RE: Hirobo XRB PICS!!! and build info.  
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  • All Forums >> RC Helicopters >> Electric RC Helis >> RE: Hirobo XRB PICS!!! and build info.
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    RE: Hirobo XRB PICS!!! and build info. - 3/2/2005 8:20:07 AM   
    turboBB


     

    Posts: 57
    Joined: 1/14/2005
    From: Palisades Park, NJ, USA
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    OK guys bear with me with me here. I discovered something rather peculiar and that is that my XRB flies better with repaired blades than brand new ones (no I'm not trying to be funny here). Get this... every time I crack the foam blades, I just grab the CA and glue the pieces back together (99% of the times, it's right near the base). Then after the CA dries, I add tape over the crack for additional support. Then I rebalance and track and voila, it's soooooooooooo smooth!

    Now, I have a theory that perhaps the additional stablization is due to the blades being just slightly stiffer at the base (and thus reducing the coning effect) and also maybe the additional weight at the base of the blades act as additional stabilizer weights?

    Dunno, but I can try to see if I can grab a video to prove this. Meanwhile, I have 4 sets of repaired blades waiting to be used.

    (in reply to Donnie7)
           Post #: 76

    RE: Hirobo XRB PICS!!! and build info. - 3/2/2005 5:06:45 PM   
    bdavison


     

    Posts: 3350
    Joined: 8/23/2004
    From: Warner Robins, GA, USA
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    The XRB will rotate better tail to right(counterclockwise), vs tail to left.(clockwise) Not sure why, but I think its due to torque on the main head. Its just the nature of the beast. From what I understand is that regular helis do this too. When rotating against the direction of the rotor head, it rotates faster because its "torque spinning". Against the torque its slower. Ive been trying to figure out a way to counteract this too.

    As far as it doing it on its own...nine times out of ten, its because the motors are getting hot. When they get warm, it makes it more difficult for them to maintain a matching RPM.

    Best thing to do is let it cool off, and then fly again. Ive also found that setting it down, and turning it off, and then turning it back on, will reset the gyro. I think sometimes its possible to confuse it a little.


    __________________________________________________________

    Haven't tried the housefly blades, but Ive been thinking about that too. I dont know if they will fit or not. Ive heard that the holes are larger in the housefly blades, which would make them difficult to position on the head properly.

    ___________________________________________________________

    turboBB...

    Id agree here. The less coning the blades do, the better it flies. The cone acts like dihedral in a plane. It makes it want to level out all the time.
    When you make the blades stiffer, so they dont cone as much. It loses some of its leveling stability...but this is a good thing...it makes it MUCH more maneuverable, and faster

    Thats also one of the reasons I wanted the carbon blades. Ive heard they are much stiffer, and wont flex upward so much.

    _____________________________

    teamflyingcircus.com

    (in reply to turboBB)
           Post #: 77

    RE: Hirobo XRB PICS!!! and build info. - 3/2/2005 5:51:50 PM   
    turboBB


     

    Posts: 57
    Joined: 1/14/2005
    From: Palisades Park, NJ, USA
    Status: offline
    I've ordered the Carbon Blades for a friend's b'day. Will post back with performance once he gets it and is able to test it.
    As mine has been flying pretty well with the banged up blades, I'm just going to stick with em for a while.

    Let me know how yours fly with it when you get them.

    Thx!

    (in reply to bdavison)
           Post #: 78

    RE: Hirobo XRB PICS!!! and build info. - 3/2/2005 5:59:44 PM   
    bdavison


     

    Posts: 3350
    Joined: 8/23/2004
    From: Warner Robins, GA, USA
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    I will definatly let you guys know about the carbon fiber blades when i get them. They should be here in a few days.

    Ill be sure to post pics and exactly what(if anything) I had to do to make them work.

    Im really curious to see about durability of them.

    I think they will look awesome, as carbon fiber is cool to begin with, but they also told me that they have a real high gloss finish to them too.

    _____________________________

    teamflyingcircus.com

    (in reply to turboBB)
           Post #: 79

    RE: Hirobo XRB PICS!!! and build info. - 3/2/2005 10:09:58 PM   
    Donnie7



    Posts: 450
    Joined: 3/27/2004
    From: Houston, TX, USA
    Status: offline
    bdavison,
    I wonder it you can tell if the carbon blades are tracking right. The foam blades are one reason I think the XRB flies so well. Its so easy to tell if they are tracking right. I guess you will find out soon.
    Donnie

    _____________________________

    CratersRus

    (in reply to bdavison)
           Post #: 80

    RE: Hirobo XRB PICS!!! and build info. - 3/2/2005 10:54:11 PM   
    bdavison


     

    Posts: 3350
    Joined: 8/23/2004
    From: Warner Robins, GA, USA
    Status: offline
    I cant see any reason why they would be any harder to track properly. They are black so it should be easier to see against a light background like the sky or a wall. The white foam blades are hard to see against the sky or on white walls and such.

    Ive gone so far as to fly it infront of a matte black sheet hanging from the wall, so I could see EXACTLY what it was doing and then recording high speed video of it, so I could watch the blades go around slowly. Pretty cool.

    Here's how it works.
    To move the tail counterclockwise, it speeds up the lower rotors RPM's. To move the tail clockwise, it slows down the lower rotor. This is why I think it turns better counterclockwise vs clockwise.

    When it turns counterclockwise, its using torque from the lower rotor head to spin the heli. Since the torque is applied close to the main body, it goes fast.

    When it turns clockwise, its using the torque of the upper rotor to spin it. Since this torque is applied from a rotor that has some distance between it and the main body, it is applied more slowly.

    This is my theory anyhow. Based on what Im seeing from the high-speed camera, this is what it looks like.

    Whats really cool is seeing how the flybar collective works. You can actually see each blade change pitch as it moves around. Its really cool. In forward flight(forward cyclic) you can see the advancing blade change to zero pitch, and the retreating blade change to full pitch.

    This is why that 45 degree flybar angle is so critical. If you had the flybar at 90 degrees, when the heli pitches, it would make it start changing pitch earlier in its rotation. This would result in more lift on one side of the heli...which could potentially flip it over, as there would be no cyclic on the bottom rotor to counteract it.

    The thing Im now curious about now, is how would changing the flybar angle on a regular FP heli affect its flight? It seems to me like moving the flybar from the standard 90 to 45 would soften the pitch responses...Question of the day is:
    Would this make it easier to fly, or just more sluggish?

    Hmmm...might have to try it when I get a new heli.

    _____________________________

    teamflyingcircus.com

    (in reply to Donnie7)
           Post #: 81

    RE: Hirobo XRB PICS!!! and build info. - 3/4/2005 8:19:20 PM   
    bschumacker


     

    Posts: 4
    Joined: 3/1/2005
    From: South San Francisco, CA, USA
    Status: offline
    Does anyone know where I can get my hands on a copy of the XRB user manual? Maybe even a PDF version? My Sky Robo is on backorder and I want to start the learning process. I have never flown an RC helicopter before, so I am anxious to start getting familiar with how one of these work.

    Thanks,
    Brian

    (in reply to streif)
           Post #: 82

    RE: Hirobo XRB PICS!!! and build info. - 3/5/2005 12:54:07 AM   
    bdavison


     

    Posts: 3350
    Joined: 8/23/2004
    From: Warner Robins, GA, USA
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    I dont know of any online manuals. I think you'll have a very hard time getting one. Hirobo viciously protects their copyrights, so I dont think anyone would take the risk to put one up.

    I know you want to get a head start, but unfortunatly, I think you will probably have to wait. You will need the heli for most of the stuff in the manual.



    _____________________________

    teamflyingcircus.com

    (in reply to bschumacker)
           Post #: 83

    RE: Hirobo XRB PICS!!! and build info. - 3/5/2005 2:16:09 AM   
    flyehelis


     

    Posts: 18
    Joined: 2/7/2005
    From: New Bern, NC, USA
    Status: offline
    Don't worry too much about getting a head start. The XRB practically flies itself. The main learning curve with it involves minor adustments in pitch, etc to get it perfect. That stuff only makes sense when you have the copter in hand.

    _____________________________

    Striving to crash better and more expensive toys. . .

    (in reply to bdavison)
           Post #: 84

    RE: Hirobo XRB PICS!!! and build info. - 3/5/2005 3:38:11 AM   
    Donnie7



    Posts: 450
    Joined: 3/27/2004
    From: Houston, TX, USA
    Status: offline
    bdavison
    I got that 4" batterycable today so I don't have to remove the canopy to charge the battery anymore. A great improvement. Call me lazy but its only time befor the canopy starts to crack from taking it on and off. I highly recomend it.
    Donnie

    _____________________________

    CratersRus

    (in reply to bdavison)
           Post #: 85

    RE: Hirobo XRB PICS!!! and build info. - 3/5/2005 3:41:08 AM   
    OAM


     

    Posts: 10
    Joined: 3/2/2005
    From: , NJ, USA
    Status: offline
    Just wanted to say that I'm a noob and today I jsut got my xrb. I've never flown a RC copter or plane before but I have had Real flight for a few months now. All I can say is that the XRB is easier to fly than the helis in real flight. I do have a question though. I want to get an extra battery for the XRB but i'm not too sure what to get? Do i have to buy a Hirobo battery or is there a generic one out there? Also can anyone reccomend a charger that can charge nicads, nimh, and the xrb lipo battery? esp. one thats not too expensive and that charges faster than the stock one.

    (in reply to flyehelis)
           Post #: 86

    RE: Hirobo XRB PICS!!! and build info. - 3/5/2005 4:37:45 AM   
    bdavison


     

    Posts: 3350
    Joined: 8/23/2004
    From: Warner Robins, GA, USA
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    Yeah, I need to order one of those cables.

    __________________________________________________________________________________

    OAM,

    You will need the battery specifically made for the Hirobo, unless you get an adapter cable that you can plug regular lipo's into.
    Go back to page 1 or 2 of this thread. There is a link for Ricky. He has the adapter cables available.

    As far as a charger. If you get the adapter cable to use regular lipo's, there are quite a few chargers out there. I highly recommend the Triton charger from Great Planes. Its a bit pricey, but you will never need another charger.
    It will charge NiCd, NiMH, PB(lead acid), Li-Ion, and LiPo batteries. In addition to charging just about any kind of battery out there, it is also the most comprehensive charger Ive seen. It has an LCD panel that will display EXACTLY what is going on with the battery while charging, and also tells you other information.

    Bear in mind that you wont be able to charge the battery faster. The stock charger that comes with the helicopter is already set to charge the battery at max rate. LiPo's cannot be fast charged. If you overcharge them, they WILL explode.

    The XRB is designed to be easy to fly. Its a beginners helicopter. More than likely the Real Flight ones you were flying were full house CP heli's. They are much harder to fly. If you've gotten pretty good with Real Flight, you're probably already whipping the XRB around the house. Have fun!

    _____________________________

    teamflyingcircus.com

    (in reply to OAM)
           Post #: 87

    RE: Hirobo XRB PICS!!! and build info. - 3/5/2005 5:08:31 AM   
    OAM


     

    Posts: 10
    Joined: 3/2/2005
    From: , NJ, USA
    Status: offline
    bdavison, thanks for the help. ok so i ordered the cable that allows you to use jst plug batteries from Ricky. So with this can i use any 7.4v battery does it matter what mha it is? waht aobut cells? does that matter and also discharge rate. I see some batteries with a 5c rate and some with 8c, what the difference? Sorry about all the noob questions, I'm pretty new to this stuff.

    (in reply to bdavison)
           Post #: 88

    RE: Hirobo XRB PICS!!! and build info. - 3/5/2005 2:43:09 PM