1/4 Scale Lama - REBUILD
Michael K.
Cut the Strut!
The Lama cage comes from the factory with diagonal struts on either side. See first picture. That’s nice for strength but makes it impossible to remove the tank covers and access servos. Fortunately, Vario sells an ingenious solution (that believe Gonzalo Martínez developed) which allows you to remove the strut!
The scary part of the installation is cutting the strut. I used the largest metal cut wheel I could find and moved very slowly through the aluminum walls of the strut. Once removed, I cut 30mm from each end of the strut to account for the length of the bolted joiners.
I sanded the ends of the joiners and the insides of each tube. I used epoxy to secure the joiners. I did this in two steps; first gluing the joiners to the strut stubs on the frame. When dried, I was able to glue the joiners into the removable piece and bolt the assembly in place to ensure that the joiners would dry in the proper orientation.
It’s a wonderful option for this helicopter!
10 Comments
Hello Michael it’s terrible when something goes wrong and you end up crashing. I have a problem with my Hughes MD500E I just don’t know why it keeps loosing tail rotor. Put a new Servo on it and it worked for little while then it went bad so I put the old one back on and it worked for a little while but It’s still loosing
It. Are you going to go flying any more?
Since I'm selling the 429, I won't be flying until I fix the Lama, in all likelihood. If my Chinook gets painted soon, I'll be flying that.
Yeah, I’d say she’s doing a little dance. Not much love in that however.
Yup, I ordered a new shaft. No chances will be taken!
Nice! How does it work? Does a part of it slide after the bolts are removed?
I’ll add another picture!
I’ve had links in the past were the logo goes in. I Ive always looked at the link and determine which side needs to snap. One side you’ll be able to get both holes visible the other will only have one. You never want to force the ball-link past the small opening. It Stretches and deforms the plastic.
I’ve had problems with vario drivers and well qc in general and decided to make my own driver using Diabolo driver parts and the main hub from vario’s like yours.
Would you share your techniques in a separate post? I think many pilots (including me) would appreciate have an alternative!
Looking good Michael!