ErikB

Thanks for the subtitles! It really is fun to see all this good-natured name-calling!

Ah, okay, I'm convinced! I'll build my Wessex with some forward sag in it too. Thank you all for chiming in and helping me out! Cheers, Erik.

The Mark-I drawings in the 4+ show a 1-degree forward tilt of the rotorhead. I don't know if that's correct, but if so, would it be enough for the blades to sag through the dampers?

Hi Smudge, You piloted / flew in the Wessex, didn't you? So you've seen it a lot more times up close than I did... What do you think on my reasoning regarding the blades with the helicopter parked? The second photo in the Opening Post would seem to indicate that the rotorhead tilts forward but I'm afraid it only seems that way due to lens distortion. Althou that is an assumption on my side. BTW, I read that helicopter blades have a fair amount of travel both horizontally and vertically to isolate vibrations and other forces. But that they move that much themseves!... Ey Perdu, Who's Don? Nice Wessex', Wessexes, Wessii (or what the plural for Wessex is) you have there! I don't know for sure if the blades are on the neutral position or hang forward in their drag hinges. To be honest, I found it a brilliant idea. Then I read that to create forward movement, not the rotorhead tilts forward in most cases, but the same effect is created by having a greater Angle-of-attack on the blade when it crosses the 6 o' clock position than when it crosses the 12 o' clock position. The tail comes up, the nose dips and the helo starts to move forward. I'm assuming that the gearbox + rotorshaft + rotorhead is in a 90 degree position relative to the ground when parked. In that case I don't think that the blades sag forward. If the gearbox + rotorshaft + rotorhead is mounted with a forward tilt of a few degrees, you might very wel be right! Over some time the weight of the blades could pull them slowly but surely through the dampers so the sag forward somewhat in their drag hinges. A reason for mounting the gearbox etc. tilted forward can be so the nose doesn't have to dip too far down for forward flight. Then the question is how many degrees forward and backward travel of the blades do those hinges allow for and would it be noticeable in 1/72? BTW; I think you nailed it with the droop. Very good! Cheers, Erik

Aaarrrgghhh!!! Errr... Without searching anything.... Pinky: In Dutch a "pink" is (besides the little finger) a one-year old cow which hasn't had a calf yet. So basically an adolescent female... I guess the RN version of a female air cadet? Edited because of typing error. No, not my pink(y)

My father was a pilot in the RNLAF and he convinced the Base Techie of the fact that if the Meccano-guys didn't have pilots to break their aircraft down, the techies would've been out of a job in no time! From then on it was understood that this was symbiosis in it's purest form!

*Sigh!* So I googled WAFU and this is what came up: "Wafu dressing (wafũ doresshingu?), literally "Japanese-style dressing" is a vinaigrette-type salad dressing based on soy sauce, popular in Japan." Happily enough I now have ARRSE in my Favorites so I get it now! :0 Edited because the forums don't support Japanese characters.

Haven't bought them yet.... Still saving up for them!

Hi Koen, good advice, a nice opportunity to try out those Archer rivets! Wel een gigantische qudt-klus! Cheers & groetjes, Erik.

Well, I don't know if you're infringing on any copyright if you sell a painting which used a photograph as basis... Anyhow, chances are that there were probably more than 10 people around the bloke which made the photo who just might have made a(n almost) similar pic. Would be hard to prove which photo it was. And since you made 1 painting which you'd like to sell it's hard to believe you're profiteering. I mean, when I'm taking pictures of a race I have my camera on "Continuous"; 7 frames per second. I pick the best, do some afterwork in Lightroom and voilá, a nice photo. Your frame rate is what? One frame per 2 weeks? Although copyright laws have nothing to do with getting rich or not when infringing copyright, and we must take them seriously, I really don't think you'll get a letter from a lawfirm ordering you to pay up! But just my , and pertaining to your particular case. So I'm not trying to win people over to just copy photos, books, decals, resin parts, paintings or anything else... Any chance we can see a pic of your painting? I love motorcycles!!! Cheers, Erik.

Unless, the whole gearbox with rotorhead is mounted with a few degrees forward tilt, of course... Hmmmmmmm, does anybody know? Cheers, Erik

Hi David, I read the topic. Great info and a very nice build! Thanks, Erik.

Thanks Graham!

Hi Sam, The topic is over a month old, I know, but since I got here using the "Search"-function, chances are that someone else looking for Wessex-rotorblades will too, in the future. On the position of the blades on the drag-hinges: as you describe it is of course when displaying the blades as an X on the helicopter. But for the blades to all hang forward on the drag hinges would require the rotorhead as a whole to be tilted forward. As far as I have understood, the fully articulated rotorhead on the Wessex doesn't do that? The "forward tilted" rotordisc for forward movement is created by having less AoA on the front blade and more on the aft blade. Because of the flapping hinges the aft blade will ride higher than the forward blade, in effect creating a forward tilted rotordisc. Therefore the blades at rest should be in the neutral position on their drag hinges since the dampers would push them to that position when parked? The blades at rest in their flapping-hinges is another case, although the effect on the Wessex is much less obvious than on the Chinook for example. What is very obvious is the top two blades of the tail rotor when parked in an X-position. They certainly hang forward on their flapping hinges! I don't really know very much about helicopters, so if I'm wrong please don't hesitate to correct me. If it does actually make any sense, please let me know too! I based my train-of-thought (or brain-fart) on the following: http://www.aviastar.org/theory/rotor.html Cheers, Erik.

I don't get it. They're never "over the top", are they? Before anyone gets angry with me; just remember that I'm fully aware that the Dutch are known for this role; telling every other Earthling how to behave... that our courage is bolstered with alcohol, that we have separation anxiety when it comes to parting with our money so when we throw a party everybody brings their own food and drink.... And best for last: what we consider to be refreshingly honest is considered rude beyond measure in any other country! Arrrghhhh, I think I'll take that Prozac now, thank you!

Ah, yes, how silly of me! Pong, as in smell...... Remind me to notify our Education Ministry that the English taught in Dutch schools is severely lacking! Even basics as: "He pongs really bad" aren't taught! Anyone for a game of Ping-Smell? I mean, really, how do you Brits come up with these words? It's fabulous actually, but it sometimes feels like cracking the Enigma-codes... Oops! Sorry, next time I'll Heheheh, cheers, Erik. Edited because of zpeling misstacke

Isn't spam a British invention? It's supposed to be tinned, isn't it. Otherwise it's just ham?

Heheheheh, That'll teach me to ask a simple question! Ermmmm... BTW, what's a pong? Jeeeez, I feel like an 8-year old...

Thank you for your replies Dan and David! @Dan; thanks for the heads-up on the front pylon. Looking at pics of 1/48 Chinooks I personally never had a "Hmmm, looks weird"-moment like the Trumpeter A-7 intake and windshield -for example- gives me. So I don't think I'll try to correct it as the risk of wrecking the kit in the process isn't unthinkable! @David; thanks, I'll have a look at your build. In fact I was sort of looking if the kit has errors, since I'm not too well informed on helos and especially British ones... And since the Chinook is enjoying a long operational life (and the British have the reputation of adding all sorts of humps, lumps and bumps while adding new systems) I'm hoping to find out if I need to correct things. Example in case may be the rotor blades, I know they were replaced with laminated technology blades with a somewhat different shape. But did they have them already in 1984?... Reason for edit: typo.

Hi guys, Looking through threads on helicopters I came across the term "Crabs" when the Wessex and Sea King were discussed. It seems that it was being used when RAF-flown helo's were meant... Why is the RAF being termed like that? I mean, not armoured, not walking sideways and as for eating carrion, look no further than Little Chef-patrons along the UK Motorways!.. Very curious as to why! Cheers, Erik.

Hi guys, Are there any "problems" with the 1/48 Italeri Chinook HC.1 that need correcting? I'll probably choose the "Britforleb" version from 1984. I like those Union Jacks all over the airframe. http://img.photobuck...UK/chinook4.jpg Thanks for your input!

Okay, I've succumbed to the temptation.... I've bought a Kinetic F-86F too! (As if I didn't have any kits in my stash yet...) It's the Italeri boxing which is a bit more expensive than the Kinetic itself, but with beautiful Cartograf decals. Chances are that I'll be building "the Huff". But first Airfix' 1/72 Sabre Mk.4! Cheers, Erik.

Thanks guys! Just the info I needed!

Hi guys, The RAF option of this kit states it as: No. 112 Sqn, RAFG, Exercise "Carte Blanche", Geilenkirchen, Germany, June 1955. The instructions state that the aircraft should have a "beige" fuselage band. I take it that this was a special marking for this exercise? The photos I found on the internet of 112 Sqn Sabres show no fuselage bands at al... Is there a photo of Sabre Mk.4, XB772, "P"? Thanks in advance! Best regards, Erik.

I have no idea what Mass Effect is -apart from negatively influencing the acceleration and top speed of my Triumph- but Google was my friend: "keelah se'lai — "By the homeworld I hope to see one day." But I can relate more to what Uhtred used to say: "Wyrd bith ful araed". Cheers, Erik. Living in the ancient lands of the Saxons and the Frisians, before they took on the Britons.....