DebianDog

Yep 3M is the good stuff.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

Flipping the collective servo around and running the spline in the front and the arm pointing backwards is a common mod. If you are getting interference cut the arms off the throttle servo that you arent using. Also I would switch to a wheel for the collective servo, those arms flex under load, same with your rudder servo.

If you arent going to run the push pull then go ahead and put your rudder servo in the nose the kit includes the extra pushrods and coupler.

Mike SVOR

My Feedback: (1)

Ok, I'll probably just move the collective servo up a notch to the 2nd hole to conform to the mass standard.

I tell ya what, I'm having a hard time learning this Futaba PCM7 radio.
I ran the battery down just setting up the gyro and the basic throw limits.

I thought I had the gyro working good, then I followed the raptortech site to setting it up and now the gyro doesn't work in heading hold when I have the throttle switch in idle. uggg. []

I may have to drive up to BarracudaHockey's place just to tune in the radio. <pulling hair out>

Am I going to be too much of a pain in the butt for you?
Sorry I need someone to hold my hand for this...
I hate to rely on others to fix a problem. Especially when I 'should' know how to figure it out myself.


I'm gona try to set it up once more, after the batterys recharge.

Mike SVOR

My Feedback: (1)

Well, It's 12:00AM and I think I've got the radio 'mostly' figured out.

I swapped battery packs with one of my futaba plane radios and went on a crash course trying to figure this radio out on my own. The instructions are vague to me. (too much A.D.D.) LOL

I think I got the basics of what the functions do and how they interact with the helicopter.

Tomorrow, I'll give a run-down of how I have it set up so ya'll can critique it and give advice.


time to drink a beer and hit the hay.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

We dig helping newbs, its no problem. Kind of like the good ole boys that drive around in a pickup looking for someone to pull out of the ditch.

Bring your books, heli and a battery charger and head on up, I can program that radio from scratch in about 30 minutes. Straightening out your "mods" on the heli may be another matter

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

We dig helping newbs, its no problem. Kind of like the good ole boys that drive around in a pickup looking for someone to pull out of the ditch.

Bring your books, heli and a battery charger and head on up, I can program that radio from scratch in about 30 minutes. Straightening out your "mods" on the heli may be another matter

Mike SVOR

My Feedback: (1)

Well, I think I'm done with the building process!

Here's the outcome....

Mike SVOR

My Feedback: (1)

Hey Barracuda, do you see anything wrong in the last pictures that I need to change?
I've zip tied the tail rotor servo wires on since then.


Oh by the way, What is the proper way to route the tail rotor servo wiring from the servo?

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

I dont see any problems but it will be alot easier to check it over in person.

Mike SVOR

My Feedback: (1)

Did you see my throttle linkage in this photo?



I had the throttle servo running backwards.

Looking at the carb, moving the ball link towards the back is full throttle and towards the front, closed throttle? If so, I have it backwards.
Right now, I thought fully counter clockwise was closed throttle.

I think I have to reverse my servo

so, when looking at the carb on the left side of the helicopter, Clockwise is fully closed and Counter Clockwise is fully open.
Let me know if this is right.

NITRO_VEEDRIVER

My Feedback: (4)

seeing this raptor go from kit to flying machine just makes me wanna go out and spend money to get me a 30 sizer... or trade my r/c truck for one... man that looks sick[8D] sweet job dude... post vids when ya get it up and flying....or oops my bad crashing? just joking....[8D]

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

With your setup pulled towards the front is off, pushed back is full throttle, your photo shows it at full throttle

Mike SVOR

My Feedback: (1)

Just started her up.

I got her fired up on about 19% throttle and upped it to about 23% throttle while I fattened her up till I was sure she was fat. Enough to see a drip or two every few seconds from the muffler.
Got her purring like a kitten and she went through about 1/2 a tank of fuel just above idle with the blades slowly spinning.

I then messed up and pulled the throttle back to where I had 0% on "N" (just for a failsafe) and she shut off.
I grabbed the drill and tried to start her back up, but it was like the motor was siezed.
I pulled the starter shaft out of the drill to do it by hand and the motor was TIGHT. I could hardly spin it over.

Crap.

I pulled the plug out thinking I flooded it and it was hydrolocked. But after the plug was out, she was still just as tight.

So I drained the fuel and took her back in to pull the motor.




I loosened the 3 bolts on one side of the motor mounts and tried to spin the motor over again, still with no plug. It seemed a lot easier.
I unscrewed the other 3 bolts and the motor came out.

I spun it over and it spins over fine. PHEW!

I look at the clutch. It looks fine. I pull it off and place it aside.

I look at where the flywheel touches the motor bearing and theres about a 1/4 inch there where the flywheel isn't touching the motor's bearing any more.
Looking at the flywheel bolt, it's at the top of the threads. (interesting)

Grabbed the 10 mm socket and undo the bolt and remove the flywheel.
Everything looks ok.

I screw the flywheel back on and it goes on all the way. Up to the motor's bearing.
I put the nut back on and it goes WAY further in than when I saw previously.

Motor spins over fine.




I take it, the flywheel came loose and jammed the flywheel nut up against the starter shaft.


I'm gona do a few test fits tonight to find out what went wrong.....



Big question:
There was a washer on the motor's crank shaft when I took it out of the box brand new. I tried to install it with the washer, then the flywheel, then the nut, but the flywheel fins were hitting on the plastic fan shroud.
Should I be using this washer?????

Mike SVOR

My Feedback: (1)

I now know what happened.

The fan and fan nut unscrewed from the crankshaft. This caused the nut to press against the starter shaft and push the crankshaft down into the engine case, pressing the rod journal into the back of the crankcase.

I took the motor apart to make sure there was no major damage.

There was aluminum dust in the crankcase due to the steel rod journal rubbing against the crankcase back plate. I took the motor completely apart and cleaned everything with non-chlorinated brake cleaner, soaked everything in nitro fuel, and assembled it. I wanted to make sure there were no fragments in the rod bushing holes that could damage it by starving it of lube.

Everything came apart perfectly and went back together with ease.

Cleaned the clutch too.

This time, I cleaned the crankshaft threads with brake cleaner, applied locktite and installed the flywheel by wedging a plastic toothbrush in the exhaust port.
Instead of holding the flywheel while putting the nut on, I left the toothbrush in the exhaust and tightened the nut with locktite.

I hope it doesn't come loose again.
I'll give it till tomorrow morning to dry, so no more running tonight.

Everything is back together and ready to run again......


Hopefully, someone learns from my mistake....



Mike

USMC2111

Hey Mike, i saw something that i would like to comment on. Just a suggestion from my experince. In your picture, it doesnt look like you have anything supporting the flat part of the servo tray that the battery sits on. There is suppose to be a rubberband that goes from the loop at the top of the servo tray down to the hook at the bottom of the tray in front of the battery. My experience with this was i had mine set up almost the same way. One day my engine died and i had to make an unplanned autorotation. It was less than graceful. It came down and bounced a few times. The weight of the battery caused the servo tray to snap without the extra support from the rubberband. So now i use 3 rubberbands. Haven't had a problem since.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

Well you were right about what happened. The engine was rich and spun the fan off.

You never stick anything in the exhaust port though. The piston is aluminum and its very possible or even likely thaty you damaged it putting it back together. The tooth brush goes in the hole where the carb sits in or you can do it right and use a OS Crank Lock tool make from delrin plastic. Ricks carries it and its the safest method that puts the least amount of stress on critical engine components.

Mike SVOR

My Feedback: (1)

Well, what happened was, I tightened up the fan on the crankshaft, then I held the fan to tighten the nut. This caused the crank to unscrew the fan slightly from the force of me tightening the nut.
This time I applied locktite to the fan threads including the nut.


She runs like a champ now.

http://s95974389.onlinehome.us/RC%20...3rd%20tank.WMV

HeloHurtz

Well darn!!!!

I took the time to read this flipp'n thread expecting to see your chopper in flight and I kinda feel like I've been teased!
Yeah I know this thread is older than dirt but, being pinned and NOT closed seemed game for my post.


Anyway, I appreciate the thread even if it makes me to be a complete newb

Mike SVOR

My Feedback: (1)

Dude, it's been 10 days since I got the helicopter delivered in a box to my front door.
This thread isn't pinned or stickied. I've been adding info and questions daily to it as the build progressed.


It's a build thread.

lol


still, it's not that bad having built this helicopter and getting it running in 9 days. I haven't worked on it 24/7, I gota pet the girlfriend every now and then too ya know.

It should fly next weekend if barracudahockey has time to trim her out for me.
If not, I'm gona run to the store and buy two 6 ft lengths of fiberglass 'golf flag poles' some foam balls and make the biggest training sticks you've ever seen.

[:'(]

HeloHurtz

My bust

I think I jumped too quick because I looked at a JOIN date rather than the POST date... Please don't beat up on my TOO hard though cuz I'm using this new monitor that has a horizontal width of 1920 dots (frikk'n 23 inches wide!) and I'm not used to scanning left to right and back again yet.

Anyway, I'm really digg'n your thread... quite the uber newb I am and it's cool seeing how you're doing AND how the community is helping out

Mike SVOR

My Feedback: (1)

It would've been MUCH more difficult without the input from everyone who helped.

The directions included with the helicopter aren't that great. There is a lot of information that should've been included. I think they were written for the 'experienced' helicopter builder and not focused toward newbs.

ross_jsy

which is a shame because especially with the raptor 30 being probably the most popular training choppers a lot of newbs build them

NITRO_VEEDRIVER

My Feedback: (4)

cant help myself here.....NOW I AM BEGGING SOMEONE TO TRADE ME MY RC TRUCK FOR A 30 SIZE HELI!!!!!!!!! that machine Mike sounds mean on the third tank vid... whats with being strapped to plywood... you almost had liftoff with it....omg....[X(] i wanna see more of the heli once ya do decide to liftoff.... so i can drool ......lol
keep it up man you did awesome....

Mike SVOR

My Feedback: (1)

exactly.

A couple times I had to 'make my part look like the manual's picture' because the directions didn't say which way to face a particular part. Like the tail rotor arms for example.
The directions definetly need to be 'added to'.

Mike SVOR

My Feedback: (1)

haha,


I 'could've' flew around with that 10 lb piece of plywood too! I only had the throttle at 50 or 60 percent.

I'll definetly try to get video of my first flight.

Thanks for the cudos!