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While flying the Spin-Blade is fun, it isn't ALL beer and skittles (whatever that means). Even with the cage on it, multiple crashes or blade adjustments can take its toll. If you are new to this toy, check out the Spin-Blade message board on the toymaker's website, or do more web searches. In fact, that might be how you found this page. Immediately below are some fixes that I've come up with, and which I've posted elsewhere. Clicking on the images shown in most cases will allow you to see a larger version of the same image.
The first one involves
the gyro-bar. After the shaft snapped, I stopped trying to mend it. I found
out later that the manufacturer cautions against repairing the gyro bar
because the centrifugal force generated by it spinning can cause any patches
to fail.
Here's a version of
what I've posted elsewhere:
I eventually broke
the gyro-bar near the base, inside of where the s-hook links attach.
I was able to continue
flying by first cutting the angle pieces off the base (I assume they are
for structural support). Then I took a piece of heat-shrink tubing (with
adhesive in it) and slid it onto the base. I put the broken end of the
gyro bar and put it into the opening of the shrink tubing. I heated the
tubing with a hot piece of metal, and it held for a few flights.
For later repair,
I used hot-melt glue, but that was too hard to work with, so I started
using a cyanoacrylate. I kept flying, and crashing, and my glue joint would
fail. I'd just re-glue and fly again. Finally, after one crash, the end
of the gyro bar came off again, and I lost one of the S-hooks.
I made a new S-hook
by stripping a bread twist-tie, doubling it, and twisting it tightly. Then
I cut and bent the twist tie to shape.
I had a few more good
flights from this. Finally, though, my last crash must have entangled the
free gyro bar, because I broke it again, about midway between hub and weight
end. I don't think I can glue this, because further away from the hub any
extra weight might be unstable.
Below is my linkage in place on a new gyro bar on an assembled 'copter. This particular Spin-Blade also has the lower hub repair described below. The device flies well, though doesn't respond quite the same as it did before. It's still quite maneuverable though.
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While reading through
the message boards, I found that some adjustments to the blade pitch can
be made by actually bending the blade attachment arms. There is a warning
that this can weaken the arms. This is true. While my Spin-Blade (SB) was
flying, one of the blades became loose, and I found that one of the blade
retention tabs had broken off. My fix, posted elsewhere, is shown below.
I'd been flying my
second SB pretty successfully, when my bottom hub just broke while I was
flying. Fortunately, I started hearing a slight tapping. When I flew the
SB at eye level, I could see the bottom blades lifting. When I landed it,
I saw that one of my blades was just barely hanging on by the tape. The
little tab with peg that fits over the blade and sits in the hole had snapped
off. Yes...I'd done the "flex the hub" trick. Should have used the tape
method to stablize flight.
I came up with this
fix. It seems to work. I can fly the SB. I've crashed a few times while
readjusting the blades, and so far, no further breakage.
I put a small amount
of hot-melt glue on that little "key" that's on the base of the blade.
I glued this to the "tines" still remaining on the hub. After that had
cooled and set I found a wire tie (covered with plastic, not paper). I
fit the wire through the hole on the blade. I took one end and wrapped
it aorund a fork tine from the bottom. I took the other end and wrapped
it around the opposite tine from the top. I cut off the extra, and put
a very small drop of CA adhsive where the tie hooks around the tines--hoping
it might wick into the gap. I fugured that I lost a little mass because
of the broken-off tab. I probably made up for more with all that I added,
but close to the hub there doesn't seem to be much effect. As I've said,
it *does* fly.
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This page created 12/22/2005.
Updated not yet.
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