Funkey MD500D build.
I have never really been happy with the MD530E helicopter I have been flying for the last year, love the shape of the MD heli's just don't like the pointy windscreen.I finally found the Funkey MD500D fuselage, which was exactly what I had been after from day 1, so, I removed the old MD530E fuselage and it is now owned my one of the members of my flying club, and ordered the Funkey MD500D from Midland Heli's. I decided to go for the unfinished version and try my hand at the full build.
The box arrived and it was opened and quickly checked to make sure all was well, then put away until I had more time to spend on it.
Two weeks later I finally got time to open the box and do a dry assembly of my new heli, needed hardly any mods doing to get it together.
I decided to fit the same lighting kit as was on the MD530E as they were much brighter than the transmitter operated ones on my Bell 222. They were dually ordered and I decided that as this was a complete build from scratch that I would put the navigation lights on the tips of the skids where they would be on the real heli. Before fitting any of the lights, I needed to decide on the colour scheme and style of heli I wanted. So, after ages of looking round the web I finally decided on the "Tweety" heli used by Greepeace.
I now needed to find a spray shop that would be able to do
the primer and the gloss finish, so it was out with the yellow pages.
Couldn't find anywhere local so decided to have a drive up to the industrial
estate, asked at a couple of garages and was told to visit Neil at
Brolam Scooters
as he built and sprayed custom scooters. After a chat with Neil he said he
would be able to do it without a problem, so home I went to start prepping
the heli.
I started to drill and grind out the holes for the LED's, including the very
long job of fitting the nav lights into the skids.
After hours of filling, sanding and masking she was ready for the primer.
A couple of weeks later I got the call from Neil saying she was ready for collection. I got her home and started to prep her for the colour, more sanding!!,
All painted and ready for the stickers. I dropped her off at Premier Signs, another local company that I found that could do all the stickering for me.
Back from the sign shop and it's starting to look good, just needed to finish off the black on the skids and fit the exhaust.
All done, now it's back to see Neil at Brolam Scooters to get the final gloss coat on.
All done and Raptor 50 Titan fitted
