double Sided Tape so our Gear cannot move while working The GRIND: Using my loved and trusty Dremel and Sanding Drum, grind (OK, sand) flat the inside of the strut. However if the Gear needing repair is already flat the surface would still need a quick roughing up and if you can't guess the reason for it will become apparent very shortly Cut and Shape: Time to scrounge around for a couple of strips of plastic. Make two strips each a wee bit wider than the gear but also not too thick. Shape or curl the ends so the strips SIT as near FLAT has possible on the struts. The strips must be long enough to cover the break and I've found anything a 1/4 inch or more past the break works fine. FYI: The last Gear FIX to my smaller GAUI I was lucky enough to find and use strips of Carbon Fibre (CF) which turned out the best material to use but whatever one finds is what I would recommend [size=0.7em]Sorry, for the CRAP photo[/size] EPOXY: 6 min to touch, 2 hrs for the cure and full strength but I'm going to wait 24 hrs before I start sanding. There isn't much to see in this photo as the epoxy is hard to see but I have an even coating of Epoxy covering inside and out. Next up will be the trimming, sanding, clean up and re-drilling the mounts. Obviously the best colour material to use would be black but it's white now so for teh last step I will have (hopefully) the Gear back to black and looking good Rough WORK Done: From where I sit the J.o.B could be said "done" thus installed to the helicopter. However you must agree it looks horrific so the next step is to make it look good. The orange cloth epoxied around each side of the gears is what I'm calling the "added value" which in theory will add support to the plastic bracing and also again in theory help protect against any future damage to the technically fixed Landing Gear I said it would be black, good looking and finished! ... Well almost as I was hoping for a better look {Meh} Has to take what ya gets Regardless this FIX is DONE! After demonstrating HOW cheap I can be I hope this thread is of use, till next time [glow=maroon,2,300]w00d[/glow]
Just out of curiosity: Do they always break on the side that does not have the antenna tube eyelets? I noticed that you ground off the eyelets and they might have been making that side stronger.
Had not thought about it but I can tell ya not all the landing gear I've broke had an eye-let, this is the fist to have one. That said ALL the gear I have bust always bust on the one side or the other and it stands to reason it would be the weakest side that goes or the side that hit first which is the probable reason it bust in this case. I too would also assume the side with an eye-let would be the strongest side although I have no first hand proof of it as this is the first with the said eye-let ...
The ones I fixed for my GAUI ep200 turned out stronger but I used carbon fiber for that fix. {LOL} Remember those 450 LED Blades I bust up ... I used the CF from those. I use to bust ep200 Gear quite regularly but since the fix I've yet to bust them ... Anecdotal maybe but yes they are indeed stronger For this repair on the ep255 gear I think they will be stronger because I added the cloth epoxied around the landing gear as added-value. I'm pretty sure, well as sure as can be they will be stronger however we won't know for sure until we fly-em and crash-em-up ... EDIT: One thing I want to reiterate - If Gorilla Gear was available for the GAUI's I would most certainly be installing them! As I said and here the consensus ALL agree, as simply as it could be said "Gorilla Landing Gear simply do not break". Helituning does a very good review which confirms what I'm saying. Although if we do the Google and look for teh other reviews we will find most everyone saying the same thing. Or GOto a number of the TOP heli forums and create a poll asking "what is the best landing gear" and it's inevitable if any of them know what they are talking about they will come back with "Gorilla!" My TRex 450, my Baja 5B, my PROTOS 500 and my mini PROTOS ALL use them. Again if they were available for my GAUI's they would GET installed and this would make this thread moot ... but they ain't
[size=1.25em] BUMP: [/size]Tues Nov 15/2011 -- -- see --> LAST Photo and ALL DONE for what that's worth {LOL} Didn't look as good has I thought it might be but still quite functional despite my fragile humility ...
wOOd, I can relate to the fragile ego. My paint job on the SSC-LCG Slash 4x4 SUCKED! :'( Is that black shrink wrap hiding the repair? From my perspective, it looks darn good.
Hi Smitty ... Thanks for the compliments ... The shrink wrap was a NEW idea for me, I've never tried this before and I was hoping it would help strengthen at the same time HIDE the FIX ... It does hide but I was hoping (for teh BEST look) to get the shrink installed in one full piece. But this didn't happen because it was too hard to do without wrinkles so I had to use two sections of shrink for each gear. What I should have done was stop .: HERE :. just before the shrinkwrap and called quits. Then maybe just painted it flat-black. I still can paint I suppose but I'm OUT of BLACK at the moment {LMAO} I'm laughing at MYSELF because if it's more than painting one colour I don't have much luck. With ONE colour I'm OK but anymore than one I STINK with capitals and forget about three colours, that would be asking for trouble. One thing I do know is we need to use the same type paint as mixing paint types would be relying too much on luck. And I'm saying this because I think that's what you did Smitty and IMHO that was your ONE and ONLY mistake. But I am here and without seeing first hand that's really just a big fat guess. I wanted to say this in your build thread but then I thought it would be rubbing salt into your wounds. So I thought it better to keep my big mouth shut The DUMB thing {LOL} is I wanna try Air-Brushing. I've come close to buying teh Air-Brush Setup a few times but never quite succeeded at hitting the BUY button. Meh, given my experience maybe that's best I don't, maybe I'd be just tossing my $$$ away ... [glow=maroon,2,300]w00d[/glow]
Mixing paint types wasn't my one and only mistake. LOL I wonder if someone has invented an adjustable spray nozzle for rattle can paints?
Boo-Hoo! WOE unto w00d ... ... lost MY Tail-Belt virginity yesterday! Was taking off w/ my GAUI ep255 (this helicopter) and she DID this wicked SPIN of DEATH ... Lucky for me it happened on take-off, she got about two inches into the air when she tossed the Tail-Drive-Belt {LOL} came down hard on my newly repaired landing skids but the only thing broke was teh busted belt ... Yup my VERY FIRST busted belt which no doubt tested my Gear FIX pretty good and it HELD FIRM, w00t I would call the Gear FIX a success But DARN it I can't FIX belts, TIME to spend the $$$$$
Sorry to hear about your belt failure w00d. It sounds like you got off easy though. When rebuilding my Beam E4 I replaced the belt. The original one looked good, just a bit of rounding on the belt teeth, but I just swapped it anyway. You make me feel glad that I did!
Yup "Lucky" would be a good word {LOL} Only I HATE installing BELTS on my GAUI's as they are a "treat" Note the hint of sarcasm as they really are a PIA w/ em being so small, Bla Yes, it's a great idea doing a preemptive FIX by changing belts wen we can or when we don't really need to, cep't I'm just too DARN cheap
I cut my old belt so it was a long straight piece instead of a loop and threaded that down the tail boom, tied it in a knot around the new belt and pulled it through. Worked a charm for me.
It's not so much getting down the boom it's just so easy to twist the belt over on it's self ... ... and with my old eyes and teh belt being so tiny it's hard to spot. Pretty much have to go by the feel or how freely the tail spins
