V-22 Modifications

You didn't mention what scale.  I have a couple 1/48 kits of the first releases and thought the engines did rotate and prop/rotors turned.  Wing didn't!  I was attemting to make mine with both engines rotating together on tubing with a drive train to make the prop/rotors turn and in sync.  Also have the engine compressor fan blades turning!  Anyone know if it's worth getting the new "updated" release with refueling probe and FLIR turrent?  Any other major changes besides some other "bumps" and antenna?  I have quite a few Black Hawk kits I could rob from instead of buying another kit. 

Its a 1/48 scale model no. 2622 I believe its the updated one your talking about. I have an idea on what to do for the cargo bay door, Im going to use either a silver thread or a thin silver wire and a small magnet and two pieces of steel, mounting the magnet to the top half of door and a piece of steel on the lower door and ceiling of the cargo so that when I want cargo closed or open it will stay in place. The only thing I cant think of how to do is to make the rotors fold inward, The engine pods rotate, and make the wing rotate.

If you want to fold the rotors you are in for some delicate scratch building.  Are you planning on making them movable?  That would be a "chore".   I'm at work offshore presently.  When I get back home Tues, I'll take a few pictures of my proposed set up.  I had one side motorized and done, need to get some small dies to tread the cross tubing engine support/drive train to mount the engines on.  I used some small "slot" car electric motors and old tank gear trains to slow down the rotor speed.  To make the wing turn you would have to make a strong internal roof structure for a "turn table" pivot.  I hadn't decided on that since the folding rotors would be hard to do. 

The best way to get a V-22 to rotate the engines and wings is to hover over uneven ground in a crosswind so the ground effect will create disproportionate lift coefficients, causing the rotors to have blades strikes against the ground.  It will then flip over and the whole thing folds up into a neat little pile.

 Or you can just recalibrate the throttle settings so than one side runs a little slower than the other and get the same result. 

 Or do a mildly extreme maneuver that overstresses the wing loading and twist the whole thing into a  flaming pretzel.

 Doesn't take much .....

You best bet if your needing information or pictures on the blade fold wing stow of the MV-22B, is either look for the Bill Norton book on the Osprey, some of the pic in it were taken in Amarillo, or look for the International Air Power Review that has a spotlight on the MV-22B, 2006, Vol. 19. Just about all of the MV-22B and the CV-22B ATA, I put through functional flight test.

I noticed with the rotors it will be a chore considering part of the rotors is molded into the rotor shaft. Ive got plenty of pics and videos of a v-22 transitioning to and from storage mode. A friends idea for the engine pods to be able to rotate was to use a heavy needle and rubber grommets, but he also isnt a modeler.  I thought the rubber wouldnt hold if they were tilted forward so I was working on an idea using a transformers toy as  a reference. The little articulation click box on the arms and legs of a tformer would work perfect (theoretically) to hold the pods in any position. On a note Im not making any part of this one controlled by any motor.

Deshra,

The transformer toy joint sounds promising.  Haven't been "exposed" to any lately, both kids grown and no grandkids yet.   I just have a snug fit on the brass tubing that extends from one side to the other.  One of the many projects I started and then stopped for one reason or another. 

Plkease if you use transformertoy joint use it from a newer toy not one of the older ones, they are way too valuable.  Look on ebay for broken transformers as well.  Often have good parts you can use.

Here are four pictures of my "motorized" V-22 nacelle and pivot for the nacelle.  I made "fan" blades and glued them to a disc on the front of a gear so they would also turn when the props did.  I had planned to attach both nacelles to the cross tubing pivot so they would rotate together.  I made a "clutch" of notched brass tubing so when the electric motor stopped the rotors wouldn't come to a sudden stopage.  Only completed the one side.  I have found a source of nylon gears so I may do the other side with them and see which works the best.  When I have no idea!  Working on "one to one" home remodeling presently!   Hope this may give you some ideas or maybe improve on it.  I didn't have access to pager motors when I did this years ago! 

I'm amazed my old digital camera took such good pictures!  

I'll take luck over skill most days!

Very impressive work and ingenuity there, Mel!

Andy

 

Thanks Andy! 

Maybe I can "finish" something one of these years!   I'll drag out my 1/48 Apache with motorized drive train next since the camera is working!  Another unfinished project!