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An Introduction to MIA Phantom-Edge ™
Bodies
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Area that we specialize in is molding canopies and scale bodies for
micro helis.
I started
molding RC Helicopter bodies many years ago as a hobby, the typical
way most hobby enthusiasts start with, a sheet of plastic, a kitchen
oven, a pseudo shop-vac retrofitted sealed box with perforations on
the surface and a frame to hold the sheet of plastic. I was able to
form over a wood plug, for a large 60 size helicopter canopy, with
some degree of success, but at the time, was no where near the
detail and quality of the canopies we mold for current production.
As I got
more involved and serious about taking my hobby into a business, I started
looking into more industrial type of molding equipment. Over the span of many years, I
searched for ideal machines that would satisfy my production needs,
but did not find suitable ones, most of the them were very expensive
and some were not efficient, so I designed and built my own
molding equipment to form various size bodies to MIA product specs.
This page
is a compilation of some of my favorite MIA Phantom and Edge
™ canopies and bodies we produce. They carry a unique
and original style which, as with most of our other products,
has become easily identifiable with MIA Micro Flight
™, over the span of
many years.
Real Carbon and Resin Molding vs.
Vacuumed Formed Carbon Pattern Plastic
Over a decade ago, while molding real carbon helicopter
blades for some of my earlyy micro heli designs, I decided to try
molding canopies also from the same carbon cloth material. While working
with carbon or fiberglass cloth and resins is quite messy, I
managed to make some beautiful carbon-resin molded thin shell canopies,
but they did not stand to the abuse helis go through, when one is
learning to fly or when flying them more aggressively. Thin carbon
canopies, as many fiberglass molded canopies, tend to crack very easy on
impact. I needed to find a much better material and
eventually I did. I have not gone back to carbon and resin
molding since.
I selected the name MIA Phantom
™, to designate the cool and stealth look of our carbon
pattern molded canopies and bodies, while selecting the name MIA
Edge ™, for the more colorful ones.
The
MIA Air-Ram ™ canopies have
strategically designed air scoops, to allow air-flow inside the bodies
to help keep the helicopter motors cool, most effectively in fast
forward flight, where the air rushes inside the scoops, thus the name
"air-ram".
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- MIA Phantom Air-Ram ™
Canopy
- MIA Edge Air-Ram ™
Canopies
MIA Edge™ Canopies
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