# Model Bell 407 helicopter project



## RyanHaasen (Oct 29, 2011)

*Ready to build!*



















My Dad and I made a trip to the Black Forest Company today and picked up the supplies for the helicopter project. The body will be out of cherry, the main rotors will be wenge and other details will be other exotic woods such as padauk and yellowheart. This evening I laminated the sheets of cherry into a 7" by 7" by 27" (length) blank. Tomorrow the new bandsaw is going to get quite the work out cutting this baby out. Hopefully all goes well.


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## hunter71 (Sep 4, 2009)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Ready to build!*
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I saw what I thought was a helicopter in one of your pictures. Having a model to scale from is the best. Keep us posted.


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## scrollgirl (May 28, 2010)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Ready to build!*
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It will be great to see it come together. Thanks for taking the time and posting so we can be there with you. I hope all goes well!

Sheila


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## Raymond (Mar 12, 2008)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Ready to build!*
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I'm following this one.


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## RyanHaasen (Oct 29, 2011)

*Cutting Out The Basic Shape.*




























Today was the big day; cutting out the basic shape of the helicopter. I did it like you would do those scroll saw or bandsaw reindeer (cutting out two perspectives to get a final shape in the middle). I have to admit that this morning before I started I was nervous because I had never cut anything so big on the bandsaw, and messing up would be costly. The blank for the body of the copter weighed 30lbs, and was difficult to manuver around the bandsaw, even when I was constantly lubricating the table. But, it all went great, although I wish I would have worn a dust mask because I don't have dust collection and am still coughing from the dust. the next step will be cutting it in half and then temporarily glueing it back together to sand all the curves.


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## Raymond (Mar 12, 2008)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Cutting Out The Basic Shape.*
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Hi Ryan, where did you get the drawings from?


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## RyanHaasen (Oct 29, 2011)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Cutting Out The Basic Shape.*
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I drew them, using many pictures form the internet. They are still not complete, but I thought I'd do what I can.


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## FatherHooligan (Mar 27, 2008)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Cutting Out The Basic Shape.*
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A very interesting project! I am looking forward to watching your progress.


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## hunter71 (Sep 4, 2009)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Cutting Out The Basic Shape.*
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sanding compound curves are a pain. I got an inflatable drum sander sander and life got a lot better quick. There are several types out there and some just for us model builders. I would send you a picture of mine but it is 7349 miles from me now. It is especially good for "old truck" fenders and cabs. I took a look at whats available today and see some that attach to a drill for under $50, mine is bench mounted and a strong mounting seems necessary to me.


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## xwingace (Apr 25, 2011)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Cutting Out The Basic Shape.*
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Looking good! You have a G.I. Joe to go in the pilot seat?


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## RyanHaasen (Oct 29, 2011)

*Seats and rotor head.*


































Its about time to give you guys an update. I have finished the rotor head. It has almost all the same parts as the real ones, and moves in all directions (both collective and cyclic movement). I also cut the size of the main rotor blades, which are wenge. At first, the rotor head could not take the weight of the blades, so extra supports were added. The rotor head is maple and the dish on top is cherry. I also began working on the seats. I have the middle row done. They are cherry, padauk, and walnut. All made from my own plans.


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## FatherHooligan (Mar 27, 2008)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Seats and rotor head.*
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Amazing!


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## scrollgirl (May 28, 2010)

RyanHaasen said:


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Beautiful work! 

Sheila


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## hunter71 (Sep 4, 2009)

RyanHaasen said:


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Coming along nicely. What is the scale? Your dad's office will need more room soon.


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## RyanHaasen (Oct 29, 2011)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Seats and rotor head.*
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Thanks for your comments. Hunter71, it is about a 1:12 scale. It required a lot a material for the body.


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## Raymond (Mar 12, 2008)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Seats and rotor head.*
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Great work, you going to sell the drawings?


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## RyanHaasen (Oct 29, 2011)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Seats and rotor head.*
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Raymond, I'm not sure yet. I still need to find a way to copy them in full size, as they are large. When I copy them at home (the body) I have to make many different copies and line & glue them together.


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## toyguy (Nov 23, 2007)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Seats and rotor head.*
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very impressive…........


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## sras (Oct 31, 2009)

RyanHaasen said:


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Wow! The level of detail on this model is going to make this very impressive.

This is going to be fun to follow!


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## bobman58 (Mar 27, 2010)

RyanHaasen said:


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looking good ryan thats going to be very impressive when you finish it


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## RyanHaasen (Oct 29, 2011)

*Sanding and shaping.*


























In the last while, I have been sanding and shaping the helicopter. I did end up getting the pneumatic sander. It is the perfect tool for the job. I have probably spent 10 hours, but many more are to come. It is ver difficult to get it to the same shape of the real helicopter, it is still more square-ish then I would like it to be. Also just realized that the rear-bottom comes to a point, so a lot of material is yet to be removed. Thanks in advance for your comments.


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## hunter71 (Sep 4, 2009)

RyanHaasen said:


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Glad the pneumatic sander works. I use it a lot for curved surfaces, link mt International KB-6 truck.


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## sras (Oct 31, 2009)

RyanHaasen said:


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Looking good! Remember - it is harder to put wood back on…


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## RyanHaasen (Oct 29, 2011)

*Cutting the body open.*










































So fo the past while I have been sanding the body to shape. I was also doing anything I could to avoid facing the challenge of cutting the body apart. I was afraid of doing so because it is not a cheap chunk of wood, and also all the effort put into getting the shape correct shape made it more special. Then one day I decided it had to be done and I did it. And that new bandsaw got quite the workout. It did go better then I expected with the minor flaw here and there. after the walls were cut off, I cut the doors out of the walls with my scroll saw. When I was doing this I used a thin piece of plywood to make my scroll saw table bigger. Then when I went to cut, the added table was flimsy and made a slightly squiggled cut on one of my doors. It may not be noticeable to every one who sees the final product, but I will always know it is there and it really annoy me. I cannot trim it flat because it will not fit properly in the frame, so it will be something I will have to live with. By the way, any recommendations for a finish for this chopper?

Thanks for taking a look,
Ryan


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## CalgaryGeoff (Aug 10, 2011)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Cutting the body open.*
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Pretty darn cool project. Did you get a new carver? If so how you like it.

For paint color how about blue and white. Old Nova Gasline patrol choppers from the 80's & 90's. Paid my salary for a lot of years. I think they were Bell 206's.

Great job on the design you did a hand build right.


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## hunter71 (Sep 4, 2009)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Cutting the body open.*
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Looking good Ryan, I have been waiting for you to make the cuts. As for a finish, no paints, this is wood that needs to be shown off. 
Hay, get that excavator out of the sun before it has a problem.


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## Ranger97ab (Jan 23, 2012)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Cutting the body open.*
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Ya this is really Cool Ryan, awesome job so far. I also noticed the excavator in the window lol


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## RyanHaasen (Oct 29, 2011)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Cutting the body open.*
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Thanks guys. Fear not, the excavator is no longer near the window, thanks for pointing that out. @CalgaryGeoff: Yes, I did get a new carver, it the Guinevere sanding system. It does an amazing job and is perfect for this project and many more to come. I could not have done this project without it.


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## RyanHaasen (Oct 29, 2011)

*Clamping the body and adding more to the interior.*

Today was an all shop day, and it was a productive one. I clamped the body back together carefully. And of course filled some unwanted gaps, but less then I expected. It clamped together well, doing one side at a time just to make sure I was getting the best fit. Sanding was also needed to account for the displacement of material from the band saw blade when it was cut apart. I chose not to glue the roof on just for more simplicity when adding more interior components.




























The seats were set in for test fitting and they fit just as planned.










I then began working on the cockpit and the abundance of controls and gages. I finished the collective lever and started the insturment dash. To make the dials on the dash I glued Beech veneer onto the walnut casing and proceeded to drill trough the veneer to reveal the walnut beneath it.










Thanks for taking a look,

Ryan


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## hunter71 (Sep 4, 2009)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Clamping the body and adding more to the interior.*
> 
> Today was an all shop day, and it was a productive one. I clamped the body back together carefully. And of course filled some unwanted gaps, but less then I expected. It clamped together well, doing one side at a time just to make sure I was getting the best fit. Sanding was also needed to account for the displacement of material from the band saw blade when it was cut apart. I chose not to glue the roof on just for more simplicity when adding more interior components.
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Great work Ryan. Here is a 15 year old teaching a 63 year old what detail really is.


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## RyanHaasen (Oct 29, 2011)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Clamping the body and adding more to the interior.*
> 
> Today was an all shop day, and it was a productive one. I clamped the body back together carefully. And of course filled some unwanted gaps, but less then I expected. It clamped together well, doing one side at a time just to make sure I was getting the best fit. Sanding was also needed to account for the displacement of material from the band saw blade when it was cut apart. I chose not to glue the roof on just for more simplicity when adding more interior components.
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Thanks a lot Doug.


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## CalgaryGeoff (Aug 10, 2011)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Clamping the body and adding more to the interior.*
> 
> Today was an all shop day, and it was a productive one. I clamped the body back together carefully. And of course filled some unwanted gaps, but less then I expected. It clamped together well, doing one side at a time just to make sure I was getting the best fit. Sanding was also needed to account for the displacement of material from the band saw blade when it was cut apart. I chose not to glue the roof on just for more simplicity when adding more interior components.
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Very nice progress.


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## madonahills (Apr 6, 2012)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Clamping the body and adding more to the interior.*
> 
> Today was an all shop day, and it was a productive one. I clamped the body back together carefully. And of course filled some unwanted gaps, but less then I expected. It clamped together well, doing one side at a time just to make sure I was getting the best fit. Sanding was also needed to account for the displacement of material from the band saw blade when it was cut apart. I chose not to glue the roof on just for more simplicity when adding more interior components.
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I was very encouraged to find this site. I wanted to thank you for this special read. I definitely savored every little bit of it.

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## romahills (Apr 4, 2012)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Clamping the body and adding more to the interior.*
> 
> Today was an all shop day, and it was a productive one. I clamped the body back together carefully. And of course filled some unwanted gaps, but less then I expected. It clamped together well, doing one side at a time just to make sure I was getting the best fit. Sanding was also needed to account for the displacement of material from the band saw blade when it was cut apart. I chose not to glue the roof on just for more simplicity when adding more interior components.
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It is pleasure a going through your post. I have bookmarked you to check out new stuff from your side.

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## scrollgirl (May 28, 2010)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Clamping the body and adding more to the interior.*
> 
> Today was an all shop day, and it was a productive one. I clamped the body back together carefully. And of course filled some unwanted gaps, but less then I expected. It clamped together well, doing one side at a time just to make sure I was getting the best fit. Sanding was also needed to account for the displacement of material from the band saw blade when it was cut apart. I chose not to glue the roof on just for more simplicity when adding more interior components.
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I love seeing this too. The detail is amazing! It is going to be awesome when finished! (It already is!)

Keep us posted! 

Sheila


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## GrandpaLen (Mar 6, 2012)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Clamping the body and adding more to the interior.*
> 
> Today was an all shop day, and it was a productive one. I clamped the body back together carefully. And of course filled some unwanted gaps, but less then I expected. It clamped together well, doing one side at a time just to make sure I was getting the best fit. Sanding was also needed to account for the displacement of material from the band saw blade when it was cut apart. I chose not to glue the roof on just for more simplicity when adding more interior components.
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Your attention to detail is amazing. Please keep us posted as you progress through to completion.


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## HalDougherty (Jul 15, 2009)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Clamping the body and adding more to the interior.*
> 
> Today was an all shop day, and it was a productive one. I clamped the body back together carefully. And of course filled some unwanted gaps, but less then I expected. It clamped together well, doing one side at a time just to make sure I was getting the best fit. Sanding was also needed to account for the displacement of material from the band saw blade when it was cut apart. I chose not to glue the roof on just for more simplicity when adding more interior components.
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Your model is impressive now, I'll be watching to see the finished project.


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## bobkas (May 23, 2010)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Clamping the body and adding more to the interior.*
> 
> Today was an all shop day, and it was a productive one. I clamped the body back together carefully. And of course filled some unwanted gaps, but less then I expected. It clamped together well, doing one side at a time just to make sure I was getting the best fit. Sanding was also needed to account for the displacement of material from the band saw blade when it was cut apart. I chose not to glue the roof on just for more simplicity when adding more interior components.
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Just went through the rest of your projects, you really have an eye for detail. Keep up the good work, really do want to see this when you are done.


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## RyanHaasen (Oct 29, 2011)

*Rotor blades and progress on the interior.*

The past couple of days I have been working hard to make progress on the helicopter. In the past two days I have make the anti-tourque peddles, more details in the interior, and finished the the rotor blades along with attatching them to the rotor head.

Here are the anti-tourque peddles,every part is walnut and the peddles were turned on the lathe:










In the interior I added the instrument panel, the cyclic control, a bunch of switches on the roof of the cockpit (which you can not see here). Also in the rear of the interior I added A/C units along with other minor details. 

























Today I made the rotors, which was a longer process then assumed. The diameter of the entire rotor assembly in 4'. The blades have Wenge on the bottom and Padauk and Maple on the top. The thickness of each blade is 1/8", The also have an air-foil shape. it does not currently have a finish on it as I ran out of my spray-laquer. I am not sure how it will hold up with the weight of the rotors in the long run. My estimate is theat they will gradually sag down, but it is going in my Dad's office so warranty work is not a issue.


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## hunter71 (Sep 4, 2009)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Rotor blades and progress on the interior.*
> 
> The past couple of days I have been working hard to make progress on the helicopter. In the past two days I have make the anti-tourque peddles, more details in the interior, and finished the the rotor blades along with attatching them to the rotor head.
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Looks great Ryan. I would love to see it in person. 
Doug


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## jacob34 (Mar 14, 2012)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Rotor blades and progress on the interior.*
> 
> The past couple of days I have been working hard to make progress on the helicopter. In the past two days I have make the anti-tourque peddles, more details in the interior, and finished the the rotor blades along with attatching them to the rotor head.
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very nice, one of the reasons I wanted to start in wood working was seeing bad @#$# projects like this.


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## RyanHaasen (Oct 29, 2011)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Rotor blades and progress on the interior.*
> 
> The past couple of days I have been working hard to make progress on the helicopter. In the past two days I have make the anti-tourque peddles, more details in the interior, and finished the the rotor blades along with attatching them to the rotor head.
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Thanks guys. Also, Doug, have you ever been to canada?


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## RyanHaasen (Oct 29, 2011)

*Tail boom attached and the beginning of the engine housing.*

Over the past few days it has started to take the shape of a helicopter.

Here is the switch panel located on the roof of the cockpit (sorry for the poor quality of the image):









This is a photo of clamping on the tail boom. Every minute the clamp stayed on there I worried that something on the body would give, but I was lucky and all went well.









Today I just began the engine housing, it is coming together well. There a lot more to do but I am happy with it so far. 









Although there is still an extensive amount to do, the end is in sight. I have said It before and I will say it again, that grizzly bandsaw has made this project possible. It is a great machine especially for these types of projects. I don't know how I used to get by without it.

Thanks for taking a look.

Ryan


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## hunter71 (Sep 4, 2009)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Tail boom attached and the beginning of the engine housing.*
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> Over the past few days it has started to take the shape of a helicopter.
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Looking good man, I have 100 helicopters fly over me every day and I think about yours with each pass.


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## enurdat1 (Apr 1, 2012)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Tail boom attached and the beginning of the engine housing.*
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> Over the past few days it has started to take the shape of a helicopter.
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Awesome work. I am a flight nurse and love helicopters. Having built many many plastic models, I never thought of doing a wood one. I'm going to follow your and ponder the possibilities.
DT


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Tail boom attached and the beginning of the engine housing.*
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> Over the past few days it has started to take the shape of a helicopter.
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Looks just like the real thing. Great work!


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## jixxer750 (Feb 28, 2012)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Tail boom attached and the beginning of the engine housing.*
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> Over the past few days it has started to take the shape of a helicopter.
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All I can say is wow


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## sras (Oct 31, 2009)

RyanHaasen said:


> *Tail boom attached and the beginning of the engine housing.*
> 
> Over the past few days it has started to take the shape of a helicopter.
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Just got caught up. A fantastic project and a fun blog to follow. Keep up the good work!


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