Riveting Stuff

Here is the UK's first unmanned helicopter, built by Leonardo (which was Westland, who built US helicopters under licence besides their own until the money ran out) and funded by the government to the tune of £60 million. This is as I recall is much the same as granted Vertical Aerospace, but it doesn't matter... in common with all governments in the western world if you're looking for taxpayer dollars it's best that you have either lots of money in the first place or else none at all.

Not the issue here, though, which is about prototyping. When I first bought cars you could see how they were put together. Modern cars are moulded confectionery with no transparency as to how they work: which is how they like it.

Contrast say the ignition system comprising a distributor, rotor-arm and points that could be repaired at the roadside with a nail-file ~ as once we did ~ with a circuit board that leaves you stranded and awaiting recovery prior expensive replacement.

It's why governments loathe individuals, inventors, and thus individual inventors... they're just not going along with financing taxable products and services that they subsidise in the form of corporations that own all of us... including them.

But you get a peep at what prototyping is all about here, and why my own also look a bit shit. Check out the panels that make up the bodywork and ask whether you'd want your Lambo looking like that prior to cruising Mayfair?

But it's called hard graft, and it's how it all begins.

Ed. Not rivets on closer inspection, but cross-head screws given the apprentice to fit whilst greyer heads go for a cup of tea.

Backer to the Future #8

Here you see how an abutment allows an adhesive bead to be applied from outside the box: in fact it's what's called 'Gluing outside the box' in my TED talk.

Ordinarily this volume is available to liquid fuel or battery-packs prior to sealing, though when the drone's complete I need to figure out where best to stow ballast to suit both hydrodynamic and aerodynamic needs, as just four motors will allow it to hover, fly in ground-effect and plane on surfaces besides water... so I'll park packs elsewhere when it comes to proof-of-concept.

Meanwhile I'll seal edges with an undercoat because (a) it's cheaper than resin and (b) prevents spray-paint from dissolving the foam.

And now if you'll excuse me, there's a chicken roll with my name on it?

Backer to the Future #7

Like many of us old enough to be interested in building a boat rather than stealing one in Grand Theft Auto, the assembly has spread a little around the waist and thus our old friend the long clamp has been used to bring things back into line. We shall work around it when it comes to gluing and patch things up afterward: my recipe for happiness in life, as I explain dressed in saffron on my YouTube channel.

Backer to the Future #6

This is how it should appear once the skewers are driven home, glad to be given a break from wielding sausages. Builders prone to anxiety may wish to use a greater number of skewers, but the uppermost panel fitted so snugly here that I may have got away with none at all: but then that takes decades of wasting your life this way.

The skewers can be removed once the assembly is complete, but many doctors say the risk of removing them would outweigh the benefits.

Backer to the Future #5

What you'd want to do at this stage, especially if you were going to sit there, is fill it with water to see if it leaks; nonetheless we'll move things on and fit the final panel around the top. Like me you'll have wondered how we were going to do that from inside, or how David Copperfield managed it during his recent tour?

Here though I'm interesting my own signature means of joining panels, in the shape of an outside weld. I discovered it during the course of any number of prior builds, which goes to prove that all of those mock-ups we've recycled since have led to this moment of glory.

In order to support the lid while we do this, with the aid of a bradawl we drive one of Asda's finest BBQ skewers through one side at a depth that will allow a seam of adhesive to be applied to the rim that will be formed: 25mm over a 20mm depth of foam as it appears here. These skewers are difficult to drive through the cement, so just use it to mark the far side prior to driving a hole with the tool.

Backer to the Future #4

To ensure the lid is going to fit and to avoid tears down the line I have taken said lid and propped it up inside the part-assembled centre-section while the adhesive sets.

It's things like this that earned me that ISO 9002 accreditation, though the cheque inside the application form probably helped ease its passage.

Backer to the Future #3

A check with set-squares (you can sub a box of cornflakes in extremis) reveals how I omitted to check if the dimensions at the upper end matched those at the lower.

This is not to be overlooked, as if the gap here is too small it won't accommodate a fourth panel that completes the box. Yes, you can trim the panel to suit, but getting it right at this stage will leave you basking in a warm glow.

Do this while the adhesive is still pliable, and you will find it will give a little without needing to be smoothed over again with the crafting (viz. kitchen) knife.

Top tip: don't apply too much adhesive at the joint along the floor of the box as the chances are you'll stick it to the floor. Do it in the lounge and you're walking around it in perpetuity, though it does make for the perfect conversation-starter at parties.