9hamflyer

I hate posting my problems without having helped anybody else first, but hopefully I will eventually get the chance to get better and help others. Until then.....
I have had many hard landings with my Axe CP. Several sets of blades and some other small parts later, I finally got up the gall to get it higher in the air (6 ft.). Well, it took off and hit a wall. Now I need several more parts.
To get to the point, I have noticed that the tail boom seems to be loose and twists very easily. When I have a "hard landing", the vertical fin taps the floor and the boom twists again. The four screws that hold it in don't seem to tighten down much. It is almost like they are stripped. Should I replace the frame? What about changing it to nut and bolt instead of bolt into plastic?
For what I have put it through, it is a pretty tough bird. I would rather small parts break instead of larger, more expensive ones.
Are there any other changes I should make to this before I try to get it in the air again?

Thanks for your help,
Kevin

Shadow99

I replaced the 4 stock screws with 4 M2x25 socket head cap screws & nuts (locktited on). I had to drill out some counterbores for the nuts to fit in, but there's plenty of material there, just go slow. The other fix I've used was to squeeze a piece of double-sided tape between the rear frame members & the tail boom end.
Walmart carries 8mm x 14" long knitting needles in a variety of colors, 2 for under 4 bucks. Cut the head off, measure length of original boom & cut needle to length. Drill out one end to 7mm (for tail motor stud), & cross drill a hole for the tail motor stud retaining bolt. Then you'll have an almost indestructable tail boom for cheap money, and they used to fit better in the frame.

Shadow

Flying Foot Doc

My Feedback: (2)

I did the knitting needle replacement. I ended up drilling thru the mounting block and putting in a screw to stop the twisiting. Be careful of the wires, Doc

rcollector

On mine I found that no matter how tight you got the four screws the boom would still move so I drilled a small hole between two of the stock screws and threaded a 4-40 set screw in that tightens down against the boom and locks it in place. Works great!

PilotLight

My Feedback: (1)

I forgot I had the same problem quite a long time ago. I CAREFULLY tightened the four screws in the frame that hold the boom. Then I tried the same technique with the vertical fin. Sure enough, the piece of plastic that goes across the fin broke. The final result was to glue the small piece of plastic and the fin to the tail boom. No more rotating tail boom problems since.

Tweak it 'till its perfect, crash, rebuild, repeat.

MMatheny

I just wrapped the tailboom with cellophane tape where it fits into the rear of the heli.

Rotor13B

Get some Dubro 2x6 self tapping cap screws, They fit perfectly.

MMatheny

Yeah, but that isn't the problem - if you use the knitting needle tail booms, they are SLIGHTLY smaller in diameter, and even a vise won't clamp it tight!

Mavrik1

Flair the end with the shaft of a punch.

Scotch tape is the easiest, one doesn't have to take the boom off.

9hamflyer

Thanks all for the ideas. I replaced the 4 screws with m4's. Yes, they were bigger, so they threaded in more tightly. AFter I did that, I found that the tail boom was still loose (too late to go back to the smaller screws now!). I drilled another hole through the chassis and in to the boom. Screwed in a shorter screw and the boom is snug as ever.
I learned a lot about taking this thing apart throughout this repair. I had it looking like the exploded parts view at one point. Hopefully I will never have to take it that far apart again. That being said, I'm sure I will....
Thanks again for the ideas.

Kevin

Flying Foot Doc

My Feedback: (2)

Good for you, these are trainers and they give their lives to teach us. It usually doesn't make them any prettier, but they fly better like that... Doc