ORIGINAL: heliyardsale
Well, This is my first post here... I've been lurking for a while and have picked up some great advice. I have had my CP since Dec 2005 and I have to say it is one frustrating piece of plastic! Damn! It seems like every time I take it out, the littlest nick against the blades (switched to CF) and the main shaft and rod that attaches the blade grips both get trashed. Very Frustrating! Is there anything (short of selling it and getting a Raptor) that I can do to increase the strength of the mainshaft and bladegrip shaft? I'm at my wits end with this thing!!
Yes, learn to fly....just kidding. What's probably hurting you the most right now is the CF blades. They are unforgiving in even the smallest crash and the torque will bend or break everything else. I know it's really easy to damage the wood blades, but they can (much to the dismay of some) be repaired if careful. I got my blade in November, have replaced the blades only twice and the main shaft only once. And I'm a lousy pilot compared to some of these guys. I crash a lot, just not as much as I used to. The main thing is to allow yourself time to learn. Take it easy. A wise man once said, if the heli is not in "your" control, you have to do too much to get it back in control and more likely you will crash. Keep it low to the ground for a while. That way if it starts to get away from you, you can always set it down quickly. Being able ti fly indoors (no wind or grass to worry about) and slide around on wood floors helped me a lot. If you can't do that, throw down a sheet of plywood.
If you haven't checked out "Radd's school of rotary flight" do it now
also check bdavison's build thread and bladecprepair.com to verify your setup is good.
Patience will save you money and don't be shy to ask questions.