Kdill2160

A couple tips for assembling linkages...
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Here's a couple tips for assembling linkage rods... I bought these ball link pliers when I purchased my first "real" helicopter... A .30 size nitro bird, I bought everything "Rays" manual said I needed... What makes 'em really nice is they have two grooves in the jaws for holding the linkage rods... I also purchased these metric Hex Drivers from my favorite LHS. I have no idea who makes them, they are hardened and seem to be unstrippable, I purchased them in the R/C car dept... On the end of each drivers handle is a ball link installation "wrench" there are two sizes of "wrench" on the four different drivers.









Ken

Kdill2160

Step 4...Parts: M-D

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Basically this whole bag is all of the swashplate and washout/mixer linkage rods all in one package...



Ken

Kdill2160

The linkage rods lengths...

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Here's a new pic with some measurements taken from an assembled Dragonus SA... These should give a good starting point...



Ken

Kdill2160

Assembling the Rotor Head...
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Start by installing the "B" links from the Flybar Basemount to the Elevator mixer arms as shown in the first pic...



Next slide the washout base assembly onto the main shaft, make sure it moves freely on the main shaft and the alignment pins as well... Then install the "A" Links from the Flybar Control Arms to the washout mixer arms...





Next I'll install the swashplate...

Ken

Kdill2160

Finishing the Rotor Head...
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Almost done with the rotor head, I still need to install the "C" linkage rods from the elevator mixer arms to the swashplate and install the washout mixer arms to the swashplate... Start by snapping the "C" links onto the balls on the elevator mixing arms...





And finally slide the swashplate onto the main shaft and snap the remaining links onto the inner swashplate balls...Should look like this...





That completes the Rotor Head for now...

Ken

Kdill2160

Step 5 Parts: PT-A

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The tail assembly...first bag of parts...



Ken

Kdill2160

Start with the bearings...
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Install one 3x8x4 bearing in each side of the tail gearcase... The bearings are a good press fit in the gearcase... Make certain the bearings are fully seated in the gearcase half...



Ken

Kdill2160

Next the tail shaft...
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The next thing to do is install the tail shaft into one side of the tail gearcase... Also position the guide pulley on its mountng screw... This will make installing the other half of the gearcase a little easier... The gearcase halves have either pins or sockets on either side to hold them in alignment when assembled... A nice feature...



Ken

Kdill2160

A peek at the main blades...
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Here's a couple pics of the main blades... They're some kewl looking woodies... They remind me of the older wooden "chris craft" runabouts or sport boats... Well the wood does anyhoo...





Ken

Kdill2160

A quick peek at the main frame...
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Here's a couple better pics of the main frame parts... Not too long from now I'll be doing the assembly of the frame...





Ken

Kdill2160

Continuing the tail gear case assembly...
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It may or may not be a good idea to mount the bellcrank on the tail gearcase prior to joining the two halves together... Not sure, I don't think It really matters if you do it before or after...



The next thing to do is "fish" the tail drive belt through the tail boom, make sure it's not twisted.. YET!!!



Ken

Kdill2160

Moving on with more of the tail assembly...
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The tail boom has a hole in the side on one end and a slot in the side on the other end, the end with the hole is the one thats goes into the tail gear case, notice in the pic the "dimple" molded into the gearcase half...



The hole in the boom goes over this dimple locking the tail boom into the gearcase and preventing it from twisting. A nice feature, I have a couple helis which the gearcase slips on the boom here...not on this heli...

Slip the bearing in the other gearcase half over the tail shaft, bring the two halves together and fasten with the single pan head phillips screw which serves as the axle for the tail belt guide pulley, this will keep things in place until the other screws are installed...



Finish by securing the two gearcase halves together with the shorter self tapping screws, the longer ones are used for mounting the stabliizer fin...



Ken

Kdill2160

The Tail Stabilzer Fin and More...
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Here's a pic after installing the Stabilizer Fin...



Ken

Kdill2160

Ok... Back to it...
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Moving on with the tail build I need to prepare a couple parts for the final assembly... Really it's just installing a couple more link balls. Here's a pic...



Ken

Kdill2160

And after doing the sub-assembly...



Ken

Kdill2160

Parts for the tail rotor assembly...
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Here's a pic showing the parts I'll be using in these next steps of the build...



Ken

Kdill2160

The tail Rotor Assembly...
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Here's a pic showing the parts so you can kinda see whats going on here in these next steps...



Ken

Kdill2160

The Tail Rotor sub-assemblies...
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I'm preparing all of the sub-assemblies for the tail rotor, I started by installing the link balls on the blade grips using two m2x7 flat head screws and then inserting two 2x5x2.5 bearings into each tail blade grip, make certain the bearings are fully seated in the blade grips.

Pay attention to the direction of rotation of the tail pitch slider, the clevis side of the pitch slider links are directional, just look at the size of the hole for the screws and see which side of the links has the "shiny" ring on it, that's the side which goes towards the ball...

Here's pic showing what I'm describing...



The only other thing to do is install the set screw into the tail rotor hub...
Here's a pic of the completed sub-assemblies...



Ken

Kdill2160

The tail rotor completed...
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Installing all of the sub-assemblies of the tail rotor is pretty easy, use thread locker on the screws for the tail blade grips and also on the set screw in the tail rotor hub... All of the linkages on my Dragonus SA are very smooth with little or no slop, a few of the swash links are a little "snug" but they'll loosen up, I'd rather them be a little snug than have them be too loose. Here's a couple pics of the completed tail rotor hub...









Coming up the Main Frame Assembly...

Ken

Kdill2160

Start of the main frame assembly...
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Here's a pic of the parts I'll be using in the section of the build...



Ken

Kdill2160

A single part at a time...
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I'll show this one part at a time from one side so you can see what's involved in the assembly of the Lower Main Frame a little easier... Here's the Landing Skid Basemount installed onto the Lower Frame Side...



Ken

Kdill2160

Next install the Battery Basemount...
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Here's a pic after installing the Battery Basemount on the Lower Frame Side...each of these parts is fastened using a couple of m2x4 Round Washer Head Phillips Screws with std. m2 nuts on the other side...



Ken

Kdill2160

Installing the Motor Basemount...
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Here's the installation of the Motor Basemount before installing the other lower frame side, then its on to the more complicated assembly of the upper main frame...



Ken

Kdill2160

The Dragonus SA has an all aluminum main frame... It uses Round Washer Head Machine Screws and nuts for fasteners... Here's a pic of the completed lower frame...



Ken

Kdill2160

The Upper Main Frame assembly...
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Here's a pic of the parts needed for the Upper Main Frame, this assembly is a little more involved than the lower main frame, I'll start by preparing the sub-assemblies...



Ken