Roban 800 class Hughes 500D
The first thing I wanted to change with this kit was to get rid of the extra long struts that Roban makes standard in their kits as they are WAY to long. It was very easy to remove the two inches off each strut to get what I felt was the correct length. Some like the extra high skid gear but it was not for me. You can see the difference below.
Installation of the mechanics was very easy as with all my other Roban models. Remember when setting up the controls to make your control rods from the servos 90 degrees to the control rod and not to the servos due to the geometry of the Roban control system. I always pin the torque tubes as a safety concern. I did change the battery access, I don’t care for trying to change the batteries from the top through a hole in the rear cabin floor. I find it very difficult and an easy way of breaking the door hinges. I built a wooden tray to position the batteries and I remove the nose using the two 3mm screws to change batteries. To each his own, lol.
Next step was to install the cockpit included in the kit. I did make my usual modifications which required a little material to be removed from the seat bottom to allow a more natural seating position of the pilot. After paint and a little weathering and installation of the pilot I was very pleased with the results. The harness and seat belts are Micro Designs.
