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Antiques or Out of Business > american r/c helicopters

tonysrepair
Veteran
Location: portland oregon

Does anyone know anything about a american r/c helicopters mantis made in the late 70's to early 80's . We just aquired one at a model engine swap meet in washington . We are restoring it for flight and We would like to know if it is to rare to be flying . It has a k&b 40 motor It looks like it takes a belt , or large o-ring to start the engine . I will try to submit a picture this evening so you can see what it looks like .
thanks Tony R.

06-27-2002 Over year old.

KCorning
Senior Heliman
Location: Northern Lower Michigan

Run Forrest run!

I had one back in 1984. Being a poor American 19-year old, I had no money for repairs even though parts were pretty cheap. You'll have your hands full trying to fly it. Better to make it all pretty and hang it from the ceiling.

Yes, there was this funky green cord that had an eyescrew in each end. You looped this around the fan on the engine and connected the eyescrews. You needed a starter with a groove in it. It was real exciting getting the engine to start with those eyescrews rattling around the starter.

If you're really set on flying it, make sure the video cameras are running on the first flight! You could use a starter belt that the boat guys use.

My gallery has some pics of my Mantis. Sorry about the quality. They were taken with another dinosaur: Kodak Disk Camera.

-Kevin

06-27-2002 Over year old.

Copter Doctor
Elite Veteran
Location: daleville/ft.rucker, al

oldie but goo........well oldie.

wow!!! a mantis eh? thatis a dinasour. hope you dont need parts. i say hang her up and forget about flying for risk of breaking.

drive a rotary, fly a rotorcraft

06-27-2002 Over year old.

HOMEPAGE

tonysrepair
Veteran
Location: portland oregon

Have either of you guys ever flown a mantis? I must admit there is a major jump from 1980 to present . This model even came with the original invoice from nov, 1980 . My father in law could not resist .He had to have it . I thought I would post a pic in my gallery , it looks like it was never flown . I don't see any damage to speak of . A true piece of american history .
thanks for your repleys
Tony R.

06-27-2002 Over year old.

simchippy
Heliman
Location: NY

I too had one, yes the starting belt was a night mare but the worst was the belt used to drive the tail rotor. It was like ribbon used to wrap a present. I never got it to hold the tail in flight. Oh, a tiny set screw in the plastic drive for the tail belt would strip before it was ever tight enough to hold. I'm surprised I ever bought another heli after owning the Mantis.

Never fly it, just hang it as advised above.

06-27-2002 Over year old.

Augusto
rrAdvertiser
Location: San Diego, CA

That's one old copter!

Is that the one with the wooden frame?

I flew a friend's like a gazillion years ago. It had a .40 in it and it flew well.
It takes quite a bit of anticipation of the throttle so you don't crash it.
If you don't want it I would be interested in buying it from you.

Avant Aurora Ultimate

06-27-2002 Over year old.

KCorning
Senior Heliman
Location: Northern Lower Michigan

Fly a Mantis?

I never did get mine to hover, successfully. It would wander around the field with the hula hoop shaking under it. The heli was shaking like the devil, too. As I had no help and didn't know enough about how to balance the components, it was a miracle it didn't just fall apart when I spooled it up. I remember once, I punched the throttle on that HB .40 and she took off into forward flight (still on the hula hoop). Once moving forward it was like a trainer plank that needed rudder to turn. I got it on the ground in one piece, somehow. Again, no hover, it was a sliding stop on the grass.

A tipover a little while later was the final straw. I sold it shortly after repairing it.

It's fun to think back. Thanks for the memory jog.

-Kevin

06-27-2002 Over year old.

alvinrc
Veteran
Location: Mobile, AL, USA

I Had And Flew One

For a fixed pitch machine, it actually flew OK.

I had one of the newer versions at the time with the updated plastic main frame instead of plywood. Maybe one of the first "Plastic Fantastics".

But...I would not fool with one with a ten foot pole now, even if I had one sitting in front of me because of the mechanical issues stated in above posts and no parts.

Another one:
Do yawl remember the route the for/aft linkage took from the servo to swashplate?
Went from servo aft under the engine to a bellcrank, then up a long way through the frames to swashplate.

Seems like it did have a good clutch, as clutches worked with less issues back then even on the cheapos.
Or maybe we did not stress them enough.
Except for the plastic clutch on some of the Baron 28 series, with little liner material pads glued to contact area of clutch shoes tensioned with a spring around clutch.
Running in a metal bell without liner.
On a hot start, the clutch could actually melt.

Well...This could go on forever, but enough of the old stuff talk.
Be thankfull to the chopper gods for the good stuff we have now.

06-27-2002 Over year old.

HOMEPAGE

ed vega
Key Veteran
Location: nyc, queens

some will poke fun at it mostly due the lack of being involve with it , it's still predates and is an r/c heli .. like all the rest of them from yester year .. no matter how bad or good it was .. with good research it can still be restored to flying status .. with a mix of orginal or made to order parts, things can happen going forward ..

06-27-2002 Over year old.

KCorning
Senior Heliman
Location: Northern Lower Michigan

Yeah, what Ed said. I still have the Kraft Gyro I used on my Mantis. It's for sale.... hehehehe.

-Kevin

06-27-2002 Over year old.

ed vega
Key Veteran
Location: nyc, queens

kraft gyro? .. junk that ! they are looking for related heli stuff , All I have left is the rotor head ..

yea i had a piezo on this heli too , as a older gyro on loan from a old indonesian flyer friend. it was strange , long 3in x 1/2 " aluminum box with after market futaba connectors - not sure if it was a kalt box or what .. something else - anyone know of it ? . .

06-27-2002 Over year old.

alvinrc
Veteran
Location: Mobile, AL, USA

Older Than That

I have (somewhere in a junk box) a first issue (around 1975) Kavan I think gyro.

It was a "pizeoshet" gyro.

Had to wire it direct to TR servo pot.
The usual motor spinning flywheel for gyro action, but the gyro had to mechanicaly work a contact pot.

With all that and servos with a whopping 18-20 inch ounces torque and about a half second blazing transit time, it did not stand a chance.

06-27-2002 Over year old.

HOMEPAGE

KCorning
Senior Heliman
Location: Northern Lower Michigan

Ed, you cut deep.

My little Kraft is quivering in the corner. I think it's going to commit suicide.

-Kevin

06-27-2002 Over year old.

fitenfyr
rrProfessor
Location: Port Orchard, Washington

I have one also..

Hey if any of you guys know where I can pick up a clutch, bell and cooling shroud for one let me know. Mine is like new never flown and missing those parts. I want to make it complete with a motor and leave it on the shelf.

Jason Stiffey
Fly Fast....Live Slow...

06-27-2002 Over year old.

HOMEPAGE

tonysrepair
Veteran
Location: portland oregon

mantis

Dear Ed ,
You state in one of your repleys that you still have a rotor head . We need the center bushing that keeps the rotor from hitting the tail boom . Would you like to sell it ? And by the waythe frame is made of wood .
thanks Tony R.

06-27-2002 Over year old.

Charlie
Veteran
Location: New Brunswick, Canada

Nice looking bird! I would like to see a video of it flying.

06-28-2002 Over year old.

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Antiques or Out of Business > american r/c helicopters

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