In late 2016 I decided to discontinue my method of using retractable Guide Wheels fitted around the Frame of the Machine. I have now built and installed a central Spoke Wheel onto which the Guide Wheels can be mounted. This should enable the Guide Wheels to be retracted while remaining stationary with relation to the Rotor.

All of the old Guide Wheels have been removed, but some parts, including the 12v motors can be reused. The new Spoke Wheel is fixed to the Rotor at present, and runs smoothly up to a test speed of 4.2 MPS. The Direct Drive electronics used to drive the Rotor appear to be working correctly. A lot of changes are required to programming of some Micros to enable safe testing of the Rotor speed. Two way IR communication is now required between the new Spoke Wheel Micro and existing Guide Wheels Micro.