NRA4EVR

My X package comes today i know its not as fancy as some of yours, but i dont know what the hell i am doing so it wont be as big of a loss when i drive it into the ground I will post pics tonight.

Missileman

Be carefull when tightening down those aluminum screws, they stip very easily
If you have any questions let me know, I live just down the road from you.

NRA4EVR

I have a question... do you know how to fly? I may need some additional trainning

Missileman

I can hover and slow forward flight. I am transitioning from airplanes. There are several clubs in our area with qualified instructors. You are welcome to come and check them out.
That aside RADDs and some SIM time work very well.

NRA4EVR

Spent some time on the kit today,and here is what i have found so far. Instructions are horrible, nothing like the quality of my fathers raptors instructions. the fit and finish on many of the parts is lacking and some things had to be persuaded to fit. 2 pieces were broken out of the box....

zerofox

uh oh... i should be getting the same exact kit tomorrow...
broken out of the box?
i went over the instructions last night at the Align site... they didnt look too bad, but then, ive never built a heli before... should be an interesting challenge

NRA4EVR

i hope yout have better luck

zerofox

haha, me too!
well, it will be good to have someone else to bounce stuff off of while im working on it...

NRA4EVR

Did heli proz tell you the battery is on backorder and it will be out for three weeks? They never told me and my kit was short a battery so I had to call them back and have them ship me a differnt pack.

zerofox

actually no... the battery came with mine...
i havent found any broken parts yet, its almost done. i have the tail rotor assembly and boom left, then its on to the radio stuff...
your right though the instructions are basically just pictures, and they seem to be a bit out of order. but all in all its going together pretty well.
i was going to upload a pic of my progress so far, but i cant figure out how to do that.

zerofox

haha, actually the preview didnt show it, so i tried it twice... and there are two pics of the same thing! so theres my progress so far

zerofox

i noticed that all the linkage is referred to as "CCPM Linkage" but the kit is labeled as CDE... does yours say that as well? since this is my first heli build, i wouldnt know the difference just by looking at the components.

Missileman

CCPM is the correct terminology for collective pitch weither mechanically or electronically mixed.(sometimes eCCPM is used to denote electronic mixing but not always)
CDE is the electronically mixed version of the T-Rex.

ct420

Missileman is correct. The CDE does not use a direct to swash servo setup, but indeed, it is electronic mixed CCPM. The fact that the servos connect to the swash via 'levers', and not directly is inconsequential. This seems to confuse some people who think that eCCPM can only be a 120' direct-to-swash type setup...

wick246

I have an XL HDE kit which I have not assembled yet. I can't decide whether to buy the eccpm upgrade kit HS1092 for $30 or buy a cf SE frame set for $80 plus the swashplate and other required parts as an upgrade. Still researching to see what will be required and how much bang for the buck I will get from either route.

ct420

wick246: It's hard to say... If set up properly, there is virtually no performance difference between the HDE and CDE.

The only advantage that a direct to swash servo setup (SE frame) gives you is the fact that there are less links to develop slop. Of course, if you have all of your links sized properly, there should be virtually no slop with either system.

Also, the SE frame has the advantage of being stronger and lighter than the plastic frame.


Personally, I like the plastic frame for now. It's only like 12 bucks to replace if I break it...

Raserx

hey wick,
You can get the carbon upgrade frame from www.techmodelproducts.com for $64. It has the complete frame and bearing..etc. I bought one for my 450S when I upgraded it. You get a lot for your cash. Hope it helps. They are pretty good heli poeple there and gave me a 10% discount on my first order just for asking.

Missileman

The $64 frame is different than the SE frame in that the SE frame has aluminum upper and lower bearing blocks, aluminum tail boom mount and, at that website, upgraded tail pully and gear set. Well worth the extra $35 IMO.

wick246

Thanks guys, and good opinions all. Not too many want to talk much about the lowly XL anymore.

Lot's to think about but I'm glad there are upgrade options available for this platform. If HDE fly's as well as CDE (when new) then the decision is even tougher.

zerofox

does anyone have any suggestion or direction for electronics setup on the X? I finished the basic frame yesterday morning, now i have to install the motor, servos, rec, gyro.... this is the part im worried about screwing up so any advice would be fantastic!

wick246

Have you seen Finless' build videos here zerofox? They may provide a little insight...

[link]http://www.helifreak.com/viewtopic.php?t=13084[/link]

Missileman

There is also alot of great info here:
http://www.trextuning.com/index.php

zerofox

awesome! ill check them both out! i knew i could count on you guys to help out, you all have been a huge help in my getting into this hobby!

NRA4EVR

So did you fly that thing yet? I am still waiting on parts

theDonDon

Concerning the CDE ccpm setup, the bonus of this lever system is you probably won't wipe out your servo's if you crash. Everyone I know wipes out servo's in the direct to swash SE setup, even the hitec MG's crater from crashes. I have an XL and am 75% done my SE, I can tell you there is no way im putting a $50 servo on the SE, one good crash and you can probably kiss 2 servo's goodby.
One thing I recomend on your first flight is Expo at least 25%, this bird can be very twitchy at first.