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Antiques or Out of Business > Hirobo Falcon Oldtimer
 
 
tindra
Senior Heliman
Location: Hofterup, Sweden

I have found an old Falcon. It has never been flown and is in a really good condition. All servos and a Multiplex gyro is still in place.The engine is a HGK 45. I have full manuals for this heli and a bag of spareparts. Even the blades are in flyable condition(never installed)! Can anyone tell me if itīs an 555 or 888? The manual only says Falcon. If everything goes as planned, this bird will soon be flying.


10-04-2004 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
TMoore
rrProfessor
Location: Cookeville, TN

Possibly a 505.

TM
10-04-2004 Over year old.
 
 
Tuheliboy
Heliman
Location: Lake forest Cal

Hirobo Falcon

Hi Tindra,

I have a Falcon 888 and it doesn't look anything like the one you have, the head and the Canopy is larger. The only thing that look the same is the tail section.
The kit you have is very clean, good luck and keep em flying.

Tu
10-04-2004 Over year old.
 
 
cjperry
Senior Heliman
Location: Australia

Its not a 888 or an 808. I dont think it is a 505 as the one my mate had was fixed pitch.
Here is a photo with my mates 505 in it.

The canopy style is similar so my guess would be 555.
10-05-2004 Over year old.
 
 
tindra
Senior Heliman
Location: Hofterup, Sweden

I now believe itīs a Falcon. No numbers. The Hirobo Falcon I have seems to be the heli that the 505 was developed from. This is probably a rare bird today.
10-05-2004 Over year old.
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cjperry
Senior Heliman
Location: Australia

In that case I wouldn't be flying it. A static model it would stay.
10-05-2004 Over year old.
 
 
Derek Round
Heliman
Location: Bradford, UK

 Hi Tindra. I've just acquired a Falcon 707, and am almost at the flying stage. Only a few more jobs to do.
The mechanics look very similar, but the canopies are very different indeed. My canopy is much bigger.
Another photo without the canopy would be a great help.
Does anyone know the age of this original machine (Tindras), and the machine I have?
Interesting that yours (Tindra) has a gyro. I have installed a gyro on mine (hope to try it later without!), but the instructions have no mention of a gyro at all.
Do report back how it flies, Tindra.
Regards,
Derek
10-05-2004 Over year old.
 
 
tindra
Senior Heliman
Location: Hofterup, Sweden

I spoke to the former owner and he says itīs 28 years old. 1976. This was the first allmetal heli Hirobo made. I will take another picture of the heli without canopy later today. The bar above the rotorhead is an option. From the very beginning the paddles very moving individually together with the main rotorblades. This heli had no gyro from the beginning. It had mechanical mixing. All these parts exists but are not installed. I will build it back to itīs original status. I started up the servos and electronics yesterday, and it worked! How about that!
10-06-2004 Over year old.
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tindra
Senior Heliman
Location: Hofterup, Sweden

Herīs the pic with the canopy off!
10-06-2004 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
Derek Round
Heliman
Location: Bradford, UK

Hi Tindra,
Yes, mechanically it's very very similar indeed.
There are just minor differences in the servo layout. Mine has three servos on top,and two laying on their side underneath.
The fuel tank is identical. The middle tray does not exist, but the lower tray is a bit longer in a forwards direction.
My main frames appear identical, but are anodised red. The starter belt appears identical, as is the clutch and gears.
It sure looks like a lovely find Tindra. Do let us know how you get on flying it? Of course, I'll do the same!
Send me an e-mail, and I'll contact you direct?
Regards,
Derek.
10-06-2004 Over year old.
 
 
heli_headcase
Veteran
Location: Hovering around Atlanta

Looks Familiar

I have two Falcons in like-new condition like the one in the pictures. Yes, as best I can tell it's the first pod-&-boom heli Hirobo produced but I think it's their second machine - the Gazelle is their first.

I'm happy to see the collective pitch decoupler in the clear pictures. My Falcons don't use that device and the flybar paddles are forced to change pitch collectively with the main blades. Sure is a strange way to make a head

Couple of critical warnings:
1) Do everything possible to make sure the fan, flywheel and clutch spins with NO wobble or runout. Why? Because the engine is bolted to tabs bent from the frame aluminium and is highly susceptible to cracking.
2) The black, plastic mixing arms (inside the seesaw) are brittle and break easily. Be very gentle when installing the clevis links and avoid using any side-force on the arm.

Good luck!
Steve


HHC

So many heli's - too little time...
10-28-2004 Over year old.
 
 
tindra
Senior Heliman
Location: Hofterup, Sweden

Thank you Steve for the info.
I have replaced the black tiny mixerarms with metalarms coming from another Hirobo spare head I got with the heli! I will check the clutch and fan alignment carefully. As I understand it, the enginemounts where on later models replaced by solid enginemounts.
Peter
11-02-2004 Over year old.
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lms 6201
Heliman
Location:

hi, it is the first falcon , hirobo released in 1976\1977 , there is a falcon mark two (1978) yes these predate the 505 ,
01-08-2005 Over year old.
 
 
RAK402
Veteran
Location: Alhambra, CA

I agree with those who state that this model pre-dates the 505. We used to sell these at Hobby Shack (now Hobby People) when I worked there between 1975 ande 1980.

The 505's were sort of "autostable". When trimmed correctly, they would just sit there hovering and did not like to be disturbed (it is so long ago that it is difficult to remember). I don't know if this would be the same way or not.

I would not fly it, but would preserve it.

I am glad you posted the pictures. It was very interesting to see one of these again.
03-14-2005 Over year old.
 
 
mispamela9
Heliman
Location: Queensland.Australia

Hi.
Your heli is an original Hirobo 505 with a few mods. As advised the servo trays are not original. The original trays were made of 1/8" plywood and a different shape. It used mechanical mixing for tail control that has been omitted from your model. The mods to the head are from Hirobo's next model the 707. This model may not have been available in US.but the parts were imported to US by John Gorman of GMP. The red frames referred to were from a 555. The 505 was the first pod & boom heli that Hirobo made and came out at the same time as their scale helis including the Gazelle, Llama,Huey and 50 size Jet Ranger.
I purchased my first Hirobos in Hong Kong and was partially responsible in suggesting to John Gorman that he take on the Hirobo agency in US. He imported their scale range and numerous spare parts to make up his own line of helis.
04-11-2005 Over year old.
 
 
vertolnut
Heliman
Location: northern California

historical footnotes

I purchased my falcon 888 in 1985. Several generations after your 505. It flew great but had many improvements over earlier generation designs. I would personally display it and keep it nice. If you break any of your parts there, you will immediately be engulfed into the upgrade syndrome. The 8 mm mainshaft was upgraded to 10 mm do to loads imposed by the machines weight. Another BIG problem was that swashplate. The link balls are not co-planer so there will be a BAD controlability issue. To solve that, consider changing it with a shuttle swashplate assembly. Same shaft diameter but much improved control! Many other components on your machine are upgradeable if your want to put effort into it. GMP imported these machines and eventually spawned their own line called the COBRA. Many parts will interchange between the two heli's. Purchase yourself a copy of Ray Hostettler's heli manual from RC Modeler and you will see many of the mods I have mentioned here due to Ray's EXTENSIVE use of the GMP model throughout his manual. Also I noticed that your machine does not have the autorotation clutch unit fitted. Engine dies at altitude there goes your bird. Pick up Rays Manual and you won't regret it. Good luck.
04-15-2005 Over year old.
 
 
tindra
Senior Heliman
Location: Hofterup, Sweden

Thankīs for the info Vertolnut!
Peter
04-28-2005 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
535
Heliman
Location: Sydney Australia

Hi guys, I don't believe this machine is a 505,555, or whatever.
I have a 505, (have had it from new) it has an orange anodized frame, the rotor head is painted charcoal grey.
This bird has the same head as mine, but I have never seen a control hookup like that. The two tied together bars, on mine, are seperate, they come out alongside the flybar, and are paralell to it, pointing in the direction of the mast, they have metal balls fitted to the ends, and these go down to the control rods running off the swashplate. In actual fact the whole head design looks very much like an early Kavan Jet Ranger setup. Somebody has either put it together incorrectly, or it is earlier than my 505. The 505 also had 3 servos on the top plate, not two, like the picture.They are,Elevator, Aileron, and Tail rotor,
Below, you could fit one servo, to do throttle and collective, or if you had a flash radio,one each for throttle and collective.
And the 555, which came after the 505, was more sophisticated again, with a washout unit fitted, and other improvements. I don't know what it is, but it certainly aint, a 505,555, or 888.
Beware the fine teeth on the drive gear, which run the tail, you can damage them just be looking at them, (trust me I did it on numerous occasions, and you can'tbuy them) if you can't fly, then don't even think about it, learn first, and then give it a whirl.
I must say, a very interesting looking device, maybe this might jog somebody elses memory.
Until next time, keep the stick forward.
05-20-2005 Over year old.
 
 
heli_headcase
Veteran
Location: Hovering around Atlanta

More Info...

As stated in my first posting on this thread, I own two of these Falcons in like-new condition. I also have all paperwork and the original boxes.

If given the chance to look closely at the Falcon and the Falcon 505 you can clearly detect the evolutionary changes Hirobo made. The 505 did have the red anodized frames, a more solid, machined engine mount, a larger cabin and a (working from memory here) different servo layout.

The "contraption" mounted to the top of the rotorhead is Hirobo's 1980 attempt at an early "washout unit" or more accurately termed a "collective decoupler". This unit is clearly seen in my 1980 Hirobo full-line catalog as mounted on the rotorhead of a Hughes 500 available at that time. By 1980 the Falcon 505 had replaced the Falcon (like the model in the pictures above) and was accompanied by the Falcon 707 using the more common rotor head as used by GMP on their Cobra and the plastic "washout" assembly.

Steve


HHC

So many heli's - too little time...
05-20-2005 Over year old.
 
 
darren00
Heliman
Location: australia

Falcon 808 parts

Hello my name is darren and i am from australia and im looking for Falcon 808 tail rotor blade grips if any one knows where i may find some can you please email me at zinghini@optusnet.com.au regards darren
07-17-2006 Over year old.
 
 
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Antiques or Out of Business > Hirobo Falcon Oldtimer
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