Lite Machines LMH 100 Construction Manual

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Construction Manual

cknowledgments

PATENT

NOTICE

We thank all of those people who helped make Lite Machines Corporation and the

Model 110™ helicopter possible, including our good friend Paul Klusman. The Model

110 Construction Manual and Operator's Guide were developed and computer

illustrated by Paul Klusman: engineer, test pilot and helicopter guru. We especially

thank Mom and Dad - without their help and constant encouragement we could not

have done this.

Lite Machines Corporation

Purdue Research Park

1291 Cumberland Avenue

West Lafayette, IN 47906

Tel: (765) 463-0959

Fax: (765) 463-7004

USA

Most aspects of the Lite Machines Model 110 helicopter including, but not limited to,

the main rotor, main rotor blades, tail rotor, tail rotor blades, Arlton Subrotor™

stabilizer, Arlton Gyro™ stabilizer, swashplate, fuselage structure and configuration,

radio installation configuration, landing gear, and drive train are either patented (U.S.

5305968, 5597138, 5609312, 5628620, 5749540, 5836545, 5879131, 5906476;

Australia 681287, 686883; Europe 95918276.7-2312, 95932305.6-2312,

96928019.7; France 0605656; Germany 69221307.4; U.K. 0605656), patent

pending or patent applied-for in the United States and in other counties. For

information concerning patents and licensing, please contact Lite Machines

Corporation.

Revision VP8.2 0699

Acknowledgments

David and Paul Arlton

LITE MACHINES

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Page 1 Construction Manual Acknowledgments cknowledgments We thank all of those people who helped make Lite Machines Corporation and the Model 110™ helicopter possible, including our good friend Paul Klusman. The Model 110 Construction Manual and Operator’s Guide were developed and computer illustrated by Paul Klusman: engineer, test pilot and helicopter guru.
Page 2: Table Of Contents
Friction and Binding ... . . 4-1 Balance of Rotating Assemblies ..4-2 Fastener Identification ... 4-2 Crutch Crutch Canopy Canopy Main Rotor Main Rotor Swashplate Swashplate LITE MACHINES...
Page 3 Arlton Gyro Stabilizer Arlton Gyro Stabilizer Tail Boom Tail Boom 10-1 Engine Engine 11-1 Final Assembly Final Assembly 12-1 Radio Installation Radio Installation 13-1 Pushrods and Radio Adjustment Pushrods and Radio Adjustment 14-1 Final Check Final Check 15-1 LITE MACHINES...
Page 4 Introduction ntroduction The Lite Machines Model 110ä helicopter is the first mass-produced radio controlled micro helicopter in the world. It is intended as an introductory helicopter for those modelers intrigued by helicopters and helicopter flight, but unable to justify the significant investment in time and money required for traditional helicopter models.
Page 5: Consumer Warranty
Lite Machines pertaining to any particular application is given freely as an opinion and is not meant to bind Lite Machines or in any other way modify this warranty. Since Lite Machines has no control over...
Page 6 9. No modification or amendment to this warranty will be effective unless reduced to writing and signed by an authorized representative of Lite Machines Corporation. If you do not understand any aspect of this warranty you may contact Lite Machines for clarification. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH ANY ASPECT OF THIS WARRANTY, RETURN YOUR UNASSEMBLED HELICOPTER TO YOUR PLACE OF PURCHASE FOR A REFUND.
Page 7: Fuel Safety
Model Helicopter Safety odel Helicopter Safety This section contains important safety information regarding proper handling of model-engine fuel and operation of the Lite Machines Model 110 helicopter. Fuel Safety 1. Use ONLY commercial fuel developed for model engine use. NEVER USE GASOLINE, DIESEL, OR ANY OTHER FUEL! These fuels will ruin model engines, and can explode and burn causing injury to YOU and OTHERS.
Page 8: Flight Safety
Do not fly if anything is out of the ordinary. 12. Check for hidden damage after crashing, and replace any damaged components. 13. Beginners should have the main rotors tracked, and model adjusted for flight by an experienced modeler. LITE MACHINES...
Page 9: General Safety
7. Keep your model, radio and field equipment clean and in good repair. While cleaning and maintaining your model you can often find and fix potential problems before they occur (such as loose or damaged parts). LITE MACHINES...
Page 10: Radio
This section lists the equipment, tools and materials needed to assemble and operate the Lite Machines Model 110™ helicopter. Note that a specialized helicopter radio and electronic gyro are not required. Although helicopter radios may be used, they are usually more expensive than airplane radios and do not appreciably improve the flying qualities of the Model 110 helicopter.
Page 11: Field Equipment
2. 12 volt battery and charger for electric starter 3. Lite Machines Lil’ Squeezer fuel system or fuel pump (Do not use a rubber fuel bulb or a syringe with a rubber plunger to transfer fuel because the rubber will contaminate the fuel and foul the glow plug on Norvel engines) 4.
Page 12 Dark colors cover wood grain and hide dirt and oil better than light colors.) 22. ½" camel hair paint brush (if necessary for applying dope) 23. Building surface (a 4 foot by 3 foot flat, uncluttered work surface is sufficient) LITE MACHINES...
Page 13: Friction And Binding
General Building Guidelines eneral Building Guidelines Assembling a model helicopter can be a lot of fun. As you build your Lite Machines Model 110 helicopter you will observe the function of each part and subassembly, and develop a feel for mechanical systems in general. It is important to build your own Model 110 so that you know how to maintain and repair it.
Page 14: Balance Of Rotating Assemblies
½" bolt is a number 4 bolt with 40 threads per inch that is ½ inch long. The same identification system applies to setscrews. Fig. 4-2 shows several examples of nuts, bolts, washers and setscrews at full size. Notice that bolt length does not include the bolt head, while setscrew length refers to the entire setscrew. LITE MACHINES...
Page 15 Many hardened-and-ground steel dowel pins are used in the Model 110. Pins are described in terms of their diameter and length. For example, a 1/16" x ½" pin is 1/16 inch in diameter and ½ inch long. Fig. 4-2 shows several examples of pins. LITE MACHINES...
Page 16 10 to 15 sheets of newspaper to protect the surface from glue drips and knife cuts. Collect the building supplies listed in the front of this manual and locate the Tools Bag supplied in the kit. Keep building supplies and tools nearby as you are building. LITE MACHINES...
Page 17 Insert a servo into the rear servo bay to check the fit (make sure that rubber mounting grommets are installed in the servo mounting flanges). Once you are satisfied that the lower stiffeners are positioned properly, tack-glue them to the keel with a few drops of thin CA and remove the firewall. LITE MACHINES...
Page 18 Fig. 5-2. Position the doublers using a procedure similar to that for locating the lower keel stiffeners. Tape the doublers to the keel, check the servo fit, readjust the doublers and tack-glue the doublers to the keel. LITE MACHINES...
Page 19 Keel Fore/aft cyclic servo Note: Servo wires are shown clipped for drawing clarity - do not cut your servo wire! Throttle servo Tail rotor servo Mounting screw Rubber grommet Servo Metal eyelet Keel Figure 5-3. LITE MACHINES...
Page 20 Write “UP” on the floor. Apply thick (slow setting) CA to the front landing gear doubler and place the doubler on the BACK SIDE of the front landing gear bulkhead. Make sure the doubler goes on the BACK SIDE. LITE MACHINES...
Page 21 The firewall and floor should be at right angles (90 degrees) to each other and to the keel. Note that the front landing gear bulkhead actually slants forward at the bottom (by 1.5 degrees) and so will not appear square with the floor. LITE MACHINES...
Page 22 Be careful not make the fillets behind the left firewall too large or they will interfere later with the main rotor bearing blocks. Also avoid using too much accelerator since it will bubble even thick CA and weaken the joints. LITE MACHINES...
Page 23 DO NOT APPLY DOPE OR PAINT INDOORS, AND DO NOT BRING PARTS INDOORS WHILE DRYING. THE VAPORS ARE HARMFUL AND LINGER FOR HOURS. LET THE FINAL COAT DRY OUTDOORS OVERNIGHT. LITE MACHINES...
Page 24 Make sure to leave the 1/4" (6mm) edge projection on both sides of the canopy halves (this will be trimmed later with a scissors). Canopy Canopy doubler Score line Seam reinforcement Score line Edge projection Figure 6-1. LITE MACHINES...
Page 25 When cutting hard plastic, be careful not to cut with the tips of the scissor blades because they will crack the plastic. For best results cut with the middle of the blades as shown in Fig. 6-3. LITE MACHINES...
Page 26 Canopy sail Canopy right half Remove Canopy left half Important! - leave glue lip on one canopy half Canopy seam detail Glue here Edge projection Figure 6-4. LITE MACHINES...
Page 27 Use only plastic-compatible CA glue to assemble the canopy. If you are unsure about the compatibility of a particular glue, test it on a piece of scrap plastic. Do not use glue that softens or cracks the plastic. LITE MACHINES...
Page 28 “V”-shape to hold glue Hole for rubber grommet Do not glue here Lower seam reinforcement Figure 6-6. Cut a 12" (30cm) strip of scrap canopy plastic, or a stick, to use as a glue dropper as shown in Fig.6-6. LITE MACHINES...
Page 29 Carefully peel back the remaining paper from the window decal and slowly stick the rest of the decal to the canopy. Smooth out any wrinkles as you go along. Repeat with the other side window. Fold the slitted portions of the windows onto the top of the canopy. LITE MACHINES...
Page 30 When the glue has set, drill a 1/4" (6mm) hole in the RIGHT SIDE turbine exhaust with a drill bit or the tip of a hobby knife. The fuel tank filler tube will eventually extend through this hole to make fueling easier. LITE MACHINES...
Page 31 DANGER DANGER LUFTWAFFE LUFTWAFFE LUFTWAFFE LUFTWAFFE ROYAL NAVY RETTEN RETTEN ROYAL NAVY DANGER DANGER RETTEN RETTEN ROYAL NAVY ROYAL NAVY DANGER DANGER ROYAL NAVY ROYAL NAVY ROYAL NAVY ROYAL NAVY Part Number 92234 Part Number 12035 Figure 6-9 LITE MACHINES...
Page 32 The hard plastic and the end of the pin can damage the table or counter top and cause you long-term grief with the rest of your family. LITE MACHINES...
Page 33 “six-grips”, add six degrees. When installed on the main rotor, it does not matter if the raised dots face upward or downward. Refer to the Model 110 Operator’s Guide for information on selecting blade grips for the best flight performance. LITE MACHINES...
Page 34 Make sure that the right-angle bends in the two Z-links and mixing-arm/swashplate pushrods measure exactly 90 degrees. Compare the links and pushrods to Fig. 7-3, or insert them into a mixing arm as shown, and bend slightly with a pliers if necessary. LITE MACHINES...
Page 35 A good way to adjust the mixing arms is to slowly tighten the bolts until the mixing arms start to bind, then unscrew the bolts about 1/4 turn until the mixing arms once again move freely. LITE MACHINES...
Page 36 Screw four 10-32 x 5/16" setscrew weights into ONE Subrotor blade as shown. Tighten the first setscrew only until the through-hole is blocked (tightening any further may split the plastic). THE FIRST SETSCREW MUST COMPLETELY BLOCK THE SUBROTOR PIVOT ROD THROUGH-HOLE. LITE MACHINES...
Page 37 Trim about 1/8" (3mm) off of the ends of two plastic ball-links with a hobby knife. Screw the two ball-links onto the ends of the 2-56 x 1" threaded rod to form the Subrotor pushrod. Adjust the length as shown in Fig. 7-6. LITE MACHINES...
Page 38 Push a 5x11x4mm bearing firmly into each bearing block (see Fig. 7-9) until fully seated. It is sometimes easiest to place the bearing on a hard surface and push the bearing block down over the bearing. LITE MACHINES...
Page 39 Do not be alarmed if your shaft is not perfectly straight. You will find that slight bends in the shaft do not affect flight performance as long as you balance the main rotor blades while they are mounted to the shaft. LITE MACHINES...
Page 40 Lightly tighten the setscrews in the upper bearing collar. While pulling the main shaft up against the upper bearing, push the lower bearing collar down as far as it will go against the lower ball bearing, and lightly tighten the setscrews in the lower bearing collar. LITE MACHINES...
Page 41 Add another book on top of the crutch to hold it down. Wrap a piece of masking tape around the two mixing arm pushrods to keep them from flopping around. The heavy blade of the Subrotor stabilizer will swing downward. 7-10 LITE MACHINES...
Page 42 Take care to remove only the flash, and not to change the shape of the leading edge accidentally. Clean the surface of the blades with spray glass cleaner to remove any oil or grease. LITE MACHINES 7-11...
Page 43 To increase balance sensitivity, angle the blades up slightly as shown in Fig. 7-13. Wrap a piece of stick-on trim material around the leading edge of the lighter blade and balance the rotor blades as you did the Subrotor stabilizer. 7-12 LITE MACHINES...
Page 44 Remove the masking tape from around the mixing arm pushrods, and put away the books that supported the crutch. Remove the balanced rotor head from the main shaft, and store it somewhere out of the way. LITE MACHINES 7-13...
Page 45 Fig. 8-1. Insert sixteen (16) steel ball bearings into the track formed by the inner race and race ring. The final balls may require a little force to snap into place. Apply enough Lite Lube grease (or similar) to the ball bearings to fill the space between the balls. LITE MACHINES...
Page 46 Do not accidentally tighten the bolt against the threads on the outside of the race ring. If you do, the race ring will distort and the swashplate will not work properly. LITE MACHINES...
Page 47 4-40 x 3/8" bolt and washer. To avoid stripping the hole, push the bolt into the hole while turning it, and do not over-tighten it. The fore/aft control arm should move freely. Insert the free end of each L-link into the control arm as shown. LITE MACHINES...
Page 48 To loosen a tight ball-link on a plastic ball, gently squeeze the ball-link with a pair of pliers as shown in Fig. 8-4 to deform the ball-link slightly. Be careful, you can easily crush the ball-link if it slips off the ball. LITE MACHINES...
Page 49: Arlton Gyro Stabilizer
The electronic gyro stabilizers commonly carried on model helicopters are very sensitive, but they are also relatively expensive. The Lite Machines Model 110 helicopter is equipped with a lightweight, mechanical Arlton Gyro™ stabilizer (patented with patents pending) which is built onto the tail rotor linkages and takes the place of traditional electronic systems.
Page 50 TAPERED end of each pivot pin into the holes in the pivot mount. Note that the pivot mount should be attached to the push/pull rod during assembly, or the pivot pins may block the push/pull rod hole after they are tapped-in with a hammer. LITE MACHINES...
Page 51 Wedge a hobby knife blade between the washer and spider slider, as shown in Fig. 9-2, and carefully pry the slider away from the eyelet slightly until the spider spins freely. There should be no noticeable play between the spider and slider. Apply a drop of oil to each side of the spider. LITE MACHINES...
Page 52 The threaded rods extending from the gyro paddles are also threaded inside the gyro paddles. When removing a gyro paddle in the future, grip the rod with a pliers (instead of gripping the paddle with your hand) to avoid unscrewing the paddle from the rod. LITE MACHINES...
Page 53 When reassembling the gyro after a crash, be careful to push the Z-links straight into the drive link holes so that the sharp ends of the Z-links do not cut the inside of the drive link holes and enlarge them. LITE MACHINES...
Page 54: Tail Boom
#1 teflon washer Slot Center bushing Tail rotor drive wire Tail boom Tail mounting bracket Pushrod guide #1 teflon washer Nytie Threadlock End bushing 6-32 x 3/16” setscrew Back end Front pinion gear Cut excess Front end Figure 10-1. LITE MACHINES 10-1...
Page 55 Press the hub and gear together while securing the hub to the shaft with 6-32 x 1/8" setscrews and threadlock. Make sure no threadlock gets on the tail rotor shaft inside the tail rotor hub. This will make disassembly difficult later. 10-2 LITE MACHINES...
Page 56 (this insures that the tail rotor shaft and gear are correctly positioned inside the gearbox). Make sure no threadlock gets on the tail rotor shaft inside the bearing collar. LITE MACHINES 10-3...
Page 57 Use grease to hold washers in place Figure 10-3. Screw a 4-40 x 1/4" bolt counterweight into each tail rotor blade as shown in Fig. 10-3. Do not over tighten the bolts or the plastic will split. 10-4 LITE MACHINES...
Page 58 Locate the Arlton Gyro stabilizer assembly you built previously. Loosen the 6-32 setscrew in the pivot mount, and remove the push/pull rod. Place a few drops of oil on the push/pull rod and slide it through the tail rotor shaft as shown in Fig. 10-4. LITE MACHINES 10-5...
Page 59 Tilt the gyro back and forth about the pivot pins. It should move very freely. If it does not, locate and eliminate the cause of friction or binding. 10-6 LITE MACHINES...
Page 60: Engine
Place a drop of threadlock onto the threaded portion of the clutch shaft, and screw the assembly onto the front of the engine. Tighten the shaft with a small wrench (use another wrench on the prop washer to keep the crankshaft from turning). LITE MACHINES 11-1...
Page 61 Place a SpiraLite Speed or Freedom XL glow plug on top of the washers, and screw the heat sink into the cylinder. Grip the heat sink with a cloth while tightening it. 11-2 LITE MACHINES...
Page 62 Construction Manual Engine 2-4 glow plug washers Glow plug Heat sink Figure 11-3. LITE MACHINES 11-3...
Page 63: Final Assembly
- you will need to use the radio in the next section. Rear strut Front strut Skid Figure 12-1. Attach the plastic landing gear skids to the wire landing gear struts as shown. Note that the front and rear struts are different. LITE MACHINES 12-1...
Page 64: Final Assembly
(see Fig. 7-9 if necessary) in order to adjust the height of the shaft. Move the shaft up or down until the Subrotor stabilizer and follower arm are level with the swashplate and fore/aft control arm as shown in Fig. 12-3. 12-2 LITE MACHINES...
Page 65 Snap the mixing arm pushrods onto the two free swashplate universal balls. Adjust the length of the pushrods if necessary to prevent the rotor head from binding (final adjustments will be made later while flying). Make sure the pushrods are of equal length. LITE MACHINES 12-3...
Page 66 Rotate the tail tube until the tail fin is vertical (and the tail rotor shaft is horizontal). When the tail boom is properly positioned, tighten the three mounting bracket bolts to secure the tail tube to the crutch 12-4 LITE MACHINES...
Page 67 Rotate the tail rotor 180 degrees and set the pitch of the other paddle as in the previous step. The actual paddle pitch is not critical, but try to pitch the two paddles to the same angle. LITE MACHINES 12-5...
Page 68 Bolt the engine/clutch assembly to the crutch with four 4-40 x 3/8" bolts, washers and nylock nuts as shown (this may be easier if the heat sink and glow plug are removed). Tighten the bolts until the crutch plywood compresses slightly. 12-6 LITE MACHINES...
Page 69 Once positioned properly, completely tighten all of the upper and lower bearing block bolts. Make sure not to over-tighten the bolts, or the nuts will spin in the bearing block nut recesses. LITE MACHINES 12-7...
Page 70 Fig. 12-8. Insert the filler tube into the top of the fuel tank, and push it into the sump at the bottom of the tank. Small fuel tubing 2-7/8” long (73 mm) Aluminum 8” nytie filler tube tank strap Tank Do not clip ends! Figure 12-9. 12-8 LITE MACHINES...
Page 71 Clip the ends of the tank straps and nyties with a hobby knife (this is a little tricky since one of the nyties is behind the main shaft). LITE MACHINES 12-9...
Page 72 Attach one end of a 2-7/8" (73mm) length of silicone fuel tubing to the sump on the tank, and the other end to the fuel inlet on the engine. Note that the fuel line passes through the grommet in the crutch (see Fig. 12-10). 12-10 LITE MACHINES...
Page 73: Radio Installation
Focus 4 radio system, plug right/left cyclic into slot 1, fore/aft cyclic into slot 2, throttle into slot 3, tail rotor into slot 4 and the battery switch into slot B/8. Temporarily install a servo arm onto each servo (the arms do not have to look like the ones in Fig. 13-2). LITE MACHINES 13-1...
Page 74 Construction Manual Radio Installation Whip antennae On/off switch Battery 1/8” black foam tape Wrap with tape and cover with plastic bag (not shown) Receiver 1/4” foam padding Figure 13-1. 13-2 LITE MACHINES...
Page 75 Construction Manual Radio Installation Left tail-rotor Aft cyclic Right tail-rotor Receiver High throttle Low throttle Forward cyclic Paperclip wire (attach Note: radio wires to ON/OFF switch not shown Left cyclic Battery Rubber bands Right cyclic Figure 13-2. LITE MACHINES 13-3...
Page 76 Notice how the four trim levers immediately below and beside the control sticks on the transmitter operate. Each trim lever controls the neutral point of one of the servos. When you finish checking the controls, turn the transmitter and receiver off. 13-4 LITE MACHINES...
Page 77: Pushrods And Radio Adjustment
When the solder melts, push the wire all the way into the coupler and continue heating for five to ten seconds. Shave off any solder drips with a hobby knife when cool (be careful not to cut yourself). LITE MACHINES 14-1...
Page 78 Fig. 14-3. Leave the transmitter and receiver on while installing the pushrods. 14-2 LITE MACHINES...
Page 79 Construction Manual Pushrods and Radio Adjustment Power “ON” Throttle stick low Throttle trim low Figure 14-3. LITE MACHINES 14-3...
Page 80 Construction Manual Pushrods and Radio Adjustment Fore/aft Servo cyclic wheel 90 deg. radius Tail rotor 20 deg. 45 deg. Throttle Note: Radio wires not shown Left/right cyclic Level 90 deg. Level Figure 14-4 14-4 LITE MACHINES...
Page 81 90 degrees will travel more in one direction than the other. This effect is called “differential throw”. Differential throw is useful on controls that need to move more in one direction than in the other (such as the tail rotor). LITE MACHINES 14-5...
Page 82 Snap the pushrod into the guide in the middle of the tail boom, and bend the pushrod as needed to clear the tail boom bracket and engine. Rotate the pushrod guide if necessary to help align the pushrod. 14-6 LITE MACHINES...
Page 83 (the angle doesn’t have to be exact). Secure the servo wheel with a servo wheel screw. Adjust the clevis on the tail rotor pushrod until the long arm of the tail rotor bellcrank is square (makes a 90 degree angle) with the tail boom as shown in Fig. 14-6 . LITE MACHINES 14-7...
Page 84 Slide the Vmax-6 throttle/muffler onto the throttle valve and secure the throttle/muffler to the engine with the muffler strap, 4-40 x 1-1/4" bolts and threadlock as shown in Fig. 14-7. Screw the bolts completely through the muffler chamber and tighten them against the opposite inside wall. 14-8 LITE MACHINES...
Page 85 Fig. 14-8. High Throttle Stick high Valve open Trim high 48” (12 mm) Figure 14-9. LITE MACHINES 14-9...
Page 86 Your Model 110 helicopter should look like Fig. 14-10. Snap pushrod into guide Bend tail rotor Nytie hole pushrod to clear engine and tailboom bracket Nytie hole Do not route antenna next to servo wires Figure 14-10. 14-10 LITE MACHINES...
Page 87: Final Check
(with the tail boom parallel to the ground) or slightly nose-low. If the tail hangs low, your helicopter could become unstable in forward flight. Add weight between the battery and crutch to correct this tail-heavy condition. LITE MACHINES...
Page 88 Your Model 110 is done! Take lots of pictures - this is as clean and shiny as it will ever be. Show it to your friends and family, and convince them to buy one. Hint: DO NOT THROW AWAY THIS CONSTRUCTION MANUAL. You may wish to refer to it when repairing your Model 110. LITE MACHINES...
Page 89 Construction Manual LITE MACHINES...

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