txshan130

My Feedback: (114)

To all the gyro experts out there, how do you guys set up your gyros? I'm new to gyros and so far not a fan, but maybe I'm doing something wrong. I generally fly all my jets with 20-30% expo on all surfaces. I hooked up the Igyro 3e according to the manual, but when I turn it on in flight(even on lower gain settings), it feels as if I have even more expo and really dulls out the surfaces. A few people told me I need to take out all my expo, but I wanted to get some opinions on a greater scale. Thx in advance for any help

gregg f

My Feedback: (20)

I use about half of the expo with the 3E that I used before I installed it.

Si_B

I dropped my expo down to about 10% and slightly increased my throws on the ailerons. A mate showed me how to set up three different rate and expo settings which I could select when flying. Allowed me to try out the feel of the model once I'd turn the gyro on. Nice thing was I could easily switch everything back off to a sage setting if I didn't like it.

Simon

Dave Wilshere

What aeroplane?
First thing I do is fly, trim and balance ( match) the control feel. This gives you a clue on gyro set up. I'm very new to aeroplane gyros to, but it was obvious to me that you would not get the best out of a gyro like the 3e without setting the gains to suit the control power. On an Xcalibur the elevator is much more powerful than the ailerons, so reducing the gain 20% in the gyro settings will allow a high overal gain setting.
Expo generally needs reducing 50% od what you had before the gyro was set

txshan130

My Feedback: (114)

Thanks everyone for the responses.

Dave,

The igyro is going in a classic flash

Dave Wilshere

OK, pretty balanced on control response from the get go. UF flies smoother with Expo, but set the numbers to 15% Expo on Aileron and 18% down expo, 15% up expo on elevator. JR servos the gain is only going to be in the 20's for % if you don't run the GPS II

Dave

txshan130

My Feedback: (114)

Thanks Dave. I will give those settings a go and see how I like it. Hopefully I will become a gyro lover like everyone else haha

HarryC

My Feedback: (1)

To the original question, yes you would reduce or even zero the expo because the effect of the gyro is to create expo. You command a roll, the plane starts rolling which the gyro senses and feeds in an opposite command. The gyro's opposition to your command will be less than your command, so the effect is to reduce the travel. However the gyro should reduce its effect the further you move the stick so that by the time you reach full stick the gyro no longer opposes your command (some cheap gyros and older design gyros do not do this!) The net effect is that the gyro reduces travel at small stick movements and has no effect at full stick movements, which is what expo does so the two feel like the same thing to the pilot. If you have Tx expo and a gyro you are doubling up the expo.

The max roll rate at full stick (and pitch and yaw) should be exactly the same with and without the gyro, because a decent gyro is programmed by the manufacturer to reduce its gain to zero at full stick. If you still get a slower response at full stick then perhaps the gyro is a cheaper or older model that does not do this, orthe gyro is not programmed correctly, or you are using servo travels less than 100% so the gyro never thinks you are at full stick and is still giving some opposition to you. That is why it is important to use travels as close to 100% as you can. You should not have to increase your travels mechanically to maintain the roll rate, if you do then something is not programmed right - except that occasionally it is unavoidable, for example if your ailerons need very little travel and you have already used the pushrod setup to minimise travel and still have to turn down the servo travel % in the Tx, then the gyro will not know you are at full stick and will still try to oppose you a little bit at full stick. Some gyros allow you to teach them what full travel is, or allow you to set how quickly the gain reduces as you move the stick and in that case you can overcome the problem of servo travels less than 100% and the gyro will not oppose you at full stick. For those gyros that do not, you would have to mechanically increase the travel.

I love gyros and fit them to all models, not just jets. They are great at getting rid of turbulence and allow happier flying in poor weather, something that is very useful in the normally windy UK! I work on the settings until I am not aware that a gyro is fitted (except for the fact the plane flies like it is in calm air even in windy weather). If you feel that a gyro is adversely affecting the handling of your model then in general it is a fault of the settings in your Tx or the gyro, and it can be put right.

If you have a single axis gyro there is one further way of overcoming the problem of the aileron gyro opposing travels of less than 100%, or a gyro that is not programmed to reduce gain, and I used it all the time with the Weatronic gyros. Make the aileron stick the gain controller with a V shaped curve, so that the Tx is constantly varying the gain as you move the stick, then you can make the gain collapse very quickly.

Levi Wags

I agree with Harry. I've got both the 3e and SRS. I think using any expo at all with a gyro defeats the purpose and can create a dull handling plane. I'm running both gyros around the 30-50% mark and now won't have a jet without one.