The new style of maintaining correct W&B requires some airframe changes. Basically a new reinforced R/H skid tube and inastallation of an aft ballast mount.

Ballast Change & Doghouse Upgrade

Rotorway-Rework

1. The old method of maintaining correct ballast was to relocate the battery from the nose for solo flight and to the tail boom for flight with pax. Time consuming and cumbersome. The new way is to mount a weight to the front of the R/H skid tube for solo and to a external mount appendage on the lower tail boom for dual operations.

2. The tail boom structure is internally reinforced to support the ballast weight. The ballast module is safety pinned into whichever position it is in by a simple "T" pin with a clip. The skid had to be replaced with a new tube with a steel insert which reinforces the tube end.

3. For obvious reasons the weight module is shipped empty. The real task here was to find @27 lbs. of lead to melt into the container. Lead is considered a HazMat and I found it difficult to locate a source. This module once filled can be either painted or chromed. This upgrade cost about $800. Anything that can be powder coated should be and I believe this area in particular due to wear and abuse.

1. The old style doghouse was very open and flimsy. I guess good for airflow and inspections but not optimal. This is an early Exec style, the next generation was closed and had a large intake hole in the forward section (looked like a turbine).

2. The current style Doghouse is completely enclosed. Good?? Modern look but poor cooling.

3. I got my aft half used from a turbine builder and purchased the front section from RWI. It is also taller than the original Exec due to the taller 1.75" rotor mast on the 162Fs.