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Model
Name: JR Venture CP
Rotor
Size : 49.5" (550mm)
Length:
44.6'
Flying
Weight Tested: 7lbs
Engine
Used: Webra 35 Black Head
Radio
Used: JR 8103DT
Gyro
Used: Futaba GY-401
Receiver:
Hitec Supreme 8
Servos: HS-525
(cyclic), 9253 (tail), HS-225 (throttle)
Channels
Used: 6
Manufacturer: JR
Heli Division
Distributor: Horizon
Hobby
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HITS |
MISSES |
- ARF pre-assembly is very complete
- Head and control system are assembled and
installed with links
- Push rods are done up and ready for install
- Full bearings
- CCPM control system with 20+ degrees of collective.
3-servo 120 degree mode
- Large canopy that is very easy to see
- Very quick from box to flight
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Slightly heavier than most 30 Helis
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Wooden mains, covering separates (see text for JR update)
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Front mount tank causes CG changes as fuel
consumed
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Boy,
was I excited about getting this Venture. A 15 minute conversation
with Kurt at Heliproz,
and I knew just what to order. The Venture is the first serious
competition for the Raptor in the past two years. JR had their
hands full in trying to design a helicopter that incorporated
the latest advancements in mixing, frame design and ease of
construction. From the conversation floating around the forums,
it looks like they did a great job!
The day finally came when the brown truck made a visit to my house. After flipping my dog a chew bone, Mr. UPS handed me the box and I quickly ran into the house to tear it open. I have been flying helis for a year, and have assembled a few, but have not been this excited since I bought my first Raptor.
The Venture is packaged
in a nice size box, (remember this is an ARF), with a cool looking
picture on the side and all components reinforced in their compartment,
well protected from the shipping demons. I quickly tore it open
to pull out the parts. My first impression was that there was
not a lot of work to do to get this heli in the air. In fact,
it actually took me more time to break the engine in on a test
stand than to assemble the bird!
When you open the Venture box you are presented with a heli that should require four to five hours to complete, and possibly a little more if this is your first helicopter.
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Kit Includes
The entire frame assembly is
built for you, including the control system and main rotor head.
JR even installed all of the linkage rods.
NOTE: Be forewarned that the
heli is setup from the factory for a beginner. To achieve the
full range of positive and negative pitch, you will need to
adjust the length of the seesaw arms. This is illustrated in
Section 4-11 of the manual.
The tail boom and rotor is completely
assembled. The fuel tank is installed and ready to hook up to
your engine or header tank, although I would advise replacing
the klunk tubing with something a little more resistant. The
landing gear struts (installed) are attached with rubber type
mounts. There is an installed cooling shroud with easily enough
room to fit a 50 size engine.
The clutch and start shaft assembly
is like other JR helicopters and supports a 6mm Raptor type
start shaft. The flywheel is relieved for the clutch shoes and
it can be installed in two directions to minimize runout. The
supplied wooden 550mm blades use 4mm mounting bolts, but you
will have to use spacers if you want to use your 12mm blades
as the JR blade grips are 14mm.
The heli comes with two flybar
configurations, beginner (the default), and advanced. Although
not a full 3D pilot, I also did not consider myself a beginner
so I opted for the advanced setup.
The supplied manual is typical
JR, and is very detailed with tons of pictures and drawings
to make things very clear. Some of the programming instructions
are misleading, but I hear that JR has changed this, so you
should be in good shape for all Ventures purchased now.
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Reviewed Upgrades
The Venture files terrific right
out of the box and comes with a full set of bearings, however,
I asked around to see if there was ANYTHING that I could add
to this helicopter to make it better. I did find a set of KSJ
thrust bearings that I installed which help to eliminate a tiny bit of slop in an already tight rotor head assembly. I also installed a fuel filter, header tank, and 550mm carbon blades.
Finally, although the supplied
boom support is adequate, it does not allow you to use a long
glow driver when starting your heli as it gets in the way. The
frame already comes with two booms support mounts, so I purchased
two supports from Heliproz,
and now I don't need a remote adapter. I just use my long glow
driver and plug it right in!
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Attaching
the tail brace is simple and only takes about 10 minutes.
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I
used two boom supports to help in gaining rear access
to the engine glow plug.
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Tail Boom
Installation
The tail boom is completely assembled with the exception of the horizontal and vertical fins. First sight down the boom and look at the belt to be sure it is not twisted. Attach the boom with the supplied (4) 3x15mm socket head bolts which are conveniently installed. Do not tighten them all the way for now. You will need to turn the belt 90 degrees clockwise before installing it over the front pulley. Check the belt tension by following the instructions on page 8 in the manual. Tighten the 3x3mm set screws equally to keep the boom straight and then tighten the 4 socket head bolts
Next, you will attach the tail brace to the tail brace clamp and rear of the frame. If you are using two tail braces, the ends attach on the outside of the clamp with a couple of thick washers for support. Attach the other ends to the frames as shown in the picture on the right. JR designed dual boom supports into the frame already which works great!
Now install the
vertical tail fin as per the instructions. Use CA on the self
tapping socket head bolts. Since the tail rotor assembly is
already installed for you, this is a very easy task, and you
don't have to worry about alignment.
When assembling
the rotor control rod, initially, I thought the JR guides
were a real pain, but after installing them, I can see how
they are very well thought out and versatile. This little
gadget allows you to adjust rotation, distance from the boom
and location along the boom as well as clamping it in place.
No more sliding control rod guides, or using CA to hold them
in place. Install the tail control rod bushings, screw on
the universal link, and attach the three control guides. First
check for friction and adjust the rotation of each guide to
minimize this. Now snap the universal link on the tail rotor
ball link and repeat the procedure. I had to put a very slight
bend in the control rod about three inches from the tail to
keep this smooth. Finally, attach the other universal link
and do a final check to minimize friction.
NOTE: It is
VERY important to minimize as much friction during the control
rod installation as you can. This will give you a fast tail
response and reduce the amount of work your tail rotor servo
has to do. Less work, better gyro holding!
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The
Webra, (shown with clutch, fan and mounting block),
is an extremely powerful engine for it's size.
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The
engine, (shown with a Hatori muffler), fits perfectly
with plenty of room.
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I
used a 2 oz. header tank. Make sure you keep it somewhat
level with the carb on the engine.
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Engine Installation
The
Venture will fly with any .32 - 39 sized heli engine, however,
because of it's size and weight, you might want to consider
one of the larger engines in the .35 - .39 range. The OS .32
just doesn't have enough power to fly this bird with authority.
I chose the Webra .35 black head because of it's raw power
and light weight. Remember, the red head is low nitro and
black is high nitro, (15% - 30%).
Note:
The Webra engines require a longer break-in time. I ran mine
in on a test stand with a 10 x 6 prop for a half gallon before
mounting it in the heli.
The engine is oriented with the head facing the back so you will need a right hand muffler, (looking from the tail forward). Since my Raptor muffler would not work, I picked up a Mavrikk 30 sized muffler. What a great value at 30 bucks!
The
cooling fan and clutch are easy to attach, but you will need
to read the addendum in the manual to properly set the orientation
of the engine mounting block. The base instructions are backwards.
Be sure to use threadlock where noted in the manual.
Now
mount the starter shaft locking in place with the supplied
4mm set screw.
When
you mount the engine, we sure to slide the muffler mounting
screws into the engine case as you will not be able to do
so with the bottom screw once the engine is in place because
of the way the frame is oriented.
The
bottom of the clutch should align flush with the bottom of
the clutch bell.
Attach
the fuel and pressure lines as outlined in the manual You
should use a good quality filter that can be cleaned periodically.
I used a 2 oz. header tank attached to the rear part of the
frame. Make sure you keep it somewhat level with the engine
carburetor.
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With
CCPM, make sure you center all servo arms perpendicular
to the control rod.
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Servo Installation
The
Venture requires 5 servos for operation. Although it in not
necessary to use digitals, it is important to use the same
type of servos on the three cyclic, collective and pitch controls.
With 120 degree CCPM, the swashplate servos work together to control cyclic and collective functions instead of using a separate servo for each. Since the servos work together, you won't have to use expensive digital or super servos. JR did a nice job with the placement of the radio system, tucking the servos away into the body so that they are well protected.
You
will use the supplied 12mm screws and washers to mount the
servos. Each servo body should be snug with no movement. Be
sure to route all servo wires so that they are isolated away
from the sharp edges of the helicopter's mechanics, (gears
control rods, etc.). Mount the switch harness before you install
the rudder servo. This will make it's installation easier.
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There's
plenty of room in a nicely designed area for your electronics.
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Put
the voltwatch in this spot where it can be seen through
a cutout in the canopy.
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Gyro/Receiver/Switch
Harness/Battery Installation
The
Venture provides a nice layout for the installation of the
electronics. The instructions show the battery pack wrapped
in foam and slid into a battery tray. I used an 1800 NiCad
pack which provided a snug fit. The receiver, once wrapped
in foam fits easily on the shelf above the battery and can
be oriented with the connectors to the front or side, there's
plenty of room. I used Velcro and rubber bands to hold it
down as the tray has small tabs that you can wrap the bands
around, nice!
The
large flat area just in front of the elevator arm linkage
is perfect for the gyro. Be sure to use the double sided tape
provided by the manufacturer, and make sure the surface is
clean and free from oils. I used a Futaba GY-401, and it fit
with plenty of room to spare.
Lastly,
attach the switch harness and use the provided rubber grommets
to provide a little stress relief. If you find that you mounting
screws are too short, then skip the grommets.
I
used a Hitec 8 channel receiver and installed the servos as
follows:
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Servo
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CH
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Direction
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Throttle
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1
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Normal
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Aileron
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2
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Normal
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Elevator
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3
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Reversed
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Gyro/Rudder
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4
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Reversed
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Gyro
Sensitivity
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5
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Normal
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Pitch
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6
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Reversed
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Voltwatch
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7
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n/a
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JR provides
some clear wire wrap for keeping the servo wires neat and
out of the way. Use it as it makes life easier, looks neat,
and keeps the wires away from the moving parts.
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The
Venture looks great decked out with the supplied decals.
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Final Touches
JR Provides
some nice looking decals to trim your large Venture canopy
with. Wash the canopy with hot soapy water before applying
the decals. Trim the windshield and install it using the
supplied self tapping screws.
My only disappointment
with the Venture was with the blades. The set that I received
were pretty far out of balance and only good for spinning
the heli up to hover and check things out. Don't get me
wrong, they are more than adequate to perform minor aerobatics,
but not much more. Plus, the ends of the covering started
to split after 10 flights. If I had not seen comments about
this on RCU, it could have been a very bad situation for
me if this happened in flight. Check yours every flight
and then get a set of carbon or light glass blades.
(Editors note regarding blades: JR has corrected this problem. For Venture owners that experience this problem, they can call JR's customer service department for a free replacement set. Also, these rotor blades were never really intented for aerobatic performance, but more as a low cost replacement for the learning pilot. More advanced pilots will most likely use composite blades rather than the stock wood. )
Make sure your
blades are balanced and tracking properly. This is the major
cause of vibration in ALL helicopters and is also the easiest
to fix.
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120
Degree CCPM uses three servos for aileron, elevator
and pitch
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Programming
The JR 120°
CCPM or Cyclic/Collective Pitch Mixing, provides a control
system that gives the same control inputs as a single servo
standard system, but with increased precision and reduced
complexity. Like the single servo system, the JR CCPM system
uses three servos for the three main controls: aileron (roll),
elevator(pitch) and collective. The CCPM lower swashplate
ring is designed with only three control balls, spaced at
120° from each other, thus the 120° CCPM designation.
Even though the control balls are not at 90° as in the
standard system, the aileron (roll) axis is still parallel
to the main mechanics of the helicopter, and the elevator
(pitch) axis still functions at 90° to the mechanics like
a single servo system.
The biggest difference
in the way that these two systems operate is that unlike the
single servo system where the three servos work completely
independent from each other, CCPM servos work together to
achieve the same control inputs. For example, if an aileron
(roll) input is given, two servos work together to move the
swashplate left and right. If elevator (pitch) input is given,
all three servos work together to move the swashplate fore
and aft. For collective, it?s also the strength of three servos
that will move the swashplate up and down the main rotor shaft.
With two to three servos working at the same time during any
given control input, servo torque is maximized and servo centering
is also increased. In addition to these benefits, CCPM achieves
these control responses without the need for complex mechanical
mixing systems that require many more control rods and parts
to set up.
CCPM is preprogrammed
into many of today's radio systems. Since the 120° CCPM
function is preprogrammed, CCPM is no more complicated to
set up than a conventional single servo
standard system.
The manual comes
with instructions for programming, (all JR radios, of course)
and the way they explain things can be a bit confusing.
Stick with it and ask for help if you do not understand.
Horizon support is terrific and you will find many users
on the RCU forums willing to help.
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FLIGHT
TESTING AND EVALUATION |
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Ready
to go. Note the Revolution base loaded antenna.
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Flight Test
The
time came to try this birdie out and I was pumped. I checked
all of the linkages, connections and fueled her up. I used
15% Cool Power heli fuel with an OS #8 plug.
After
starting the engine, I allowed the blades to spin up slowly
and watched for anything that might be out of wack. Not seeing
anything, I slowly lifted the heli up to check my gyro and
servo direction and the GY-401 was setup perfectly.
All
that was left was to lift off, so I did and was pleasantly
surprised of the stability of this heli over other 30 size
ships that I have flown. A little forward flight was smooth
with a very slight tendency to pitch up when coming out of
a turn.
You
do have to pay attention to the elevator trim as the CG shifts
slightly as the fuel burns off in the front mounted tank,
but this is not really a concern.
After
four flights, I switched to carbon mains and wrung the heli
out a little. Even though the Venture is a bit heavier than
my Raptor, the Webra responds instantly and pulls the heli
through maneuvers with no problem.
Flips,
rolls and loops are executed with ease, however multiple flips
will start to bog the engine down. Perhaps when the Webra
is broken in, it will perform better. Inverted flight proved
to be pretty easy though I am not good enough to get it down
close enough to cut the grass. I save that for my lawn mower!
This
helicopter is sized for a larger engine. Every time I pick
it up, it screams for a .50 which would be very easy to install.
There have been multiple discussions on the boards with folks
that have converted the heli with the Ergo 46 conversion kit
and metal engine mount. I will be doing this some day myself
turning a great heli into a monster!
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The
Venture files and good as it looks!
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I
have been flying helicopters for a year, and am learning something
new every day. I wanted to try a CCPM heli for the sake of
setting up and flying some different than my conventional
heli, thus the Venture.
I am very pleased
with the first rate construction, sturdiness of the frame
design and smoothness of flight. This heli performs great
with no modifications, is cheap to repair and parts are readily
available. Some people have pointed out that the size and
weight of the heli is a deterrent compared to a Raptor or
Caliper. This heli is made for the larger 30 class engines
and with new engines coming out like the Thunder Tiger Pro
.39, you can still bounce and flip around the sky without
breaking the bank in fuel costs.
Overall,
the Venture has all the good parts of an Ergo coupled with
some incredibly ingenious frame design. The machine should
take someone from first-day beginner right on into moderate
3D with no change in equipment necessary. The best thing is
that when you doink it, you won't feel the repair cost pain
of it's more expensive siblings.
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