How
to build a Training Gear
last
updated 1-20-2006
|
How
to build a Training Gear |
| What is the training gear used for? They help with a couple of common things someone just learning to hover (or nose-in hover) do. First is landing a little crooked and second is landing with forward/backward or sideways motion. In the first case, you may find yourself in a not so level situation due to giving the wrong command in which case you can lower the collective at a moderate speed and sit the heli down, unless the heli is banked over at a 45 degree angle then the training gear will level the heli as it is lowered to the ground. The wiffle balls on the end are there to slide as opposed to the ends of the sticks poking into the ground. In the second case, which is the most common when you just start out, you will initially find your heli likes to move around in all directions. The training gear allows the heli to slide any direction. So when you get in trouble you can lower the heli down to the ground without worrying about a perfect landing. As you get better at hovering you need to make a point of landing straight down with no forward/backward or sideways motion. When you can do this on the first flight of the day then you don't need them anymore. |
  You can click on the above pictures to see a larger version. The cheap way to build these is to pick up two wooden dowel rods at your local craft store. I bought two for about $0.70 each. I bought some 7/16" x 36" rods because I wanted to be able to support a 60/90 size heli. If you are just using a 30 or 50 then the 5/16" x 36" rods are a good size. You also need to get 4 wiffle balls. These are practice softballs that you can get in a sports shop. Price will vary, I got a bag of 8 for $6. Also you need 8 screws. Start by installing a screw through the side of the end of the rod. I used a drill bit a little smaller then the screw to make a hole so the screw does not split the rod. I used screws that were just long enough to barely stick out the side of the rod but that is not necessary. The basic idea is to stop the zip ties from sliding off. Now that you have the screw in, install a zip tie right beside the screw (see picture). Slide the ball on the rod and up against the zip tie. Next install another zip tie beside the ball. Don't get it against the ball so tight that the ball will not spin. Install a screw on the other side of the zip tie to prevent it from sliding toward the center. Now just do this for the other three balls. After you complete this, use #84 rubberbands to attach the training sticks to the helicopter as shown in the following section. |
Rubberband technique - the preferred
method due to the reusability and because it will absorb
some of the energy in a hard impact.    Place the sticks in an 'X' and put the helicopter on top of them. Use thick rubberbands like #84. Hook it around the end of the skid then pull it around the outside of the skid as in picture 1. Next go around the backside of the skid and around the dowel rod then back over the skid. If the rubberband is long then you may have to go around a couple of times to get the rubberband tight. |
   When you attach the heli you lay the sticks out in an 'X' and place the heli on the training sticks. Get four new zip ties and secure the heli as shown in the above pictures. Later when you remove the heli, just cut the last four zip ties, leaving the four on the sticks (the light blue ones in the pictures above). |
This is a training gear made from a holo hoop. It
works fine on asphault or concrete but if you are on
grass the above training sticks will work better because
the balls will let it roll. Picture provided by Tony
Caruthers |