thanks for the words of encouragement Spad, but I still feel like a puss......

kdean why are you practicing new stuff so close to the ground? something i read when i first started fly was to fly three mistakes high....meaning try new stuff high up so that if you do have an issue you have plenty of time to recover before you hit the ground

Here is what happened to me yesterday. Its my v120d02 and i was just getting good figure 8' s and this got in my way . I put up a small pole and some yarn On my kids playpark when i first started this hobby to tell me the wind speed and direction. I nailed it

Glad i was not flying the 400.

Originally Posted by shadow102

kdean why are you practicing new stuff so close to the ground? something i read when i first started fly was to fly three mistakes high....meaning try new stuff high up so that if you do have an issue you have plenty of time to recover before you hit the ground

I like flying low to the deck. Thats why I fly helis and not planes. But, when I'm practicing something I'm not comfortable with, I do take the heli up quit a bit. Thats another thing I need to practice, I fly eye level and below so much that when I go higher, to the point where your looking up at the bottom of the blades, its hard fo me to keep it level. I end up sliding left and right all the time.

I'm with ya kdean, I like to fly it very low too. I've just gotten back into planes too, and that's the hardest part......it goes so far away........

Originally Posted by Mitchie

I'm with ya kdean, I like to fly it very low too. I've just gotten back into planes too, and that's the hardest part......it goes so far away........

I fly both and when a plane goes far away, I have no problem getting it back. If the V400 goes far away....well, I am really in trouble!

SpadCat

Speaking of flying low, that is what I have been doing the last two evenings. I have been practicing nose-in hovering and last night I could only get to about 10 seconds, but tonight, I actually did my first nose-in circle, a couple of slow pirouettes and as long as I was smooth and slow on the sticks to give me time to think, I felt somewhat in control. I went through a full 1500ma pack (with numerous relaunches) and the V400 lived to fly another day. All this mostly a foot or two high. That low, you have to watch the tail and not pull the stick back too much, otherwise it will strike the ground. Did that last night and broke the rear rotor motor holder. If I got in trouble, I would either spin the V400 around to tail first or put her on the ground (several times right at my feet), gather my wits, wipe my sweaty palms on my pants and take off to try again. Whew, this is going to take lots of practice to get down. This V400 #2 has a real low headspeed, so it is not as intimidated as #3.

SpadCat

Originally Posted by SpadCat2000

I fly both and when a plane goes far away, I have no problem getting it back. If the V400 goes far away....well, I am really in trouble!

SpadCat

I actualy practice that on the sim. Sending the heli far out, and trying to use thumb memory, "the force", to bring it back. Its like trying to fly with your eyes closed. If i cant remember the orintation, i'll do flips or funnels until i get an idea of where the heli is heading.

Way to go Spad.....

This weekend is all about nose in for me. Parts or no parts, i've gatta get comfortable with a nose in hover.

Heli biggie, nice catch. I hope there was not to much damage to the v120. When my m120 came down and got tangled in the grass, i was suprised of the lack of damage. Untangled it, and back up in the air she went. Not even a wabble or vibration.

Originally Posted by kdean

I actualy practice that on the sim. Sending the heli far out, and trying to use thumb memory, "the force", to bring it back. Its like trying to fly with your eyes closed. If i cant remember the orintation, i'll do flips or funnels until i get an idea of where the heli is heading.

Way to go Spad.....

This weekend is all about nose in for me. Parts or no parts, i've gatta get comfortable with a nose in hover.

Heli biggie, nice catch. I hope there was not to much damage to the v120. When my m120 came down and got tangled in the grass, i was suprised of the lack of damage. Untangled it, and back up in the air she went. Not even a wabble or vibration.

You will do fine, just take it slow and easy on the sticks. This gives you time to think. Just like playing a guitar or any other instrument, to go fast you gotta go slow at first.

Have Fun!

SpadCat

One step closer...

Able to mount v450 cf fin to boom using some spare parts. Now i'm waiting for a couple different motor mounts to try, and the extention wires for the motor. They should be here by thursday. Then its all out flight testing.

If this thing does work, i'll post a blog with all the details.

Cross your fingers

Looks good kdean, this will make the V400 much more reliable.



SpadCat

i have a feeling your going to be changing out that tail rotor to some much much smaller. I know my honey bee FP has a CP3 direct drive conversion and the rotor is a 1/4 of the size of the original (which oddly enough is actually bigger than the v400 rotor) and this is all at FP headspeed. May want to look into a blade SR tail blade if it turns into an issue

Wow, that looks so nice. Can't wait to see what happens BTW if the speed of the motor is low enough, maybe won't have to go to a smaller rotor. Or maybe still go with gear? Who knows?, kdean will soon enough

Yes, by the looks of that motor, it will run real cool and out here in the desert where it is starting to really heat up, I am concerned about my tail motor. Found a place to get heat sinks to help cool it.

SpadCat

There are a couple reasons for the big 370 motor. The first is the price. A good 12mm tail motor, that works with 3s is about $40 - $60. This 20mm was only $12. Second, to much power is better than not enough power. I can always dail down the tail rotor speed by using the 'tail mix' on the rx, or adjusting the rudder travel in the tx. Keep in mind im using the alpha 400 main motor, and bigger blades. That should mean more torque that the tail will have to counter. The only problem i see happening is the weight of motor and mounts on the tail. I may need to use some counter weight in the front end. Maybe i can add some weight by coating the inside of the canopy with some thing to make it stronger...

Im really hopeing my theory works, because no one else is doing, or has done it with the v400, and im tired of waiting. If i have to go with a smaller rotor, that may be blessing in that i can find a stronger, cheaper, easy to find 'in stock', rotor for my helis. We'll know in about a week. Thanx for all your input guys.

I also got the set of exi 213mg servos. I tried to put them in the T-XI V450 but they need modding for that as well. I'll work on that situation tomorrow. They seem slower than any of my other servos, and not as smooth, but for $7 each i'm not complaining.