Here is the model we are working on RIGHT NOW!!
Heilcopter.skp (1.4 MB)
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and again, but in 2018…
Heilcopter 2018.skp (1.4 MB)
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I said I’d spin the rotors, but I thought I might as well give it a test takeoff while I were at it. I’ve been poking around with Fredo’s animator for so long I don’t know what day it is anymore. I don’t really know what I’m doing but it’s very addictive. I learned quite a lot in the process.
I’ll leave my effort here …
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Awesome!
You get the official SU yoyo!
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Brilliant! Great job!!
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So cool. Gotta try
That rocket ship slide on your page is awesome -
Great animation. Looks so natural! I’ve tried to animate the rotors as well but mine looks a bit…stiff. I’ll post it right after it gets rendered.
My rotation looks a bit slow in SU, I found I don’t get a true animation of the sort of speed until after I exported the animation. I exported it twice before the final one, even then I think the tail rotor is still slow. But it’s just a bit of fun isn’t it. I ended up in the rabbit hole for about 4 hours doing it, it were 2:30 am before I had to call it a day.
But, if you are having a bit of trouble still, maybe you could share your skp. I could try to help you out, but I’m a noob to it myself only being the second time I’ve used it…
EDIT: I see from your post below you’re using Keyframe not Animator as I used, so for that I will be of no help at all.
Aaron put me in charge of spining the rotors of the helicopter but I doubt I have reached his expectations. The animation made from the first attempt is stiff but I hope Aaron won’t be mad at me for ruining it 
Keyframe Animation from Regular-Polygon
Background? My unfinished Manhattan, NYC
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I’m a bit confused which way the tail rotor is supposed to rotate. From the plan in the model and the way it’s been modeled suggests to me it should rotate anti-clockwise (looking from the tail rotor side). But you’ve gone clockwise and videos I’ve looked at seem to have the same rotation, or is it just an optical illusion?
This video shows a helicopter warming up:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lcgtfqa3sJ4
Apparently, the main rotor on American helicopters rotate anti clockwise, and many European ones are clockwise. The tail rotor works equally well in either direction, it seems, this one happens to be going clockwise when looked straight on.
You will get optical illusions, based on the frame rate and shutter speed of the camera, or screen refresh rate.
I’m not going to be able to sleep this is bugging me now! It’s all getting a bit technical.
Of the ones I’ve seen including Leo’s, the tail rotor spins clockwise (from that side).
I assumed the blade would rotate with the thickest edge leading as the main rotor does. That’s why I went anti clockwise.
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Sorry dude, this has nothing to do with this post!
Well like a toilet flush, I guess that would depend on your location. Just kidding!
However.
http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/helicopters/q0212b.shtml
You don’t want to know how helicopters work down here! Naturally the blades are on the bottom but its the rotation that is confusing.
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