lyk2fly

My Feedback: (3)

Hi all, I realize that this is a little off the subject (sorry Tony).....but I just smashed my LMH into the ground. Just a week or so ago I smashed my Hawk into the ground......ain't I lucky????[:@]
The LMH was flying great.....with a new CSM 180 gyro and about 3.5 oz of added weight (because of the wind). I had just fueled up (my 4th tank)....raised the throttle and up...up....and away. When I reduced throttle nothing happened.....it just kept climbing. I had cyclic.....yaw....but NO *&#% throttle. I tried to use the cyclic to load the engine but after awhile I hit the ground HARD. I guess that was better than loosing it or crashing into someone. Anyway that gave me a way to compare two hard crashes and the truth of the matter is that the LMH seems to be much cheaper to repair.....$9.05 compared to $62.35 for the Hawk. Both crashes were awful. The LMH crash was caused by a HS81 on throttle sticking (it still won't budge without stripping gears). So if you want to be "hard nosed" about it then add the price of a servo in there.....but the LMH is still far cheaper to repair. The Hawk crash was totally my fault....nothing failed on the machine to cause the crash. As you guys know sometimes when everything is put back together you may find more problems that were crash related.....if I do I will correct the totals for either heli.
Mark

fiat

Mark I think I goofed when I said it costs the same for either machine to repair. Whet I really meant was the cost of parts is about the same. For example. main shafts,rotor blades,tail booms,these kinds of parts are about the same for each machine however you are right that les parts are neded for the LMH in a crash than are needed for the hawk persay. BUT If you want to tinker before each flight and sometimes all during any flight then the LMH is good for you, BUT if you want to fuel and fly every time you want to fly then the Hawk is your machine, and the crashes will be much less as the engine may never cut out and if it did you could auto rotate down safely in a hawk but NEVER in a LMH. Other wise not much more other than pilot error will cause the hawk or any other bigger heli to come down. 11gallons and the machine has never let me down. Not trying to sell a hawk or unsell an LMH, just my opinion on the 2. Alan

T.W.

Gee Mark, that's real bad luck. I feel for you - and I can imagine there was some uncontrolled "knee-trembling" when you realised you had no throttle control. Actually, loss of throttle control is a fear that I've had with the LMH right from the start - I think I worry because there's no collective control to counter this occurrence (I even considered tethering my LMH for it's maiden flight - someone called me paranoid, and they were probably right too)

Coincidentally, I replaced the rudder servo on my LMH yesterday, after noticing that it seemed a little "gritty" - yep, there were a couple of teeth missing from one of the gears. Wonder how long it's been in this state! It makes me realise that I'm expecting too much of my LMH's servos. Just because the heli withstands crashes so well doesn't mean I can assume that the servos will survive too. I've made a mental note to be more thorough with my "after-crash-inspections" in future

fiat

Come to think of it my throttle on my LMH also did stick once and I had to crash in fear it would be lost. The slider throttle got jammed causing this problem. Just one more reason I suppose that I wanted to give it up. You guys are very patient good luck with your little heli's. Alan

lyk2fly

My Feedback: (3)

I DON"T LIKE MICRO SERVOS!!!!! I have had lots of problems with them. Lite Machines offers the metal frame conversion with a standard size servo option.....I wish I had chose that one. Anyway....Alan I wasn't challenging you on your heli opinion.....please don't think that! I was just in a unique position to compare the crash stats between the two helis.....I mean I trashed 2 helis *&^##&*[:@] and was trying to do something constructive with the situation. The Hawk repair may be cheaper than I indicated.....I ordered the crash kit and I may not need the main shaft or fly bar. If that is the case I will report it here. As far as tinkering with my LMH to fly....and I realize that I am in the minority here.....I don't have to.....usually just add the fuel and fly.....that's it. About the Hawk......Tony made and interesting and true point......because of the collective I would have been able to safely land the Hawk in the event of a throttle servo failure at wide open throttle......the result????No crash damage at all. So it's all in the way you look at it. The LMH is a good trainer.....because it requires you to control the heli to keep it steady. When you move to 30 size you will already have mastered a lot of the skill required. It is tough and inexpensive to repair as helis go (of course this is all based on you getting a good one). The Hawk is a great heli....it is a more advanced machine and as a result is more complicated. It is tough as well but there is more to break in a crash.
Mark

lyk2fly

My Feedback: (3)

Update....to any who are interested.....the servo motor failed in the HS81 servo on throttle. It will run if you start it by hand (with the gear train removed). If it stops it will not start back by itself.....and it gets very hot. I know that this is a vmax7 post...... but does anyone have a better servo than the HS81? Even metal gears would not have stopped this failure. Also I found I was missing another cyclic control linkage.....I will look up the cost and amend the LMH repair total later.
Mark

T.W.

Sorry I can't advise on the servo situation Mark, but maybe someone else can. I do know that there are lots of different manufacturers out there nowadays, so there ought to be something more sturdy available. Hope you soon have your helis flying again. Where I am it's been a rainy day, so I don't have any progress to report yet

fiat

The servo failer may never happen again but ya never know. I never had a servo go out on anything, it was either a crystal or linkage type problem. Alan

lyk2fly

My Feedback: (3)

Update LMH total including the new swash plate L link...$9.64. The servo is faulty....it caused the crash. A new one is $18.95 at the lhs. If you include the servo then the total is $28.59 for the repair.
Mark

fiat

Not really all that bad Mark. I had a great day flying today and even did some inverted but I had to change some pitch curves when I got home as I found I did not have quite enough negative pitch.Alan

T.W.

It was really too windy to fly today, but I ran-out of patience, and had a go anyway

It was very promising at first, but after a few minutes hoveing-around the V-7 slowed and lost power, allowing the heli to sink to the ground. I richened it up a little and opened the throttle again. The engine speed increased fine, but the blades remained stationary! Maybe oiling the clutch wasn't such a good idea after all! But why did it work ok at first? I think it's very strange - maybe something in the clutch has "let-go?"

My daughter arrived with our grandson at this time, so there was no time to investigate further. I'll take another look at the heli tomorrow, time permitting

Before the start of this afternoon's flight I had richened the mixture until it was incapable of lift-of - then I leaned it out until it could do. I don't think I could get the heli to lift-off if I were to set the needle any richer at the beginning. But the engine did exactly the same as it did at the start of this post (I think). It seems to lean-out in the air. I have the fuel tank "cushioned" to prevent foaming, and I use an anti-foaming fuel additive too, so I don't think foaming is causing this. But what else could it be?

fiat

What else could it be??? How about gremlins ? Or maybe V-7 woes.. Alan Sorry I am at a loss.

lyk2fly

My Feedback: (3)

Tony, I don't know what else to try either. I have had my vmax7 too lean and it would just stop in mid air. I know this sounds dangerous (it is) but I done it.....hold the heli (without the canopy) by the nose and throttle up....I track my blades this way. The point is, you can tune the engine this way.....you can actually feel the power increase and decrease as you tune. If you don't like this idea....don't do it! Also if there is ever a long period of time that passes without me posting, you will know that my LMH has beat my face in and I will post just a soon as I can see again.....if I still have my eyes.
Mark

fiat

You live on the edge Mark good luck with that. But what ever you do, NEVER try it with the Hawk..I give you guys credit for sticking with it but I can't see the fun in it at all. Maybe the fact that you are trying to fix something thats driving you crazy ? I love a challenge to but not in the LMH.. Alan

lyk2fly

My Feedback: (3)

Alan....I may be a little crazy....but I'm not stupid. I try to keep 15' min between the Hawk and myself. It wouldn't beat your face in.....it would cut your head off!
Mark

fiat

Mark I was at a swap meet this past summer and one guy saw a caliber heli for sale next to me. He said no way would he ever buy one and I asked why, he said a good friend of his almost lost an eye and recieved many stiches to his head from a heli. I was amazed but could see this kind of injury and even worse, these are not toys. I then asked him if he knew what had happend to cause this and he said his buddy had the heli tied to a milk crate in his garage and was adjusting the needle while at full throttle laying beside the heli. WELL DUH I think it's like a gun they are not dangerous if handled correctly. Mark I didn't mean to imply you are stupid don't take it wrong.. Alan

banks04

My Feedback: (9)

i havent had my lmh long.I got it used from another guy but so far it runs great and i hope it doesnt give me the problems that i have read on here.I hope u get it figured out soon

lyk2fly

My Feedback: (3)

Hey Alan....I'm just clowning around.....I did get the LMH in the air today......it flew good except for a vibration (always after a crash). I will check the MR shaft tomorrow....it may be slightly bent. To my surprise, my Hawk stuff arrived today as well.....I can't wait to get it back in the air.
Mark
P.S. One day I will tell you what caused the Hawk to crash.....it was really stupid!
banks04: If its running great you probably have a good one. Have fun!

T.W.

Before we go any further . . . . how did the Hawk crash Mark? Come-on, we need to know here

lyk2fly

My Feedback: (3)

Ok guys...but this still makes me mad to think about. I was tired so I decided to take a chair to the flying field. I have a telebee 701 gyro. If you toggle channel 5 down it is in standard gain mode. If you toggle channel 5 up it is in hh mode. When you toggle, the tail rotor servo will change its neutral position. I took off in standard mode.....took my seat and let the heli get a little too far down range.....when somehow my shirt caught the channel 5 toggle.....and changed the gyro to hh mode. All of this happened too fast and in a nose in situation. Soon I was pirouetting all over the place. I won't go any farther.....you can figure out the rest of the story.

fiat

Nice story but sorry it happend, At least the motor didn't give out causeing the crash that would have made me mad. When I cause the crash I can learn from my mistake and go on and to tell you the truth when I cause the crash I laugh a little but when my LMH would die at 50 ft up and all the damage couldn't be avoided this is when I got upset. My worst hawk crash was from doing a loop way to close to the ground and not haveing enough head speed this won't ever happen again. Alan

T.W.

That kind of error is really easy to make Mark - sorry it happened though. The weather was far too good for test-flying my LMH today, so I took a fixed-wing funfly model to the strip and had a great afternoon's flying. After having so much fun today I'm tempted to give-up on the LMH (and other helis!) and just concentrate on fixed-wing flying - at least I can just fuel-up and fly . . . . and relax while doing aerobatics and 3d stuff. But then again, I could feel different in a couple of days time

lyk2fly

My Feedback: (3)

Guys....#1 no chairs during flying....#2 better familiarize myself with the channel 5 toggle......#3 practice flying hh more....and maybe #4 if tired.....watch TV.
Tony.....don't give up. BTW...I know you've checked this, but is your drive train free?
Alan....when I caused this crash I almost cried a little.
Mark

T.W.

No Chairs???? I wouldn't go flying at all if I couldn't take my "2" chairs with me (one for the pits and the other for the flight line). I haven't stood-up to fly since 1993 so the "No Chair Rule" has to go, ok

Yes my drive chain is free - too free actually. I need to open the clutch out a little so that it engages as it just didn't grip the bell. Maybe I'll clean the oil out of there too! Gulp!

T.W.

There will be a "forced" delay in proceedings whilst my slipped disc recovers and "slips back" to where it came from. Dratt! [&o]