Super-Hornet

Hi all

Does anyone of u make your own landing skids? Recently I make my own landing skids using aluminium tubing. Here is the picture... What do u all think. Shall I leave it like this or painted black so something?

The difficult part is to joint those aluminium together. I finally use those bathroom repair CA + epoxy putty and also some cable tie to assembled all together.

Super-Hornet

helisfreak

My Feedback: (1)

SuperHornet.... that look really nice.. but what i was wondering.... you remember usaid about anodize it??? wouldn't it be to weak if it not anodize... if u land a bit hard... it will bend or brake even...

FlyingFish

My Feedback: (17)

Not Bad, Very Proffesional looking job! I would solder the aluminium joints together, But sometimes Aluminum is a bit hard to solder, Brass is easyer to solder and may be a bit stronger, but may also be a bit heavyer. Hey I also noticed you have a vertical tail mount for the tail motor, also looks like aluminum, Did you design that yourself or is that part of the original design? What helicopter Model is that?

Super-Hornet

Hi Helifreaks

Yup.. Anodizing it. But I don't have Sulfuric Acid (Lead Battery Acid) to do Anodizing.

Anyway... It is strong. It won't break apart from light crash due to its 'U' or curve shape act as a spring also. Very strong. The only weak link is the joint (vertical and horizontal tubing). I can put a lot of epoxy putty (This is strong when harden.. just like cement) but it will increase weight (Not that heavy actually) and it may look ugly.

Super-Hornet

helisfreak

My Feedback: (1)

If u can get a drill bit.... those super small one... u can kill a hole at each end... of the join... and use a small wire and tire them up... and adding a bit of those glue u use.... I think it should be good...

Super-Hornet

Initially I wanted to use screw to screw them together but then I have this thinking that if I drill hole, it will weaken the aluminium tubing. So then I decided to use Epoxy putty. I don't have anything for me to solder the aluminium. Don't have small arch welder also.

BTW... FlyingFish ...Thanks for your compliment.

Super-Hornet

Banished Outside

Nice Job Super Hornet,

Did you use a pipe bender?

Steve

Super-Hornet

Nope!!

I use canister! or any aerosol as a guide.

Super-Hornet

Banished Outside

Cool[8D]

Did you fill the tubing with anything to minimise squashing / kinking?
And is it tie wrapped to the main chassis?

Steve
Going to have to have a go!!

Super-Hornet

Hi FlyingFish

The Elevated Tail section is also Home Made. I made it myself. It is aluminium also. Notice that horizontal fin... like those Blackhawk... well that is aluminium also. I'm testing it right now. It feel like it protect the tail rotor blades from ground effect when you do quick falling and then add power to cushion it.

BTW... It is GWS Dragonfly.

Super-Hornet

Super-Hornet

Hi Steve

Nope.. purely from manually hand powered with aerosol to bend it. It doesn't kink in. Anyway.. notice the front part do kinked... when it is because too short for me to bend it. I should have use blow torch to heat it up before i bend it. Anyway... my blow torch is out of gas also.

I use double tape to tape them into place (Also act as a damper when landing...it is unnecessary but I just do it for fun) and then I use cable tie to tied them up to the chassis.

BTW... thanks for your compliment.

Super-Hornet

RickyT63

Very very nice design! Wish I can do that.

flyingchaos

Superhornet,

Man that is a cool skid mod you got there!
Yeah...there was once I tried to solder aluminum.
Welding metal to metal is an art. You either got it or you don't...Unfortuantely for me, I do not :-(

I did see on cable tv of some product called "ALUMALOY" http://www.alumaloy.net/
You just need a standard propane torch. I suppose you can even use the micro torches for precision welding as their flames can get pretty hot (2200"F I think).

Dragon-dude

Super-Hornet

Thanks dragon-dude about the ALUMALOY thing. Welding aluminium is difficult because of quick oxidation when u do welding.

I will try to look for alumaloy or any alternative to bond those part together.

Super-Hornet

Banished Outside

Hi Super-Hornet,

Well seen as I was inspired by your good work, I thought I'd go buy some Ali rod!

It's a work in progress - got to mount the tail motor yet but here's a picture:

ps It's not as easy as you make it sound!!

Cheers
Steve

Super-Hornet

Hi Steve and dragon-dude

Steve...
Nice Design! Keep u the good work. Look like u have alternative design on elevated tail section. Cool. Do U do CA joining or putty or solder? I found a way to solder the aluminium tubing quite easily using just normal Solder tin (I use 64/36). U don't need "ALUMALOY" as what Dragon-Dude recommend. Using soldering is MUCH MUCH stronger on the joint but it does add some weight on it but I think it is not that much.

BTW... If you can get hold of Sulfuric Acid (Lead Battery Acid or automobile battery), U might want to do Anodizing your tubing to make it stronger. For me.. I don't have Sulfuric acid so I use Solder to tin some location of it to make it stronger (Especially when u do crash landing)

Oh...if you want to know how to solder aluminium using normal solder tin or anodizing aluminium, plz let me know.. I will post it a new message for it.

Super-Hornet

Super-Hornet

Here is my modified aluminium landing skids. Not much except the solder joints part. All joints are solder joint. Small staples metal near the center of the skids for reenforcement purpose.

The rectangular bracket is for Li-Poly seating or Li-Poly battery compartment. The cable tie act as friction or stopper for the Li-Poly from slipping away when tilted 80 degree or higher. With that stopper, the battery will not fall off when tilted 90 degree.

Super-Hornet

helisfreak

My Feedback: (1)

Humm.. u mean the acid on the car battery??? how do u do it then.. just dip it in there??? LOL... or u need some speacial technique... Btw.. how do u solder aluminum tube??? i tried... lol... i do know that they have some kind of acid stuff..chemical thing make it surface more sticky to solder on.. is that it??? help out the newbie ok... (for instance.. me)

Banished Outside

Hi Super-Hornet,

The joints are CA, I'm not very happy with them[:@]
I would prefer to solder - I've got 60/40 and an Antex Solder Station, what's your technique?

Steve

Super-Hornet

Hi Steve and Helifreak

If you want to know how to solder onto aluminium, take a look on my new post "How to solder Aluminium"

As for Anodizing it, later... once I can proove it work then maybe I post that one also.

Super-Hornet

netmechanic

Yeah that looks REAL COOL..... and it should hold up real well under a crash also, I mean it is Aluminum tubing after all

helisfreak

My Feedback: (1)

It very easy to be bend if it not anodize... that's why we are trying to find out how to actually anodize it..then it would be great...

jbalat

Just for info, anodizing is for corrosion protection and provides a good surface for painting. It will not add extra strength.

Secondly, I havent seen tube used for this purpose since it is too stiff and likely to kink and buckle on a hard landing. Usually landing gear is flexible and made of aluminium strip/bar say 2mm thick by 8mm wide should be ok...

I have mounted spring steel rods in rubber and glued the rubber mounts to the mainframe which provides flexibility and strength. I have also attatched my lion battery with velcro to the front of the rubber mount which greatly simplifies the battery mounting. The heli has taken a full nose impact into the ground and it just bounced!

Dont get me wrong, I think what you have done is remarkable and you should probably apply for a job at Boeing. The tubing is probably a big overkill anyway considering the weight of the chopper so it will probably be ok...