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MTA Hobbies . Model Rectifier Corp . Heli Wholesaler

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Scale Model RC Helicopters > Century Five Blade Head Failure
 
 
OH58D
Veteran
Location: Northern Ca, USA

I finally finished my MD500 with a Five Blade Head from Century. Man, that sucker is expensive but nevertheless, it looked awesome! I had 2 great flights with it but the third one was nowhere close to a good flight. It crashed.

At the last field that I flew it which was in Manteca's Central Valley Flyers, I hovered it about 2 feet off the ground and I noticed I lost some lift. I immediately tried to land it but it went up instead about 20 feet and then it hovered. Then it jerked back and then did a nosedive.

What the hell was that! The heli still landed on its skids although the blades hit first as per the nose dive. Upon inspection, the plastic arm that was connected to the follower was disconnected. The small pin that was holding it was gone. That caused the heli to lose its control altogether, pitch, cyclic and everything. There was no autoing that thing.

Has anyone else used a Century Multiblade head with the Century Follower and experienced this problem? The Follower was preassembled by Century. Three flights and that was it.



A friend of my is also a big time scaler kept telling me to get an OF head instead of a Century head. I bought a Century head anyway and guess what he had to say, "I told you so!"

I have a video in which I will post as soon as I get it from a friend who video taped it.
08-21-2007 Over year old.
 
 
Hoverup
Elite Veteran
Location: Gulf Coast

I'm using Century 5 and 4 blade heads with no problems. One difference, I'm using the OF SP's and followers.

Cheers - Boyd
AMA80393
IRCHA 3355
Major USAF
Retired
08-21-2007 Over year old.
 
 
OH58D
Veteran
Location: Northern Ca, USA

That would explain why you didn't have the same problem as I did. What made you use an OF Follower instead of a Century Follower even though you are using a Century Head?

Also, about the Five Blade head, there is a little slop or gap in between the main shaft and the sleeve. No matter how much I tighten the collar, it is still loose on the head. It will come right off once I remove the head bolt or the Jesus bolt. The sleeve could be a little thicker so it won't have that slop in between the main shaft and sleeve.
08-21-2007 Over year old.
 
 
HAT
Senior Heliman
Location: OC California

OH58D

Here's a tip from an MD500 builder using 5 bladed head built by Diamond.

Quote 
2 The biggest reason this project was on hold was that the Diamond 5 Bladed Rotor Head was not true. It was way of center when mounted on the main shaft as is. That put this project on hold for several months as, as far as we know, this rotor head was the only one that would work on this project. Vario has a nice selection of heads. But, no main blades to fit a 50 size machine.

As luck would have it, an old friend came back into the hobby a short while ago after a break of about 6 or 7 years. He is a machinist by trade. His name is Rich Howard. Most all the northwest folks know him and are glad he is back. He took that rotor head down to his shop and fixed it. The problem was the lower split portion of the head block, and the split in the sleeve that makes this head block fit on a 10mm main shaft (Actually 9.7mm). When all was tightened down with the collar, it pulled the head block off center and made it impossible to use. Rich took that rotor head down to his shop, cut off the lower split portion of the head block and machined a brass sleeve to fill the space for a 10mm main shaft. The brass sleeve extends down below the rotor head by about 5/8 of an inch. No collar necessary, and as long as the Jesus bolt is not torqued down, that rotor head is true as true can be. All indications were that the rotor head issue was the only thing holding this from getting off the ground

Sponsored by: American Express
08-21-2007 Over year old.
 
 
OH58D
Veteran
Location: Northern Ca, USA

Well, that's another thing I have to send back. The multiblade head is probably damaged from the crash and has to be checked out to make sure it is still functional.

Here is a video taken by a friend with his digital camera. What a sad sight it is...

Century MD500 Crash
08-22-2007 Over year old.
 
 
Hoverup
Elite Veteran
Location: Gulf Coast

Dennis at DeeTeeEnterprises had his machinist friend fix both my Century heads the same way his was fixed on his H500 project. I am using the OF SP and follower because that was the way Dennis went with good results.

Cheers - Boyd
AMA80393
IRCHA 3355
Major USAF
Retired
08-22-2007 Over year old.
 
 
Free Bird
Senior Heliman
Location: Somewhere in the USA

From reading the above, it's not the head that failed, but the follower. The thread title is very misleading. Just my .02.

I meant to do that!
08-22-2007 Over year old.
 
 
OH58D
Veteran
Location: Northern Ca, USA

Follower

Head, Follower, to me, the follower is part of the whole head assembly. Nevertheless, they both have issues that Century needs to address. Its not like I have over 200 flights of this thing. I had 3 flights and the last one didn't have more than half a minute in the air!
08-22-2007 Over year old.
 
 
Copter Doctor
Elite Veteran
Location: daleville/ft.rucker, al

man, i am sorry to hear of your mishap.
it seems to me that there is an easy fix. i will relay this to the team at century. if the pin is secured in the aluminum arm by a set screw, the same way pins are secured in the t/r output shaft on many birds out there, that would prevent failure of that part. anothe rfix would be to have a "c" clip on both ends of the pin. i am confident that the head and its components are of high quality and performance and are no more proned to failure than any other design. there have been many successful flights with these heads but this new way of securing the pin may be a good idea to incorporate into the future production heads.

drive a rotary, fly a rotorcraft
08-22-2007 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
OH58D
Veteran
Location: Northern Ca, USA

Thanks Emile, there is way too much money spent on this heli for just 3 flights. I've always been a Century fan, and trying to prove lots of people wrong about Century is not really easy task... then this happens in front of everyone in my field.

Anyway, I haven't talked to Century just yet. I wanted to get some opinions about this. I'm sure your input will greatly help my situation. My friend Dan aka Autorotater, aka Hueydriver (in scalerchelis.com), perhaps you know him, is also a great scaler. He has told me what might need to be checked out but I will post some pictures here as well so you can check it out. There is hardly anything wrong with the Raven mechanics but the fuselage is torn up. That's $650 alone!

Anyway, will post some pictures soon. I'm too depressed to even look at it right now.

BTW, that set screw idea of yours should work perfect and there is plenty of room to add that in the follower. Now about the sleeve in the hub, they just need to make one that fits. How hard is that?
08-23-2007 Over year old.
 
 
oldfart
Elite Veteran
Location: Vancouver, Canada

OH58D

I am a bit at odds here, as to how the pin could come out?

The one I have, has a grub screw on the underside of the rider, that is there to secure the pin. If it is installed properly and locktited, there is no way the pin can come out.
08-25-2007 Over year old.
 
 
Copter Doctor
Elite Veteran
Location: daleville/ft.rucker, al

as i have never owned one with the new style follower i wasnt sure and would think there'd be a set screw there but the pic is clearly shown with the set screw on the other side.

drive a rotary, fly a rotorcraft
08-25-2007 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
dperry
Senior Heliman
Location: Oklahoma City, OK

Multi Blade

I'm using the century head and OF blades on my Vario 412 with no problems. We are also using the 5 blade head on a H-500 with no problems.

Don Perry www.rnlinc.com
08-25-2007 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
OH58D
Veteran
Location: Northern Ca, USA

I just checked out my follower and yes, there is a set screw THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE THERE! There is a screw hole that holds the pin down but the hole in my follower looks spanking, shiny brand new. It is still a virgin and looks like it never had anything screwed into it. I think Century, being that it is already assembled when I bought it, forgot to put a set screw in it.

Well, I guess that since it is pre-assembled from factory, it is my job to make sure it done right. I guess that makes it "my fault" since I didn't double check their work. I should've never assumed that it is done right from Century.

I am new to the multiblade scene and never had to deal with a follower before so I never knew there is supposed to be a set screw there. All the other plastic arms from the washout mixers never had any set there that I had to deal with. Even though, it should've been done right from the Manufacturer and if they are to pre-assemble it, they should do it right.

Anyway, Century won't do anything about it so I'll just have to cut my loses with this.
08-26-2007 Over year old.
 
 
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