Hi Luke:

Just finished my version of the VertiBird

https://hackaday.io/project/195237-voytiboyd-a-t-tiny-homage-to-a-classic-toy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wADerikJ-FM

Thanks for publishing your 3D files. I used some of them in my version.

Best wishes,

Gord

Very cool!  I was trying to conceive of something similar to your servo but never got far.  Thanks for sharing your design!  Did you still use a "slip ring" for power to the motor?  My other thought was to get the entire electronics on the rotation platform and only have to get +12v/Gnd through the slip ring then use blue tooth to control all the directions.  Thanks again.

Yes. Slip ring was the key to the design. I'd never used one before and had to think a bit about it. Worked out well. Your design with the audio plug was great!  

Hi Luke! Great project! Thanks for providing the 3d files. I'm making my own version with some significant changes .

Any suggestions on assembling the parts for the tiny motor? I just blew the back end off the motor while trying to install the tiny gear on the shaft.

I tried partially drilling the end of the gear to get it started on the shaft but as I tapped it, the back of the shaft blew off the commutator end and ruined the back end of the shaft.

Any suggestions are appreciate.

Again thanks for your great posting and files!

Gord

Hi, I hope you still monitor this chat. I need help. I've duplicated your project, almost like for like the entire way, as a gift for the father-in-law. But something isn't working. After getting all the correct libraries, getting them compiled with your code and uploading to the ardiuno, I get nothing from the motors.  Did you ever make any code changes not listed? Is there any advise you could give?

Hi John:

I'm in a similar boat. But my problem is I can't get the helicopter to lift off on full power. I'm using the motor specified and 4x D cells for power. 

Are you able to get your helicopter to lift off with 6 voits?

If you like, I can send you my sketch. It's different from Luke's. I use a servo to tilt the helo forwards or backwards to make it fly more like the original. I'm using an ATTiny85 microcontroller for it. But it will work with any Arduino.

If you want it, send me your email address and I'll pass along my sketch.

Good luck!

Gord

salve,ho un problema ,quando provo a fare la verifica con l ide arduino  dello   sketch  mi da questo errore:

no matching function for call to 'ESC::ESC(int, int, int, int)'

cosa posso fare? grazie per la risposta

Is there any place I can download the Arduino code?

I will post my lastest code today.  It may be different for you depending on the hardware you use.  It's really simple as I just read the analog values and scale those to the motor speed using the Arduino "map" statement.  Since I used the Sparkfun Qwiic motor controller, I had to use the i2c library as well.  Thanks :)

I had one of these. Then one day my half brother (in his late 20's) thought he could "improve" the speed, and proceeded to break the spring in the chopper. He never did fix it as promised. I always thought the rotor spinning was purely cosmetic, as I thought the lift and forward reverse was always controlled by the central hub. I guess not...
I'm gonna start on this project. Thanks!

I can't tell you how many hours of my childhood was spent flying my VertiBird round and round.

I love this project, excellent execution of a classic toy. So many ideas come to mind to take this to the next level. But, I'll let your excellent work stand for itself. 

Thanks!

OK, using an audio plug and jack as a slip ring is pretty brilliant.

Thanks!

I agree and I still have some tweaking to do on the controls.  I am almost done with my final build and will share all the drawings, STL files and schematics soon.  I have many pictures of the build to post too.

VertiBirds ruled!! I begged my parents for one when they first came out, and played with it until I killed it - the spring they used as a universal joint broke, pretty quickly from what I remember. Years later they re-released it, and I bought another one. I was in my 20s by that point but didn't care - I played with the thing unashamedly for hours. Loved that thing.

I always enjoyed the idea that you were controlling the aircraft mechanically rather than electrically. It''l be interesting to see how the playing experience differs with electrical control. I do think putting the motor in the bird and using slip rings will fix the weak spot, which was always that spring.