Axe 400 RTF Tail Rotor Failure First Flight
 

Well due to travel plans and such my wife and I celebrated Christmas last night and I got the chance to fly my new Axe 400 for the first time. I haven't flown a chopper since I had my Concept 30 Dx many years ago. Anyway, on the first flight as I was getting a little braver with my hovering it went bonkers. I was able to save it enough to just have some nicks on the blade tips. Checking out the bird I found that the tail rotor is not receiving power from the belt. I can see the main gear turning the smaller gear attached the belt, but the belt is not turning. I can turn the tail rotor and it is working the belt around the same gear. Is this a defect? The instructions are lacking any sort of trouble shooting help.

RE: Axe 400 RTF Tail Rotor Failure First Flight
 

This may be a silly question, but is the belt tensioned? If not, it's not a defect, just typical for "RTF." You do have to check fasteners, verify the pitch and collective, and so forth, even on an RTF heli that's supposedly been tested, just as if you'd just built it from parts.

RE: Axe 400 RTF Tail Rotor Failure First Flight
 

The belt tension seem adequate. Did some more checking and found that the Tail Rotor Belt Drive Gear (TRBDG) seems broken. The motor gear turns the bigger lower gear on the TRBDG. I can see the spindle turning going up to the smaller gear on the TRBDG, but the smaller gear isn't turning. Any thoughts?

RE: Axe 400 RTF Tail Rotor Failure First Flight
 

The upper pully that has the belt attached is press fit onto the splined shaft. Probably a defective shaft as it is unlikely all molded splines in the pully would break off so cleanly that the shaft would turn smoothly.

Look at the enlarged photo below, you can see the splines just under the bearing. Here is the link to the part on Tower's Web site. Call tech support on Monday and they will fix you up. Or if you bought it at LHS, see if they have the part in stock.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXVPG8&P=Z

RE: Axe 400 RTF Tail Rotor Failure First Flight
 

That sure sounds like a reasonable explanation. I just sent Tower a note I'm sure we'll get it worked out.

RE: Axe 400 RTF Tail Rotor Failure First Flight
 

Well I sent the bird off for repair and they sent me a replacement stating that it had been test flown and was fine. I ran one battery through it and hovered it in the garage due to the winds - everything checked out. On the 2nd and 3rd flights I am getting a sudden twitch in the tail rotor. It sends the nose around by about 30 degrees and then snaps to a halt. Seems like a gyro issue. Any help?