BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

A JR Vibe 50 arrived at my door yesterday.

Its going to be getting a complete build and review in the next couple of weeks.

I'll be using my brand new JR x9303 2.4 with the 9 channel reciever so I'll get 2048 resolution.

The current uber servo of choice, the JR 8717's will be on the swashplate. A 770 3D gyro with 8900G servo was provided as well.

Aerospire provided a Multigov for the review http://www.aerospire.com
Flight Power has provided one of their two cell lipo reciever batteries and a 5amp linear regulator (brand new product) http://www.flightpowerusa.com (FP stuff is available from Tower and Rons Heliproz South among others)

I'll be using a OS 50 Hyper with the Align pipe for power.

I just opened the box and pulled out the instructions but my first impression is this may be the best manual in the 50 class helis that I have seen to date. The kit is well organized and the bags are clearly marked with the step numbers. The fan is a collet mount so getting a very true running fan should be no problem. The canopy is white fiberglass with a painted windshield and some attractive decals are provided. The tail is a torque tube design and the kit comes with stacked lightweight G10 frames. (someone busted me via PM, I thought the frames were carbon)

The swashplate is 120 or 140 degree CCPM and the parts are provided for both. Since the radio supports it I'll be using 140 degree.

Everything sparkles high quality and I can't wait to get started on it.

Free Bird

Will you be posting updates here? I sure hope so as I'll be watching with interest!

FB

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

Yea I'll try to keep up to date, I don't want to give too much away so everyone reads the actual review though

tchavei

BarracudaHockey: I might be wrong but isn't it common refer stacked frames as the type where you have 4 frames (upper and lower)? If that is correct, the vibe is a non stacked frame design (like the 600N) because it only has one per side

How the build going? I'm finishing installing electronics in mine as we speak

Tony

Spacey

Heheh..you guys hang around everywhere huh? Well how's this one? Tony remember when I said their in the country here by us? Well long story short it took my Vibe .50 to get from Japan to South Africa about 5 days to the suppliers, now it took a week and a half to travel around 1200km's up to me. [:@] Gotta love the local postal service, at least the LHS owner let me know this morning that I can make my smiling all the way trip to em this afternoon after work to pick up the long awaiting new toy.

tchavei

Hehehe

Actually I was googleing for stuff about the Vibe and found this thread. You're complaining about delivery time? Read this:

On March 14th, a good friend in the UK sent me a Duralute Regulator for my Vibe 50. It arrived at Lisbon (296km from here) on March 15... I just got the notice to pick it up at the local postoffice today (March 25)... Lol. I would have got it sooner by foot [:@]

Tony

Spacey

Eish. That is terrible no doubt about it. Well guess I shouldn't tell you about the whole saga I had with a model coming in from Japan with everything on the box written in Japanese except my adress, customs couldn't calculate how much they get out of doing absolutely nothing but frustrating me and only two months since the thing arrived there they sent me a notice to let me know they need a invoice thing in english. Boy what is this world coming to? Technology advances and service gets worse, nevermind the people behind the services. This one's a campfire story though, something that'll make my grandchildren laugh I'm sure...loong, dramatic and funny if I use all the language I used on the phone to customs. LOL

Funny, google got me onto this one also? Been suffering the whole day at work waiting for the clock to hit going home time so I can make that happy happy trip to the LHS. Only 25minutes to go.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

Tony you're correct, I posted that before I examined the kit closely.

Building starts tonight.

Spacey

Yay!

Free Bird

Spacey: That looks like mine, except I'm using a YS 50 and Align muffler. Should have it in the air this weekend.

FB

Spacey

Ya I'm a die hard O.S. guy. Doubt that'll ever change, not had much luck with any other motor I tried except one particular Irvine .39 and a few older Webra airplane motors. I'm not too worried about starting my build just yet as I'm still short a muffler and set of blades, I can get an MP5 from one particular shop but they got the thing overpriced stooopid so I'm patient. Bust upgrading my Primary F3C Sylphide anyhow at the moment and designing/building my own F3C fuselage for this season. I'm just ecstatic that the beast is finally home, I've never owned anything smaller than a .90 so I think the .50 will really help loosen up my fingers with the lower pucker factor.

jester4

I'm sitting on the fence for my next 50, and paying close attention to the news about the Vibe. I'm down to 3 choices in the 50 class, each having their own pluses, but I think that if I happen to see a Vibe in Toledo next week, I might end up bringing one to Canada

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

Actually Tony it is stacked frames, JR calls it single stacked frames. IE...flat 2 piece frames vice something molded like the Raptor

tchavei

the magic word here is single. I would have sworn that in your first post you mentioned double stacked frames which is the traditional design of helis like the freya (upper and lower frames, 2 per side) and also the evo EX.

I stand corrected and apologise

Happy build

Btw, if you're using a mixture servo, check out RR on what I've came up with. In the meanwhile I updated the method for the 3155 servo because it was 1mm too close to the glow plug making a change a PIA. This has been adressed with a 4 and 6mm spacer

Tony

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

Nah the edit was because they were black I thought they were carbon, but as you know they are 2mm thick G10, and very nicely finished.

Spacey

Yup, quality is exceptional as usual. It's going together really nicely this side.

tchavei

yep. Mine is ARF right now. I could maiden it right now but there are some details that I don't like (some electronic installations) so I will review that.

Tony

Spacey

Come on Tony! You gotta be itching by now to get it flying? Bwhahaha.

I'm so strung right now between the two big projects I got going it's terrible. I so badly want to finish both, looks like I may need to develope a strange illness today or tomorrow so I can get some more quality time in with the family (No I ain't married or living with my parents).

tchavei

Lol

Well after another 3am session I managed to finish. I redid my duralite reg (now 6.2V dual output) and mounted it on top of everything. I did mount the rx antennas as best as I could but not having my canopy here (at the painter right now) makes it a shot in the dark knowing if it will clear or not. Will post pics shortly.

Final weight: 3596gr (canopy weight was included - 131gr). This includes header tank, heavy duty metal 3 way brass stone filter, carbsmart, extra servo and switchglo. Without those gadgets it would weight around 3420gr. Excellent

Tony

Spacey

That is great news! WOW. I guess time will still tell whether it has any issues but so far all the numbers are really painting a pretty picture for this one's future. I'm kinda trying to save weight myself, already got all those heavy 12kg servos on the swash etc. I also got a standard servo for the throttle at the moment, might build another carbon mount and get a small JR Sub Micro Digital like I use on my Sylphides to save that 35g odd. I'm not installing a carb smart on this one (Used up all three I got on my .90's). Although one other thing I'm probably gaining a little weight with is the heavy 2000mah Nicad I'm using, I'm still way too sceptical about the lipo setup.

Either way I'll keep everyone up to date with happenings.

tchavei

Pics added

































Tony

Free Bird

Tony,

Nice clean installation you have there. Could you explain the plumbing for the header tank? It's hard to see where the lines go. TIA!!!

FB

tchavei

Hi

well its not too complicated but you can't see most of it because its hidden between the frames.

Here is a diagram of the tubing:



As you can see the middle nipple of the headertank is closed so its only a dummy and acts as a support for the tube coming out of the T connection. When filling or venting the tank, all you need to do is to unhook that line to open the system

Tony

Free Bird

Thanks for the drawing Tony, it's a big help!

FB

Skarn

Barracuda, where did you get your Vibe? I didn't think they were available yet?

Skarn