Blade Flyer

Remotely Controlled Model - Page 1

Protractors used to adjust camber.





After searching for days, I finally realized prescription glass frame hinges have the right amount of pressure for supporting the "brushes" (male servo connectors). I found two at the first thrift store I visited. With a little grinding and drilling-out one threaded attachment hole, I was able to secure the arms to one another and hot-glue them to a mount. I later trimmed the pins (1/8" brass tubes) to penetrate no further than the outer shroud rib shown with the arms.

Commutator arm and shroud


Commutator arms open

Commutators open


Telephone cable untanglers as engine connectors.

Telephone cable untangers as engine power connectors


Commutator arms installed.

Commutator arms installed


The servo connects to a Y-connector I made. It connects to a server reverser and a straight connector. The male prongs of each engage the commutator. The servo signal reverser is on top. The direct connector to the servo is on bottom.

Connectors installed


First commutator test - direct to servo on top.

First commutator test


First commutator test - server reverser on top.  The connector "brush" is misaligned with commutator, because the arm base is too thick.

Commutator test close


Commutator connectors again.

Commutator connectors close


Commutator connectors again.

Commutator connectors close


The servo connectors did not consistently connect with the stripped ribbon wire, so I cut 0.062" wide slip rings from 17/32" diameter brass tube, glued paper strips cut from printed rectangles sized to be half the circumference of the ribbon wire to the rings, cut the rings at the paper ends, ground the ends, removed the paper, tapered the ends, and snapped them onto the ribbon cable.

Slip ring fabricaion


All three slip rings installed on one commutator.

Slip rings installed


I thought the rings would have to be soldered to the ribbon wire, but they stick well and conduct to the wire well.

Slib rings installed on both blades

The reverses work as expected when the commutator is bypassed. However, they behaved strangely when the commutator was used. I consulted the source of the server reverser, http://www.dionysusdesign.com/.  Even though it was 10:00 PM, they immediately responded.  In the process of conducting tests for them, I discovered that the servo reverser is uni-directional.  That required me to fabricate different wiring.
Contact: Bill Holmes via email or 661-305-9465

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