Similar dissatisfaction surrounds the admonition that the solution for some problems is the Bravo components upgrade. Fetters concedes the RHC prototype also developed cracks that had to be repaired. But he disputes that 2,000-hour expectation of people who remember the advertising literature but not terms of the purchase contract. We say the individual parts, except for the engine, are designed to last 2,000 hours. How well the parts hold up depends on the quality and attention to detail of the builder, and we've had all sorts of problems with people who deviated from the plans or the builder's manual, call for help and not tell us about how they deviated from the plans.
Fetters has a point.
Where the Mini-500 is concerned, Fetters explained, the most crucial aspect of construction comes after the helicopter is constructed and ready to break in and balance. Hours of ground operation and precise balancing steps are required to assure the smooth functioning of all rotating components. Otherwise, any remaining vibration is cause for concern, a breakage in waiting. Many a spectator and prospect has been wowed by the impressive flight demonstrations factory and dealers' pilots fly at events like Oshkosh. But apparently what makes good impressions also makes for airframe damage, including the breakage of the main transmission mount on a ship performing radical demos at Oshkosh.