4-Foot Tall K'nex Helipad

I've been obsessed with helicopters for some time, and I've built a good handful recently. So I figured, why not build a huge helipad that's massively oversized both in height and platform size? And alas, this was born. Good for any k'nex helicopters you build, or even using as an actual helipad for R/C helicopters.

Other than a huge sheet of cardboard and a few unnecessary pieces, most of the parts are pretty common. There isn't a whole lot of detail going into it; most of it is just the tower.

I didn't do a piece count like how I normally do, so there might be a few pieces missing. And by a few, I mean up to about 6-8.

Rods:

• Green: 24
• White: 64
• Blue: 39
• Yellow: 12
• Red: 74
• Gray: 52

Connectors:

• Red: 4
• Green: 4
• Yellow: 16
• White: 22
• Blue Slider: 44
• Gray Slider: 72

Miscellaneous:

• Gray Spacer: 12
• Round Red Cap: 4
• Round Green Cap: 4

You'll also need a sheet of cardboard that is at least 19.5"x19.5". That is the approximate final size of the pad.

The entire tower, until the top, is super simple, using very basic designs and arrangements. This step is no different. Start out by building the central square. Be sure to position the pieces in this section exactly how they are shown in the pictures. If you don't, it might cause trouble later on. However, the alignment of the gray rods throughout the tower is not important to the structural integrity of the tower, just as long as they are in place and connected on either side.

Once the bottom octagon is finished, build the start of the tower and attach it. Secure it with the gray rods as shown.

Simple enough, just make the piece shown in the first image four times and connect them. Cap it off with the square made in the fifth image and add the tower to the base. Once added, use 16 gray rods to fill in every vertical square in the tower. Again, pattern does not matter so long as the gray rods are connected across on both ends.

If you want the tower to be shorter or taller, you can add or take out sections to this part. I originally had 6 sections, but I didn't want it that tall.

This part is also really simple. Just make the pieces shown and follow along closely. When you're done, you can connect the entire section to the top of the tower. It does not matter which direction it faces, since the whole thing is symmetrical.

Simply follow along and build with the templates. If you wish to make the pad bigger, you can add a few extensions onto the four arms that extend from the center.

When building this part, be careful to connect everything and make sure it is all secure. When adding the empty support base, make sure that is all connected as well.

If you do not have the rounded caps, you do not need them. They are completely for decoration. And yes, I know they belong on the corners and not where they are here, but it was easier to place them where I did.

You'll need a large piece of cardboard for this part. The final pad should be about 19.5" (inches) wide and long, but I would recommend cutting it out just a little bigger so that you can take off more if needed. If you do make it too small, take a Y-clip and connect it to the blue rod beneath the pad that connects to the white connector with the light on it (the cap pieces). Then slide it so that it fits snug with the cardboard. Draw a circle by cutting out a rounded circle from the box you got this platform from and use it as a template. Draw an H, then you're finished.

This was a simple build with very little detail. Now you have a decent surface to take off and land helicopters on. I'm sure it could also work for small drones.

You can display your model helicopters without worrying if your cats will get to them. So far my cats haven't been dumb enough to try to jump up there. So far...

This helipad is also very modifiable. Make it your own by adding decorations and filling in some space. A few examples include an additional smaller helipad, control antenna, satellite dish, elevator/ladder, fueling station, or more.