Rotor Discs - Some Questions

For all you guys looking for rotor discs like the old Hurlbat (hope I spelt that right) one's, my prospective source has some questions for you all:

1. Can we get a "Hell Yeah" if you think you might buy some please? I know this is just one forum but gauging ROI here.
2. For what size helos? 28mm (1/56), 20mm (1/87), 15mm (1/100), 10mm (1/??), 6mm (1/285-1/300), 3mm (1/600)?
3. Top rotors and tail rotors?
4. Do you need a hole in the middle to mount the discs or should that be left to the individual?
5. It appears about .5mm thick is the standard, should that be thicker for the larger scales?
6. If a helo has say 2 blades, i.e. Huey's and AH-1's, do you only want two "moving blades" on the disc or several to impose the impression of high speed movement, a "chook" as 2 x 3 blades so a each disk with 3 blade etchings or more, a CH-54 has 6 blades and that is most likely enough?

Anything else you would like to add?

I would say "Hell Yeah" from my perspective!

I think you can't go wrong having them made for all the popular scales. For the time being, I'm focused on needed 3mm (1/600). Top rotors AND tail rotors, yes. I don't think you can go wrong with adding a hole in the rotor to save some effort, but there may be some who want to do that part themselves.

As for the motion blur, I think the Hurlbat ones were two moving blades for 2 bladed rotors, and 4 moving blades for 4 rotored helos.

Hope that helps some.

yes for 20mm ..

flightstands too ?

Okay, my prospective supplier of the rotor discs is very interested.

It just so happens it works in well with a new manufacturing process they have just bought into and I will post another thread on that.

I have agreed to get him some more information, disc sizes etc., which I can work out from real sizes and scale them down, and they will do some tests.

Tho only hold up will be sourcing the material as they don't currently carry and plastics, just MDF and card.

I would use 1/72 as a guide for 20mm as these would be arguably the most popular scale . many thousands of 1/72 plastic vietnam helo models broken or gathering dust across the world ...

TailEndCharles wrote:For all you guys looking for rotor discs like the old Hurlbat (hope I spelt that right) one's, my prospective source has some questions for you all:

1. Can we get a "Hell Yeah" if you think you might buy some please? I know this is just one forum but gauging ROI here.
2. For what size helos? 28mm (1/56), 20mm (1/87), 15mm (1/100), 10mm (1/??), 6mm (1/285-1/300), 3mm (1/600)?
3. Top rotors and tail rotors?
4. Do you need a hole in the middle to mount the discs or should that be left to the individual?
5. It appears about .5mm thick is the standard, should that be thicker for the larger scales?
6. If a helo has say 2 blades, i.e. Huey's and AH-1's, do you only want two "moving blades" on the disc or several to impose the impression of high speed movement, a "chook" as 2 x 3 blades so a each disk with 3 blade etchings or more, a CH-54 has 6 blades and that is most likely enough?

Anything else you would like to add?

I am going to stick with my present rotors, so I didn't say anything, but I would have thought 20mm figures would use 1/72 rotor discs. Whether or not 20mm is truly 1/72 scale, that is the scale that is commonly used with that size figure. So I think air bubbles' recommendation makes sense.

Tom

would like discs in 28mm tail and main for Hueys, Loaches, Cobras and CH34s

Not sure what scale Corgi Hueys are - 1/48 I think - so the rotor disc would have to be very thin 'cos it wpould be about 10-12 inches across. .

uglyfatbloke wrote:so the rotor disc would have to be very thin

We are thinking about 1/2 mm, do you think that is thin enough ?

If it can be rigid enough.

TEC wrote:We are thinking about 1/2 mm, do you think that is thin enough ?

I'm sure that'll work for tiny scales, but not sure for larger scales like Chris's 28mm stuff.

I think in BrianW's post about Hurlbat rotors he said they were 1/2mm and his rotors were for 15mm gaming.

A little late maybe, but I would be interested in 1/285-1/300 and probably 1/100. I'm not sure yet about 20mm-1/72.

irishserb wrote:A little late maybe, but I would be interested in 1/285-1/300 and probably 1/100.  I'm not sure yet about 20mm-1/72.

All good irishserb.

My friend who is slowly working his way into this business, rotors that is, he already has a big laser cutting business, is full on releasing a whole new range of product so this is taking its time.

He did get an order just recently for 150 sets, top and rear rotors, for a Mi-8!

I'm in, but would prefer to rotors for larger scales to be blade sweeps rather than full disks, just to hard to handle. Would also look really cool on helos with more blades.

Example:

Darby wrote:I'm in, but would prefer to rotors for larger scales to be blade sweeps rather than full disks.

Example:

Darby,

Good call, I like that idea as well. I will pass it on to my friend.

I like the way those look!

I agree with Rod. Those do look good. Full rotor discs just don't look right in the larger scales.

I like the blade sweep idea for larger scales too.

I don't think I've ever seen an example of that. Come to think if it, I've never seen rotor discs at ALL on 1/43, 1/48 or 1/56th scale choppers. Ever.

Found a cool "in action" shot with 15mm choppers.

So my friend who part owns a war games accessories business has done his first prototype for the rotor disks.





These are on 3mm Perspex but the finals will be 1.5mm and trimmed around the blades to give the same effect as the pic from Darby above.

Your thoughts?

Looks excellent .

Looks quite good. If he is going to be printing them like so then perhaps darker on the leading edge than the trailing? Don't want people to think they're vibrating rather than swirling.

That does look good!

nifty !