Originally Posted by fr4nk1yn

...

Where can I get a canopy like this?

Originally Posted by i812

Where can I get a canopy like this?

Looks like this one to me:
https://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...y_for_Trex-450

Funny, took me about a minute to find it...that's bad right! Helicrack deep in the veins!

Amp

Originally Posted by Wade1

bloody hell, do all people need to go that far into setting a heli up ? I am only using it for basic flying. no 3d at all.

PS, my swash mix settings are as follows :

AILE + 50%
ELEV + 50%
PITCH - 50%

should the pitch also be + instead of - ?

If it works the right way don't change it. I'm a noob but afaik negative values on swash afr just reverse the channel (I had to reverse my ailerons so the chopper would work the way its supposed to).

Originally Posted by Ampdraw

Looks like this one to me:
https://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...y_for_Trex-450

Funny, took me about a minute to find it...that's bad right! Helicrack deep in the veins!

Amp

Much abliged. Gives me another excuse to order from HK.

Reminds me of Easy Rider movie.

"Get your motor running ...

OK so when throttle stick is at bottom, I have -2 degrees on one blade and -3 on the other.

at mid stick they are both about 0 degrees. at full stick one blade is 4 degrees and the other blade is 5.

how do I level these numbers out with out disrupting the 0 degrees at centre stick ?

also, do these numbers seem too low ?

Got http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/s...dProduct=10968
that servo today. Will let you all know how it performs on my beater 450 with the 401B Gyro.

I just ordered the same one for my 500 tail - I'm hoping it's gonna be decent.

Originally Posted by Wade1

OK so when throttle stick is at bottom, I have -2 degrees on one blade and -3 on the other.

at mid stick they are both about 0 degrees. at full stick one blade is 4 degrees and the other blade is 5.

how do I level these numbers out with out disrupting the 0 degrees at centre stick ?

also, do these numbers seem too low ?

Yes, you need more than 5 degrees. Firstly, you can increase the values in your swash mix. This will increase the angle. Then adjust the bottom end of your pitch curve to keep the -2 degrees. (It is also sounds like your servo arm length might not be long enough. I get +12 degrees pitch with 60 degrees swash mix.)

You also need to make each blade match. Do this by adjusting one of the long links that rise upwards from the swash-plate until you get the same angle on both blades. You will then need to fine tune this by checking your blade tracking. (See my reply to your PM).

Regards,
Harrow.

Originally Posted by distractor

Got http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/s...dProduct=10968
that servo today. Will let you all know how it performs on my beater 450 with the 401B Gyro.

Inolab 261 flash sale:
http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/s....06sec_/_2.4kg

Lighter and faster with same torque.

Amp

Originally Posted by Ampdraw

Inolab 261 flash sale:
http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/s....06sec_/_2.4kg

Lighter and faster with same torque.

Amp

Good find!

But, $2.20 doesn't make much of a difference . So - I wouldn't rush buying it unless you really need it anyway... certainly not because it is on the flash sale...

Originally Posted by Wade1

OK so when throttle stick is at bottom, I have -2 degrees on one blade and -3 on the other.

at mid stick they are both about 0 degrees. at full stick one blade is 4 degrees and the other blade is 5.

how do I level these numbers out with out disrupting the 0 degrees at centre stick ?

also, do these numbers seem too low ?

Sorry, but I think we all forgot to tell you to NOT set up in your normal pitch curve. Leave it fully linear -100/0/+100 for set up.

Put the pitch guage on and push the collective to the top, then adjust the swash mix "PITCH" until you get +10* pitch.

Check the mid stick is 0* pitch.

Then check the bottom is -10*.

If it's not, as the solution is tedious and tiresome, as long as it's close it will do. I personally accept at most +/- 1 degrees difference. If it's out by more than 1 degree, you will need to start messing with end points.

Now BEFORE you change anything, check the other blade with exactly the same procedure.

You need to work out which blade is best (closest to -10/0/+10) and modify the other one to match.

If BOTH blades are not exactly equal at all points on the pitch curve you will get tracking issues. If you spend the time getting both blades exactly equal chances are you will never have to adjust tracking. I never have. (My first video showed tracking out by a bit, but the head settled on it's own. My second heli build was out by about 10mm, but again settled after 2 batteries when things loosened up).

Set up the cyclic throws next to 5 degrees (this is another thread of discussion entirely).

Only when you are finished should you set up your REAL normal curve. As discussed you will need -2 or -3 degrees for safety. However a common mistake is to have a linear negative curve, so you get:

-3 (Bottom Stick)
-2.5
-2
-1.5
-1
0 (Mid Stick)

This is NOT what you want and if you get caught in a wind gust in forward flight (or even hover), you won't be able to descend without loosing you head speed.

It 'should' look more like:

-3 Bottom stick
-3
-3
-3 third way down stick
-2
-1
0 Mid stick.

Most radios don't allow you to get -3 at exactly 1/3 down stick, so I aim to get -3 at half stick, which is close enough. Your throttle curve can then be at least 40% at 1/4 stick to keep the rpm usable.

Found out something interesting this morning. I crashed my 450 last week and got in my carbon fiber boom yesterday. I just replaced the boom and my tail assembly with better quality metal tail today. Went out to fly it today and I was getting massive vibration at the tip of my vertical fin on the tail.

So I spent about an hour and half troubleshooting it. Switched out to the plastic blade grips I was flying, same problem. Changed out to a plastic tail, same issue. So I finally started thinking about it and the only difference between how it was setup now and how it was setup before is that I had a strip of 3M trim tape between the horizontal fin and the boom on my old setup.

I put a piece 1/8" thick double stick foam between the horizontal fin and the boom and the vibration completely disappeared.

So if anyone is having a problem with their vertical fin vibrating, try a piece of foam between the boom and the horizontal fin.

Originally Posted by Barak1001

So if anyone is having a problem with their vertical fin vibrating, try a piece of foam between the boom and the horizontal fin.

No offense, but I think you are curing the symptom, and not the problem.

Originally Posted by gtfreeflyer

I didn't watch the video, but based on your description it sounds exactly like what happened to me. 99% sure it is your ESC. I would disable the current limiting function to start with. Just use a wattmeter to be sure you aren't overloading the ESC, and check its temperature after some flights. The ESC is most likely seeing harmless current spikes that last for a fraction of a second, and that will trigger the ESC to cut off.

If that doesn't work, disable the low voltage cutoff of the ESC, but again, make sure you know your setup first! You should know how long you can fly for, and always time your flights to prevent damage to your Lipos. I've always flown with both of these disabled ever since I was having the same problems as you, and I've never had problems since. Just make sure you understand what safety features you are disabling, and discipline yourself to make sure you will never need these safety features during your flights.

Edit: I just watched your video. Your blades spin up super fast! Also try settings your ESC to a very soft start. Getting those blades spinning that fast from a dead stop in such a short period of time requires lots of amps, which I'll bet is what triggers the ESC's over-current protection.

Thanks! I'll do some reprogramming when I get home. Which one is the current limiting function:

Brake

Battery type

Cutoff mode

Cut-Off

Cutoff threshold

Start mode

Timing

Originally Posted by tonyastro

I power up, spin it up and it dies after a second. It's not the wiring.
Esc or motor?

I agree with the previous blogger, it's probably the low voltage cutoff (LVC) on your ESC. At rest your lipo has the power to start the system, but then quickly dumps when you throttle up. This could be:
-ESC set to hard start... try soft start.
-ESC has it's LVC set too high - try 9.0v cutoff, or disable cutoff.
-Lipo is dead, charge your battery
-Lipo is faulty, one+ cells is going bad - do you have another batt to try?

On another note, you're approach to testing is crazy dangerous! Putting the Tx under the blade disc is foolish at best. With the blades spinning, you can't (quickly) reach the throttle control to shut it down. Secondly, holding the LG to the table with your hand at full throttle is nuts. You're sitting there with the mains turning right next to your corroded artery!

Please please please take a little time and effort to be more safe. Simply remove the main blades. Put the Tx where you can reach it.
...and please don't reply and try to tell me you could safely reach under the turning main blades and control your radio. Even if you can, you can't do it safely.

Sorry to be the crumudgeon and the safety nerd, but please expect the unexpected. In the end you'll spend less $$ on repairs ...and less $$ on helicopter repairs as well !!