For several years many heli pilots have been using power drills to start their nitro engines. Typically they buy a starter shaft and “chuck” in the power drill. Almost everyone has a power drill laying around the house so this has always been a popular option.
Now G-Force Heli has a recognized the need for a product specifically designed for use in power drills. Instead of chucking the starter shaft directly into the drill, G-Force has developed an adapter. This adapter is fully rubber isolated which will eliminate the shock, vibration and wobble from the shaft into the drill. You then use one of the many commercially available starter shafts with the adapter.
Here is the official press release from G-Force with more details on the new product.
G-Force ProStart released (patent pending) for nitro Helis
The G-Force ProStart will take starting nitro engines to a new level in the industry by utilizing worldwide availability of cordless drill/drivers.
In fact, many pilots around the world have been starting 50 and 90 sized engines using cordless drill/drivers for years.
Benefit and convenience of using cordless drill/drivers for starting nitro engines.
Today’s cordless drill/driver is a refined workhorse tool that is commonly bundled with quick-change fast charging batteries with a charger and a carrying case. These batteries are either NiCad or Lithium Ion. With the ease of being able to quick battery changes, a pilot can have all the available starting power with convenience. A cordless drill/driver with a 200 in-lb rating is suitable for 50-sized helis, versus ratings of 400 in-lb of torque is needed to start a 90-size engine with ease. An adjustable clutch is used to prevent damage to a possible hydro-locked engine. The cordless drill/driver also has an rpm range of around 1200 rpm to 1500 rpm, which does not over spin a nitro engine during starting.
Cordless drill/driver challenge for engine starting without G-Force ProStart
Since cordless drill/drivers were never designed to start heli engines but to drill and drive screws. Once the cordless drill/driver’s clutch slips and re-engages, the hammering effect and shock will be
transmitted directly to the nitro engine that is being started.
G-Force ProStart product design and features
The G-Force ProStart (patent pending) is an anti-shock drill/driver adapter which is designed to isolate the shock generated from the cordless drill/driver’s from getting to the heli’s engine drive train. The G-Force ProStart uses dampers that isolate the shock from the cordless drill/driver to the nitro engine and the heli clutch system. The G-Force ProStart also incorporates additional dampers to soak the wobble vibration that can occur from long 6mm hex starter wands.
The G-Force ProStart will work with most of today’s starter wands. The G-Force ProStart has a standard 7mm hole for accepting the common 6mm hex starter wands. Optional 8mm and 5/16 shaft adapters are available for those who use clamp-on starter wands. G-Force also has available cone starter for RC planes as well.
GFA7066 G-Force ProStart for 7mm shafts with 6mm hex drive
GFA7067 8mm adapter shaft
GFA7068 5/16 adapter shaft
GFA7069 aluminum drive cone
For more info on this product, visit G-Force web site at www.gforceheli.com
