Using the internet I spent some time looking around at various models, in this case 'size matters' as the mechanicals from the donor R/C Heli had to fit. The Hummingbird FP has a body length of 480mm and a main rotor span of 510mm.

This equates to a scale of about 1/32 to 1/35 in model kits, so narrowing my search I found several potential subjects. Some had been done before and therefore I discounted them but one particular Heli that I liked a lot was a model kit by the Chinese model company 'Trumpeter' - the 1/35 Mil Mi-24V Hind-E.

Reading through reviews of the kits it appeared ideal as its main body length was 521mm overall with a rotor span of 494mm, very close to the Hummingbird. In addition looking at various shots I could guestimate that the conversion was possible.

Here is my Hummingbird FP, as an aside on my experiences with this Heli read on below.

I bought the Hummingbird as my first R/C Helicopter in May 2004, at the time it was the scale 'Airwolf' version which lasted about a week until I had a boom strike and cut the tail off. So I converted it to the 'Pod and Boom' configuration shown. This is actually better for a beginner as it gives better access to mechanicals to learn all the necessary adjustments to mechanicals much easier.

I was very frustrated with the Heli to begin with and didn't have much success in flying so started to make modifications to get better results, some have worked wonders, others have been complete failures, to help here are my experiences with each in order of purchase (Jeez have I really done this much to it!)-

CARBON HEAD STIFFENER - This is a must, it was my first mod and it brought instantly better control, the wobble I had been experiencing disappeared straight away.

MAIN SHAFT COLLAR AND SWASH BALL INSERT - these two go together and make a difference most noticeably in less drag on the main shaft, caused by the original plastic shaft, which has the effect of making the Heli rise and fall during sharp manoeuvres, it made a difference to control definately.

ALLOY SWASH PLATE - initially this was a disappointment the version I got had too much play between the swash ball and main shaft, it introduced an instability therefore I ended up taking it off! Some time later I realised that if I popped out the fitted swash ball, found an appropriate sized washer and fitted a swash ball insert then CA'ed it to the top of the alloy swash plate I would be able to use it, this worked a treat but I wouldn't rush out to buy another

ETEC 1200 MAH LI-POLY BATTERY - I wouldnt consider anything else now, much more powerful and less weight, a must. You will find the lighter weight a problem, the battery has to be mounted all the way to the front of the chassis to maintain balance, to do this I made some mounts, not unlike the originals but obviously to suit the shape of the battery, out of poly sheet

LIKE90 BELL-HILLER MIXER - I found this to be a poor fit, was way over sensitive and therefore for the time being is confined to the spares draw.

LIKE90 WOODEN BLADES - these look a treat especially when spinning, however with the 470 motor you need to up the pinion to 14 teeth and even then expect to use a lot more throttle to get a decent height. I think they really need brushless motors etc to get the desired performance. That said before the battery goes flat the stability from the higher head speed is superb.

ALUMINIUM CENTRE CORE - This is a complete chasis change for an anodised aluminum alternative, it looks great and is totally indestructible, no more broken landing struts! But it is heavier than the plastic original and needs a lot of modification to the fuselage mounting lug to make it work.

TWIN TAIL MOTOR MODIFICATION - I haven't had any success with this one, although the write ups say less power is used my experience seemed to indicate more power is required to get the same result as a single motor. Obviously a higher output battery is required so maybe one day I will try again but in the mean time it's the spare parts draw again I am afraid. In addition the extra weight most definitely is a problem. Having said all that the Helihobby conversion is the nicest, I have left mine in place with only one motor, looks great.

ALUMINIUM ADJUSTABLE HEAD - definitely worth having, as some forums say the head is a looser fit on the rotor hub bearings than the plastic counterpart but it isnt really a problem. The ability to change the angle of attack or pitch of the blades plus the degree of tracking adjustment makes for a much smoother flying Heli. In addition it also acts as a head stiffener.

LIGHTWEIGHT FLYBAR PADDLES - haven't really noticed any difference but they look good

WHEEL COLLETS - a couple of 2mm wheel collets on the each flybar does add a little more stability and responsiveness.

MAH CARBON MAIN BLADES - ditto as for LIKE90 blades really, more power required and stable in use, but by adjusting the angle of attack with the adjustable head they are more useable than the wooden blades and look awesome at rest and in flight.

CARBON TAIL BLADE - I would give this one a miss, stick to the cheaper plastic ones

CARBON TAIL FINS - look nice but otherwise wouldn't bother with any at all.

LI-POLY WARNING MONITOR - works great but adds weight, I would just simply stay on the safe side with regard to the amount of time used per charge, experience tells you when the battery starts to get tired, the tail rotor is less responsive

AUTOROTATION HUB AND GEAR - pleasantly surprised, makes the Heli feel much smoother to fly and surprisingly quieter, had to fix a problem with mine before it worked properly. One problem I have come across is that the high head speed during crashes (due to no overun breaking from the motor) tends to break flybars and main cyclic links so be prepared, otherwise well worth having.

CONCLUSION

Having written this out I am amazed I have done that much to the Heli, over a period of time it doesn't seem that much.

Has it made a perfectly stable Heli, I would have to say NO!!!! Yes it is certainly better in many ways but perhaps I would have been better investing in a collective pitch Heli. What I have gained is a lot of experience in how to set up an R/C Heli so I have no real regrets and I have enjoyed messing about with it, but if my wife ever finds out how much I have spent I am dead, don't worry she would never read this far without falling asleep!

I would stick to the core mods of head stiffener, main shaft collar and swash ball insert and concentrate on getting everything else balanced, use it for a while then upgrade to a better Heli.

I primarily used two suppliers for my bits - MIDLAND HELICOPTERS in England and HELIHOBBY in the States.