RE: Feel Like Giving Up!  
View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Tower Hobbies
Enter up to 4 keywords or Tower stock numbers
Logged in as Guest



Users viewing this topic: none
  Printable Version
       

All Forums >> RC Helicopters >> Electric RC Helis >> Helimax >> RE: Feel Like Giving Up!
Page: <<   < prev  1 [2] 3 4 5 6   next >   >>  

Login
Message << Older Topic   Newer Topic >>
RE: Feel Like Giving Up! - 5/19/2007 6:02:22 AM   
s_mcflurry


 

Posts: 230
Joined: 4/13/2007
From: Santa Ana, CA, USA
Status: offline 		A couple of more flights and you'll learn to anticipate the Axe's movements and counter it. It's all a game of checks and balances and a battle against gravity. Someone once compared flying a helicopter to a pendulum and it's a very good analogy. Once you recognize that it's going backwards, for example, you'll want to pitch forward/nose down to counteract that movement. Once it's stops going backwards, easy up on the pitch-forward and you'll have controlled that movement. Everyone's drunk at first, but we sober up.

As for the circles...that whole DVD, in fact...."Next, do circles...next, do pirouettes...next, fly upside down...next, pick up water from the local lake and put out fires..." Makes it sound so easy. I'm just starting on the circles and it's hard to get it to ease around it...one day...one day...

(in reply to DKhairho)
       Post #: 26

RE: Feel Like Giving Up! - 5/19/2007 7:00:40 PM   
DKhairho



Posts: 128
Joined: 5/14/2007
From: Moreno Valley, CA, USA
Status: offline 		Hey guys I went in my yard today and took flight without a crash. I started drifting hard left but managed to pull back and land on the skids and not the blades. Man, it was a good feeling. I just need to keep practicing keeping her steady with little stick movements. Ya'll should of saw me trying to lean with it thinking that would give me an extra boost of control. I'm getting there slowly but surely!


_____________________________

"TAME THE SKY or BLAME THE GROUND!"
HPI H''Fire/Align T-Rex 450SE/AC SV27

(in reply to s_mcflurry)
       Post #: 27

RE: Feel Like Giving Up! - 5/19/2007 8:38:11 PM   
RCTrainer


 

Posts: 1
Joined: 11/13/2006
From: , GA, USA
Status: offline 		Hi DKhairho,

You are my inspiration to order an Axe today! After reading of your experiences, I think I may be able to fly one also. I've only flown a trainer and not the best at that though. Can i ask what kind of weights do you add on the flybars? This way I can get the same at the beginning.

Thanks!

(in reply to s_mcflurry)
       Post #: 28

RE: Feel Like Giving Up! - 5/19/2007 11:47:57 PM   
123Splat


 

Posts: 397
Joined: 4/27/2007
From: Austin, TX, USA
Status: offline 		DK,

We're proud of you, man. So, glad to hear you've made it to the back yard and some altitude! Don't worry about the hard landings, it is part of the survival instinct. Better to set the bird down right-side up than upside down, though I still have a penchant for landing on the blades, rather good at it, too! Anyway, any landing that doesn't cost more than a re-charge on the battery pack, is a GOOD landing. You mentioned problems keeping orientation. I, personally, as the world's worst rc heli pilot, can not stress enough the value of the Heading Hold Gyro modification (ain't cheap, can run you close to what you paid for the bird!, but,,) That's what got me off the ground and actually flying, and then back on the ground in one peice, most of the time...

Really GOOD to hear of your success! it is testament and encouragement to us all.

_____________________________

It's not the takeoff or the flying, it's the landing and repairing, so I can takeoff and fly again...

(in reply to DKhairho)
       Post #: 29

RE: Feel Like Giving Up! - 5/20/2007 1:20:23 AM   
osterizer


 

Posts: 1526
Joined: 3/10/2007
From: Sykesville, MD, USA
Status: offline 		That's good to hear, DK! BTW, I do the same leaning thing when I'm really into it, with helis, fixed wing, and with the XBox, for that matter . Lean or not, if you're starting to respond and recover from unexpected behavior, then you're getting it, man. Very glad it's looking up!

(in reply to 123Splat)
       Post #: 30

RE: Feel Like Giving Up! - 5/20/2007 3:40:12 AM   
DKhairho



Posts: 128
Joined: 5/14/2007
From: Moreno Valley, CA, USA
Status: offline 		Yeah I'm on my way. My wife thinks it's easy and insist on telling what I should do!

-RC Trainer - I am using 1/16" "Dura Collars" Got 'em for about $4 came with about 10. Picked them up from Hobby people. I used 2 on each side of the flybar.

-123Splat- I enquired about the heading hold mod but the sales guy said it wouldn't add much to learning. It's about $150 for the whole upgarde. I'll look into it if you think it'll help me. I been spending left and right trying to get all my rc's ready for the summer. Gotta put some paint on my Miss Vegas and I guess hook up the bird with a gyro. This is an expensive hobby I tell ya! Hey what else we gone do though!

My wife is kicking off now. Hit ya'll later, gotta do the married thang! QT'd up! (quality time)


_____________________________

"TAME THE SKY or BLAME THE GROUND!"
HPI H''Fire/Align T-Rex 450SE/AC SV27

(in reply to osterizer)
       Post #: 31

RE: Feel Like Giving Up! - 5/20/2007 4:07:32 AM   
Heliko



Posts: 591
Joined: 1/16/2007
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Status: offline 		DK, I thought the HH gyro made a big difference.

I don't know how far along you are, but I'd wait till you've got tail-in down pretty good.

I installed mine after I started doing some side-in and that was the right time for me. I say wait because it's good to fly the tail in the beginning. I started forward flight recently and flying the tail in the beginning helped me to keep the tail behind the heli.

Good Luck!

_____________________________

"Gravity is a harsh mistress." The Tick

(in reply to DKhairho)
       Post #: 32

RE: Feel Like Giving Up! - 5/20/2007 5:04:53 PM   
DKhairho



Posts: 128
Joined: 5/14/2007
From: Moreno Valley, CA, USA
Status: offline 		I think that's great advice. Tackle the hard part 1st and then go easy. So based off what you're saying, the trick to all of this is in tail control and not tilting?


_____________________________

"TAME THE SKY or BLAME THE GROUND!"
HPI H''Fire/Align T-Rex 450SE/AC SV27

(in reply to Heliko)
       Post #: 33

RE: Feel Like Giving Up! - 5/20/2007 5:15:09 PM   
alienteabagger


 

Posts: 312
Joined: 2/28/2007
From: miami, FL, USA
Status: offline 		I found that adding more weight to the heli itself will make it behave much much more. How did I figure that out? By mistake quite honestly. I was curious as to how long I could fly my Axe using the battery I was using for the Trex. Its a really large battery (about twice the size of the Thunder Power LiPo I was using in the Axe) and much much heavier. So in it went, got on the throttle (My Axe usually lifts off at about 40% throttle. I was at about 55% throttle and it had only just started to get light on its skids!! When it finally got in the air it sat there where I put it about 3 feet off the ground with just a little bit of drift!!

So what am I saying? In short just try adding weight to the frame of the heli as opposed to the flybar but make sure you keep that extra weight forward of the mainshaft to keep your CG.

_____________________________

Zit: T-Rex450SA Tiny: Thunder Tiger Raptor 50
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_7591039/tm.htm

(in reply to Heliko)
       Post #: 34

RE: Feel Like Giving Up! - 5/20/2007 5:18:22 PM   
osterizer


 

Posts: 1526
Joined: 3/10/2007
From: Sykesville, MD, USA
Status: offline 		Cyclic (tilting) is important to flying a heli, but it doesn't work if you don't have the tail under control. Your cyclic input goes in a direction that is governed by the helis orientation. I suppose you could hover with a sloppy tail, but you can't do anything else without controlling yaw.

(in reply to DKhairho)
       Post #: 35

RE: Feel Like Giving Up! - 5/20/2007 7:45:21 PM   
DKhairho



Posts: 128
Joined: 5/14/2007
From: Moreno Valley, CA, USA
Status: offline 		Thanks guys. I'm waiting on my batt to charge up and then i'll try adding some weight (still using the stock batt until the lipo comes from Tower). Also I am going to head back inside to practice tail control and see how I do.


_____________________________

"TAME THE SKY or BLAME THE GROUND!"
HPI H''Fire/Align T-Rex 450SE/AC SV27

(in reply to osterizer)
       Post #: 36

RE: Feel Like Giving Up! - 5/21/2007 1:58:51 AM   
osterizer


 

Posts: 1526
Joined: 3/10/2007
From: Sykesville, MD, USA
Status: offline 		Good idea, I think. This is something the training wheels really help with. I spent 15 or 20 packs on pingpongs just skating around on the floor; simple pirouettes, 4- and 8-point piros, and fast reversals (point to left side, swing to right, swing back to left, etc., practicing both directions, then tail in to head in). It seems really slow but it makes a lot of difference (and a lot of sense) once you're in the air and you have to do it without thinking about it.

(in reply to DKhairho)
       Post #: 37

RE: Feel Like Giving Up! - 5/21/2007 5:49:57 AM   
DKhairho



Posts: 128
Joined: 5/14/2007
From: Moreno Valley, CA, USA
Status: offline 		Well I crashed today but I didn't feel too bad about it. Just have to go to my LHS tomorrow and pick up some extra plasti blade holders. You guys think getting the Aluminum CNC blade holders are worth the added protection or just added looks? I figure for $50 bucks I could load up on plasti's. I can't wait until I am able to make my heli look good. I hate stock, but hate breaking expensive upgrades more.

I might go ahead and get the carbon blades though, the wooden blades are not strong enough to even take the smallest of contact. Tower has them for $40 and my LHS (Hobby People) has them for $60. Don't know how HP got their pricing structure set. Maybe Tower gets a better wholsale bargain? Yeah right.

Any ways, due to me still in the learning process, should I move towrds at least getting the carbon blades and CNC blade holders? My carbon tailboom and tail fins hold up very well. Not sure if the carbon blades would hold up to impact well or not.

I still fishing for a local person to give me some pointers. Most of the clubs around here only deal with seasoned flyers. Guess they were born pilots and hate the company of a "wanna be" ike me!


_____________________________

"TAME THE SKY or BLAME THE GROUND!"
HPI H''Fire/Align T-Rex 450SE/AC SV27

(in reply to osterizer)
       Post #: 38

RE: Feel Like Giving Up! - 5/21/2007 6:14:54 AM   
osterizer


 

Posts: 1526
Joined: 3/10/2007
From: Sykesville, MD, USA
Status: offline 		Sorry bout the crash, DK, and the lack of local support. You could check the local forums section at rcgroups.com for some more enlightened folks, or maybe someone listening in is in your area. I'm on the other coast.

The blade grips seem to be a weak point on the Axe CP (every time someone crashes, it seems, the blade grips pop). The CNC grips might be good if they will work with the stock hub (comments, anyone?).

However, you'll probably do better to just get a few sets of wood blades and be careful with them than change to CF blades The carbons are lighter and stiffer, and they make the heli more responsive, but they break,