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Try to hover question - drifting when light on skids

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Try to hover question - drifting when light on skids

Old 06-03-2011, 11:32 AM
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lcc014
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Default Try to hover question - drifting when light on skids

I tried to fly Hirobo Quark a few times but as soon as thehelialmoststarted to lift off (light on skid) from the ground, it drifted to the left and backward. I used rudder to controlt he tail spin but the heli just drifting to the left and backward. As the rotor speed increased, it drifted faster (heli was not off the ground yet, still kind of touch the ground). I tried to put on right aileron to offset thedriftbut it still did that and also started to tilted to the right. I backed down the throttle worried the right side tilted too much and crashing the heli.

Any suggestion to correct the left / backward drift to get the heli to take off and hover ?

Thanks,

Ching-Ho Cheng
Old 06-03-2011, 11:03 PM
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jerrymac
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Default RE: Try to hover question - drifting when light on skids

I am not familiar with that helicopter, but it is normal for a helicopter with tail rotor blades to drift left when taking off. The tail blades are used to counteract the torque of the main blades and keep the helicopter from spinning, and this in turn causes the helicopter to drift in the direction that the tail blades are pushing it.
Once the helicopter is in the air it will not drift as much since the tail blades are lower than the main blades, which causes it to tilt to the right a little. Keep in mind that when setting up the helicopter, the swash plate must be level, and the center of gravity as close as possible to the main shaft. If the set up is not correct it will never fly properly.
If it is nose heavy or tail heavy it will drift in that direction.
Old 06-04-2011, 06:50 AM
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lcc014
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Default RE: Try to hover question - drifting when light on skids


ORIGINAL: jerrymac

I am not familiar with that helicopter, but it is normal for a helicopter with tail rotor blades to drift left when taking off. The tail blades are used to counteract the torque of the main blades and keep the helicopter from spinning, and this in turn causes the helicopter to drift in the direction that the tail blades are pushing it.
Once the helicopter is in the air it will not drift as much since the tail blades are lower than the main blades, which causes it to tilt to the right a little. Keep in mind that when setting up the helicopter, the swash plate must be level, and the center of gravity as close as possible to the main shaft. If the set up is not correct it will never fly properly.
If it is nose heavy or tail heavy it will drift in that direction.
Thank you for the detail explanation regarding to the drift when heli was light on skid. Iam a beginning in electric helicopter. How should Iget the heli to take off ? When Iincreased the throttle slowly while the heli was drifting on the ground, it drifted more faster but still not off the ground !! Should I increase the throttle slowly until the heli is almost light on skid but before drifting and then increase throttle a much more (instead of slowly) to push it up into air ?

Ching-Ho Cheng

Old 06-04-2011, 09:50 PM
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jerrymac
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Default RE: Try to hover question - drifting when light on skids

Are you trying to take off from a smooth surface? The helicopters always seem to want to slide to the left on a smooth surface when they get light on the skids. If so, try using something like a piece of carpet to take off from and flip it over and use the back side of it.
The helicopter will not slide sideways on the rough surface. Just be prepared though, as it lifts off. It will likely drift off to the left and you will need to add a small amount of right cyclic. Don't over correct it though or it will zoom off to the right. Try to use small amounts of stick input to keep it in one place. It may take a second for the helicopter to react to your stick input so try not to over react or you will be chasing it all over the place.

Good luck...
Old 06-05-2011, 02:31 AM
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lcc014
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Default RE: Try to hover question - drifting when light on skids


ORIGINAL: jerrymac

Are you trying to take off from a smooth surface? The helicopters always seem to want to slide to the left on a smooth surface when they get light on the skids. If so, try using something like a piece of carpet to take off from and flip it over and use the back side of it.
The helicopter will not slide sideways on the rough surface. Just be prepared though, as it lifts off. It will likely drift off to the left and you will need to add a small amount of right cyclic. Don't over correct it though or it will zoom off to the right. Try to use small amounts of stick input to keep it in one place. It may take a second for the helicopter to react to your stick input so try not to over react or you will be chasing it all over the place.

Good luck...
Yes, I was trying to practise hovering in my kitchen's floor which was a smooth surface. I will try your suggestion - back side of a carpet to try to take it off. Thanks very much.

Ching-Ho Cheng

Old 06-06-2011, 07:08 AM
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Default RE: Try to hover question - drifting when light on skids

Another thing is the blade wash...when you are that close to the ground all that air being pushed by your rotor blades causes
the heli to drift...slide,etc. Iknow with my Raptor....as soon as I learned to get it about 4 feet off the ground quickly it was so much easier to get into a hover.
Iincrease the throttle until it's light on the skids then kinda quickly get it into the air.
Old 06-06-2011, 07:16 AM
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lcc014
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Default RE: Try to hover question - drifting when light on skids

ORIGINAL: Real2You

Another thing is the blade wash...when you are that close to the ground all that air being pushed by your rotor blades causes
the heli to drift...slide,etc. Iknow with my Raptor....as soon as I learned to get it about 4 feet off the ground quickly it was so much easier to get into a hover.
Iincrease the throttle until it's light on the skids then kinda quickly get it into the air.
Thanks for the tip. I definitely will try that "quickly get the heli into the air" right after it is light on the skids.

Ching-Ho Cheng


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