Take a stand! display or work

Once in a while, a product comes along that's so cool you figure out a need for it! My helicopters, for example, are perfectly fine sitting atop tables. But when I saw the Behr Modelltechnik display and maintenance stand, I had to order it.  At a tad more than $150 plus shipping from Germany, I invested $168 to have a cool display stand for my Vario Bell 429. 

Before I ordered the unit, I spoke directly with Behr Modelltechnik's owner, Uwe Behr.  A delightful guy, Uwe assured me that his "heavy-weight assembly stand" would easily support my 50 lb model.  The system uses the same skid clips I use to secure my model inside my transport van so I was fine with that part of the setup. What concerned me was whether the tubes would rotate under the weight of the helicopter and cause it to smash itself to bits on my garage floor.  What an inglorious ending that would be!

Much to my delight, the stand is made with super stout anodized aluminum tube and massive turnbuckle clamps that hold the structure in place. The clamps are adjustable and my skids (roughly 20" wide) easily dropped into the clips.  The key to mounting your model is BALANCE. The main shaft should be situated above the center post of the stand to ensure the least amount of rotational torque on the perpendicular support tube.  It also helps to crank the bolt down on that upper tube to prevent the entire upper assembly from rotating.  I tested this by holding the helicopter from beneath and pushing on the tail.  Now, physics has its limits and you should not apply significant forces to the nose or tail (especially the tail because of the leverage). If you need to bear down on your machine for any reason, USE A TABLE.  Otherwise, this stand makes for a professional and visually appealing way to display your model, whether at an event, the office or at home (wait, aren't those the same place these days?).

Behr Modelltechnik also makes stands for smaller models. The 700-Class unit can accommodate multiple helicopters on ONE stand.  Check out the options at their website.

Here are some shots of the stand: