Bell 206L Long Ranger build report

[chiawatkom]

Originally Posted by Knife

Willygoat, I'm just butt gluing with Aleene's quick dry tacky glue, with the occasional drop of CA to fuse difficult parts together.

I kept the neighbors up most the night with the screams of tortured paper. Part 18 (the top of the part with the N810LR registration) has the cursive instructions to "fold from back". This piece also forms the bottom of the engine compartment. Since is wasn't intuitive how to fold this piece, I started gluing the obvious front section and see what it looks like when I finished. When I went to fit part 19 (engine compartment sides) it didn't exactly fit with part 18, so I'm sure I messed it up somehow.

For the rotor shaft, I choose to use a bamboo skewer purchased from a large package at the local dollar store. It will rotate inside a clear plastic drinking straw. To keep the straw from shifting, I used a tongue depressor cut into sections to make a reinforced top piece and a lower plate glued to the helicopter's rear doors. This provides a strong rotor shaft that can rotate and take the abuse of many little hands playing with it. Also, the rotor shaft is removable for shipment or repairs.

To make the rotor rotation, I used my simple technique by rooling paper into three major part. Please roll the paper as round as possible as if it is a little stick then rool the other one as a cover that be able to put that paper stick into the cover then finally make the end cap to protect both parts running away from the engine port. Just fold the rotor blade as same as the real one then gluing them in the proper direction and wait until the glue dry. You can also decorate additional detial of the blade controller and hydrolic tube. It actually rolling!! I did this technique for almost thirty years!!

Soon I will make a video and link to your guys!! ^^

[cgutzmer]

looking mighty fine!

[Knife]

The Bell 206L is now complete. The tail rotor gear box went together without any problems, as did the horizontal stabs and landing gear. Overall a very enjoyable kit for under the price of a fast food burger. Only major complaint with the kit is the lack of underside pieces for the main and tail rotor blades. Like I said above, just print out another copy of the blades using the mirror image function of your printer. I did glue a couple of pennies into the nose to make sure it doesn't turn into a tail-sitter. And that's my two cents worth on this model.

[cgutzmer]

That turned out awesome! Thanks for sharing all the great pics
Chris

[doctormax]

nice build

[ThunderChild]

Very nice execution Knife! Thanks for the tips!
Ever since the Airwolf days I've had a soft spot for the 206. Anyone up for a retexture? :D

[Knife]

I was just going through and tossing out most of my aviation VHS tapes yesterday, and discovered several Airwolf episodes on one of them. Once again, small world!

[RMS MODELISTA]

Originally Posted by willygoat

For reinforcing the skids, I put a thin coat of CA glue on them. It turns them to paper concrete. I also did that for the skid "legs". I haven't found a super good way to mount the rotor yet, but I have a plan.

Use a piece of wire to roll the main tube around. Put the wire through the top piece of the engine cowling. Mount a couple of cardboard discs under that top piece to the wire. That way it has some tension to keep it steady.

I don't know if it'll work, but it's worth a shot. Good luck!

Oh yeah, she's looking great! Are you using any connecting shtrips, or are you butt gluing?

Hello knife, I recommend to reinforce structures of paper or cardboard, cyanoacrylate and sodium bicarbonate and it will be like a concrete cement.