Corona 120 Electric - Does anyone have flying tips?  
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Corona 120 Electric - Does anyone have flying tips? - 3/18/2006 11:06:49 AM   
cmikecs


 

Posts: 22
Joined: 3/16/2003
From: Parma, OH, USA
Status: offline 		***Does anyone have any tips on flying the Corona 120 after learning to fly with something small like the E-Flite Blade CX?***

Here is my experience:

I built my Corona 120 a couple years back around 2003. Built it according to the instructions that came along with it. I practiced hovering it alot and that's about all I did with it. I crashed it many times and probaly put $100-$200 in parts into it. I gave it up until this year.

I bought a E-Flite Blade CX last week, which is what my hobby shop recommended. This thing is very stable and I learned to fly in circles and everything inside my livingroom.

A couple days ago I decided I wanted something bigger and more challenging so I pulled out the good ol' Corona and tried hovering it. It was ok but very touchy so I read the forums and decided it would be best for the battery to be on the bottom instead of the side. I built a small holder for it, took it to a parking lot and gave it a try outside. I was actully flying it, hovering it, flying in circle and it made me feel so good to know that I can do this and land it safely now without breaking anything!

I took it out again today. It was very cold, about 30 degrees and 10-15mph winds. I had trouble flying the Corona where I wanted it to go, which I had expected. All of a sudden the motor cut out, falls 20 feet from the air and the motor turns right back on just a few feet off the ground but not in time! One of the rotor blades snapped and flew about 10 feet away, my battery flew out, and it made a big dent in the tail boom.
       Post #: 1

RE: Corona 120 Electric - Does anyone have flying tips? - 3/18/2006 1:36:08 PM   
Lifes a Drag



Posts: 941
Joined: 1/10/2003
From: Whittier, CA, USA
Status: offline 		What is your setup?

(in reply to cmikecs)
       Post #: 2

RE: Corona 120 Electric - Does anyone have flying tips? - 3/19/2006 2:04:55 AM   
cmikecs


 

Posts: 22
Joined: 3/16/2003
From: Parma, OH, USA
Status: offline 		Current Setup:
Wooden Crutch
HS-81 Servos
Futaba GY240 Gyro, mounted in the back on the crutch on top of the tail boom
Fusion Motor Brushed
6-Cell 3000 and 3800 NiMH Batteries


Everything is stock. No upgrades except for mounting the battery underneath.

I ordered new parts and the brushless motor/Controller they have on LMH's Shopatron website.

(in reply to Lifes a Drag)
       Post #: 3

RE: Corona 120 Electric - Does anyone have flying tips? - 3/19/2006 2:20:53 PM   
jez33


 

Posts: 333
Joined: 1/30/2006
From: kent, UNITED KINGDOM
Status: offline 		it might possible be that your heli dropped for 2 reasons that i can think of..
1 is that you had radio interference from perhaps the electric motor or esc...

2 is perhaps the battery you have might be on its way out so you can fly from a little time and then the battery just decides it cannt supply the current needed...
its more probably the 1st reason..
id try just moving the rx aerial atleast but perhaps experiment a bit ,perhaps change the motor or esc ..make sure the aerial isnt touching the esc too or other electric..if you also have an elecric gyro i would also keep the wires separate from the servo wires n aerial ect...
hope it works..

(in reply to cmikecs)
       Post #: 4

RE: Corona 120 Electric - Does anyone have flying tips? - 3/21/2006 5:53:28 PM   
ilewis


 

Posts: 6
Joined: 2/19/2006
From: , GA, USA
Status: offline 		DionysusDesign Glitch Reducer:

http://www.dionysusdesign.com/product_info.php?products_id=42&osCsid=6515f4bf2328ffaa9c75c95f07230735

Also available from helihobby. Buy it, love it. It's 15 bucks well spent, never to have to worry about glitches like that again. I bought one and have not had the "drop-from-the-sky" problem since.

(in reply to jez33)
       Post #: 5

RE: Corona 120 Electric - Does anyone have flying tips? - 3/21/2006 10:06:43 PM   
FlyingFish



Posts: 565
Joined: 10/24/2002
From: Las Vegas, NV, USA
Status: offline 		I've been flying Corona 120's for 3 years now and it seems all these Corona's have the same Problems:

1) A Very touchy or over sensitive tail rotor control........

2) and a motor Glitch problem cutting out your motor in mid flight. Your flying skills will never improve with the Corona until you resolve those two main problems!........

Heres What I did;.....

1) To reduce the tail rotor being so sensitive, I switched to a "JR PG 400T Tail Lock Ring Gyro" from Helihobby
(Note When using this gyro you must hit the reverse switch) I also mounted it Directly behind the main shaft and set the gain at about 50% to start, That Tail Boom is Solid as a rock now !!!!!

2) To illiminate that annoying motor cutout problem use Helihobby's "Glitch Reducer" or the Glitch reducer mentioned by ilewis in the above post, (their both the same Glitch Reducer) They Really work well...! Also I've added some weights to my coronas so they all weigh 42.9 Ounces, That will stabilize it in the wind, But I also added a Lipoly battery and a brushless motor for better performance! Then you can get down to flying without all those interuptions!.........

< Message edited by FlyingFish -- 3/21/2006 10:24:05 PM >

(in reply to cmikecs)
       Post #: 6

RE: Corona 120 Electric - Does anyone have flying tips? - 3/22/2006 12:27:48 AM   
ufoman


 

Posts: 61
Joined: 5/11/2004
From: Wichita, KS, USA
Status: offline 		Flying Fish.... Could you explain that reverse switch...... is that a function of the Transmitter setting or is it a switch on the gyro itself? Also what servo are you using for the tail. Wire or belt driven tail?

(in reply to FlyingFish)
       Post #: 7

RE: Corona 120 Electric - Does anyone have flying tips? - 3/22/2006 12:57:23 AM   
FlyingFish



Posts: 565
Joined: 10/24/2002
From: Las Vegas, NV, USA
Status: offline 		The reverse switch is a switch on the gyro itself, the reason the switch is on the gyro is because some helicopter rotors rotate clockwise and some rotate counter clockwise. I think most rotate clockwise, and then their are a few odd balls like the Corona that rotate counter clockwise, So therefore, if the Corona is rotating it's rotor blades counter clockwise and you dont set the gyro reverse switch in the reverse setting, then your gyro will be working backwards, which means instead of counter acting the main rotor torqe it will help spin the heli instead of holding it steady! NOT GOOD!

I have the standard wire Drive Tail system, and my tail servo is a hitec #HS-81MG

(in reply to ufoman)
       Post #: 8

RE: Corona 120 Electric - Does anyone have flying tips? - 3/22/2006 3:32:17 PM   
mdelling


 

Posts: 54
Joined: 1/17/2005
From: Fairfield, IA, USA
Status: offline 		cmikecs,

Have you had any problems with keeping tail pointed with that futaba gyro? Im looking at a used corona right now and wondering how much more I might have to spend to get it flying well. I don't expect glitching problems since I'll be using a spectrum radio system

(in reply to FlyingFish)
       Post #: 9

RE: Corona 120 Electric - Does anyone have flying tips? - 3/22/2006 4:29:29 PM   
ilewis


 

Posts: 6
Joined: 2/19/2006
From: , GA, USA
Status: offline 		I, too, have the GY240 gyro, and have had no problems in AVCS mode (heading hold). It is very important that it be mounted in a vibration-free location (usually near the main shaft), and mounted with foam tape (NOT velcro). Velcro causes too much slop. I actually have mine foam taped to the tail servo, and a piece of velcro on the side just to hold it to the crutch, but the principal mounting is foam tape. The tail stays where I point it quite reliably.

(in reply to mdelling)
       Post #: 10

RE: Corona 120 Electric - Does anyone have flying tips? - 3/22/2006 4:44:58 PM   
FlyingFish



Posts: 565
Joined: 10/24/2002
From: Las Vegas, NV, USA
Status: offline 		I dont have any Futaba gyros on my coronas, I have a JR on one Corona and a Heli-Max Micro Piezo gyro on the other Corona, The Heli Max is a really cheap gyro and it has been working well for my corona. You can get it at Tower Hobbies, item Number LXM079. But I'd rather go for the JR if I were buying or building a New Heli. You should be okay with that new spectrum radio system, but if you can, invest in a Brushless motor / Lipo battery set-up!

< Message edited by FlyingFish -- 3/22/2006 4:47:19 PM >

(in reply to mdelling)
       Post #: 11

RE: Corona 120 Electric - Does anyone have flying tips? - 3/22/2006 4:45:37 PM   
gadget01



Posts: 93
Joined: 3/18/2005
From: APO, AP, USA
Status: offline 		The HS-81/mg is a little sloppy for tail pitch control. I started with it and the gy240 and the tail would really never hold very well despite getting the tail linkages and everything as slop-free as it gets. A far better servo is the Futaba 9650- $60 is not cheap, but the precision and resolution is far superior with this (or similar) digital servo. You get what you pay for..... most of the time. In my opinion, if you have to constantly fiddle with keeping the tail pointed, it makes it harder to master good cyclic control and getting used to side-in and nose-in.

_____________________________

oooh, was that supposed to happen?

(in reply to ilewis)
       Post #: 12

RE: Corona 120 Electric - Does anyone have flying tips? - 3/22/2006 11:50:08 PM   
ufoman


 

Posts: 61
Joined: 5/11/2004
From: Wichita, KS, USA
Status: offline 		Noticed on Tower Hobbies website the spec sheet for the Futaba GY240 gyro. They say to not use digital servos with this gyro. Is that really the case?

If I were to go with the JR PG 400T Tail Lock Ring Gyro and the Futaba 9650- servo at $60....will all of this play well with my HiTec Optic 6 and my HFD-08RD 8 Channel receiver? Or should I stick with the Futaba GY240 and possibly the 9650 servo if it will work okay with the GY240.

(in reply to gadget01)
       Post #: 13

RE: Corona 120 Electric - Does anyone have flying tips? - 3/23/2006 10:19:06 AM   
gadget01



Posts: 93
Joined: 3/18/2005
From: APO, AP, USA
Status: offline 		The 240 may not feed positioning information fast enough or handle the higher current draw that a digital servo draws, but that's just speculation. I would ask Futaba directly about it. Tower's tips are good general guidelines- they mean well, but they may not always be totally accurate.

I can't speak for the JR gyro, but the gy-401 is a really good one that has a switch to use either analogue or digital servos, you can switch from HH to rate mode from your xmtr, and it's only $20 more than the 240. It's very popular for a good reason. I wish I had gone with the 401 and a digital servo from the beginning. Doesn't matter if it's on a Corona or a blinged out T-rex, good tail control is always nice.

< Message edited by gadget01 -- 3/23/2006 10:46:11 AM >

_____________________________

oooh, was that supposed to happen?

(in reply to ufoman)
       Post #: 14

RE: Corona 120 Electric - Does anyone have