Prop adapter - long(er) units available?

Nov 10, 2006 20 Replies

problem: Got a Hyperion Yak55 ARF for my Bday. I cannibalized one of my foamies for the electrics.. Got it all installed and discovered the prop adapter for my E-Flite 400 outrunner is about 1/4" too short to get the prop clear of the cowl.



Anyone know where I can find a long(er) prop adapter for a 3mm shaft?? The local shops have been of no help.


Happy birthday. I don't recall anything like that. You might want to figure some other workaround. My BD was the 9th(45) and I got a Formosa glider I can put my gear in and an Evolution 1.0(I don't know why) mk

"The OTHER Kevin in San Diego" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

About 20 calls to various shops today and I've struck out...

I do some CAD stuff for work so I ran one up on Solidworks and am gonna have the machine shop across the street run one up for me over the weekend.. (They run 24/7 over there)

I wonder if there's any market for something like this...

If your motor is mounted to the front of the firewall, maybe with an "X" mount, simply add 1/4" spacers between the mount & firewall.

DougSter

According to the Horizon website data on the E-Flite 400, shaft dia is

3.17 mm (1/8 inch). That might make your search easier and more productive. IIRC, the prop adaptors supplied with the Wattage (HobbyPeople) cobalt motors of similar size are 1/8 dia and quite long, ~ 1 inch.

Abel

Since that motor's shaft is held in with a set screw, and since it's

1/8" as has been mentioned, why not just get some 1/8" drill rod and make yourself a longer shaft? To me that's the easy way out.

Geoff

What is drill rod? I have snapped a couple of shafts. mk

Storm's Hamilton wrote: (top posting fixed)

It's rod to make drills out of, naturally enough.

Basically it's more or less precision ground steel (you buy what you want). It comes unhardened so you can work it easily. You can either get _really_ ambitious and harden it yourself, or you can just use it as is and accept that the shaft will bend instead of breaking.

Look for it at Small Parts, Inc

formatting link
or McMaster-Carr
formatting link
Both of these places also have machine screws by the 100, at good prices, and potentially of much higher quality than you'd get at the LHS.

3.17 mmm shafting is available from people who stock parts to make motors..as well.

Can't remember who of hand...

The motor mounts to the back of the "firewall" and doesn't use the "X" mount in the stock setup.

The machine shop wanted almost $50 to make the adapter so I told 'em never mind.

I ended up drilling a 1.125" hole into the center of the "firewall" then glassing on a new piece of .125" ply with a 1" hole in it and sliding the motor in from the rear and screwing up the "X" mount in front of the whole mess. Took a couple hours to get it all worked out and centered properly, but the problem is resolved. I got the motor moved forward a hair over a quarter inch forward and that got the prop to fit with about .0625" clearnace between the cowl and the back of the prop.

I did look at a bunch of different 1/8" adapter, but the longest shaft I could find was 1.25".. I needed something around 1.625" long..

In any case, thanks for the suggestions (especially the drill rod.. I didn't even think of that...) and wish me luck on the maiden flight tomorrow.

Try looking at supplies for a different hobby:

formatting link

They have lotta drive train parts for model train motors and drive systems, maybe some things you can use.

Tejas Pedro

Good luck! mk

"The OTHER Kevin in San Diego" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Come to think of it (I'm slow today), McMaster (and possibly also Small Parts, although I didn't check) also has shafts of varying hardness. "Shaft" will get you precision-ground, hardened rods, "drill rod" will get you unhardened (but easily hardened) rods.

I'd go for shafts, now that I'm on the right wavelength.

"TOKiSD"....

If drill rod is made of unobtanium in your area, just get out the Dremel a make a new shaft of 1/8" music wire or "piano" wire as it is also called. Just be sure to grind "flats" for the retaining grubscrews....

"The OTHER Kevin in San Diego" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

FYI - 50 bucks was probably a gift. I own a machine shop, and I also know what kind of part you wanted. One offs are very costly. Hunting up the tooling and material, and setting up a couple of machines, runs into substaintial time. I would only do that job for myself, if I had absoluty no other choice. My response to your post, was solely for your education.

You might want to get some "dowel pins". They come in precision sizes and are hardened. "Core pins" are another option.

Yeah, I know it was. The shop I asked to do it does a bit of work for my shop once in a while. The owner of the machine shop loves me (though I have NO idea why) so she said she'd get it knocked out pretty quick. When she told me what she'd charge me, I politely said thanks, but no thanks.

I asked another shop to machine up a couple prototype ATV hubs I'd designed and they were going to run almost $2,000 for the pair since - like you said - they were 1-off parts...

OTOH get some hard steel shaft and carve it with a dremel. Or a bench grinder. Yes, its that easy.

So move the motor forewards.

Put a 1/4" ply plate between the motor and firewall!

"The OTHER Kevin in San Diego" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Join the Discussion

Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.

Didn't find your answer?

Ask the community — no account required