My Roban 700 Apache "Longbow" build

[DCORSAIR]

Need to know does any forum member know the contact details where I can order reverse rotation rear cascading rotor assembly as a complete kit
I also live in United Kingdom
so track and trace courier service to be added to total cost
those looking for scale pilots look at warbirdpilots.com
i would appreciate as much help as possible please or any help
thank you
john
apache AH-64D

I have really never seen a kit for the reverse cascading tail myself. I bought my Apache from my buddy and he just reversed the tail shaft bevel gear in the secondary transmission and then pin the tail rotor drive shaft or it will unscrew itself if you do reverse it. I have seen some guys make their own cascading tail rotor using two 600 or 700 Align tail rotors, there was a guy making them for people but I no longer have any info and when I did contact the guy he never responded back to me about making me one. Sorry not much help but that's how guys are reversing the tail rotor direction.

[APACHE.AH64D]

Need to know does any forum member know the contact details where I can order reverse rotation rear cascading rotor assembly as a complete kit
I also live in United Kingdom
so track and trace courier service to be added to total cost
those looking for scale pilots look at warbirdpilots.com
i would appreciate as much help as possible please or any help
thank you
john
apache AH-64D

[ElCid]

i found my pilots here .Fine Scale Modela - RC Helicopter and Accessories - Home (fine-scalemodela.com). Not cheap but lots of options

[DCORSAIR]

Could someone be kind enough to send a link for some pilots? I have been looking but its been no joy...

I have the same problem with my Cobra, just can't find the right size pilots for that thing and I have searched for them, I may have to do some customizing on some pilots, chop some legs and such...

[ElCid]

Could someone be kind enough to send a link for some pilots? I have been looking but its been no joy...

[DCORSAIR]

There you go, Gravy did the one I bought from him, it flew awesome too, I enjoyed it but man they come out heavy and not easy to transport with all that scale stuff hanging off of it...

[Gravythe clown]

Yeah it’s the umbrella gear that changes. Instead of being on the top it gets reversed and put on the bottom. Not sure if I have pics of it, but I’ll look.

Gravy

[DCORSAIR]

Yeah I don't care either, as long as they fly good is what's important to me...

[dblewis76]

I bought an Apache from a friend of mine and he did the same thing, he swapped the front tail rotor drive bevel gear around that drives the tail rotor, its so the tail rotor rotates in the right direction like the real one does, its a scale thing, I don't care myself but others do, also you have to make sure you pin the spline shafts on each end or it will unscrew the spline shafts from the drive shaft because they are just screwed in and will unscrew if you change the direction, if you leave the tail rotor rotating in the stock direction you don't have to do anything, maybe one of the other guys who have done it will explain it better than me.......

😀 I see. It was pointed out to me on my Bell 429 that the tail rotor normally cuts up into the main blade down wash for added authority, not down as on the Roban. I couldn't see how to reverse it since it is gear driven. I'll leave my Apache "non-scale" for now - works fine on the Bell 429.

[DCORSAIR]

I am in the process of assembling one myself - second Roban; first is the Bell 429 Brazilian Operator.
Why did you reverse the direction of the tail rotor rotation? And, how?

I bought an Apache from a friend of mine and he did the same thing, he swapped the front tail rotor drive bevel gear around that drives the tail rotor, its so the tail rotor rotates in the right direction like the real one does, its a scale thing, I don't care myself but others do, also you have to make sure you pin the spline shafts on each end or it will unscrew the spline shafts from the drive shaft because they are just screwed in and will unscrew if you change the direction, if you leave the tail rotor rotating in the stock direction you don't have to do anything, maybe one of the other guys who have done it will explain it better than me.......

[dblewis76]

Changed the direction of tail rotor rotation and added a cascading tail. Also made the slow speed sensors pivot. I was not a fan of simply glueing the weapons pylons to the wings as there really isn't much in the way of support structures inside the wings. My solution was to tape up the bottoms of the wings and spray a little foam into the wings at the pylon slots. Once firm I dug enough foam out of the slots to fit the tabs on the pylons and then I used Gorilla glue to secure them. Worked like a charm. The weapons pylons are solid now. I have the radio install to complete, some graphics and a little weathering. There is so much that can be done with one of these. The Roban kit is a great startingpoint.

I am in the process of assembling one myself - second Roban; first is the Bell 429 Brazilian Operator.
Why did you reverse the direction of the tail rotor rotation? And, how?

[tip22v]

This is what I have to say on stiffer springs, I have stock springs and what I like about that is, when it your spooling up or down or about to take off, the stock springs let it stay level as everthing is starting to rotate, I watched the guys with stiffer springs and when it comes time to lift off you can see the heli start to wobble and when they land it rocks from side to side more because it's springy, I left mine stock and it may not look as scale sitting but it has no rocking as it's lifting off or landing, just my say on that, and you may need to use a soldering iron on the pulley to heat it up a bit to get it off, I hate when guys do that, get to much loctite in the threads and when they screw in the set screw it gets on the shaft too, I see so many guys over loctite, just a little drop of blue loctite on the screw threads and your good to go.

I could not agree more on the over use of Locktite! I used the heat trick you suggested and it worked, thanks! I also like your thoughts on the springs in the gear. The real Apache does kneel some when it comes down on the gear, so the soft stock springs are not totally un-scale, it just does not kneel quite as much as this model does with the stock springs:). I think I will try the stock springs for the first flights, I can always add stiffer springs later if I feel the need. Thanks for the help! -Tom

[tip22v]

I bet you’ve never seen a guy under locktite though. 🤣

Gravy

LOL! After working at it for a bit and applying some heat I was finally able to get the pulley off the motor, it was like someone poured Locktite in there. The good news is I was able to make the adjustment needed on the height of the pulley and now the belt is smooth and does not rub:).

[Gravythe clown]

I bet you’ve never seen a guy under locktite though. 🤣

Gravy

[DCORSAIR]

Don't know if this thread is active or not. I just bought the Apache kit second hand, the only thing done so far is the landing gear are installed and main motor installed. This thread has been super helpful so far! I ordered the stiffer springs above. The manual I got with the kit is a photo copy of a photo copy and not very legible. I'm not looking at doing any of the mods initially, I just want to get it flying first with the stock setup. I would like to do cascading tail rotor mod down the road though. In the meantime, does anyone have any tips or things to look out for attaching the tail boom to the main fuselage section? Also, anyone have any tips for removing the motor pulley, I removed the 2 set screws but whoever put it on must have used some kind of locktight because the pulley won't come off the motor shaft. Thanks! -Tom

This is what I have to say on stiffer springs, I have stock springs and what I like about that is, when it your spooling up or down or about to take off, the stock springs let it stay level as everthing is starting to rotate, I watched the guys with stiffer springs and when it comes time to lift off you can see the heli start to wobble and when they land it rocks from side to side more because it's springy, I left mine stock and it may not look as scale sitting but it has no rocking as it's lifting off or landing, just my say on that, and you may need to use a soldering iron on the pulley to heat it up a bit to get it off, I hate when guys do that, get to much loctite in the threads and when they screw in the set screw it gets on the shaft too, I see so many guys over loctite, just a little drop of blue loctite on the screw threads and your good to go.

[tip22v]

Don't know if this thread is active or not. I just bought the Apache kit second hand, the only thing done so far is the landing gear are installed and main motor installed. This thread has been super helpful so far! I ordered the stiffer springs above. The manual I got with the kit is a photo copy of a photo copy and not very legible. I'm not looking at doing any of the mods initially, I just want to get it flying first with the stock setup. I would like to do cascading tail rotor mod down the road though. In the meantime, does anyone have any tips or things to look out for attaching the tail boom to the main fuselage section? Also, anyone have any tips for removing the motor pulley, I removed the 2 set screws but whoever put it on must have used some kind of locktight because the pulley won't come off the motor shaft. Thanks! -Tom

[RCjetdude]

Welcome to HobbySquawk. For the mains I used the springs from a set of 90mm F-16 main retract struts. For the tail wheel I bought a special spring. Shoot me a PM and I will send you one.

https://www.motionrc.com/products/fr...ing-gear-strut

[gibil_taurus]

Hi Guys,
I got my Apache second hand (never completed) and I'm working on it.
Could you please point me in the direction of the stiffer springs for the main gear? I cannot believe how soft the stock ones are... what were they thinking?

[AtomicFrawg]

I got a hardened and polished 5mm x 100mm Stainless Steel shaft from Servo City. SKU# 634278. I bought two in case I messed one up.

awesome thank you, that was what I needed.

[RCjetdude]

Quick question. I'm doing the cascading tail mod and have everything to do the conversion except the tail rotor output shaft. Would you happend to know the length you used or know what output shaft you used?

Thank you

I got a hardened and polished 5mm x 100mm Stainless Steel shaft from Servo City. SKU# 634278. I bought two in case I messed one up.