I am doing a little advance research for an upcoming project and wanted to see if anyone else has tried this.
I have the Academy 1:35 scale UH-60L that I’d like to motorize so that the rotors turn. I read Paul Boyer’s article from 2003 about doing this with a Spitfire. I was wondering how one would do this with a helicopter, especially one with the rotor span of a 1:35 scale Blackhawk. I wouldn’t want the main rotor turning so fast that there’s a risk of throwing a blade. There’s also a question of getting the tail rotor to turn too.
Also, what about friction? If those blades turn fast enough heat could become a problem.
Has anyone else done something this big or am I breaking into new ground?
Thanks in advance for any and all information and ideas!
I motorized a 1/24 mustang, heat did cause a prob. On the contest table, after about 5 mins. of running, the whole prop flew off and bounced across 3 tables. Luckely, it did not touch anything else and no-one was killed. The NTSB investigation revealed a melted mounting hole.
I tried again with a 1/24 spitfire, but this time made it so that you have to hold the button down, no probs.
I think that kit would be a prob. to motorize. The rotor is right over the cabin. I think you would have to put your motor behind the wall and work out a belt system for the main, good luck with tail, and…is it really worth it? If you do it, I’m sure everybody here would love to see it, I know I would. good luck!!!
I did it a while ago on a 1/32 Cobra. Only the main rotor was motorized and the tail was a clear disk. For the connection, I used tabs on the rotor shaft and notches on the shaft (a piece of hollow tubing) coming off the motor. The tabs and notches meshed together and spun the rotor, but the rotor was still removable and if it came into cotact w/something while spinning, it would just jump out of the notches and not damage the rotor. It was on a switch too so it wasn’t on constantly. I had no issues with heat.
If I was to do it again, I would get a tiny pager motor for the tail rotor as well.
For the Blackhawk, you would need a gear or belt system to connect the rotor and motor since it is on top of the cabin. You should have room in the tail for a small pager motor too.
On my Cobra, I used LEDs for all the position lights and instruments too. It looked pretty good. I sold it to a musuem who wanted it for a display.
You can do a “search” on Motorizing Helicopter Rotors and there are some helpful tips. I also have posted in that thread pictures of how I motorized the main and tail rotors on a 1/48 Apache. I found some good nylon gears to motorized a CH-46 or CH-47 at a local Hobby Shop that carries parts motorized cars. In most cases you will need a “reduction gear box” (set of gears) to slow down the electric motor output and give you some torque to drive a heavy main rotor system. I used three metal gears on the Apache.
Here is a shot of a V-22 nacelle with an electric motor and gear set up to turn the prop rotor and fan blades. I split and notched the drive shaft for the prop rotor so it would act as a “clutch” when the power was shut off allowing the blades to free wheel to a stop.
I motorized a 1/32 Huey with an ordinary slot-car motor. I mounted it vertically with the shaft reaching the top of the fuselage and drilled out the rotor shaft to take the motor shaft. Hard part was getting it exactly centered… The motor was rated for twelve volts so I use a 6-volt transformer to keep the rotor speed down to a realistic level… THe bird was on the “groung” in a diorama, and I ran the wires down the inside of the right skids and under the base, which was a couple of plastic box-frames that were 11 x 14 and glued together. The transformer was under the base as well, with the on/off switch mounted in the side of the base at the rear. Tail rotor was a plastic disc with some liquid cement “whisps” smeared on…
The Blackhawk I have in the pipeline is going to get the same treatment, although this time, I have a cell-phone vibrator motor for the tail rotor…
