My Hubsan X4 is no longer worthy of outside flight. The motor pods are cracked with pieces missing, and nothing I do seems to afford decent protection for the exposed motor wires (lets jut call that what it is. Bad design). I'll fly it inside now until I either feel like buying a body shell or a "crash pack" or just getting a quad that is less fragile and easier to repair. Can't have your cake and eat it too you know. The thing flies nicely, like it's "on rails" as they say but I'm cornering the local market on super glue.

E

Finally did two complete indoor "nose-in" hover flights today. It was a grueling bear to do. My brain worked a little overtime and my X4 took a real beating. That "shock-absorbing" feature where the legs kind of pop-apart is effective, but it's also annoying because after it happens a few times, the hold after you snap them back in starts to loosen up .. a lot. I also now have more cracked motor pods. I can handle it for now with some CA glue, but my X4 is going to need a new body shell by the time I can fly it nose-in.

I must say that since I started my affair with the X4, I have become really handy with glue. Epoxy, CA-type glues, and hot glue. I have never been particularly handy, and, my better-half knows better than to ask me to attempt any sort of home repair or improvement. Despite all this, I have managed to put together a kind of neat "Micro Hobby" kit ...


... the kit consists of at least one of everything I have had to seek-out, dig-up, or otherwise scrounge in order to keep my X4 and my v911 in the air, and other stuff. Toothpicks, the parts of an old pre-gyro era 3-CH heli, JST plugs, disposable ear plugs, parts for the v911 paddle mod, double-sided tape, glue, solder, soldering iron, utility knife, hemostats, nail files, tiny screw drivers, magnifying glass, zip-ties, and dry lubricant for guitars (works great on motors).

The battle for control continues ...

Tip of the day: Don't fly a WL v911 into any part of your body.

Day 9 was indoors again, as I haven't been able to get break this week. I did something a little different this time. I ran two packs of Hubsan X4, followed by two packs of WL v911. All hover flights. Still no joy on "nose-in" control. Didn't think I'd ever have this much grief mastering anything. I think I'm pretty golden on "tail-in" hovering now. I toyed with the idea of taking a little flight around my apartment, but I'm too chicken.

Flight School Day 9: Class Dismissed.

After reading THIS POST, I began my flight education indoors, and with the X4 TX set up as follows ...

• Pitch = 45
• Roll = 45
• Yaw = 60

... sissy mode for sure, but when I go to fly outdoors, should I return the pitch and roll values to 50? Thats what the values were out of the box.

E

Headed up to the park today with my Hubsan X4, two freshly charged batteries with 8mph winds with gusts up to 12mph. This time I had issues ...

Flight Prep 1:

TX off (throttle to minimum), LiPo connected, alternating headlights. TX on, beep, binding complete based on solid headlights. Typical flight (for me anyway) of about 7 minutes. One of my rubber feet came off when I bumped the ground during an altitude adjustment. This about half way into the flight, and there were no further incidents.

Flight Prep 2:
TX off (throttle to minimum), LiPo connected, alternating headlights. TX on, beep, headlights go solid for a split second and then blinking simultaneously. No throttle response. Moved around the area. Still nothing. Held transmitter in different positions in regard to the X4. Still nothing. No second flight.

Upon arriving home, I had breakfast. Two scrambled eggs with whole wheat toast, and sugar free orange drink, but that has absolutely nothing to do with this posting. Anyway, I managed to not know which battery was the one from the first flight, so I picked one at random, put it in X4, turned on the TX and it bound in like a second and a half. No problemo. I flew it around the house for a minute and then discovered that this was the first battery. Because I have no idea what can happen if I leave a fully charged LiPo laying around or what would happen if I put it on to charge, I took the other battery and ran that one as well. That flight went just short of 8...Continue Reading

Flew indoors today, after not flying all week. Had a bout of Sinusitis, and watching a small black object wasn't my cup of tea for a few days. I'm beginning to get concerned about flying nose-in. Will I eventually adapt to it and it will become second nature or will it always feel like this?

Next time I fly will be this Saturday, and it will be outdoors. I hope to do one pack of nose-out hover flight, and and pack of tail-in hover flight. I should buy more batteries I think. Maybe better ones that make for longer flights?

Flight School Day 7: Class Dismissed.

PS: Someone please school me on radios. Am I to understand that there are transmitters that you can program to fly almost anything?

My experience with this was perhaps the lamest thing that ever happened. Thank goodness there is no footage or photographic record of it. Yes, I crashed the thing into my own leg and actually needed to stop everything and tend to it with Hydrogen Peroxide, Neosporin, and an adhesive bandage. With the way I fly, I gotta remember to not wear shorts, and to bring a goalie mask. LOL

Today I hoofed it up to the park with my Hubsan X4, and went to a familiar spot, where just two weeks ago I had a catastrophic tree encounter while flying my WL v911.

It was a short excursion because I only have two batteries, but it was the most fun I've had yet flying an RC-anything. I did two hovering flights and periodically got brave and crabbed around a bit since I was in a MUCH bigger space than my 10x10 bedroom. It was a lot easier to maintain altitude. More room gave me more time to make corrections, and without panic. One time a gust took the X4 behind me, and I got disoriented BUT I brought the throttle down in a controlled fashion and had a soft emergency landing.

No crashes! An enjoyable two flights! Flight school day 6: Class dismissed.

A couple of photos from the blessed event (LOL) ...




E

I can't really tell if I am making good progress or not. I had two crashes today. Once because I had the nose of the X4 facing me and my brain isn't ready for that yet, and another one where I let my attention wander and crashed into my own leg (those little props really hurt!). As far as hovering flight with the tail facing me, staying in one spot=not leaving the area of the bed. I can't keep the thing in a 12"x12" box for more than 5 or 6 seconds. So how tight should my hover be, and for about how long? Indefinitely?

I ran two batteries, and popped all the props off during my crashes, but didn't lose any motor savers.

Flight School Day 5: Class Dismissed.

Today I started out doing my basic hover flight, around 1 to 2 feet above the bed with the tail facing me at all times. The X4 seemed to not want to hold it heading today requiring many yaw adjustments and some trimming. I stopped about 1/2 way through flight one, and turned the X4 so that the nose was facing me.

My brain hurts! I crashed numerous times, lost two of my motor savers (probably WAY under the bed now) and managed to pop off all but one of the props. Good thing I have spare motor savers and a set of props on stand by. After a time, I decided I wasn't ready to do this yet, or perhaps this was going to be something I did outside over soft grass with no furniture in that way (thoughts on this?).

My second (last) hover flight was done the standard way, with the tail facing me. I realized during this flight that I had too much on my mind and that I was rattled from crashing my little X4 all over my bedroom. I just was not on top of my game today. Same thing happens sometimes with my guitar playing. Some days I just don't have it. In hindsight, I didn't sleep as well as I should have last night, and I have had a lot going on lately. I called it day, and will probably hit the couch for some TV time right after this posting.

Flight School Day 4: Class dismissed.

Peace to all,
E

Today was the first time that I had a sense of being in control of the vehicle during hover flights. The X4 did well. I had no crashes (a first for me). The window was open about 4 inches and there would be an occasional breeze that I was able to compensate for. Ran 2 batteries.

Flight School Day 3: Class Dismissed.

Today, I worked with the advice of others and did my hover flights at an altitude of about 2 feet. My throttle is starting to get more precise although I still did my share of bouncing on the bed when trying to make altitude adjustments. For example if the x4 was go higher than I wanted it to, I would back off a little and it would gently come back down but would sink down to either bounce, or a couple inches above the bed. I found that maintaining altitude requires a knack for countering the original adjustment slightly (If I said that wrong I apologize).

I only made it to the floor (crashed) twice today. Once I saw it coming and I killed the throttle just so the x4 landed on it's feet, none of which fell off after I switched to double sided tape and rubber feet from an effects pedal (photos at end of this blog entry). I also got a little bold and flew a bit off the bed in the direction I was facing, adjusted altitude and flew back to the center of the bed, all the time with the tail facing me.

My problems at this point are mostly with the left hand. I accidentally apply throttle when adjusting the yaw, and I have not yet mastered the minute adjustment knack for maintaining somewhat steady altitude.

Photos of rubber foot mod ...





Flight School Day 2: Class dismissed.

EBMJF

Ran another two batteries after dinner while I still had the bedroom to myself. Starting to get more comfortable with the controls. At one point the X4 got away from me for a second and it damned near bit my nose off (those little props hurt!). I regained control and was able to finish the flight without incident. I still have the same two problems with accidental throttling, and over compensation but they are reduced.

I've been doing this with the tail of the X4 facing me at all times. She has a tendency to yaw slightly regardless of how the trim is set. I was able to make corrections manually without too much trouble. Eventually, I will have to turn the tail away from me. That's gonna be a freaky brain trip!

EBMJF

Today, for the first time, I took flying seriously and started learning how to properly fly my Hubsan X4 H107 micro quad. I made a foot-square helipad out of cardboard, drew a target on it with a sharpie, and laid it down in the center of my queen-size bed in my very small 10x10 bedroom (biggest room in the apartment).

I programmed the remote as suggested by THIS POST I read so that the Pitch and Roll were set to 45 and the Yaw was left at 60 which was the default. The remote is now in total newbie mode.

After doing an accelerometer calibration, I headed over to the helipad and got to work. I was determined to change my ways, and my reputation for some of the most spectacularly lame crashed in RC history. I applied throttle until the props were spinning, then until the X4 left the helipad and sort of drifted about at an altitude of like 6 inches. It was drifting forward and to the right so I landed it, gave a couple of clicks to the appropriate trim tabs, and tried again. After several attempts I was able to hold the X4 in a general area of approximately 4 feet square. I did this for around 7 or 8 minutes until battery died and the X4 landed in accordance with the force of gravity.

Second battery, and the trims are all totally different. Am I supposed to trim the thing every time I fly it or should it be generally in the ball park after I switch batteries? Anyway I ran 3 times, all at around 7-8 minutes each, and made mental notes on my weak points.

Weak Points:
...Continue Reading