Article 1.001 - How are Easy Scale fuselages easier to build than others?

Beginners new to scale and seasoned helicopter pilots who have never undertaken a scale fuselage will see everything at flying events from awesome life-like detailing that can be mistaken for a real helicopter in a photograph, to the creative models (like flying pigs) that quite eloquently express, 'Beauty is in the eye of the builder!'

When you start looking for that very first fuselage project, you should take the time to evaluate your building experience, time available to complete the project, the necessary tools required, your building environment and talk with some of the modelers who have already built the fuselage you are researching. As you will soon find out, each fuselage manufacturer has strengths and weaknesses. You have to figure out what to expect when you open your first scale fuselage, and what is pure marketing hype. That is assuming that the shipping carrier hasn't crushed your prize fuselage along the way. Double ouch when it is a painted fuselage, but more on that later.

LHC Easy Scale fuselages follow in a growing trend that has become popular since the turn of this century. Many manufacturers try to advertise the fact that their fuselages are unique, but in reality, all are manufactured by the same Chinese company in Hong Kong. Funkey (the OEM company name) has been building fiberglass models for a very long time and their quality was good from the beginning. Today with modernized facilities, their OEM business is turning out fantastic products for many of the mainstream model companies in both the model helicopter and airplane industries.

This is where it gets difficult, and we will do our best to give you the most up-to-date information about the products we are selling. We currently offer both extremes in scale fuselages. Easy Scale represent fuselages for beginners that require less work to finish but are sport scale. They do not cut out or include all of the windows in the cockpit and normally have a rather ugly seam between the front and main cabin sections. At the other extreme, we offer craftsman fuselages like the Len Mount series, which are extremely detailed, but require extensive trimming for windows, doors and access hatches. The OF fuselages like the Bell 407 do not include wood formers with the fuselage; the formers must therefore be fabricated by the builder for your particular helicopter mechanics.

It is our opinion that the Easy Scale fuselages are an excellent first scale fuselage project for a modeler who is getting started in scale helicopters. Most fuselages are available in painted versions, for those that prefer not to paint the model. Note, you will still need to fuel-proof the engine area for gas powered models, but this is minor as compared to setting up a paint booth in your basement. Not everything is done for you; work is still required to drill various holes for attachment points like landing gear, screws to attach the front cabin to the rear and appropriate cut-outs for your exhaust system and cooling shroud exit. You can feel confident that we are not in this business to play word games about how we advertise our products. We give it to you straight, we don't waste your time and ultimately you must decide for yourself how much effort you want to commit to your first scale helicopter.

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Article 1.002 - What should I know about Polyester resin fuselages?

Your new unpainted fuselage is molded using Polyester resin and lightweight fiberglass cloth with fiberglass taping in areas where additional strength is necessary. The overall surface finish is quite smooth already but it is recommended to wash all the fiberglass components in warm soapy (dish detergent) water before starting. This will remove any left over mold release agent and any greasy finger prints before your start prepping the surface. After letting everything dry, using a kitchen non-metallic (typically green) scrub pad, rub down the entire surface to remove the glossy finish. You should be done when the fiberglass has an overall dull appearance but you have not actually scratched into the surface. You can now thoroughly inspect the fiberglass seams and fill any voids, larger air bubbles and pin holes in the surface. Your final test, is to shoot the primer coat in white or light grey depending on your final paint scheme, let it dry and repeat the pin hole filling until you are satisfied with the surface quality.

If you have chosen a painted fuselage, then upon opening the shipping box you will find all of the fuselage parts carefully wrapped in tissue paper to protect the painted parts. One by one, open each section and carefully inspect the painted surface. It is normal to see a little bleeding between colors (noticed as fuzz near color borders) and the occasional pin hole or dimples in the painted surface. If you see a fingerprint or crack in the painted surface, give us a call, we will work something out to your benefit; it happens occasionally.

Even with painted fuselages, you will still need to cut a few holes or openings. For gas-powered helicopters, the appropriate exhaust hole is needed and it is common to expand or cut a completely new cooling shroud exit hole in the bottom of the fuselage. We stress the later because, we have personally seen too many 30-size maiden flights where the gas engine or the electric motor is not being adequately cooled, quits in flight and a brand new helicopter that you have just spend dozens of hours finishing is now in several pieces across the field. This can result from a simple error, as the builder thought that allowing the engine's cooling fan to dissipate inside the fuselage was ok.

Also note that with painted fuselages, each hole you cut needs to have the edges sealed. This is best accomplished with a small paint brush and clear Enamel paint. Warning, before you try any kind of paint, test it on the bottom or other insignificant area on the fuselage. At our best guess, LHC fuselages are painted with lacquer-based paints which are almost unavailable in North America, but we have never been able to get a clear answer from the manufacturer. While most common paints will work ok, you do not want to see an 'orange peel' reaction after using an untested paint on your fantastic new painted fuselage.

Adhesives: Polyester means that you cannot use Epoxy (two part mixed adhesive) to attach components to the fuselage and expect them to stay attached. From experience, choosing a medium to slow setting Cyanoacrylate glue is a much better choice for quick fixes, and larger components can be bonded using adhesive products like Pacer's Zap-A-Dap-A-Goo, Silicon Sealants and JB Weld. The important point is to use the appropriate glue for the right type of components and properly prepare the surfaces before bonding.

If your are doing large and uncomplicated repairs or are molding your own parts for your model, the best adhesive to use is obviously more Polyester resin. As with any fiberglass work, take the necessary precautions when working with these normally flammable adhesives and work in a ventilated area due to the rather unpleasant fumes from Polyester.

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Article 1.003 - What is the best method to cut holes and openings in the fiberglass?

Holes up to 5mm in diameter can be simply drilled, but large holes (exhaust pipe & cooling shroud exit) should have a pilot hole drilled first and then using a grinding stone attached to a Dremel or equivalent rotary moto-tool, open up the hole to the desired size. In many cases, a drafting circle template can make a perfect guideline to follow. If the cut-out is not round, then use the same approach to drill pilot holes near any curve inflection points and use the moto-tools cut off disks (usually stone or composite) for straight lines and the grinding stone or sanding drum to link together curved sections. Always start smaller working your way up to an outline that you have created at least 2-3mm inside of the final size. Final sanding should be done by hand using sanding blocks (flat, square and round) to achieve a perfect result.

As a reminder, if you are cutting holes in a painted fuselage, the edges should be painted with a compatible and generally fuel proof paint to 'seal' the new fiberglass you have exposed. These simple tasks are commonly overlooked and in a glow fuel environment common to most flying fields, solvents in the fuels will absorb slowly into the seam between the fiberglass and the paint. Waiting too long and the paint will soften, easily smudge, and start falling off the fuselage.

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Article 1.004 - How difficult is it to add windows in areas where there are none?

The LHC fuselages are sport-scale and when you are looking at the marketing photographs, it is common to see painted windows outlined in black pin stripping and translucent light blue fades over white. These are normally in the upper cabin and the lower cheek windows, depending on the particular model. We don't recommend it but some modelers with enough experience have been able to do a fantastic job. We don't recommend adding windows, but some modelers with enough experience have been able to do a fantastic job. We don't recommend this primarily because if it is a 30-size fuselage, then your scale helicopter is already underpowered. Even with modern 30-class engines, a fully enclosed fuselage will suffer from overheating on warmer days. Further reducing the available airflow into the fuselage will only make the situation worse. Again, an overheated engine will quit and basically fall out of the sky if you are not on-the-ball.

Another challenge is in how these fuselages have been manufactured. The LHC main cabin doors are simply panel lines along fiberglass surface and cross over the front - rear fuselage seam. Trying to transform this type of door into an operational version is not impossible, but you are in for some real work. Many of the pre-cut window openings are straight forward to glue in clear material from the inside, however some have a flange that serves two roles. Primarily, the window allows fresh into the fuselage, but the molded flange is used to strengthen an overall flat section of the cabin. Removing the flange will significant weaken the fuselage and is not recommended.

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Article 1.005 - Why is the cut-out for the cooling shroud in the wrong position?

This question speaks more to the real age of the fuselage molds. Back when these fuselages first were marketed, the most popular helicopters at the time were the Hirobo Shuttle XX and the Kyosho Concept 30. Both of these helicopter mechanics had the cooling fan shroud exhaust generally located at the back of the mechanics and the fuselages simply adopted this position.

If the manufacturer chose not to include a cutout, then there would be more crashed helicopters, because in many cases, if it isn't done already, there is a tendency to believe it is not needed. This cannot be farther from the truth on this issue. Case and point, a glow engine running on 30% nitro runs cooler than the same engine running on 15%, but the reduced flight time and that nasty white plume of exhaust smoke makes it an undesireable fuel for pilots to run in fuselage models, apart from the additional cost. So from our experience, most scalers use the lower nitro fuel which results in higher operating temperatures in a regular pod and boom helicopter with good cooling. Now comes along a fully-enclosed scale fuselage with very poor air intake and potentially worse cooling fan shroud exhaust ventilation. It is a recipe for disaster. We have been proven wrong over the years, and seen many majestic models fly with completely closed windows. This is a rarity, and should be treated as such.

Take our advice and optimize your cooling system by cutting the appropriately sized shroud hole in the bottom of the fuselage. Unsightly, maybe, but your engine will last much longer and subsequently the fuselage hopefully will give you years of enjoyment, unless you fall prey to "dumb thumbs" or mechanical mishaps.

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