Now hold the belt and let the tail boom assembly dangle below. After it stops twisting the belt should be straight. Look inside the tail boom and verify the belt is not twisted. Now twist the belt counter-clockwise 1/4 turn (90 degrees). I usually hold the front end of the tail boom in the palm of my hand and use my pointer finger and thumb to pinch the belt and keep the orientation (see 3rd picture). Next I push the belt through the back of the frames and as the belt comes out behind the auto hub I pull it out the right side of the frameset and hold onto it (see 4th picture). Make sure the orientation is still correct then you can stop pinching the belt with your left hand and push the tail boom assembly into the frameset while you pull on the belt. With the taill boom all the way in, this will give you enough slack to wrap the belt around the red main tail gear. Pull the tail boom back to tighten the belt. Check that the belt did not get caught under either of the two red guide pulleys in the frames. It is common for this to happen. If you leave it like this, the belt will wear off the flange* of the pulley (not to mention the increased drag on the system). Check the belt tension. When you push in on the belt (just behind the red main tail gear) you should be able to feel it go in an 1/8" (about 4mm). Tighten the four bolts (4) in the back of the frameset. At this point the two screws in the top of the horizontal fin should be loose. Move the tail boom support rods so the holes in it align with the bolt holes by the fuel tank and use screws (3) to attach the support rods.
*Another thing that can wear out the left pulley on the frame is if the belt has a manufacturing problem on the edge of the belt.
Next install the tail blades (5) using two bolts (1) and two nuts (4). Make sure you get the blades on the right direction.
To check for correct
assembly of the tail rotor: Stand on the right side of the
helicopter looking at the tail rotor. Rotate the tail so that one
blade is pointed straight up. The leading edge of the blade
pointed up needs to be pointed left (to the back of the
helicopter). The blade grip arm for that blade also needs to be
on the left side (toward the back). Rotate the tail rotor so the
other blade is point up and check it also.
