Originally Posted by Jboy90277

I've tried 3 different sets of tail grips (MH unweighted, MH weighted, and Lynx weighted), and I really like the Lynx weighted ones.

Thanks good to know. What tail slider are you using? Looks like I broke one of the links also, I don't think they come with the slider do they?

Originally Posted by Santley

This is where I saw you talking about weighted grips Joel. Thought you were using them.

Originally Posted by harryhenderson

I think we're getting confused here. I was talking about main blade grips when I said my stock and Lynx ones were fine. The Lynx ones are indeed better. I run weighted Rakon grips on my tail.

LOL! Apparently so!

The only upgrades I've done so far are the Boca flange bearings in the tail, the metal A-gear, and the MH double-bearing pitch-slider. After installing the Bocas & going through a handful of tail-shafts to find the lesser of the evils, the tail finally settled down - but it has never been as smooth as something should be that spins at 20 grand. I expect the tail to be about as smooth as a Dremel tool throughout the entire RPM range - just like my fixed-wing ships after balancing the props. But I have not been able to get it there so far - even with careful dynamic balancing. Hence, why I don't think I've ever had a truly square tail-shaft.

It seems odd that Blade's TS is the strongest, but the sloppiest, while the aftermarket shafts are straight & true, but made from 'butter-steel'.

Joel

Joel, did the MH tail slider take some of the slop out of the tail or is most in the bearings? I have never liked the stock slider so I have no problem upgrading it. However, I’m not sure what upgrading the grips will do. Trying to understand how adding weight (weighed grips) to a rotating assembly will decrease the load on the servo? Is the weight stabilizing the blades like a flywheel removing the harmonics in the tail drive allowing the servo to only feel the pitch change and not the tail vib?

Originally Posted by turboparker

It seems odd that Blade's TS is the strongest, but the sloppiest, while the aftermarket shafts are straight & true, but made from 'butter-steel'.

Personally, I feel a square stock tail shaft is the best one going right now. I just got two and they're both perfect, as measured by digital caliper and "notebook paper lines". Cheap, too.

Originally Posted by turboparker

It seems odd that Blade's TS is the strongest, but the sloppiest, while the aftermarket shafts are straight & true, but made from 'butter-steel'.

Joel

Microheli and the others make a pretty good living playing on our emotions about "Blade crap" and they know a part doesn't actually have to be better and we will still consider it an "upgrade" for some reason. Over the years we've seen a lot of "upgrades" with poor fit, wrecking Blades right and left. So, it doesn't surprise me at all.

Originally Posted by jasmine2501

Microheli and the others make a pretty good living playing on our emotions about "Blade crap" and they know a part doesn't actually have to be better and we will still consider it an "upgrade" for some reason. Over the years we've seen a lot of "upgrades" with poor fit, wrecking Blades right and left. So, it doesn't surprise me at all.

Couldn't have said it better myself. It doesn't help that HH lists the MH stuff as a "hop up" leading one to believe its an upgrade.

I bought a MH tail shaft that was complete junk. I could've made a more effective TS with some yarn and CA.

Originally Posted by Santley

Joel, did the MH tail slider take some of the slop out of the tail or is most in the bearings? I have never liked the stock slider so I have no problem upgrading it. However, I’m not sure what upgrading the grips will do. Trying to understand how adding weight (weighed grips) to a rotating assembly will decrease the load on the servo? Is the weight stabilizing the blades like a flywheel removing the harmonics in the tail drive allowing the servo to only feel the pitch change and not the tail vib?

The Bocas removed the radial play in the TS, while the MH slider removed a lot of the slop in the rudder linkage. Two separate issues. Regarding weighted grips - they reduce the tail servo load by countering various forces. This can be taken too far, however. It is possible to end up with a zero-load tail system, which can cause the equivalent of control-surface flutter on a fixed-wing plane. You always want some load on the system. Here's a video that demonstrates the difference in tail servo load on a 250-class bird with & without weighted grips:

T250 WEIGHTED GRIP TEST (4 min 37 sec)

Originally Posted by harryhenderson

Personally, I feel a square stock tail shaft is the best one going right now. I just got two and they're both perfect, as measured by digital caliper and "notebook paper lines". Cheap, too.

I agree. That seems to be the best option at this point. However, I hope that somebody comes up with a better alternative.

Joel

Originally Posted by turnerm

Couldn't have said it better myself. It doesn't help that HH lists the MH stuff as a "hop up" leading one to believe its an upgrade.

I bought a MH tail shaft that was complete junk. I could've made a more effective TS with some yarn and CA.

Some of it is good, but not all - I wait to see what people have to say about things. A couple years ago, I think we determined that the tail 'upgrades' for the Blade 400 just messed it up - some folks had the belts cut by it.

Originally Posted by harryhenderson

Personally, I feel a square stock tail shaft is the best one going right now. I just got two and they're both perfect, as measured by digital caliper and "notebook paper lines". Cheap, too.

Agree, that has been my experience also.

Bob

Originally Posted by Santley

Thanks good to know. What tail slider are you using? Looks like I broke one of the links also, I don't think they come with the slider do they?

I am using Microheli sliders - they're OK. If I had to do it again, I'd probably try Rakon or Lynx's offerings.

Blade 130x..Spinn 8000kv..Compare Batteries...Turnigy VS Zippy (7 min 4 sec)

Originally Posted by jasmine2501

Some of it is good, but not all - I wait to see what people have to say about things. A couple years ago, I think we determined that the tail 'upgrades' for the Blade 400 just messed it up - some folks had the belts cut by it.

+1!

I made that mistake back when the first mSR "upgrades" started showing up - only to find that many of them made the bird fly worse! Upgrades are supposed to make things work better. If not - they're nothing more than bling. And I couldn't care less about bling - especially if it adds weight.

Joel

KDE Direct is coming out with a line of upgrade parts for the 130X. Looks like some high quality stuff

Jhroof,

Now that looks interesting! American-made heli parts.

I see that their tailcase weighs 1.6g, vs. 2.6g for the Lynx tailcase. I hope they come out with a precision tail-shaft made from hardened American steel. I bet they'd barely be able to keep up with demand.

Joel

Don't know why they don't use better materials.
6061 although commonly called "aircraft grade" is fairly soft, they should use 7075.

Material cost must be a small percentage of the total price, most of the cost is in the machining.

Pat MacKenzie