[Omarko]

hi guys

first of all, merry Xmas to all!!!!

Yesterday I finaly received my xmas pressie, a brand new RTF Blade 400 3D which comes with the DX 6i. I bought it myself from RC Hobbies few weeks ago and picked it up from the shop. I did notice that the box seal was broken but I had a quick sneak peak inside and all looked ok. When I got home, missuz wrapped it up and its been under the xmas tree until yesterday.

I know VERY LITTLE about helis and planes, only used to do cars in the RC world. I read a LOT on the forums and watched the 10 day instructional video on rchelicopterfun which was handy.

Now, I just wanted to ask re the settings on the DX 6i. First of all, it was in MDL1 which had a little picture of a plane there which seemed odd as the standard heli functions were not accessible (ie swash mix). When I changed it to MDL2, it has little heli picture there but the settings were completely incorrect (I googled the default 6i settings). Obviously, I had to re-bind the Tx and Rx and then set it up from scratch. Not a bad excercise as I got used to the menu and many of its functions.

The conroller plastic seems fine and undamaged but the main lcd has lots of micro scratches on it. See what I mean :



Do you guys think they sold me a 2nd hand controller? I know it works ok (well, havent flown with it) and if anything goes wrong, I still have the full warranty but it seems odd.

Is it worth taking it back for a new one or should I just keep it and be happy?

[samste]

Yes well more than likely it may have been returned to shop as a too hard basket begginners flying toy, with the signs of scratches on screen though you may never know why.
If it doesn't bother you, the scratches and it works fine keep it.
If you feel that you didn't get what you paid for well i would return and ask the question How come all the scratches on a new TX and get a replacement or discount.

With Helis I'm no expert but theres many members who are and may input what to look for and look out for.

If Speed is the thrill your after and the Plane to do it with, well i can help a little there .



Steve

[Omarko]

thanks for the prompt reply Steve I was thinking the same. I need to go there today anyway to get a training kit for the blade so I might as well ask them.

btw I was lucky to get a Cessna 182 as well I put it together yesterday, its pretty basic though I must say and the build quality is very yumcha so Im curious to see how it will fly. I will definitely come out to the field once it clears up (shame its raining today, could have been fun).

---

oh and also, if anyone can tell me if its ok to use this battery with the Blade :

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290503764490&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

that'd be great. it has slightly higher capacity and its also 30C vs stock 20C (which I assume it has to do with how much punch the battery provides so should be ok, worst comes to worse I will adjust the throttle curve)

[kizza42]

Steer clear of the dodgy ebay batteries and get em straight from HobbyKing, they are a few bucks more but they will actually last more than 3 flights as well.

With the radio, I would think it was best that you have to program it yourself, how else will you learn to use it!?

[Omarko]

With the radio, I would think it was best that you have to program it yourself, how else will you learn to use it!?

thanks ... very true but at the same time I am still not 100% what does what ... but I guess I'll see when I start flying !

[Omarko]

ok, just tried to do a bit of spooling practice with the Blade 400 and the tail rotor does not spin at all. It spun little bit but it does not spin now.

I can see the belt on the side but its clearly not moving.

should I take it apart and attempt to fix or take it back to the hobby shop ?

---

I just had a close look and looks like the cog in the body of the heli driving the belt is not spinning when the rod (the tail drive shaft) its attached to is so its probably broken or something else.

without taking the WHOLE thing apart I will never know. damn ...

EDIT: found this pic :

http://www.repairblade400.com/images/bla...-shaft.JPG

I can see the teeth are still there but when the shaft spins it does not spin itself.

[brotherblonde]

I would take the whole thing back!

The Blade 400's are test flown at the factory before delivery. MDL 1 should be the Blade 400 with all the settings entered by the factory. Someone since the factory has removed it & tried to put it back under MDL 2 with no idea what they are doing. The fact that the tail rotor belt drive is broken is a clear sign that it has been broken since the test flight. That drive is ALWAYS the first thing that breaks on those helis...barring any crashes, that is.Mine went after 13 flights, my nephews after 1/2 doz & I repaired one for a hobby shop to get store credit...only a few flights on that one too. Other forums confirm this too.

Anyway, I refer you to my first line on this post.

[Omarko]

thanks, will be there tomorrow morning first thing.

So what part is actualy broken ? the tail drive shaft that I linked up above?

only asking so I know what parts to stock up on is there a better quality part I can replace it with?

[robair]

G'day Alex
I will be repairing exactly the same issue on my heli, your machine has had a tail strike for sure. As Andrew advised take her back get a heli that is actually new and never return to that particular store EVER!
Cheers
Rob b

[Omarko]

just took it back to the store, they would not give me a new one ! a technician will be in today at lunch time and will apparently "look" at it ... I said "Its NEW !!!" , they dont care.

[gbanger]

I would not stuff around with these guys.
I would march in there today and tell them that it has not even been powered up yet and has obvious flight damage.
If they wont give you a new one ask to speak to the store manager and tell him if they dont give you a new one you will be taking this straight to the department of fair trading.

[Omarko]

ended up getting a brand new Blade and DX6i ...

however !

the LiPo battery in the new pack is faulty !!! I cant charge it, one of the cells is reporting an error (whether I use the included charger or my own which is a pro hobby charger). crazy !!!

[brotherblonde]

Firstly, Garry beat me to the punch. Fair Trading would have been my tip.

Bummer about the battery! I don't know if I would tempt fate a 2nd time with that shop. Mind you, they should sell you good gear from the start! ( I have never had problems there, so I guess you were unfortunate.)

Check out hobbyking's batteries from their taren point warehouse. You can order online & have them in a couple of days, or go there & pick up.

I'm happy to help you as much as you need with the B400.

PS. Yes that was the broken part I was referring to.

[Omarko]

thanks guys, will check out HK for some additional batteries.

I rang RC Hobbies and told them I dont have time to go there again and that I will mail the battery and they will send me a replacement so all ok.

I just had two first flights with the heli today. I have been following the tips and prep from here:

http://www.rchelicopterfun.com/how-to-fl...pters.html

but I have to say, its HARD !!!! like really hard ! heh ... I did not even lift off the ground, I was just getting used to the controls and what does what. Well, I had few lifts for like 2-3 seconds but I chickened out and slowly came back and was just moving around the concrete area (using training gear). I wont give up that easily though.

One question, I assume these things dont hover perfectly still am I correct ? You still need to make small adjustments to keep the bird steady. Right ?

EDIT: brotherblonde, I will definitely take you up on the help bit !!!!

[brotherblonde]

Gday, well I'm pleased RC are comming to the party! Good news.

The web sie you mentioned is excellent. That's how I started. Also check out Dave at http://www.youtube.com/user/NightFlyyer

You can send him a PM and ask for his 9 heli flying tips. He started flying before they had gyros!

If you follow the "day by day" instructions, your losses will be reduced. You WILL prang...sorry but it's all part of the learning process. Take it slowly, don't try to rush, it's not a race and there's no competition to see who flies first.

One of Dave's tips (I can't give you all) is...don't practice in front of friends.. they will coerce you into doing something that will end in sadness.

Anyway, here are my first baby steps:

http://www.youtube.com/user/brotherblond...t-gymix2dA

---

PS.
Yes they ARE hard. No they don't stay still! Even when you can hover the heli relatively still, your thumbs are constantly moving..stirring the pot! The only time they are stationary is when the heli is shut down and the battery is disconnected.

[Omarko]

love the video!!!!!! I felt exactly same like you !!!!!!!!!!! haha

cant wait to do more practicing soon ! wish I did not have to go to work tomorrow !

I will try to get out to the field next weekend as I would love to give the Cessna 182 I also got for Xmas a go

[Omarko]

well guys .... not sure how this happened but looks like the tail drive pinion has been stripped .... I was doing only practising and some hovering in our townhouse block, not much wind ... and it went ... I have to admit I did touch the concrete with the rear rotor but it only made a small chip in the blade ... probably enough to strip the pinion on the tail drive shaft... bummer.

I will replace it but looking at getting a metal one, not plastic, any thoughts?

also, is it worthwhile to order other parts while I am at it ? ones that are most likely to break when I crash ?

thanks

---

edit:

now when I look at it closer, the pinion does not seem stripped, it looks like the belt came off!!! is this possible ?

see photo :



EDIT 2: nope, the pinion cracked and came off its original location ... will need replacing, will this do ?

http://www.zeejayhobbies.com.au/helicopt..._4523.html

???? ta

EDIT 3:

looks like I am not the only one :

http://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=145929

[Omarko]

ok I picked up the spare part today and fixed, all ok, heli is back in action.

now I was trying to get some more pactice but the heli, the moment its airborn pulls to the left A LOT. I try to bring it back to its original position (using the right stick) but it tilts so much that it almost flips the bird and I touched the ground with the blades which scared the crap out of me. How do I keep it in one spot ?

[robair]

Gday Alex

You may wish to check your swash is level with the sticks at neutral, that may explain the aggresive drift. In regards to keeping the heli in the one spot when you are set up properly one word suffices. Practice.

Stay tuned for some more specific advice from the real club heli experts out there.
Glad you are back in the air.

Cheers
Rob B

[brotherblonde]

Alex,

ALL heli's will drift A LOT to the left (with clockwise rotating main blades). This is due to to the thrust from the tail rotor pushing the air to the right to counter the torque. You WILL need a constant right cyclic input to stop the heli drifting. IE: the heli will hover a a slight right "wing" down attitude. Most full sized heli's (except European one's) hang the other way, because their blades go anti clockwise.

As Rob said. "Practice"!!!!!!!!!! I'm guessing the reason for the "tilts so much" problem is lack of experience, and over controlling.

Try this....as the heli gets light on the skids BEFORE it starts to slide left, add and hold, a bit of right cyclic in anticipation of the drift, to counter it before it happens. Sounds a bit weird, but as you gain experience and get to know the bird, you'll know how much to apply. The left skid should be airborne a tiny bit earlier than the right skid for a vertical takeoff. To answer your next question....yes you can trim it out so you don't need to hold the cyclic.....but then when you move to forward flight, you'll have to "un trim it" ..messy.

Now, spares.....yes....lots.. The metal geared tail gear is probably a good idea. You will also need: feathering shaft, main shaft, main blades (stick with the cheap wooden one's until you are proficient)
probably a belt. Ultimately you'll need linkages and new servo gears..for the inevitable "big one".

Hobbies in the Hills, Victoria Rd Castle Hill stock most of those parts if you want somewhere close by and don't want to go to or wait to order online at RC Hobbies. I have fixed a few broken Blade 400's for Stuart, the shop owner, on behalf of the heli owners, and he is a pretty good bloke. 'm slowly educating him on the intricacies of helis.

[Omarko]

thanks very much for the tips ...

unfortunately, I had a BIG crash this morning. Took it out to local park to have a play since there is no wind this morning. The setup was wrong and my trim was all over the place from yesterday when I was playing around with it.

Idiot I am I have not set it back and the moment I lifted off and was about 1m above the ground the bird started to massively go backwards and to the left and I was too slow to react so within a split of a second it hit the ground hard with the blades.

quite a bit of damage list of parts needed

EFLH1457
EFLH1456
EFLH1471
EFLH1417
EFLH1415A
EFLRDS751
EFLH1421
EFLH1438

[brotherblonde]

Ouch. Sorry to hear that mate. Oh well....it's all part of the learning curve. It's an awful feeling when it happens, but unfortunately it's a fact of life when learning. I hope you can get it repaired quickly.

Happy New Year.

Andrew

[Omarko]

yeah ... it hurt ... but its all fixed now ... got the spare parts and took me good two hours to fix it.

Had to replace the rotor head, feathering shaft, tail boom, 2 servos (completely stripped the gears) and the main blades.

Expensinve crash I am thinking of investing into the Phoenix 2.5 sim to get more practice and confidence.

Also, I just checked the levels of the main blades when they are spining (throttle almost half way) and I can see that they are not leveled. I checked the manual and adjusted the linkages on the one that I wanted to bring down but after doing 2 full turns, they are still unleveled and it looks like nothing changed. What am I doing wrong ?

PS: Happy New Year !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[gbanger]

Hey Alex
Ive been sitting on the side watching this thread evolve.
And if you dont mind some constructive critisism.
Id suggest getting your arse down to the field and having one of our more experienced Heli pilots help you get your set up sorted before you end up with an expensive pile of not much.
Ive only been flying helis for 6 months and have a Trex 600, and if Ive learned anything the most important thing is LITTLE STEPS.
That way you will make progress and leave the field with a smile rather than a frown.
Gazz

[Omarko]

thanks Gazz ... all criticism is welcomed thats why I am here, to learn and get feedback from experienced pilots.

I HAVE been taking baby steps, I went through 6 packs of just rolling around on the floor. What happened this morning ,is totally my fault and believe me, it was a good learning ( and an expensive one! )

Yes, I will come out to the field, hopefully someone will be there Sunday morning so I can get help with the heli and get it set up.

Im not in rush or anything, I am happy to take my time to learn.

[gbanger]

Sounds like a plan Alex

Work commitments aside I will be flying early both Saturday and Sunday so I hope to see you see you there, then we can start to put these little trim and balance issues behind you.
Are you using any expo. It helps keep centre stick a little less sensative when you are learning.
Do you fly Mode 1 or 2

PS: I burnt 15 to 20 batteries practising balance before I left the ground for the first time.

Gazz

[Omarko]

I adjusted the settings on the DX6i using the tips on the spektrum website here:

http://www.spektrumrc.com/Articles/Artic...cleID=1907

it suggested adjusting the expo I think 30% plus on all three settings in that menu. Not sure if that is good or bad, they said it will make the flying bit easier.

I have Mode 1 controller so I guess thats what I'll start with.

I might be able to get out to the field tomorrow, its noy far from where I live so might pop around and see who is there.

looking forward to it !!!

[gbanger]

I fly mode 1, many Heli die hards suggest Mode 2 is better but it just depends on what you learn with.
30% expo is a pretty good starting point.
It wont make it easier to fly but it will make the Heli a little more docile around centre stick.
The DX6i is a good radio to learn with because the menus are pretty simple to use.
No calls from work and its late now so I will be at the field from 8.30
tomorrow

Gazz

[robair]

Gday Alex

I 110% endorse Gazz's comments re take the baby steps. When I purchased his Storm 3D he must have mentioned this to me 400 times. The learning curve via "days" is fantastic as it keeps it very clear as to what your skill level is and what level of control you have over the helicopter. Andrew R also drummed this into me. Their advice and help has kept my damage to just a $10 part to get me to a stable'ish hover whilst walking around the aircraft stage. I must also add that without training legs I would have a collection of smashed parts for sure, i've lost count of the amount of times they have saved my ass.

Make sure you check out the other heli thread, there's heaps of good stuff in there and hope you are back flying soon.

Cheers
Rob B