Rotorway-Rework

Winglets

The winglets add nothing to performance but they do modernize the "look" of the helo. They are also less dangerous when you impact them with your head! The latest version of this kit has been simplified by RWI. It is now pre-assembled and needs only to be mounted on the horizontal stab. The price has doubled!! I decided to increase the width of the wood splice to spread the load better and allow more room for the screws.

1. The horizontal stabilizer needs to be shortened to accommodate the new winglets. This is best accomplished by removing the whole stabilizer. Also note that the horizontal has to be removed for TR belt changeouts.

2. This is a good time to verify alignments and assess the bolt holes in the spar. Mine was damaged and mis-aligned. Another thing to consider is the trueness of the shaft. When moving the aircraft by lowering the tail and pulling on this surface some have been stressed and bent.

3. After much sanding and trimming I have a good joint with the stab. The instructions say to glue both halfs and then screw into the wood. Thinking toward future maintenance I used adhesive only on one side (winglet). Because I made the wood splice wider I was able to get two rows of screws and the whole joint gets a fiberglass capping as well. This change has already paid off because I put the winglets on upside down by mistake prior to glassing and all I had to do is remove the screws. No damage to the winglets.

4. Spar holes were filled, properly aligned and drilled. The last thing to do was used fiberglass tape to cover and strenghten the joint area and, of course, more sanding. The winglets were expensive but they did improve the overall look of my craft.

5. The helicopter now has the look of a 162F. The tail is much higher on the new gear which should make it more difficult for me to strike the TR! I'm very pleased with the new cosmetics even at the price I paid.