Think of it from an engineering point of view…you have not failed, you have simply reached the limit of that design. You already know what the change needs to be…it’s just the effort to get there. I personally hope you continue….I work on military aircraft and seeing this from one person is incredible! Head up and please follow your passion.
You ...cannot... quit after making so much progress. Take some time and redesign but don't quit. There is a large community of enthusiasts who will do whatever they can to help you succeed.
Ben, you are an inspiration to those of us who dream of seeing our dreams come to life. Whether or not your machine will fly, remains unknown. But by inspiring others, you have accomplished much indeed. Thank you and well done Sir.
Don't add weight to trim the aircraft. Move the weight you have got to achieve the trim. Turn the radiator over so that the inlet hose goes in at the top removing the need for a convoluted coolant pipe. I would suggest that the drive shaft should have a sliding splined portion half way along with support bearings above and below to remove any lateral movement in the CV joints.
No need for a CV joint? There's no real articulation needed so that rubber flex joint and a spline shaft would be better. Bolting a heavy CV joint onto a flex rubber is asking for a disaster IMO.,
Whatever happens, you've designed, built, and learned to fly your own helicopter. That's a pretty astonishing achievement! It's been a pleasure to follow your madness. Good luck, whatever you decide.
OH NO !!! You can't give up on your Pixie helicopter. You've done so well to get to where you are now. To design your own airplane, much less your own helicopter is an incredible achievement and watching you build up your helicopter and flying it has been great.
You still have a good air frame, components, etc! Take a break, have that think on it, and get the life critical parts/linkages correct. That shaft was dodgy at best, but you knew that. I look forward to following your continued journey. You got this.
Water is the best coolant. Even with its lower vapor point, it carries more heat per unit. One way to avoid boiling with water cooling systems is to use a higher pressure radiator cap. Large aluminum radiator with a 20psi cap is the best coolant set up by far. A corrosion inhibitor in the system would be a good idea however. Good luck with your project! Don't give up! Subscribed.
Your video popped up in my feed, a couple of things. CV joints are after the differential, normally spinning over 3 times slower than a driveline. You should try standard U-joints if possible and / or a cardan joint. As for the radiator, you shouldn't need a fan if you have a working thermostat. The water will not have time to cool if it's moving too fast through the radiator. Or set up a cycle switch for the pump so as the temp comes up it pulls in cool water then turns off until temp comes back up. Keep it up!
Please don't give up. It's the journey, not the destination, what matters. Take a small break, but not a long one, and come up with a plan. Always keep in mind that designing and building your own full-scale helicopter is a daunting task, and only a few have even attempted to do. You've already achieved a lot!! I wish you all the very best for future development of this marvellous machine. All the way from Sri Lanka - Shanaka. 😊
I am glad to hear your nervous, great sign of respect toward the machine you are handling, injuries occur once respect is lost. Respect the machine and the machine will respect you. Thanks for sharing may the Centripetal force be with you.
I really hope you can find the motivation to go on with the project I've been following along for a while and you've really inspired me to maby try something similar when I have the resources and time. I would love to see it fly again but even if it doesn't you've inspired a lot of people and I think you should be really proud of what you've achieved, cheers mate.
As far as the c v joint shaft breaking. I would go to the helicopter manufacturers, and ask them what they think would be a good shaft for your project. DO NOT GIVE UP!!!!!
Your objective was to design, build and hover your own helicopter. I'd say you achieved all of that - congratulations! How many people on this planet have achieved such a target? Sme of your hovering was better than many. I know you must be disappointed in the driveshaft failure, but you ought to view this as a success IMO. Bravo! to you!
It has been a fantastic achievement for you, and I really appreciate your story so far. Looking at your dedication so far I am sure it wont be the end, yes collective pitch is the way to go, however very easy for me to sit here and say, not very easy in practice. Look forward to seeing you back soon.
Massive achievement Mr Ben!! So glad the design features you included for safety purposes worked as needed. So impressed with how you designed and implemented your idea into the Dixey Pixie, it took a lot of time and effort that goes unseen. And then to vlog it and share it, you should feel very proud of what you have achieved. Well done mate!! 👍🙏👌👏
I hope that it is 'minor' enough (yeah, riiight) that you do not give up! It is an amazing journey and you are letting us live vicariously through you in it.
I know you will figure it out. Whether a redesign or not, you're an inspiration. I hope to see more soon. Best of luck and I'll keep a lookout for you in the future.
Good evening from Washington state USA friend, please don't give up, learn what you had done wrong, no body perfect, always learn from mistakes we have done, it will get better i support you., i watched on my smart TV . Thanks for your share and hard work. 👍👍
Hi and thanks for watching, a lot has been learnt from this project and this knowledge can be used on the next one. It was a lot of fun and more to come.
Please don’t give up. You have come leaps and bounds. I know the disappointments you’ve been through. Yes sit back a look how far you’ve come. Just think what the inventors went through, the same as you. Good luck, and I look forward to what you do next.
Don't give up. You have traveled such a log way on this journey, and we've been cheering you on all the way. In my humble opinion, the cv joint issue might be as simple as too much grease. It is not unusual that a cv joint with too much grease will blow the boot off due to expansion from the heat. Not to mention the imbalance once the grease piles up on one side of the boot. Don't give up. you're still alive, and at first, I thought thay might end the project but you have done great lol. Stay safe
It’s been fun watching you, but I would totally understand if this was the end. I’d hate to hear you were hurt or killed by continuing on out of bravado. I spent 2 days in the ICU for a failed creation of my own. There is absolutely no shame in stopping before you are hurt. That experience taught me the value of life. So please, if you do continue, do so safely.
Very wise comment. I know from experience that any flight activity is extremely unforgiving. Your family and those who care about you are trusting you to make the right decision.
I do thank you for sharing your journey thus far I hope you don't give up but in the end it's all you. Thank you again and you are a joy to watch and learn from. Good luck in you next adventure I will be waiting and watching.
Well, i've been really enthusiastic following the proyect and i think that's impressive what you have achieved, so please do not loose what you've learned and take time to redesing it, is going to be for the best and if now you were so close to getting it, then i believe that for sure you will suceed dude
In the days when I could still fly, I built an RV6-A. I spared no expense, and everything was aviation-certified. That airplane was solid as a rock, and I had no fears it would fall apart in the air. I don’t have the same feeling about that helicopter.
@@Ben-Dixey I realize that, of course. But this is a project I’d put away personally. Igor Sikorski didn’t put it away, but most people probably wouldn’t expose themselves to that level of risk.
I've tested CV joints for racing racing application & the tri-bearing style create a harmonic vibration so I expect a pair of them, especially if they're out of phase would be a failure waiting to happen. The ball style don't have any issues with that & run smooth all the way to 8k rpm. Your sliding shaft between them would need to be tested as an assembly to be sure that isn't a balance issue as well. The boots are useless at rpm & any extra grease in there will just compound the problem. I spun some cupped sheet metal covers that are just high enough to clear the ball cage & tig welded them to the joint body a little at a time to not affect the joint hardness or the grease. The hole is just big enough for shaft clearance & enough to push a small foam seal in there to keep the grease in & the dirt out. I'm also a backyard in the shed builder of theoretically impossible stuff as well so don't give up Mate! I'm just finishing a 4000hp 4WD streamliner capable of 500+ mph & that shouldn't be possible for one country bumpkin in a shed either!
Great comment thanks so much. The harmonic vibration, do you think I would have felt such a vibration ? There wasn't any indication of drive vibration that I could tell. I assumed as these joints were called constant velocity that they wouldn't need to be in phase. Interesting how you solved the boot problem, great idea. 👍
@@Ben-Dixey I built a jig to spin them & be able to change the angle on each end. The tri bearing were better in phase than out but had a hum & slight feel to them at best. I doubt you'd notice it with that 2 stroke screaming & all the rest of it doing it's stuff. The multi ball joints were quiet & smooth all the way to 7k-rpm & up to 10 degrees of angle was the most I tested to. With all your angle change being at the rotor head you might be better with just a rubber donut at the engine to soak up the harmonics & a CV at the head. I also fly a Pitbull gyro but don't need any of that shaft nonsense!😜 Keep at it M8!
Have you considered Thomas Disc couplers (often used on heli tail shafts//Very simple and light // No lubrication required) Zero backlash so no destructive resonance but they are somewhat limited on deflection angles. (+ -1 degree I think) I think the disks used are often 403 stainless and can be very thin stacks or much thicker single plates with thin legs (See Robinson tail rotor coupling)
First video of yours I've seen, subscribed and want to watch you continue this journey! There have been times where I've thought of giving up on my own airplane but the joy I've had from flying it outweighs all the frustrations it ever gave me.
I worked with industrial turbines for some years and know that shaft alignment is critical. The two main suppliers of drive shafts used were turboflex and Bibby. I feel sure you have done lots of research but maybe these firms could offer you advice which may help
With regards to the alternator output, have you tested the amps? and also you do not mention the battery, if it is lithium it can draw a lot of amps depending on charge controller. it only looks about a 10ah battery so it could be drawing 5 amps or more. If the alternator was powerful enough it would not need long for the amount of power drawn from initial starting, but if the alternator never reaches the output voltage the battery will continue to draw excessive amps. I'd like to see you fly. 20 amps is a little close for all the power being drawn. If the alternator is not directly driving the fan, that means the fan will be consuming power from the battery while the alternator can not keep up with charging causing the battery to go flat.
Hi John, the alternator was keeping up ok in the end as the battery was being charged, it was just a cable connector that vibrated loose. Didn't manage to find out what the new flight duration was before the driveshaft broke. The project is on hold for the time being. I may revisit it, I may not. but thanks for the encouragement. 👍👍
One day, when you're old, you'll look back at this video and smile, you'll also be glad that you didn't give up. Stick with it lad, you can do it. BTW which way does that fan push air? Up towards the downwash, or down towards the floor?
The CV joint is a brilliant idea, its just that the parts youre using arent up to the stresses and RPMs put upon them. You may want to consider stepping up to heavy duty racing parts or have something machined to stronger specs. Also consider looking at some kits out there- how are they doing it? someone must have had this problem and solved it too. Dont give up- Youve proven the concept works, just get back at it with beefier components.
I agree don't give up. It takes time to get it right. Try using a telescoping drive shaft instead of a CV joint. I made a UTV that had a 14 inch lift kit on it, my drive line was a telescoping axle and it worked great under the torque and driving over rough terrain.
Being careful, not flying to high, paid off. Well executed test flight. Thank you so much for sharing this epic adventure with all of us aviation enthusiasts! You could fix it, of course, but I think it is time to move on to the next project, be it a new version of Dixey Pixie or something completely different. You have gained so much knowledge and had so much exiting fun, no need to push your luck with the current design! All the best to you! :-D
just sayin id happily donate or buy a t shirt to see project V2 start happening with everything you learned from this prototype. i love the project. keep up the great work man.
you came so far, its been a great series to watch and i doubt you just want to give up now, and I dont think anyone subscribed would want you to, you'll get there just keep chipping away
hey man your videos have motivated me to take my thesis on helicopter rotor head design, Still coming up untill this point is good as it is but maybe you should try having another one cnc machined from steel(would cost 2000euros or so) and then somehow heat treat it regardless
Hi, I'm pleased you are going to be researching rotor head design. It's a fascinating subject if you ask me. Steel would be a better choice for fatigue resistance I think, I would certainly make the blade straps from steel next time.
Hey Ben! I've been watching your videos for a while now and this one actually concerned me. It wasn't the joint failure, but the harness and coolant junction issues that raised a big red flag. I feel it's time to consult with an A&P from your friendly local airfield and show them what you're doing, have them inspect it and the listen very humbly to the advice they'll give. There are best standards for working with electrical and cooling components that you're not following, and based off that I wonder what other shortcuts you're taking. That sort of experimenting is best left for machinery that doesn't fly. You're taking too many risks, even only hovering a few feet off the ground. Seeing all the encouragement is great, and you've got an enthusiastic following, but it follows the classic dunning kruger effect if none of the people following you are more educated about it than you.
@@nexpro6985 We all have differing "risk reward" calculations... Some sum on sitting on the sofa and some sum on picking up the spanners and actually doing something interesting. The former often living vicariously on the latter.
Using plastic for the cooling hose joint was certainly way below par and stupid as was the Lucas style bullet connectors. I know better without asking an expert. Decisions on how much money or time to spend on any particular item is constantly being weighed up. The hoses only have to last as long as it takes to decide if the cooling system is going to work. No point paying a lot of money for special hoses when you are just going change it soon after. If I had chosen another material for the joint I don't see the issue for its extremely short service life. I would certainly listen to anyone with aviation expertise within reason. There is a difference between standards on a prototype short test machine and a certified aircraft flying at altitudes where any failure would result in a very serious situation. The longer my machine went on the more time and money I would spend on things like the cooling and wiring. I would build a new harness with all the proper connectors. Again no point doing this when the next minute I'm adding or removing electrical components. It's a balancing act to doing what's sensible and sometime I fall short of what's sensible.
@@Ben-Dixey At three foot off the floor, you can indeed afford to push your luck :) Ill guarantee we would dot the "I's" and cross the "T's" before we had the balls to hop over a tree... Fear is a great motivator. I'm currently working on my rescue parachute in the hope that the entire aircraft could come apart but the pilot and rescue chute remain attached. A very unlikely scenario but the fear has the better of me :)
Have you considered U-joints to replace the shaft (I've done that on my race car), depending on the amount of angle you need ? you may then need a rubber damper at each end to cope with the induced irregularities in rotational speed transmission when at an angle...
I had a flight instructor tell me once "You have to remember that every part on a helicopter is working as hard as it can to become TWO parts." You just have to keep your operating total time below the performance limits of the weakest part. Looks like you just determined one of those limits "empirically"! Even so, it was a "good landing"...you walked away unscathed and you learned something in the process. Keep it up! Someone much smarter than me once said, "95% of success is just showing up"...just keep showing up! Great Work!
Thank you very much👍 and I agree with your instructor. Helicopters are so demanding of the machine to stay together. I had a lesson in a Robinson and it vibrated and shakes more than my homemade one does. Crazy but cool machines if you ask me.
Can I ask why you didn't face the radiator forward up instead of backwards down as it's facing? Wouldn't having the inlet and outlet connections facing the motor be easier than looping them around the back? (and more secure?)
Great video but you’re using the rubber guibo joint in the wrong way as they’re designed to accommodate flex. I think the adapter had a shaft to try and prevent the CV joint moving out of concentricity but it is a pretty small diameter in comparison to the weight of the CV joint and shaft. Can you solidly mount the CV to prevent it getting off centre? Is a cushioning drive even needed?
It probably can be mounted solidly and that might have solved the problem. I just worry about the torque pulses of the engine. I understand the rubber drive coupling is primarily designed for flex.
Please don't give up....please. We learn so much from every mistake be it catastrophic or a minor breakage. Your hovering is so good too, so dooo continue.... we are all with you. ❤from Rome.
Straight water actually cools better than glycol-based coolants. Glycol-based coolants really exist for their low temperature and anti-corrosion properties
I think under lift your frame is flexing, pulling on that cv shaft. Like some other posts, flip that Radiator, get a splined shaft and or look at the couplers used in marine v-drives, and large industrial motors (electric). Ya man go to full collective / Cyclic pitch.
Just in case TH-cam notification doesn't work: I have added a reply to my earlier post about a mechanically simple method to improve this machines autorotation safety. I think it can be developed for forward flight, which is necessary to convert forward KE to auto flare power. I'm subscribed so will add ideas as I see problems. Keep going...
I know you want to fly this fully - but the engineering journey can be a lot of fun - and rewarding too. So have a sleep and maybe morph what you have done into something else in a similar style. Hell, make it remote control - then you don't need to be inside it! :)
On the bright side, the safety devices saved the operator, so well done on that! would it have autorotated, or being free wheeling, was it basically going to drop like a stone if you were in the air when that broke?
Glad you didn't get hurt. If you decide to give it another go perhaps look at longer blades which ultimately means more lift at lower rpms also I know it would be a massive redesign but isn't there the ability to mount the engine so it can rock with the mainshafts? As is that primary driveshaft is under enormous stress.
If you had two single blades each with a counter weight that were several feet longer than your current blades would that not give better stability and better thrust but at slower rpm? Probably talking out of my arse but intuitively it don’t seem very stable to my eye..
I have no idea what I’m talking about but could you raise and incorporate the engine directly to upper rotational gizmo eliminating the shaft all together? Motor included might make pitch difficult or too heavy feeling? I don’t even know if “top heavy” is a concern for helicopters? Basically human cage part stationary and everything else swivel. Thanks for sharing.
It's been tried in the helitrike, th-cam.com/video/17fD4V_kUbMI/w-d-xo.html have my doubts if it would work but there is a chance it would. The builder of the helitrike didn't get to hovering stage but I don't think that it was the design at fault there.
You can see the whole belt and pulley assembly on top moving around with cyclic inputs before failing. My guess is there hasn’t been any finite stress analysis on the airframe?
Thanks for your honest frustration being expressed in the video, wish you safety for your on coming experiments! when I was small I tried to make my own helicopter at home, I remember all the frustration just to make it fly for few seconds and crash soon and need to work on for another day to fly a few more sseconds.
Your helicopter needs a through intro thru all the working parts so we can see what engineering you have or have not done. Did you go over the other designs? I'm wondering what you started with. i spent a month building a Rotorway and that was a load of fun, and similar to putting together some Ikea furnature.
is your air from the cooling fan fighting the air blowing downwards?, put the fan on the top side, so it helps push air down rather than up against the air coming from the rotors
Looking at the design, the drive shaft needs to be balanced and free from lateral vibration and forces. In particular I would engineer the engine and drive shaft to be a part of an integral structure. The rotor needs a rethink on articulation and the entire mechanism needs to be design so that an engine seizure results in the blades 'windmilling'. There is a reason helicopters are expensive as heck! If you decide to proceed, I would strongly recommend pairing-up with an aviation engineer/designer who really understands the forces involved. That said, I love the effort you've put in to this project - totally admirable and maximum effort. Well done!
Thanks for making the awesome videos! Even if you dont continue on this project please film future projects. Who knows, maybe you could keep it in the garage for a bit and take a long break. Sometimes thats how great ideas and inspiration are created.
Don't give up laddie, you hovered magnificently in the video, if I had any spare money of knowledge, you would have it, yes you may have to redesign that's part of the learning curve, what ever you decide..I hope you have a wonderful life, I've so enjoyed watching your channel 👍🏴
Buddy, keep on working... I am planning to design and make my own helicopter, the helicycle type or something akin to those... I wont look at your videos for now, but i have come to like this vid, and add your stuff to future projects playlist... I cant watch your stuff now, i have way too many projects and i still have to start getting my pilots licence before i start that project... 10 large projects and 40 smaller projects are way too much to consider this, but when my horizon clears out some, i will be here again... All the best and warmest regards along wishes of prosperity in thy projects friend... Steuss
hey fellow flier, you did a good job just making it fly. if it in your spirit to fly then never give up. you have inspired me to go back and get my scorpion out and do what you are doing. i had a similar experience as you did. at lift off my mag belt broke and i too was not too sure if flying was for me. after watching your video i have decided to restore it as it has sat for over twenty years.
@@Ben-Dixey yes it does. I wanted to upgrade the engine to the fadex system but after i contacted the factory in arizona they advised me that the frame was not designed for the upgrade.
Thanks so much for all the very kind and encouraging comments, it's quite over whelming. I will update you all with a video in due course. I have some thoughts I would like to pass on and to respond to some of the messages.
I've seen your videos recommended a couple times but dismissed them thinking that a homebuilt helicopter would never fly... But the fact that you even got a few cm off the ground and into ground effect is a HUGE achievement, even if you're having issues with cooling, the CV boots, and the drive shaft literally exploding. You've done more than most will ever do. As for giving up, I personally don't think you should. Is it a setback? Of course! But you're not starting from scratch at least. A proper collective/cyclic might help but it would vastly increase complexity, and even though I understand how single rotor collective pitch works, I wouldn't even begin to know how one would build a coaxial swashplate. It looks complicated lol. Good luck!
Think of it from an engineering point of view…you have not failed, you have simply reached the limit of that design. You already know what the change needs to be…it’s just the effort to get there. I personally hope you continue….I work on military aircraft and seeing this from one person is incredible! Head up and please follow your passion.
I love this comment with all my heart ❤️
Exactly correct here. Can see where it won't push forward more... Redesign
Yes it's hard work to do 10 - 4
You ...cannot... quit after making so much progress. Take some time and redesign but don't quit. There is a large community of enthusiasts who will do whatever they can to help you succeed.
Pure hubris.
@@kevinhornbuckle if that failure had happened midair I don’t think he would keep going forward
Quitting is perfectly wise if you do not expect to succeed - especially if continuing places your life in danger. There are bigger fish to fry.
"He died doing what he loved."
Quit! If that could work it would have been done already. Intelligence without knowledge is worthless.
I'll be honest, there is no scariest flying machine than a homemade helicopter. I really which you luck on your journey. I know you can do it!
"He didn't love crashing, probably."
Ben, you are an inspiration to those of us who dream of seeing our dreams come to life. Whether or not your machine will fly, remains unknown. But by inspiring others, you have accomplished much indeed. Thank you and well done Sir.
Don't add weight to trim the aircraft.
Move the weight you have got to achieve the trim.
Turn the radiator over so that the inlet hose goes in at the top removing the need for a convoluted coolant pipe.
I would suggest that the drive shaft should have a sliding splined portion half way along with support bearings above and below to remove any lateral movement in the CV joints.
No need for a CV joint? There's no real articulation needed so that rubber flex joint and a spline shaft would be better. Bolting a heavy CV joint onto a flex rubber is asking for a disaster IMO.,
Whatever happens, you've designed, built, and learned to fly your own helicopter. That's a pretty astonishing achievement! It's been a pleasure to follow your madness. Good luck, whatever you decide.
Thank you
OH NO !!! You can't give up on your Pixie helicopter. You've done so well to get to where you are now. To design your own airplane, much less your own helicopter is an incredible achievement and watching you build up your helicopter and flying it has been great.
You still have a good air frame, components, etc!
Take a break, have that think on it, and get the life critical parts/linkages correct. That shaft was dodgy at best, but you knew that.
I look forward to following your continued journey.
You got this.
yea, i never liked that shaft from the get-go , theres gotta be a better solution than that large housing wobbling on a set of rollers.
Well if this is the end, (I hope it isn't) then it's been a pleasure to follow your slightly mad journey.
Why is it mad ?
@@tonywright8294 because it's dangerous
Water is the best coolant. Even with its lower vapor point, it carries more heat per unit. One way to avoid boiling with water cooling systems is to use a higher pressure radiator cap. Large aluminum radiator with a 20psi cap is the best coolant set up by far. A corrosion inhibitor in the system would be a good idea however. Good luck with your project! Don't give up! Subscribed.
Your video popped up in my feed, a couple of things. CV joints are after the differential, normally spinning over 3 times slower than a driveline. You should try standard U-joints if possible and / or a cardan joint. As for the radiator, you shouldn't need a fan if you have a working thermostat. The water will not have time to cool if it's moving too fast through the radiator. Or set up a cycle switch for the pump so as the temp comes up it pulls in cool water then turns off until temp comes back up. Keep it up!
"That saved me, which was nice" - understatement of the year!
Please don't give up. It's the journey, not the destination, what matters. Take a small break, but not a long one, and come up with a plan. Always keep in mind that designing and building your own full-scale helicopter is a daunting task, and only a few have even attempted to do. You've already achieved a lot!! I wish you all the very best for future development of this marvellous machine. All the way from Sri Lanka - Shanaka. 😊
Hello from the States: do not give up! The "trying" is the thing. Your endeavor inspires us all. The "trying"is what is important!
The engineering and accomplishment are nothing short of amazing. Don't quit!
I am glad to hear your nervous, great sign of respect toward the machine you are handling, injuries occur once respect is lost. Respect the machine and the machine will respect you. Thanks for sharing may the Centripetal force be with you.
I really hope you can find the motivation to go on with the project I've been following along for a while and you've really inspired me to maby try something similar when I have the resources and time. I would love to see it fly again but even if it doesn't you've inspired a lot of people and I think you should be really proud of what you've achieved, cheers mate.
As far as the c v joint shaft breaking. I would go to the helicopter
manufacturers, and ask them what they think would be a good shaft for your project.
DO NOT GIVE UP!!!!!
Your objective was to design, build and hover your own helicopter. I'd say you achieved all of that - congratulations! How many people on this planet have achieved such a target? Sme of your hovering was better than many. I know you must be disappointed in the driveshaft failure, but you ought to view this as a success IMO. Bravo! to you!
Thank you 👍
It has been a fantastic achievement for you, and I really appreciate your story so far. Looking at your dedication so far I am sure it wont be the end, yes collective pitch is the way to go, however very easy for me to sit here and say, not very easy in practice. Look forward to seeing you back soon.
Massive achievement Mr Ben!! So glad the design features you included for safety purposes worked as needed. So impressed with how you designed and implemented your idea into the Dixey Pixie, it took a lot of time and effort that goes unseen. And then to vlog it and share it, you should feel very proud of what you have achieved. Well done mate!! 👍🙏👌👏
I hope that it is 'minor' enough (yeah, riiight) that you do not give up! It is an amazing journey and you are letting us live vicariously through you in it.
I know you will figure it out. Whether a redesign or not, you're an inspiration. I hope to see more soon. Best of luck and I'll keep a lookout for you in the future.
Great stuff Ben, that must have been a bit scary. Keep at it. It took me 12 years to sort all those problems out. 🙂
That makes me feel better Cam! 😊
Thank you.
@@Ben-Dixey Have you considered using a Thompson Coupling? They have a You Tube Vid explaining the advantages over CV drive shaft.
Not seen a Thompson coupling will have a look 👍
Good evening from Washington state USA friend, please don't give up, learn what you had done wrong, no body perfect, always learn from mistakes we have done, it will get better i support you., i watched on my smart TV . Thanks for your share and hard work. 👍👍
Hi and thanks for watching, a lot has been learnt from this project and this knowledge can be used on the next one. It was a lot of fun and more to come.
Please don’t give up. You have come leaps and bounds. I know the disappointments you’ve been through. Yes sit back a look how far you’ve come. Just think what the inventors went through, the same as you. Good luck, and I look forward to what you do next.
Have you considered just doing a shaft with u-joints and a splined slip joint?
Don't give up. You have traveled such a log way on this journey, and we've been cheering you on all the way. In my humble opinion, the cv joint issue might be as simple as too much grease. It is not unusual that a cv joint with too much grease will blow the boot off due to expansion from the heat. Not to mention the imbalance once the grease piles up on one side of the boot. Don't give up. you're still alive, and at first, I thought thay might end the project but you have done great lol. Stay safe
Question,would an old style all steel u joint from rear wheel drive auto be stronger in that application?
It’s been fun watching you, but I would totally understand if this was the end. I’d hate to hear you were hurt or killed by continuing on out of bravado. I spent 2 days in the ICU for a failed creation of my own. There is absolutely no shame in stopping before you are hurt. That experience taught me the value of life. So please, if you do continue, do so safely.
Very wise comment. I know from experience that any flight activity is extremely unforgiving. Your family and those who care about you are trusting you to make the right decision.
I do thank you for sharing your journey thus far I hope you don't give up but in the end it's all you. Thank you again and you are a joy to watch and learn from. Good luck in you next adventure I will be waiting and watching.
Well, i've been really enthusiastic following the proyect and i think that's impressive what you have achieved, so please do not loose what you've learned and take time to redesing it, is going to be for the best and if now you were so close to getting it, then i believe that for sure you will suceed dude
In the days when I could still fly, I built an RV6-A. I spared no expense, and everything was aviation-certified. That airplane was solid as a rock, and I had no fears it would fall apart in the air. I don’t have the same feeling about that helicopter.
That's great but this helicopter is not a kit like the RV-6. Different goals.
@@Ben-Dixey I realize that, of course. But this is a project I’d put away personally. Igor Sikorski didn’t put it away, but most people probably wouldn’t expose themselves to that level of risk.
I've tested CV joints for racing racing application & the tri-bearing style create a harmonic vibration so I expect a pair of them, especially if they're out of phase would be a failure waiting to happen. The ball style don't have any issues with that & run smooth all the way to 8k rpm. Your sliding shaft between them would need to be tested as an assembly to be sure that isn't a balance issue as well. The boots are useless at rpm & any extra grease in there will just compound the problem. I spun some cupped sheet metal covers that are just high enough to clear the ball cage & tig welded them to the joint body a little at a time to not affect the joint hardness or the grease. The hole is just big enough for shaft clearance & enough to push a small foam seal in there to keep the grease in & the dirt out. I'm also a backyard in the shed builder of theoretically impossible stuff as well so don't give up Mate! I'm just finishing a 4000hp 4WD streamliner capable of 500+ mph & that shouldn't be possible for one country bumpkin in a shed either!
Great comment thanks so much. The harmonic vibration, do you think I would have felt such a vibration ? There wasn't any indication of drive vibration that I could tell. I assumed as these joints were called constant velocity that they wouldn't need to be in phase. Interesting how you solved the boot problem, great idea. 👍
@@Ben-Dixey I built a jig to spin them & be able to change the angle on each end. The tri bearing were better in phase than out but had a hum & slight feel to them at best. I doubt you'd notice it with that 2 stroke screaming & all the rest of it doing it's stuff. The multi ball joints were quiet & smooth all the way to 7k-rpm & up to 10 degrees of angle was the most I tested to. With all your angle change being at the rotor head you might be better with just a rubber donut at the engine to soak up the harmonics & a CV at the head. I also fly a Pitbull gyro but don't need any of that shaft nonsense!😜 Keep at it M8!
You had two successes!
One was that you actually flew.
The other is that you landed on the ground unscathed.
Wonderful!
stay with it buddy! You have done a fantastic job with lots of hurdles. Hopefully you can work it out.
Can you use laminated flexures instead of CV joints
Have you considered Thomas Disc couplers (often used on heli tail shafts//Very simple and light // No lubrication required) Zero backlash so no destructive resonance but they are somewhat limited on deflection angles. (+ -1 degree I think)
I think the disks used are often 403 stainless and can be very thin stacks or much thicker single plates with thin legs (See Robinson tail rotor coupling)
Thanks, I like those couplings , unfortunately i need more angle and around 100mm of plunge.
First video of yours I've seen, subscribed and want to watch you continue this journey! There have been times where I've thought of giving up on my own airplane but the joy I've had from flying it outweighs all the frustrations it ever gave me.
I worked with industrial turbines for some years and know that shaft alignment is critical. The two main suppliers of drive shafts used were turboflex and Bibby. I feel sure you have done lots of research but maybe these firms could offer you advice which may help
With regards to the alternator output, have you tested the amps? and also you do not mention the battery, if it is lithium it can draw a lot of amps depending on charge controller. it only looks about a 10ah battery so it could be drawing 5 amps or more. If the alternator was powerful enough it would not need long for the amount of power drawn from initial starting, but if the alternator never reaches the output voltage the battery will continue to draw excessive amps. I'd like to see you fly. 20 amps is a little close for all the power being drawn. If the alternator is not directly driving the fan, that means the fan will be consuming power from the battery while the alternator can not keep up with charging causing the battery to go flat.
Hi John, the alternator was keeping up ok in the end as the battery was being charged, it was just a cable connector that vibrated loose. Didn't manage to find out what the new flight duration was before the driveshaft broke. The project is on hold for the time being. I may revisit it, I may not. but thanks for the encouragement. 👍👍
One day, when you're old, you'll look back at this video and smile, you'll also be glad that you didn't give up. Stick with it lad, you can do it. BTW which way does that fan push air? Up towards the downwash, or down towards the floor?
Thank you. The fan pulls through the rad.
Why are you using cable ties? You can get cv boot crimps that adjust to any size from oetiker that are designed for the application
Cable ties held last time but the boot failed. Was hoping to just find out if the boot would hold.
The CV joint is a brilliant idea, its just that the parts youre using arent up to the stresses and RPMs put upon them. You may want to consider stepping up to heavy duty racing parts or have something machined to stronger specs. Also consider looking at some kits out there- how are they doing it? someone must have had this problem and solved it too. Dont give up- Youve proven the concept works, just get back at it with beefier components.
They are too big and heavy to be going 5500 rpm, they don't do that when they are used in a vehicle, its a redesign job really.
Drive shaft pipe would be better
Certified aircraft parts are needed in this area.
I agree don't give up. It takes time to get it right.
Try using a telescoping drive shaft instead of a CV joint.
I made a UTV that had a 14 inch lift kit on it, my drive line was a telescoping axle and it worked great under the torque and driving over rough terrain.
Being careful, not flying to high, paid off. Well executed test flight. Thank you so much for sharing this epic adventure with all of us aviation enthusiasts! You could fix it, of course, but I think it is time to move on to the next project, be it a new version of Dixey Pixie or something completely different. You have gained so much knowledge and had so much exiting fun, no need to push your luck with the current design! All the best to you! :-D
Thank you and I agree. If I lived near you I would offer to help build your full scale levitator. You have certainly given me ideas with your project.
I am so so impressed. Must have balls of steel to get into such a craft and spin it up!!!!
just sayin id happily donate or buy a t shirt to see project V2 start happening with everything you learned from this prototype. i love the project. keep up the great work man.
Same I don't do that very often but I really wanna see dixey pixie fly again.
That's very thoughtful and a first 😆
you came so far, its been a great series to watch and i doubt you just want to give up now, and I dont think anyone subscribed would want you to, you'll get there just keep chipping away
hey man your videos have motivated me to take my thesis on helicopter rotor head design, Still coming up untill this point is good as it is but maybe you should try having another one cnc machined from steel(would cost 2000euros or so) and then somehow heat treat it regardless
Hi, I'm pleased you are going to be researching rotor head design. It's a fascinating subject if you ask me. Steel would be a better choice for fatigue resistance I think, I would certainly make the blade straps from steel next time.
Do you think a driveshaft with u-joints and slip yokes would be stronger? You're asking a lot of a cv joint at those blade speeds and vibration.
Yes i do but the splined slip joint allowing plunge won't work unfortunately.
Hey Ben! I've been watching your videos for a while now and this one actually concerned me. It wasn't the joint failure, but the harness and coolant junction issues that raised a big red flag. I feel it's time to consult with an A&P from your friendly local airfield and show them what you're doing, have them inspect it and the listen very humbly to the advice they'll give. There are best standards for working with electrical and cooling components that you're not following, and based off that I wonder what other shortcuts you're taking. That sort of experimenting is best left for machinery that doesn't fly.
You're taking too many risks, even only hovering a few feet off the ground.
Seeing all the encouragement is great, and you've got an enthusiastic following, but it follows the classic dunning kruger effect if none of the people following you are more educated about it than you.
this is the most sensible comment I've read on here so far. Mine was a lot harsher.
@@nexpro6985
We all have differing "risk reward" calculations... Some sum on sitting on the sofa and some sum on picking up the spanners and actually doing something interesting.
The former often living vicariously on the latter.
Using plastic for the cooling hose joint was certainly way below par and stupid as was the Lucas style bullet connectors. I know better without asking an expert. Decisions on how much money or time to spend on any particular item is constantly being weighed up. The hoses only have to last as long as it takes to decide if the cooling system is going to work. No point paying a lot of money for special hoses when you are just going change it soon after. If I had chosen another material for the joint I don't see the issue for its extremely short service life.
I would certainly listen to anyone with aviation expertise within reason. There is a difference between standards on a prototype short test machine and a certified aircraft flying at altitudes where any failure would result in a very serious situation.
The longer my machine went on the more time and money I would spend on things like the cooling and wiring. I would build a new harness with all the proper connectors. Again no point doing this when the next minute I'm adding or removing electrical components.
It's a balancing act to doing what's sensible and sometime I fall short of what's sensible.
@@Ben-Dixey
At three foot off the floor, you can indeed afford to push your luck :)
Ill guarantee we would dot the "I's" and cross the "T's" before we had the balls to hop over a tree... Fear is a great motivator.
I'm currently working on my rescue parachute in the hope that the entire aircraft could come apart but the pilot and rescue chute remain attached.
A very unlikely scenario but the fear has the better of me :)
Have you considered U-joints to replace the shaft (I've done that on my race car), depending on the amount of angle you need ? you may then need a rubber damper at each end to cope with the induced irregularities in rotational speed transmission when at an angle...
Yes, I will explain more on the next video. 👍
Glycol will be much worse than straight water unfortunately.
I had a flight instructor tell me once "You have to remember that every part on a helicopter is working as hard as it can to become TWO parts." You just have to keep your operating total time below the performance limits of the weakest part. Looks like you just determined one of those limits "empirically"! Even so, it was a "good landing"...you walked away unscathed and you learned something in the process. Keep it up! Someone much smarter than me once said, "95% of success is just showing up"...just keep showing up! Great Work!
Thank you very much👍 and I agree with your instructor. Helicopters are so demanding of the machine to stay together. I had a lesson in a Robinson and it vibrated and shakes more than my homemade one does.
Crazy but cool machines if you ask me.
Really sad to see the project end like this. You put so much effort in it.
But the truth is, it will likely never be safe enough to fly with it.
Can I ask why you didn't face the radiator forward up instead of backwards down as it's facing? Wouldn't having the inlet and outlet connections facing the motor be easier than looping them around the back? (and more secure?)
I planned for a belt driven fan on top the radiator, the big hoses would have gotten in the way at that stage.
stop. stop now. stop now before you hurt yourself badly
Don’t give up!!! Never seen your videos. This one just happened to pop up. Don’t quit!!!
Great video but you’re using the rubber guibo joint in the wrong way as they’re designed to accommodate flex. I think the adapter had a shaft to try and prevent the CV joint moving out of concentricity but it is a pretty small diameter in comparison to the weight of the CV joint and shaft. Can you solidly mount the CV to prevent it getting off centre? Is a cushioning drive even needed?
It probably can be mounted solidly and that might have solved the problem. I just worry about the torque pulses of the engine. I understand the rubber drive coupling is primarily designed for flex.
Please don't give up....please.
We learn so much from every mistake be it catastrophic or a minor breakage. Your hovering is so good too, so dooo continue.... we are all with you. ❤from Rome.
Would it autorotate had you acheived serious altitude during the rotor drive failure?
No
Straight water actually cools better than glycol-based coolants. Glycol-based coolants really exist for their low temperature and anti-corrosion properties
This is so incredibly cool. I really hope the issues can be worked out and you can take to the skies.
I think under lift your frame is flexing, pulling on that cv shaft. Like some other posts, flip that Radiator, get a splined shaft and or look at the couplers used in marine v-drives, and large industrial motors (electric). Ya man go to full collective / Cyclic pitch.
You need metal cv boot ties. Zip ties just don't have enough clamping force.
Why so much trouble with the CV joints? Are you using an automotive standard part?
Audi A4 but they didn't fail, the part I made holding straight did.
@@Ben-Dixey isn't there an automotive part made to receive that already? Why not use that?
Just in case TH-cam notification doesn't work: I have added a reply to my earlier post about a mechanically simple method to improve this machines autorotation safety. I think it can be developed for forward flight, which is necessary to convert forward KE to auto flare power. I'm subscribed so will add ideas as I see problems. Keep going...
That's incredible! I mean, very sad what happened but still an incredible accomplishment! Don't give up!
KEEP GOING!!!! 💪💪💪💪💪
This rando from South Africa has MAD respect!!!
Great Video! I'm glad you are unhurt. Take all the time you want, we have loved this project and will anxiously await any future content.
I know you want to fly this fully - but the engineering journey can be a lot of fun - and rewarding too. So have a sleep and maybe morph what you have done into something else in a similar style. Hell, make it remote control - then you don't need to be inside it! :)
On the bright side, the safety devices saved the operator, so well done on that! would it have autorotated, or being free wheeling, was it basically going to drop like a stone if you were in the air when that broke?
Yes, drop like a stone, It can't autorotate. I was never going to go above a few feet in this configuration.
@@Ben-Dixey Yea, not much fun with that. ;-)
Very interesting design so far, charge on!
is the grease in the boots throwing it out of balance at speed? Slinging to one side?
Possibly
Obviously CV boots are not designed for those rotation speeds!
What speed do car drive shafts rotate?
Yes, on most cars the cv boot wouldn't exceed 1400 rpm
What a fantastic little project. I want to watch the progress.
You’ve done an excellent job so far - don’t give up. 🙏
redesign & add regular swashplates for collective pitch & cyclic pitch controls!
Glad you didn't get hurt. If you decide to give it another go perhaps look at longer blades which ultimately means more lift at lower rpms also I know it would be a massive redesign but isn't there the ability to mount the engine so it can rock with the mainshafts? As is that primary driveshaft is under enormous stress.
Question,.... it seems that you rotor length is off by about 1/3?
What is the comment based upon ?
Dude. Keep it going. I’m cheering for you !
If you had two single blades each with a counter weight that were several feet longer than your current blades would that not give better stability and better thrust but at slower rpm? Probably talking out of my arse but intuitively it don’t seem very stable to my eye..
I have no idea what I’m talking about but could you raise and incorporate the engine directly to upper rotational gizmo eliminating the shaft all together? Motor included might make pitch difficult or too heavy feeling? I don’t even know if “top heavy” is a concern for helicopters? Basically human cage part stationary and everything else swivel. Thanks for sharing.
It's been tried in the helitrike, th-cam.com/video/17fD4V_kUbMI/w-d-xo.html have my doubts if it would work but there is a chance it would. The builder of the helitrike didn't get to hovering stage but I don't think that it was the design at fault there.
@@Ben-Dixey I really appreciate you sharing that link. I’ll check it out. I love stuff like that. Thank you.
Fascinating journey. Thanks to showing us! 💛🙏🏽
You can see the whole belt and pulley assembly on top moving around with cyclic inputs before failing. My guess is there hasn’t been any finite stress analysis on the airframe?
Try a fiber reinforced boot. Kevlar or some other high tensile strength inner webbing will help with this.
Don't give up please. It already hovered well. Every thing seems to be good except some small issues.
Great job so far! Take your time and then go on from where you are now!
Thanks for your honest frustration being expressed in the video, wish you safety for your on coming experiments! when I was small I tried to make my own helicopter at home, I remember all the frustration just to make it fly for few seconds and crash soon and need to work on for another day to fly a few more sseconds.
Have you thought about using an automotive CV axle. It would probably hold up better than the aluminum axle.
Your helicopter needs a through intro thru all the working parts so we can see what engineering you have or have not done. Did you go over the other designs? I'm wondering what you started with. i spent a month building a Rotorway and that was a load of fun, and similar to putting together some Ikea furnature.
Thanks, lots of build videos and info on my channel. It was about learning new things and skills mostly. The hovering was just the icing on the cake.
is your air from the cooling fan fighting the air blowing downwards?, put the fan on the top side, so it helps push air down rather than up against the air coming from the rotors
the fan is pulling through the radiator.
Looking at the design, the drive shaft needs to be balanced and free from lateral vibration and forces. In particular I would engineer the engine and drive shaft to be a part of an integral structure. The rotor needs a rethink on articulation and the entire mechanism needs to be design so that an engine seizure results in the blades 'windmilling'. There is a reason helicopters are expensive as heck! If you decide to proceed, I would strongly recommend pairing-up with an aviation engineer/designer who really understands the forces involved. That said, I love the effort you've put in to this project - totally admirable and maximum effort. Well done!
Thanks, I'll go into detail on the next video about all the issues with this design. I'm not sure vibration caused the failure but I could be wrong.
You can't stop. I've only just found, liked and subscribed!!
Thanks for making the awesome videos! Even if you dont continue on this project please film future projects. Who knows, maybe you could keep it in the garage for a bit and take a long break. Sometimes thats how great ideas and inspiration are created.
Don't give up laddie, you hovered magnificently in the video, if I had any spare money of knowledge, you would have it, yes you may have to redesign that's part of the learning curve, what ever you decide..I hope you have a wonderful life, I've so enjoyed watching your channel 👍🏴
Thank you 😊
Buddy, keep on working... I am planning to design and make my own helicopter, the helicycle type or something akin to those... I wont look at your videos for now, but i have come to like this vid, and add your stuff to future projects playlist... I cant watch your stuff now, i have way too many projects and i still have to start getting my pilots licence before i start that project... 10 large projects and 40 smaller projects are way too much to consider this, but when my horizon clears out some, i will be here again...
All the best and warmest regards along wishes of prosperity in thy projects friend...
Steuss
The chopper should be called "The Horse" because you'd need to be a cowboy to fly it 😁
Respect for the courage needed to do this 👍👍
hey fellow flier, you did a good job just making it fly. if it in your spirit to fly then never give up. you have inspired me to go back and get my scorpion out and do what you are doing. i had a similar experience as you did. at lift off my mag belt broke and i too was not too sure if flying was for me. after watching your video i have decided to restore it as it has sat for over twenty years.
Nice 👌, the scorpion is a great machine. Does it still have the cable collective though. ?
@@Ben-Dixey yes it does. I wanted to upgrade the engine to the fadex system but after i contacted the factory in arizona they advised me that the frame was not designed for the upgrade.
Thanks so much for all the very kind and encouraging comments, it's quite over whelming. I will update you all with a video in due course. I have some thoughts I would like to pass on and to respond to some of the messages.
I've seen your videos recommended a couple times but dismissed them thinking that a homebuilt helicopter would never fly... But the fact that you even got a few cm off the ground and into ground effect is a HUGE achievement, even if you're having issues with cooling, the CV boots, and the drive shaft literally exploding. You've done more than most will ever do. As for giving up, I personally don't think you should. Is it a setback? Of course! But you're not starting from scratch at least. A proper collective/cyclic might help but it would vastly increase complexity, and even though I understand how single rotor collective pitch works, I wouldn't even begin to know how one would build a coaxial swashplate. It looks complicated lol. Good luck!
Thank you 😊 more to come, a complete new machine or continue with what I've got. Not sure yet, so many options and possibilities.