Possible Blade Clash? Please Help a Newbie With His First Flight.

[Alpha-77]

I bought a Blade CX2 (as my first helicopter (and RC)) from a member here on the forums, and the charger just got here this afternoon. I charged the two lipos he sent with it, and I connected one and tested all the controls... Rudder input seems to respond the most/best. So time to see if I can get it off the ground... Very slowly I input the throttle... once I get to about 60-75% of full throttle it starts to bounce around a little and instantly the tail wants to spin to the left (nose to the right), and drifts forward alittle -- I kill the throttle right as it takes a diagonal nose dive. Good news, no harm. :) So I do the same process again -- same result. This time I pick it up and I noticed the flybar seems be kinda stuck under the top blades, so I fix it and test the controls again -- everythings fine. Start up the throttle slowly again and right away I noticed a noise and saw the flybar smash into the upper blade. :eek: I panic, kill the throttle input. Check it out and everything is fine. So I start it back up again, and increase throttle to about 75%, and its starting to do about a foot radius circle on the floor (only half a circle tho) and so I start inputting left rudder and I don't think I was doing anything with the right controls, and POW a really loud noise and two chunks of the blades go flying and it flips onto its side. Quickly released the sticks and ran up to it and unplugged the batt. and sat it upright (turned off the TX afterwards). Then I gathered the pieces and inspected the heli. Not too bad of damage, just the one upper blade, and the one lower (see pic).

So would this be a "Blade Clash?" Also, good thing I got my cat out of there just before that last spin up. lol. This is in my bed room btw. So I was sitting on my bed about two feet from it -- probably not the smartest idea if that was to happen again.

Another piece of information is that the flybar seems to have a decent bend to it (see other pic). I noticed that as soon as it arrived and it worried me.

I'm completely new to all this, and would greatly appreciate any help/suggestions.

Thanks for reading my incredibly long and boring post!
~Apha-77
P.S. Yes, I know its a Franken-Copter.

[arbilab]

You mean the flybar is as bent as that photo makes it look? Take it off, lay on a table (the flybar, not you) and roll it to find the center of the bend. Bend it back.

The A blades 'shouldn't' be able to hit the flybar hard enough to break anything. After all, both are going same speed and direction. But with that much bend I spoze anything is possible.

The factory ottent have shipped it with that obvious a defect. Some dealers would take it back as an initial defect. Others would argue that you bent it, you fix it. Let's hope that's the only fault and that straightening it makes everything play well together.

[jasmine2501]

The pin on your upper head is broken... the top blades should always be sticking out 90 degrees from the shaft. Go get yourself one of the metal upper heads... might as well get the rest of the metal parts too - they make a huge difference, and the little pins on the heads break really easily, as you can see.

[Balr14]

The pin on your upper head is broken... the top blades should always be sticking out 90 degrees from the shaft. Go get yourself one of the metal upper heads... might as well get the rest of the metal parts too - they make a huge difference, and the little pins on the heads break really easily, as you can see.

Good eye, Jasmine! You got nice pointy ears, too! :D

[jasmine2501]

The better to hear you with my dear :)

[Alpha-77]

Thanks everyone! I'm so thankful to be a member of this forum. :)

The pin on your upper head is broken... the top blades should always be sticking out 90 degrees from the shaft. Go get yourself one of the metal upper heads... might as well get the rest of the metal parts too - they make a huge difference, and the little pins on the heads break really easily, as you can see.

Wow, thanks Jasmine! I would have never noticed that (complete n00b, what do you expect?)...

Sorry to not have a clue what I'm talking about, or anything for that matter. But is there anything else in particular I should buy other then the Aluminum Inner Shaft with Head/Hub? I read the Swashplate was not recommended, and possibly a longer shaft and shorter flybar. But that sounds like alot of money to be spending (just spent most of my money on the heli)... :(

I was thinking of taking it into my LHS (HobbyTown USA), and having them check it out for me and see if there is anything else wrong. It seems like one of the bars that hold the landing skid in place is broken, and there is also a screw missing off the main frame? It kind of concerns me.... At first I thought I got a good deal, now I'm beginning to think otherwise.

Thanks for the help everyone.

[jasmine2501]

Well, I would probably go ahead and get all the metal parts - just the E-Flite parts will be fine. The metal swash is good, but you will have to adjust the links because it's slightly different in vertical displacement on the arms. The metal lower head will prevent a similar pin breakage from happening there. Also the metal upper bearing will lubricate better. Might pick up the heat sink and some thermal paste too. Bling it out like mine and it should last a good long time... get some spare blades.

[Alpha-77]

Thanks again Jasmine! I got loads of blades, so I'm not too worried about that at the moment...

I think I'll try and see if I can take her into the LHS today, and ask them if its worth the investment, or if its just a problem child and I should get rid of it before spending anymore on it.

And yes, the flybar really is that bent as it looks in the pic.

Thanks.