Replacing the fuselage of the E-Sky Dauphin. (step by step)

The new fuselage in front of the old one.

First I took off the stabilizer.

I took off all the blades. (notice the damaged tips) You only need to remove 4 screws and the blades come off.

All blades are taken off. This heli won't fly far.

I removed the 1st pin that holds the fuselage to the inner frame.

This is the second pin.

Two pins taken off.

This is the inner body of the helicopter.

The swash plate.

This picture reminds me of two famous Hollywood robots :

The led on the old fuselage is still connected.

I took out the little plug that connects the led light on top of the tail.

The one connected to the new fuselage went in.

I connected a battery to check if the led worked... It didn't :-((

I had connected the plug upside down. In this picture it is done correctly.

The led flashes.

I taped the wire back to the frame.

I put the pins back in place and the blades back on. Job done ! ! !

A few pictures of the Dauphin in its new clothes.

I think the helicopter looks great !

I've made an appointment with my dear brother who's a photographer. We're gonna do a little photo shoot of the Dauphin in action.

I can't hardly wait to fly this beauty !

One more flight with the Dauphin before repairs.

Before replacing a broken blade, you can repair it with common household tape.

Cut the tip in more or less the same shape as an undamaged blade.

It will fly a little less stable than with a new blade but the helicopter will fly !

Until the next time it hits the ground...

This is a heavily repaired nose...

and this is a damaged tail...

It's time for some extensive repairs. Follow it step by step in my next post.

The Seiko Orange Monster - SKX781

Some time ago now, I purchased this Seiko SKX781 on eBay. It shipped from Italy.
This watch is also known as "The Orange Monster" .
(From the blue sky into the deep blue ocean.)

I'll talk a little about the watch. I'm not writing a complete review here, but let me just point out what strikes me most.
I actually wear the Orange Monster often and that shows in the more detailed pictures.

First of all it's a heavy watch. A little under 200 grams. Compared to a G-shock that weighs around 50 to 70 grams, the Seiko SKX781 puts a lot of weight on your wrist. It has a very solid feel to it and it is very readable. It's a mechanical, automatic watch.

There is a unidirectional rotating bezel that rotates really smooth. The markings on the bezel are BIG and black.

The glass is made out of "hardlex", a Seiko invention. The light giving marks - as well as the dials and the mark on the bezel have "lumibrite" paint. It lights up VERY bright in the dark after first having been exposed to light.

At first I didn't see what the engraving on the back depicted. It is a Tsunami. (Monster wave)

I think the design is derived from an ancient Japanese print.

This picture is what probably inspired the Seiko designers for the back of the Seiko orange monster.

The engraving on the back of the watch. This photo is a little enhanced in Photoshop.

The bracelet has a hidden divers extension to wear the watch over a wetsuit/diver's suit. I think it is well designed.

With the diver's extension opened.

A screw down crown at the 4 o'clock position. The watch has a non hacking system which means that the second hand keeps running when you set the time. Not a watch for fanatics who want the right time up to the second.

The mark on the bezel has also a "lumibrite" spot on it.

Who's here the BIG Buddha from the East ?

The two push buttons on the side open the clasp.

A really nice timepiece for around 200 euro.

Here you see how thick the rotating bezel is.

You can choose the language for the day of the week. English or Spanish.

Once chosen the watch continues in the same language.

There are different colors for the weekend.

Saturday in blue.

Sabado

Sunday in red

Domingo

Monday in black

Lunes

Reinforcing the nose of the E-Sky Dauphin

The nose of the E-Sky Dauphin is it's weak part. While landing the helicopter, the front wheel pushes the nose of the fuselage inwards. It can't withstand harsh shocks and the nose cracks easily.
With some paper towel it's easy to reinforce the nose. Here's how to make a good shock absorber :

Make the paper towel wet and push it a little together.

While wet, push it in the nose of the fuselage. Make sure it fits perfectly.

You don't see the paper towel from the outside.

Take out the paper towel while still wet and leave it to dry. When it's completely dry it weighs almost next to nothing. Now glue the perfectly shaped form in the nose.

It works great as a shock absorber !