Horizontal Trim Fins Without Tips?

[Eric Anderson]

If you browse the RotorX site you'll see a cool red Phoenix with black trim that has only the horizontal portion of the trim fin fitted. It looks cleaner that way. I've already installed mine per the construction manual. (I am in over my head already! Why modify what I barely understand?) Other than aesthetics, is there any real advantage to ditching the tips?

[homer bell]

Those are expensive and time consuming to make, factory saves money, you save build time. They will prevent personal injury, I have a big scare on my neck from walking past an old design with nothing on the end but a sharp corner. Of course that can be rounded out with more work if you want, I’d recommend that if you don’t put any winglets on there.
I doubt they do much for flight stability.?

[Eric Anderson]

They are already on! But that’s sound advice for other builders. Thanks, Homer!

[Eric Anderson]

I believe I’ll saw them off before I paint. For now they serve to protect the horizontal part (and my head!)

[homer bell]

There are people who will pay big money for those. You need to trade them if you don’t want them.

[Eric Anderson]

Unfortunately, they were not well-made. The passenger side bulges up about an 1/8th of an inch. Bondo smoothed it but the bulge still shows. I guess I should appreciate that they came pre-made but I think I could have done better.

[homer bell]

Everything can always be done better. Thing is , how much time do you want to put in it? I’ve known people that took 10 years to build a ship. It was a masterpiece, but , then he died and the widow sold the machine for less than what a new kit was going for at the time. There had been so many changes the ship was woefully out of date. This was at a time when changes were happening very quickly and the kit had a lot of very desirable improvements.
Many times we Have perfectionist that really have a problem finishing the kit , they work on some details for so long they never get done.

[homer bell]

This why I’m very reluctant to tell anyone how long it will take to build the kit. I never know if they intend to build a “Show machine “ , or just a safe reasonably looking ship with few or no bling features.
Now ,I’m all in favor of items to improve safety or maintenance. You should build the machine like you were going to take it apart next week. Anything attached to the seats should be very easy to remove or disconnect. Seats should be very easy to remove from the rest of the body panels to make easy access to the front of the engine and the lower main shaft area. This means nutplates across the top of the windscreen and I also put them on the bottom of the windscreen , too. bolts can be used on the door posts, they can come out with the windscreen. Hardly ever any need to separate them again.
Also , make holes in seats big enough so belts can go thru them without removing frame attachments.

[Eric Anderson]

Big thumbs up and thanks for all of that, Homer!

[Eric Anderson]

I reached out to Wade at RotorX a couple of weeks ago. I expressed unhappiness with my work on the fins and asked his thoughts on removing the tips like the red demo Phoenix. He said that the pilot who tested that configuration in the red ship noted vibration at higher speed which he (the test pilot) attributed to the lack of fins. Very kindly, Wade offered new fins! I said “yes please” and suggested that they be placed in the Phase 2 crate (no ETA yet). It looks like they are UPS-ing them separately. Very nice customer service!

[Sam Oliver]

Well Eric,
just for grins, Were the replacement fins any better than the original ones you got. Mine are a horrible fit as well. I'm not even going to ask for a second set because I don't want to get any farther behind. Did you change them out, leave them on, just remove them permanently.

I see there are many people who think it looks better without them. I'm kinda neutral on that. I agree we don't operate at speeds or power settings that would make them a big help. But I'll tell you when I was flying MBB helicopters, both BO-105 and BK-117 not only did they have them, but in the case of the BK they were sizeable and in both cases had trim built into them to allow higher airspeeds.

I'm going to make mine fit come hell or high water. If for no other reason than they will keep me or somebody else from slicing our heads one day when we inadvertently back into them or walk into them.

Sam

[homer bell]

Like I said before, sharp edges out there can send you for stitches. Crowded hangar, in a hurry, not careful, tore a hole in my neck, could have bled to death.

Nearly took out an eye on the corner of a main blade, file the corner of those , too.

[Mark Peterson]

Here is something interesting, Project Title: 4Z7 Winglets

See at the Lake City Event. March 18th and on through the week

[Eric Anderson]

They look nice but I think I would like them better turned 180.

[William Edwards]

Just to add to the "Odd Winglets" party, I also have some strange winglets on my helicopter.

I think I like them.