Mario V
New Heliman
Location: Upstate NY
| Hi guys,
Dmlong, I think George mentioned to me that it was just some plain cardboard he'd purchased in 4x8' size. George will know how thick. He's not ignoring us; lucky Rotorgeorge is on holiday, and from the pics, he and his wife are relaxing in great style guys!
So I mentioned to him I'd try to entertain you here goes!
Here are some pics from about a week ago showing some of the parts being made to outfit George's astonishing work.
I apologize for the camera. I'm no 'rotorGeorge' when it comes to pics guys! These are some of the quick-fasteners. George was specific he wanted these depicted in their 3 seperate states. Some horiz. some vert. and two, at 45 degree angles. These are ganged up in the molds so I can make one-half set for a kit at once. I had troubles with these until I tried a 'film' type resin which generates more heat a bit faster than usual resin.
Here's the rough pattern for the 1st console, the 206B type. Here, I'm just playing with the layout of the bits. The upper powerlight console is just a piece of black sign vinyl I cut as a guide for layout, the pattern now has this panel raised to it's prototypical height. The dummy covers (here just in black) are now raised and have screws. I ended up cnc cutting the upper ganged lights for that pattern piece. I'm torn between using real microscrews, per kit, or just casting them in the parts. Elsewhere the interior kit has resin screws. This pattern goes back to the origin on the cnc to get it's guage-holes cut next. ( I was finicky about the slight uplift.) This is just the first incarnation of the console, of three planned. I have an old trick for the gauges I'll be using here guys that'll really set this piece off.
Help from above:
Above is the bladejaw for the Bristol Magellan WSPS, aka the "cablecutters". This is just one jaw-half cnc'd for the top or bottom pattern. The kind (and tolerant!) people at Magellan / Bristol Aerospace have been kind enough to supply detailed information and pattern shapes of their cutter installations for our efforts here.
If you're interested in how the real steel works saving lives check here:
http://www.bristol.ca/Aerostructures.html,
Also, here is a nice animation made (I think) by an outfitter, Edwards and Associates, of the Bristol system, and how it works.
http://www.edwards-assoc.com/images...wirestrike.html
Here, I'm playing with the spacing of the allen-bolts that retain the blades. Can you see what's wrong with my setup so far? (I had to get even smaller allen-bolts to cast.)
No I'm not ill, it's the camera.
Here's one of the WSPS 'blades'. This particular part is cnc PVC that will lightly glue into the appropriate gap in the WSPS jaws. It's light and rigid and safer than metal there up so close under the rotors of a model. Beyond are two seperate types of chin WSPS.
Above is one of the Gear Mounting Bracket parts cast in alumilite because I like its machineability. (And no pressure) Plus, if you make a mold that works very well with something thick like Alumilite, the smoother higher viscosity production resins shoot like a dream. This part's pattern was cnc'd in three pieces. It's very close to the Bell part, but we cheated the lower four bolts in resin. It'll use two bolts but look like the real six. George was concerned about this part: For a stronger footprint to the 'cap' I cheated the front/back cavities out flat, and we widened out the face a touch. It's basically a couple minor deviations from the real part(s).
Looks good right? NOPE! The bolt heads are a touch too short on this pattern, and it's got pinholes. The final piece will have slightly smaller holes too.
Not finalized, I'll be sending a bunch of these to George today for him to check out, and to have something to actually sit his little sharks on.
Another expertly photographed shot!
Here's me running a few off a gang mold. These are pressurecast so they're tough as nails, crisp and free of any bubbles, warts or bumps. I made versions out of polyester, Duraglass, Alumilite, and two types of Smooth-on then crushed them all on a hydraulic press with a 1/2 inch steel rod riding in the bearing face. (Duraglass won.) I even made a couple clear to look for troublespots, and found some. I'm ridiculously picky, I like my molds as perfect as I can humanly make them. These parts will be cast in gang molds of four.
Here's an early version... can you see the flaws?
All the final parts will be a lavender purple, but diffusionally neutral like grey so they take paint either way.
Now all I need to do is determine hardware and make the alum. caps.
Many other parts are in the works, FLIR, Nitesun, lots of exterior details. Castleberry instruments and even an Avelex monitor for the Law Enforcement" panel on the 407. (You can see it says "Avelex" on it, heh.) I am doing the CADwork on a couple cyclic grips. The pattern will be made from this digital blueprint via stereolithography, and an "Angry Engraver" friend of mine is helping me laser tiny, perfect "Bell Jetranger" nameplate patterns for the 206B version George has created.
RunRyder guys: Your pics are very helpful! George is the consumate photographer. The astonishing pics he sends me could be put into a complete Bell 206 walk-around book, no joke. But a few of your pics have been "just the one I was looking for" also!
I will be busy with these for about another week, then I'll post some more pics, or hopefully the REAL photographer will have recieved the parts I sent to post for you.
Also, then, I'll show you a quick run through of the moldmaking and casting I already made for you, plus a few trix to save time and materials when you're making latex molds.
I'm thinking of making a seperate 'casting' thread so as not to lose focus here on George's thread. Do you think such a thread would be welcome? You'll LOVE my horrific pictures hehehe! |
At least I hope he will sell them 
