nasrr73

Specifically,
How do you remove old upper and lower rotor blades and replace with new ones ? Is there a trick to doing these to get them in exactly the same configuration as the ones you've removed ? Do all new blades on this helicopter have to be balanced before they will work correctly ? Can't add balancing weights as in the real world, so how exactly can you balance these extremely light CX2 blades ? Also, with heatsink on the motors, should overheating be a problem while flying to where the heat may affect the control as the battery charge runs down ?

TheBum

There are two screws holding the two blades of each rotor together. Simply remove those screws, twist the two blades, and pull them apart. Reverse the process to install the new ones.

I haven't found much difference between the balance on the replacement blades. The most important thing to do is to make sure that the upper rotor is tracking, which is done by adjusting the linkage between the upper rotor and the flybar. It'll take some trial-and-error to figure out which way to adjust the link, but when you're done, the upper rotor's blades should have almost no wobble when looking at them edge-on while the rotor is spinning at a moderate speed.

Honestly, I didn't find that the heat sink helped at all with control. You'll find pretty much the same story from anyone else that's added the heat sink. The biggest improvement in tail stability for me was when I replaced the stock motors with Xtreme 180 ball-bearing motors, which are distributed by miracle-mart.com in Hong Kong but can be found at other Internet vendors in the States (I got mine from slickzero.com).

DrunkYoda

I've never had to balance the CX blades from the factory, I'm sure I could have, but I never have. They've been fine.

Most people just use tracking tape or even packing tape for balance.

Just saying it's good to learn to balance straight up from the start but you really don't have to on these small Co-ax counter-rotating ones. Tis good training to do this for the bigger birds once you're ready.

Dy

Wolfpackin

I found balancing the blades before installing them makes a big difference. With balanced blades my CX2 hovers in place like a dream.

Also I've found that yes, heat effects control. During a long flight my trim tabs can move from one side of neutral to the other. I try to cool down at the halfway point of a battery, around min. 5-6.

TheBum

Replacing the stock motors with Xtreme 180 ball bearing motors solved my control problems. My rudder trim stays rock solid through an entire pack.

jmhh

Yo Bum...hot up there in McKinny?....sure hot an muggy here in Houston....
quick question about the 180 Motors...do they work well with the stock
Eflite batteries or do you need more powerful batteries?...and if so,
what more powerful batterry do you recommned?..thanks, John H., Houston

TheBum

It's been pretty sticky (which is unusual), but all the rain we've been having (which is also unusual in recent years) has really kept the temperatures down.

The stock battery works just fine with the new motors; I haven't noticed any loss in flight time per charge. I wouldn't have expected a degradation because the motors turn more freely than the stock motors due to the ball bearings, which would translate to more torque with the same amount of electrical current. I kept a watchful eye on the 4-in-1's green/red LED during my first couple of packs and it stayed green even when climbing at a pretty decent rate...until the battery got low on charge, that is.

After a couple of days of use thus far, I would strongly recommend the upgrade to anyone. I get better altitude control and much better tail stability (the rudder trim doesn't drift throughout an entire pack). The two extra batteries I have are DN Power 900 mAh vs. the E-Flite's 800 mAh, but all three of my batteries are rated at the same discharge rate: 10C.

Something else that has really helped me with controlling altitude is eliminating the ratcheting of the throttle stick. I opened up the back of the TX and flipped over the metal strip responsible for the ratcheting, which makes the throttle smooth throughout it's entire range.