RunRyder - Mystery Heli needs ID to fly Free !!!! ( HELP!!)

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Antiques or Out of Business > Mystery Heli needs ID to fly Free !!!! ( HELP!!)

gyan
Key Veteran
Location: Surrey, BC Canada

If someone could help identify this helicopter & possibly supply info for parts & manual, it may find it's way to freedom in the sky...or death (depending on my ability or lack of!!) HA HA. I've looked all over the net with no joy. If you need more pictures I will gladly supply

Thanks to all.

Denis

click for full size picture

09-29-2001 Over year old.

Ken B
Elite Veteran
Location: Phoenix, AZ

Different

It's older, and I wouldn't fly it. Just my thoughts.

Ken B

09-29-2001 Over year old.

HOMEPAGE

heliman
Senior Heliman
Location: Fullerton, CA

An idea!!!

Install the cheapest servos, battery and receiver as possible (maybe the guys at your field will donate some electronics) and take it up about 500 feet. Get it into a dive and hold right aileron. The impact will be awesome.

10-01-2001 Over year old.

Greg Richard
Heliman
Location: San Diego

I've seen newer helicopters i wouldnt fly! I hate to see what the tail looks like. i feel your going to waste a lot of time and money bringing back to life something that wont fly very well and will take longer to learn on, not to mention finding and or creating parts for it.

Go find a cheep raptor every club has one or more and they can set up everything for you, so you can have a lot more time actually flying!

10-03-2001 Over year old.

Dave_D
Key Veteran
Location: Philippines

mystery heli

looks like a schulter miniboy. If not, something that used to be called a cricket. It's definetely fixed pitch. I agree with the others, strip if for parts and find another deal.

10-10-2001 Over year old.

Dyehard
Veteran
Location: Cedar Bluff, Va.

I wouldn't know what it is, but it not a Mini-boy or a Cricket. The picture is too small to get any real detail, but I can see it well enough to tell what it isn't.

10-10-2001 Over year old.

Skippy360
Heliman
Location: Prinec George,B.C.

Hey Denis,

That helicopter is called a "Mantis" by American Helicopters I have one that has been modified with a shuttle head and tail hanging in my work shop. it was the first heli I ever bought but I never flew it. The guy that modified it said it basically wouldn't fly stock so he did all the mod's and it was OK after that.

My sugestion would be either to hang it in your work shop as a conversation piece (like mine) or sell it on Ebay you might be
suprised at what they go for.I've seen them go for a couple hundred
bucks in worse shape than yours,Just gotta get lucky.

Do I win the prize??

Scott

10-17-2001 Over year old.

Augusto
rrAdvertiser
Location: San Diego, CA

Mantis OUCH! sell it quickly! bad bad omen hehe!

Avant Aurora Ultimate

10-17-2001 Over year old.

- Location: -

It's definitely a Mantis !!!

Hi Denis,

Boy, does this bring back memories! You have the fixed pitch version of the Mantis. This was the next generation heli by American R/C Helicopters after their very sucessful first model called the Revolution.
The Revolution came out in the mid-seventies and was basically an improved copy of the Schluter Heli-Baby. They actually flew very well even though they were fixed pitch. They were of all metal construction and were well made kits.The Mantis series was mostly molded plastic and was just a lousy design. I think this signaled the end of American R/C. Too bad.

Back in about 1984 I had the collective pitch version which was called the Super Mantis. It was powered with a K&B .40 and actually hovered more than once! (I have photos to prove this. I'll have to drag them out and figure out how to post a scan here.) This was all after struggling for many weeks with getting the thing set up to fly. There wasn't much help for new heli pilots back then in the "dark ages". After finding out that the heli would at least lift off, I began to work on my hovering. I reached the point that I could keep the thing over a six foot diameter spot on the ground and thought this was pretty good. Since I was now an expert (In my mind anyway)and was feeling confident, I got curious about how the heli would handle without the 6 whiffle ball training gear. Off came the gear. The engine was started, the heli was placed out in the street like all of the other flights and then the fun began. I lifted off just like I had before and the heli shot straight up about 3 feet and rolled over on it's back. (This was the highest I'd seen this heli off the ground. All of my other flying was at 1 to 6 inches of altitude.) Pieces of my wonderful flying machine were scattered all over the street. I stood there totally shocked at how quickly this all happened! I collected all the bits and threw them in the garage. I later rebuilt the heli and flew it a few more times. It never did fly very well. I think I eventually tossed it into the trash.

Recently I bought several old helis from a lady that was selling her sick husband's models. In the lot was an assembled but otherwise brand new American R/C Revolution in the beautiful red anodized finish. (They came in your choice of red or blue.) It had a new K&B .40 with a Mac's Heloball muffler installed in it, just like the factory guys flew. It has never been run and probably never will. The heli now hangs proudly in my garage.You should hang your Mantis up and display it as a reminder of how far our rotary winged hobby has progressed.

Happy Hovering!

Bob Scott

10-18-2001 Over year old.

WV EDIT

Dyehard
Veteran
Location: Cedar Bluff, Va.

If I recall correctly, the Mantis had wooden frames. I can't remember seeing but one or two of them, they were usually hanger queens or in pieces. The flat belt drive to the tail was straight off mill machinary from the turn of the century. Quit prone to breakage. It made every other heli look like state of the art.

10-18-2001 Over year old.

Doug
Elite Veteran
Location: Naples Florida....

Now I am going to have to drag out one of my Revolution 60 machines and make it fly (They weren't that bad) (at least thats my story and I'm sticking to it).

10-18-2001 Over year old.

Jetset
Senior Heliman
Location: Picton, Ontario Canada

Question bout old helis...

Just curious as to why old helis like the one in question could not be ressuected from the grave? What I mean is if you had the equipment neccessary to get the beast going, why wouldn't it work? Even if you had to fabricate parts?
Please, be gentle! I'm a new kid on the block here!

Thanks,
Myles

Howzitgoin' eh? Goin' fast in the "Great White North"

10-18-2001 Over year old.

HOMEPAGE

Doug
Elite Veteran
Location: Naples Florida....

Things have improved over time. The machines in question used a flat belt for the tail rotor and it was the "weakest" link. otherwise not that much different. I will get one of my old machines airworthy and see how good my memory of them was.

10-18-2001 Over year old.

Simmer
Key Veteran
Location: Massachusetts

Mantis

I have an old Heliboy (I used to fly in the 80's) I just was given a Cricket.

I would not fly either today because of cost. Every bearing in the heliboy would need to be replaced. The Cricket was simply given to me because someone knew I flew Heli's.

Bought the Heliboy in 1979.

Oh yeah Mine had a Kraft mechanical gyro (50.00) and an HP gold cup .61 also. It WAS the engine of choice back then.

10-18-2001 Over year old.

- Location: -

Love those old Helis'.

It seems that Denis has awakened some memories for all of us. Maybe we need to start a new thread about old helis that are still out there.

DyeHard, you are somewhat correct, the Mantis was all wood ahead of the side frames. Everything else was molded plastic except for the moving parts and the tail boom. Yor are exactly right about the belt drive tail rotor. That was an ancient drive method. They must have bought the parts for that one from McMaster-Carr.

Here’s my current fleet of vintage helis:

American R/C Revolution, K&B .40, HeloBall Muffler. Built but unflown.

Schluter Heli-Boy, HP .61 Gold Cup, HeloBall Muffler, Kraft Gyro. Flown a whole lot (read worn out) by the previous owner. Undergoing a very slow restoration back to flying condition. You would not believe how thick the castor old buildup on the whole heli was. It must have spent it’s whole life in a hover less than a foot off the ground.

Kavan Jet Ranger, Super Tigre .60. Flown some by previous owner. Was crashed hard. Have new glass fuse and window kit plus most mechanical parts to complete it. This is going to be a tough rebuild. Boy, there’s a lot of linkages and mixing bellcranks on this baby!

GMP Cricket, O.S. .25, HeloBall Muffler, Kraft Gyro. Hovered once by previous owner.

GMP Cobra, Standard Head, Autorotation Kit. New in the box kit.

GMP Competitor, O.S. .61 FSR-H, HeloBall Muffler, Pro Head, Auto Kit, Century Gyro, JR Century VII Radio. This heli was built, but new and unflown, until three weeks ago. I installed a radio of about the right vintage but went with a modern piezo gyro. It flys great!

I love the old stuff. I plan to fly everything on the list eventually except for the Revolution.

Jetset, parts sure can a problem but the nice thing about the old models is that a lot of them can be easily fabricated. It’s sort of like like restoring old cars. You just keep looking for that part until you hit pay dirt or get sombody to make one for you. (Don’t ask me how I know this. That a whole other life!)

To everyone, tell us about your fleet. Are any of you flying anything old and interesting?

Bob Scott

10-18-2001 Over year old.

WV EDIT

Dyehard
Veteran
Location: Cedar Bluff, Va.

NWFlyer, maybe there was more than one Mantis, but the ones I saw in the early eighties had 1/8 wooden side frames. A lot of early helis had wooden servo trays, but the first Mantis' had wooden frames. The hobby dealer I used to use in Bristol, Tenn. built one when it first came out. It sat behind the counter there for several years, we had many conversations about those frames, wondering how it would hold up. I never found out, he never flew it. I saw another at one of Bill Curtis' contests in Greenville, Pa. in the early eighties. It broke the tail drive belt and crashed, it looked almost like a model plane with the wooden side frames broken. A later version may have went to another material, but the first one were wooden framed.

10-18-2001 Over year old.

- Location: -

Dyehard,

I stand corrected on the wood side frames used on what may have been early versions of the Mantis.This is another bit of interesting heli history.

How did the Mantis you saw fly at the contest before the belt broke? There must have some successful flyers out there.

Now that I've started to collect some of these old models I regret having gotten rid of that old Mantis. It would have been a neat member of the fleet. Also, I'm curious about how well it might fly with a competent pilot on the sticks now.

I found the photos of my Super Mantis in a hover and added them in to this post. (I hope this works)The canopy is one I built of balsa and monokote after the big crash destroyed the original.

Bob Scott

[BREAK]

10-18-2001 Over year old.

WV EDIT

Jetset
Senior Heliman
Location: Picton, Ontario Canada

.45 size helis?

I remember seeing heli ads in older magazines with helis that take a .40-.45 size airplane engine??

What were those ones and what were they like? Or, have these already been namd in this discussion?
Thanks!
Myles

Howzitgoin' eh? Goin' fast in the "Great White North"

10-18-2001 Over year old.

HOMEPAGE

Skippy360
Heliman
Location: Prinec George,B.C.

Mantis

Those are good Pics,...But That's not the stock canopy.
The stock canopy is a plastic two piece streched bubble sort of thing.

I wish I had a digital camera to show you mine.It's actually a good looking heli. It has nice wide landing gear.
Mine also has the heliball muffler with a Webra Speed 46 (I think).

The guy that modified mine did a real nice job.It dosent take much
to put a shuttle head and tail mechanics onto it using a CCPM
set up, the wood servo tray also helps as it's easy to build a new tray
with a 90Degree two servo CCPM set up and a third servo for
for/aft cyclic.

Scott

10-19-2001 Over year old.

Location:

Skippy,

Thanks for looking over the pics. The Mantis wasn't a bad looking heli, it just lacked good engineering.

You're right about the canopy. The original one was destroyed in an earlier crash. The one you see was something I threw together out of balsa and monokote. It was really just to keep the oil off the radio gear.

A.46 would have been a good size engine in this heli. I always felt the .40 was minimal. Of course this was 16 years ago. A modern .40 might be just fine.

Bob Scott

10-19-2001 Over year old.

WV EDIT

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Antiques or Out of Business > Mystery Heli needs ID to fly Free !!!! ( HELP!!)

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