Will It Fly? Rubber Band Helicopter
by buck2217 in Living > Toys & Games
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Will It Fly? Rubber Band Helicopter
![IMG_20210823_112010.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F0V/70C2/KSN81KDN/F0V70C2KSN81KDN.jpg&filename=IMG_20210823_112010.jpg)
So NZ has gone into another snap lockdown, the garden is done, the animals are all fed and the sheep have had their feet trimmed, the chicken houses have all been repaired and the Goat hive strengthened, so what to do??
The Make it Fly contest, it's got a day left so lets get in the shed and try something, hopefully I've got all the bits knocking around in Buck's Buckets of Crap
Supplies
Plywood - Check
Plastic Sheet - Check
Lolly Sticks - Check
Glue - Check
Rubber Bands - Check
Small Cup Hooks - Check
Bandsaw - Check
Drill - Check
Sander - Check
GO GO GADGET GO
The Design
![IMG_20210801_101716.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FQW/K0HT/KSN81M38/FQWK0HTKSN81M38.jpg&filename=IMG_20210801_101716.jpg)
![IMG_20210801_103056.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F8D/WG67/KSN81LYA/F8DWG67KSN81LYA.jpg&filename=IMG_20210801_103056.jpg)
Pretty much winging it here so I freehand drew a helicopter outline on a scrap piece of 6mm plywood and cut it out using the bandsaw
Sort of resembles a Huey
The plywood was given to me ages ago free from next door who is building his house, these pieces are the window cutouts
Cut Out the Inside to Save Weight
![IMG_20210801_105724.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F3B/4ZMH/KSN81KQH/F3B4ZMHKSN81KQH.jpg&filename=IMG_20210801_105724.jpg)
Using Colin Chapmans philosophy (of Lotus Cars) first add lightness
I cut out the centre to save as much weight as possible
The Rotor Head
![IMG_20210801_110218.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FZ0/VIU8/KSN81KP1/FZ0VIU8KSN81KP1.jpg&filename=IMG_20210801_110218.jpg)
I put a small piece of plastic tube to act as a bearing and sandwiched it between 2 pieces of ply with some glue
The Rotor
![IMG_20210801_103359.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FMG/LA0X/KSN81LXT/FMGLA0XKSN81LXT.jpg&filename=IMG_20210801_103359.jpg)
![IMG_20210801_104126.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FXB/RPVB/KSN81L7U/FXBRPVBKSN81L7U.jpg&filename=IMG_20210801_104126.jpg)
Using a slat that I rescued from a broken garden chair I found in a skip I fashioned a rotor blade
This was done by sanding it on my Table Sander, Mainly done by eye but pleased with how it came out
Skids/Landing Gear
![IMG_20210802_175243.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FVW/7MVU/KSN81KP0/FVW7MVUKSN81KP0.jpg&filename=IMG_20210802_175243.jpg)
![IMG_20210802_175656.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FM4/V9UB/KSN81JHG/FM4V9UBKSN81JHG.jpg&filename=IMG_20210802_175656.jpg)
![IMG_20210802_181336.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FX8/IEX6/KSN81JHA/FX8IEX6KSN81JHA.jpg&filename=IMG_20210802_181336.jpg)
As I wanted this to stand up and be stable I cut some cross members and skids to go on the bottom again from 6mm ply
These were glued and then stapled in position
Pulleys
![IMG_20210803_084809.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F6M/P43O/KSN81K2D/F6MP43OKSN81K2D.jpg&filename=IMG_20210803_084809.jpg)
![IMG_20210803_090618.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F2G/HKDU/KSN81K25/F2GHKDUKSN81K25.jpg&filename=IMG_20210803_090618.jpg)
Using an old plastic container (previously contained firefighting foam) from the work skip I cut some circles using a punch set and made pulleys
I made 2 of each size, 1 was glued with impact adhesive the other with superglue
(the superglue ones fell apart when I tried them!)
Adding the Rotors
![IMG_20210823_104221.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F97/LKF9/KSN81JGM/F97LKF9KSN81JGM.jpg&filename=IMG_20210823_104221.jpg)
![IMG_20210823_105838.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FO0/6RYP/KSN81JGK/FO06RYPKSN81JGK.jpg&filename=IMG_20210823_105838.jpg)
Using a lolly stick (from a chupa chups) I assembled the main rotor and pulley, glued onto the stick, this was then passed through the Rotor Head Bearing Tube and cut to length, a small cup hook was the screwed into the lolly stick and another directly below
Rear Rotor
![IMG_20210823_110137.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FQL/61OV/KSN81KK8/FQL61OVKSN81KK8.jpg&filename=IMG_20210823_110137.jpg)
The Rear Rotor was assembled in a similar manner and a hole drilled in the tail and a bearing tube glued into position
My first location was too high and the rotors fouled each other so a second lower hole was drilled
Power Source and Does It Fly?
![IMG_20210823_112010.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F0V/70C2/KSN81KDN/F0V70C2KSN81KDN.jpg&filename=IMG_20210823_112010.jpg)
A rubber band was stretched between the 2 pulleys (this is to counteract torque reaction so when the main rotor turns the tail one also does)
Then a bunch (about 6) small rubber bands were hooked between the 2 cup hooks as an engine
By rotating the main rotor the bands are twisted and when released the rotor turns
So Does It Fly
well, just
I need bigger rubber bands but can't get the due to lockdown, as it is when fully "charged" it lifts about 2 inches off the ground before running out of power, I have been unable to get a picture of it in flight as I'm not quick enough with the camera