looping the Hornet 2

[smittylube]

So I pulled off or close to pulled off my first loops with my hornet 2 today.

I have been looping & rolling my ECO very successfully for the past few months- even stopping at the top for an inverted view for 4-10 seconds etc. I feel they have become fairly smooth allowing me to exit higher or lower, big long drawn out loops or real tight ones etc..

this morning when I went to loop my Hornet for the first time it sort of 'stuck' at the top- I feel I am not able to carry my momentum as I do with my ECO.. could it be I am going in to the loop with too much pos collective or just not smooth enough and jamming the cyclic or both. In the start w my ECO I did many stall turns & found how much higher.
I dont want to have to go hail mary full speed ahaid then pull back to loop..

I suppose I should just keep trying the stall turns and get the feel for where the collective should be for best results, but any tips would be great.

I just want to be able to make them smooth like my eco or nice flowing loops as I have seen done by our local Jim Miller and his souped up piccollo.

Thank guys,
Steve

[Heico]

Hey I dont have a Hornet but I think you have to get a little of speed to pull of a good loop. And you have to have over 1500 rpm in the main rotor. Hey What ECO are you flying? What setup? Is it very 3D?

[tabbytabb]

Steve, as I remeber you are running the bell hiller mod correct?? I think you also put some weight in your blades so that should help as well.

Loops with hornets are very difficult to do well. I did probably 20 to 30 over the weekend at the funfly and only a handfull were good looking loops. To get my best loops I gather some forward speed and very slightly pull back on the cyclic while hammering full collective to get the little guy to get some vertical penetration. I find this is the only way I can get a big round loop, and not one that looks like a messed up flip. Just hold around 0 pitch at the top of the loop and fly the rest out as you normally would with your ECO. I find the technique quite a bit different from my raptor or other larger helis

Hope this helps

Tabb

[Heico]

Hey guys. Whats the best setup for the hornet 2? Is it beter than the Hornet CP or the Hornet CPX flying 3d? Whats the flight time you are getting on your Hornets? Im asking all this questions because I am planning to get a Hornet. :)

[smittylube]

Thanks guys.

I did a handfull again and what I was able to smooth them out with alot more forward speed and easier on the cyclic & collective. It was windy so the wind helped as well. I was stoked to get them smoother.

Tabb, when I add pos collective when pulling back I tend to stall the forward momentum more. I find they seem to 'sail' up more w/o.. I am sure my comments will be different by next week :)

Heico flight times will vary dramatically dependant on your setup & flying habits. Mine has the hacker B20-22s w 12 tooth pinion and I try to run 2600 + head speed so for about 10 minutes I use about 750-800 MAH out of a pack. I tried to just hover a 680 kokam SHC pack and got to about 9 minutes when the rpm fell off too much. The first 5 minutes it was a rocket :)

My ECO is setup with the Alum head to allow more neg pitch, I run 3S3P & 3S4P lipos, H8 24t pinion, MS sym blades 1300-1400gr AUW.. For me it is 3D. I can only loop & roll & I stop at the top for short inverted hovers. I dont want to push too fast as I hovered my first heli 14 months ago.. Flight times- about 3000 mah for 10 minutes for looping and rolling and curcuits.

Steve

[Colin Bell]

Hey guys. Whats the best setup for the hornet 2? Is it beter than the Hornet CP or the Hornet CPX flying 3d? Whats the flight time you are getting on your Hornets? Im asking all this questions because I am planning to get a Hornet
The H2 is a lot better then the CP and CP-X for 3D, it is however hard to fly the hornet, or any micro heli for that matter through 3D. They're very twichy...you can't take your eye off em for a second!

Colin

[smittylube]

Well After a couple of months now I can say the micros are touchy but a clean loop can be had very easily.

Here is my approach.

I get some altitude and then turn towards me- typically the wind is at my back, then gaining some speed as I descend towards me I start to pull back cyclic & lower my pitch towards 0- this done properly my hornet sails way up vertcal even as much as 25-30 feet and as it gets closer to the top I feed in some negative then after it passes the top I go back to 0 pitch and bring it back to upright and some pos pitch.

I found if I lower my right side of the disc and be carefull not to add in rudder with my collective I can be very round and inline.

Then I crank a big bank and go back for more.

If you dont have enough forward speed then you can do it as Tabby says and feed in a bunch of pos collective- this works well to stay in even closer- but when I do them this way I am jerkier on the sticks and the loop doesn't flow as well. (for me at least)

I have found I can stop at the top and hover inverted if I like- or leave it slightly forward for some inverted FF, I can roll it out off the top as well, but most times when I try an inverted climb-out the power & pitch is there but I blow it and add cyclic to throw me off my target.. practice, practice, practice.