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To align the tailrotor case so that it's perpendicular (90°) to the mainshaft, I start by rubber banding a straight and short piece of 4mm flybar to the side of the t/r case. Optionally, you could do it to a flat horizontal surface of the case too, then you'd lay a piece of flybar across the frames in the front instead of to attaching it to the square as in the next photo. I don't recommend using the vertical fin as an alignment aid... you'll see why later.

 

Up front, I rubber band another piece of flybar to a small square. Then I hold it to the top of the frames with another rubber band. You could use a combination square too.

 

Here you can see the square and flybar on top of the frames.

 

The arrow points to *Canopy Dampers* that keep the X-Cell SE canopy from shaking. I drilled the top frames and used short pieces of aluminum with fuel tubing on the ends. I didn't make the holes high enough originally so I had to undercut the spacers a bit so that the roll bellcranks wouldn't hit... it makes a difference in canopy shake. You also could take the top bolt out of each side of the front t/r transmission bearing block and put them there, just make sure they are tight. 

 

This is a side view, nothing spectacular here.

 

Here you can see the alignment aids. Next, I turn the heli 90° to line them up.

 

Now it's just a matter of getting the bars to line up. I usually do it from the back though. That picture was too busy for the eyes, so I used this one.

 

1. After the t/r case is aligned, it was necessary to shim the vertical fin to make it parallel to the front alignment aid.

 

2. It might be a little hard to see, but the arrow is pointing to a small aluminum spacer that I use so that I can tighten the blade grips. I use a long shouldered bolt through the blade grips so that no threaded part touches the grip holes. The threaded part of the bolt acts like a hacksaw and will wear on the part that it touches, I eliminate that by using a bolt with a long shoulder. Unfortunately, the shoulder stuck through too far, hence the spacer.

 

Note: I also sand or file the edges of all the carbon fiber on the heli, then apply medium CA to seal it. It's time consuming but it makes for a nicer machine. The stock edges can act like a razorblade, you don't want any carbon fiber splinters.

 

1. I added green fuel tubing to the ends of the front flybar alignment aid so I could see it better. Because I need glasses, it's a bit more difficult to have them both in focus... maturing (getting old) is a bitch!

2. With the vertical fin shimmed out on the bottom, it's now inline with the front alignment aid.

 

Note: I'm not sure how critical all this is, it's just the way I prefer to do things. Some may agree, some may think I'm nuts... both valid points.