Discussion Suggested improvements for next Gen BR?

[GBX]

Fotta / Who started this thread is from Interactive Toy

[petter]

And the inventer is also listening ....

Thank you all for good suggestions. Hopefully we will be able to put at least a few of these improvements into future models.

Petter

[Steve McBride]

Some of these are mentioned above, but here they are again - my list:

1) Longer Motor Life - this should be #1 as this heli seems to be adopted by an older crowd that does not grow tired of it before the motors quit

2) Better (or more consistant) forward speed - the two I have move forward very slowly and only after mods

3) How about an included CD ROM of how to fly instructions as well as printable canopies? You could sell it with no canopy and some photo paper to print your own? I understand the safety guys may not like selling it with an ungarded geartrain though

4) Replacement motors offered as well as gears, shaft, etc

5) More 'manly' colored controller - I love to show off the bladerunner, but the transmitter looks too toy like. A simple change to black would be nice

6) Consider offering a pro version - include a control board with the three speed controllers and mixer but allow the user to use his own transmitter and micro receiver - or offer a 72mhz (for U.S. users) version that uses mini crystals. I understand that you may want to stay in the toy market though. I would assume this would drive down costs as the customer would supply his own transmitter and charger

7) How about an entirely new, micro version power by pager motors? I would think you could almost double the price on such a model

8) Carbon fiber landing gear - assembly cost and time should be reduced if designed correctly

9) Swappable batteries - although I can understand that if the motors are stressed after a flight, forcing the consumer to take a break and recharge (while the motors cool) may not be a bad thing

10) With changeable motors and swappable batteries comes micro plugs on all motors although this would probably add weight and we all know how much better it flys with every gram you remove

11) Bearing on main shaft

12) Main shaft removable

13) Gear lash adjustable

I'll post more as I think of them....

Steve

[zuesdog]

The only improvements I can think of would be to include the address to this forum in the manual and to make things more accessible. i.e. removable body, plugs for motor and such......
I think that flying this great toy is only 1/2 the fun. The other half is the mods and tweaks we are able to do at home ourselves.
After all, the more interactive do, the less we can do and the more we pay.
Just an opinion

[lilpip]

outdoor flying (BIGGER)

[ukgroucho]

What about a BRUSHLESS BR - at least for the main motors. Assuming that the size / weight of the brushless ESCs could be gotten down to something reasonable (and that a custom brusless motor of a suitable size could be made) then that would

1) provide better battery life
2) pretty much eliminate the NEED to replace motors

Now those would definitely be mods for the 'pro' version.

[Steve Shepard]

Ken, this thread was started by Frank Otta, a representative of ITC. You can bet your arse our comments are being solicited for the betterment of a new generation of the Bladerunner. Do your homework.

[psyopper]

I agree with all of the above! But in the interest of getting what we want, maybe we should talk about *how* to resolve the issues instead of just listing them. Some people did this - specifying the Kokam battery, providing examples of gears to make changing motors easier and removing the tal rotor ring for better for-aft responsiveness.

My idea - for strengthening blades, extend the blade support rod from the hub all the way to the outer ring.

For a really "cool" upgrade idea, how about a charging "base station" rather than a plug. I imagine the battery connected to the landing gear and the antenna extending some length of the tail boom. You would place the chopper on the base station with each of the landing gear on a separate pad, one (+) and the other (-). Would look a lot cleaner!

Brad

Brad

[kwhabq]

Steve Shepard,

I have read about all there is to read in the 3 forums. I knew Petter was the inventor, but Fotta wasn't identified in the thread starter as ITC rep.

So, please forgive me if i didn't do my "HOMEWORK". Just wanted to make sure we were being heard by those who can help. No need to slam me, the explanation was enough, and I thank you for it.

The BR is great, and hopefully will be even better with the next version.

Ken

[Pete P.]

1. Get motors with slightly higher RPM for the effec/power
2. Gear a smidge higher, say 16:1
The vertical performace loss would be worth it for the added duration/motor life expectancy.

Also, dont do everything over there at the factory. I agree with Zuesdog, 1/2 the fun is doing this yourself :-) But you could make mods easier with a little less glue and a few less proprietary parts :-P

[Josh_high_flyer]

la la la

[ninjamonk]

The fellow named fotta who has "noted" these changes is a creator. He will surley take these things to heart.

My list is short because most things have been stated above:

1) A bigger one with the ability to pick things up (a hook on a string?)
2) tic marks (or something) so the blade pitch can be measured/gotten the same all around
3) A list of ALL possible problems and how to fix (or even to understand) them
4) A list of what is normal (i.e. the bottom rotor does not need to be paralell with the top.

Of course I will keep telling everyone I know to buy one reguardless...

[ninjamonk]

oops. Rep, not creator. mah bad...

[jtyson]

I agree with all the previous suggestions. I think I am actually having more fun tinkering/tweeking my Bladerunner than I am flying it!

Since I don't have a large uncluttered space to fly in, I would really like to see A larger version that can be flown outdoors!

[odonata]

1)Make undercarriage from carbon.
2) Consider/test a vertical tail fin to give directional stability in forward flight.