BELL 47 FLOAT CONVERSION

The first job was to cut out the floats and formers, this needs to be done carefully because if to much is cut off it can't be stuck back on. I found that I had to sand the formers a little so that they fitted exactly. These were then glued in with cyano glue.
Two holes(3mm)were drilled in each lower float shell adjacent to the formers.
The carbon rods were cut to size and put through the 3mm holes in the floats, making sure they butted up against the opposite side. The whole assembly was placed on a flat surface to make sure the floats were exactly parallel to each other.
The rods were then glued to the formers and lower float shells making sure that all parts remained aligned.

Especial care was taken with the holes where the rods pass through the shells as they must be watertight. These joints were allowed to set hard before gluing the upper float shells to the lower shells; I left them overnight. When gluing the upper and lower shells work carefully because you need an absolutely watertight join.
Next thing was to remove the skid landing gear, this is where the battery holder will be glued to the battery support tongues on the landing gear. The skids were then shortened symmetrically to the point where the landing gear just rests on the two carbon fibre float joiners front and rear; then glued the together using cyano adhesive.
If a stronger join is needed wrap thread or fine wire round the joints before gluing.
I have to admit I didn't shorten my skids because I wanted the floats to be an option not a permanent fixture.
So all that was left to do was to paint the model and give it a brand new look. I used one of those portable label printers to make the lettering on the floats and heli which I think came out quite well.
The float kit does transform the heli and was not difficult to do but there are a couple of things to keep in mind, the weight and the obstruction of the airflow from the rotor will have a great effect on handling and flight times so a high quality battery in good condition is a must. It was for these two reasons that I opted for detachable floats. This was explained in the instructions and was why before I painted anything I did a mock up with elastic bands holding my float assembly to the skids so I could gauge how different the heli would behave and perform. With hindsight I believe a good modification would be to cut the centre's out of the formers to reduce weight.
The handling is noticably different and I did not get the control I like even after a lot of trimming. The pictures were took outside and there was a bit of wind so all in all it didn't perform too badly.
When I took the floats off the difference was obvious and there was control even with the wind.