Helicopter!!

The helicopter was finished in time for Xander's birthday and it was a hit! Here it is on it's maiden voyage. I did add a couple of handles on each side to facilitate easier access after this picture was taken and our neighbor painted a bumble bee on it and painted "The Stinger". I'll put more pictures up later with that.

THANKS MANDY FOR THE BUMBLEBEE IDEA FOR THE PAINT THEME!

As you can see in the picture below it is complete with a ceiling fan for the top propeller and 2 smaller fans for rear propellers. You have twice the turning power with 2 rear props. There is also a CB antenna for calling in backup (not needed with the flying ace pictured below).



Inside the cab we have fan switches up above and a telephone in the rear. The dash has the original steering wheels (I don't know what you call a steering wheel in a helicopter), original fuel and oil gauges, a video tracking device and another button.




A plexiglass windshield keeps the bugs out when you are traveling through hyperspace. It ain't like dustin' crops, boy!

more helicopter

This was last weekend when I started assembling the new helicopter by using the old one as a template. I borrowed my neighbors jigsaw to make all of the circular cuts and it was a lifesaver.



Our neighbors were throwing out a ceiling fan so it became the propeller.



The landing gear.


Another neighbor built a fence last year out of lattice. I used some of his broken leftover pieces for the rear tail.



I still need the rear propeller. I'm paying a coworker to fashion something for me. Hopefully he'll have that to me this week.



I started painting this weekend and put 2 coats on and realized that the plywood was going to suck all the paint up and I needed primer. So then I ran out and bought some primer and primed it. I need to put another coat on there then I'll go back to painting. It should look like a giant bumblebee when I'm done.

coffeetable

I fixed up a coffetable for Sergey. He built it last summer and the top wasn't sanded down enough so when it was stained it looked terrible. So I sanded it all down.


Xander helped too.



And put 3 or 4 coats on the top surface, 2 or 3 on everything else. It turned out pretty good.

helicopter updates

While completing the helicopter tear down I found the turbo's under the seat.

Whew! I thought they were lost! They were also there with a mighty huge mouse house. Full of dirt and poop and stink. Those boards will need replacing.


Today I spent the morning buying new parts and using my new (craigslist) table saw to make the back, top, and bottom pieces. I had to borrow my neighbors jigsaw to make the round cuts for the sides. I tried using the router for the windows in the back wall and they turned out terrible and I had to recut the back wall. A jigsaw was my only option. The sides don't match perfectly, but neither did the originals.


Tomorrow I plan on assembling the cabin and maybe build the skids.

Oh, and the only thing I was able to keep was the pvc. Plastic lasts forever, plywood doesn't. I thought I might be able to keep the steps, but I realized that even those are rotted out.

And thanks Mandy for the paint theme idea! I'll go with the bumblebee colors. I'm going to try and commission the neighbor lady to paint a tough looking bumblebee on the sides.

the story of a boy and his helicopter

When I was a mere boy, my grandpa built me a helicopter. It was made out of pvc pipes, plywood, 2x4s and had a cb. It didn't fly, but it was really cool. So now, years gone by, the helicopter was passed to my cousins and now it has been passed to Xander and Josie. Being that it is made of plywood and is more than 25 years old it needs some rework.

Here is a picture before I started the rework. That's the plexiglass window in the cockpit. The rod across the front is a support.


Here is an interesting fact about my grandpa, he only bought green and yellow paint. I swear. And my uncle kept with that same theme when he repainted it for my cousins, but just a different shade.

Here is a picture of the propeller, it's going to be replaced. Can't fly rescue missions with a bum whirlybird.




After Xander got up from his nap he helped me take the rear rudder and the roof off.



The rear rudder is broken in the middle and needs to be replaced. The part where it is broken is where the rear roof fastened to the rear tail.


Here are the cockpit controls. No wonder it never flew, no fuel or oil. I'll have to add some more switches and buttons. Another 10 or so just might send Xander into toddler ecstasy. That boy loves switches.



I got all the parts with it except for the turbo pipes. Those were just 5" diameter pvc pipes mounted on the rear roof.

Any suggestions on color?

gross

I was helping my brother in law move last night and boy do I have stories for you!

I was holding one end of a loveseat, we turned it upside down to set it in the back of the truck and as we did a fingernail clipping fell out onto my arm. How disgusting is that?

In his defense this is a hand-me-down couch and who has done what on it. Still, someone chewed on their fingernail and either spit/dropped/threw/lost it in the loveseat.

The fingernail was in addition to all the crumbs other clods of dirt that fell out of it when we turned it over. The fingernail just happened to land on my arm and not bounce off.

Vick

Did Michael Vick commit a crime?
Yes.

Did Micheal Vick go to jail for the crime he committed?
Yes.

Does Micheal Vick deserve to be figuratively nailed to a cross for the rest of his life for the crime he paid for with jail time?
No. Leave him alone.