I recently replaced the upper and lower plastic rotor heads with aluminum ones (the plastic ones broke due to a few hard landings). I was re-trimming the heli, adjusting the pushrod lengths, when I noticed I wasn't getting anywhere. One moment lengthening, the next shortening. Then I realized the swashplate assembly had seperated. I snapped it together and tried again, but it came apart again. I replaced it with a new plastic assembly. I started the trimming procedure again, short liftoff, hover a few seconds to note the direction of drift, then landing. After a few of these I noticed the new swashplate had seperated just like the old one. I assumed the first one failed as a result of one of the hard landings. But there was no reason the new one should have failed. The only thing I can figure is this is a result of switching to the aluminum rotor heads. Does anyone have any idea why this is happening?

What is probably happening is the swashplate is bottom-ing out on the lower holders and after
it can't go anywhere it has no choice but to seperate when the servos keep pushing on it.
It also happens when you move your linkages out to the 4th hole on the servo arm.


Also, you could have placed the lower aluminum blade holders down to close to the swash plate,
the lower holder is acually 2 pieces. The bottom half is cut all the way down so you can move it
up and down with the top part of the lower head.

Anyway, take the set screws out of the lower head and make sure that the TOP set screws of the lower
blade holder line up with the holes in the outer shaft. Tigten them and then push up on the lower
section of the blade holders and then tighten them up.

Then work your servos and see if it still is happening or not, before you take it up again .

Also, the little plastic links that go between the swashplate and the lower blades have a short and a long slot. Make sure the little pin in the lower head sticks through the LONG slot in the links.

ndoren, you hit it right on the head! Many thanks to both of you for your help. Without guys like you, guys like me would never be able to get through the learning curve and become guys like you!