I don't mean "catastrophic" as in somethig really bad happened, but rather in the complete and total way that they failed.

Here is the scoop. I have been ruunning an LED flybar for some time on my newer CX2. It had the red paddles. Many of you have seem pix and video of this setup. A couple of weeks ago, I decided to get a new set with a blue LED instead of red and installed that on my older CX2.

On Monday, I was flying my older CX2, when I crashed. I broke off a main blade and busted the LED flybar. The thing that got me was that the failure point wasn't the flybar link. Rather it was the central hub of the flybar that rests inside the cap on the upper head. Strange place for it to fail, thought I.

So last nigt, I am flying my newer CX2, again with the LED flybar, and it takes a VERY soft landing on the couch. I go over to retrieve it and ***?!!? [:@] The flybar is broken is exacly the same place as the other one?

The way these both failed suggests fatigue fracture.

Anyhoo, I am now looking for a new way to mount my LED paddles. I have been reading a bit about some of you that have decided to create a flybar rod out of CF tube. Please tell me more about how you are doing this.

Here's a couple of pix of the damage.

Wow,

That pretty much renders it useless. Fortunately You can buy Just the central aluminum hub. I think Michael's got them.

Anyway, alot of people here are simply taking a stock flybar, cutting the hook at the end off to shorten it to varying degrees; although if You have the grips, Mine seems to do just fine leaving it long as possible because I have the extended upper head, so don't worry about blade strikes.

Then slide good fitting c.f. tubing over the stock flybar, and adding weights, again, to varying degrees, and that keeps the c.f. tubing from sliding off.

Almost indestructable ! !

Even if it bends, it is not a compound bend, but a simple bend right at the end of the c.f. tubing and the hub; about the only place it CAN bend, and is easily straightened.

So, maybe You could rig up something like that with the paddles and You're set.

Let me know how You do it.

Gary

Yeah. I already checked with Michael and he's going to send me some when I place my next order with him.

I'll look into teh CF tube thing. Untimately, though, I want to get abck to the LED flybar. If it fails again like that, though.... [>:]

If the rods are steel, and the hub is aluminum; then I think the steel will win everytime in a wreck. I hope it's a fluke, my Friend.

Good Luck.

p.s. I like the look of the paddles, but don't need the lights; how do the paddles work with Your Grips? Are there advantages of stability with the paddles, or are they paddle shaped purely for aerodynamics in the CX-2 heli?

I have alot to learn.

Gary

Gary spelled out the cf modded flybar nicely. I would take it a step further and thread the ends of the stock flybar to accept the lighted tips. I'm thinking the tap to thread that small would be fairly inexpensive. Probably something you could pick up at Fastenal or any bolt supply house pretty cheap.
That way you will have the best of three worlds , stock flybar with better hub, cf tubes to protect flybar, and lighted ends. Would be pretty cool. The aluminum hub on the lighted flybar will fail repeatedly. Wrong material for that application IMO! Not enough give in it too brittle when flexed.

PERFECT ! !

I need one anyway.

BTW; Horizon Hobby has the tubing; it's .125 outside diameter carbon fiber tube, and it available in 20" lengths to keep an odd box and shipping costs down.

I wonder if they have a tap and die as well?

Gary

Yes, it is exactly that. The rods are steel and the hubs are alum. Not a good combo. I'm going to order replacement hubs and links. If it fails on me again this way, I will definitely go the CF tube route. I'm headed to LHS today after work. I'll check around there and see if they have anything.

I like the lights a lot, especially when I am flying by night, though I do need to add some navigational LED's. I wish that there was a kit for that. I just don't have the time or patience to be building circuits from scratch anymore.

To answer your question, I have been told that the paddles with LED's and coin batteries weigh pretty much the same as the stock rubber bumpers with the brass weights. The shape of the paddles does nothing for the Heli aerodynamically that I can tell.

Bry,

You can get fully wired LED kits for the CX2, I have the V2 http://www.tjtrc.com/LiPoV2.html
It's a great kit however now that I've ditched my back canopy section that was modded like Wolfpackin's I have had to remove my LED kit.
I'm going to be getting the Xtreme canopies here shortly and try to incorporate it into that. My only complaint with it is that you can't easily remove the tailboom when you have the led in it....but I'm playing with some ideas.

Yea, the light kits are good, but they look HEAVY.

I need to finish my tutorial on a circuit that weighs a couple of grams or so.

Stump3r,

Have You removed that dang ol' rudder spring yet? It took me 4 flights to get the hang of it; now i would never go back!

Also, move out the servo arms 1 hole; no more; and it'll be alot more responsive without being racy. You will have to drill the hole out a little bigger. You will then need to adjust them both again.

I think You would like both mods ALOT ! (I've never steered You wrong, now have I?)

Do the servo arms first; fly it around for awhile, then do the tx mod.

Gary,
Yeah that LED kit is heavy. Long story short, after the last really bad ditch I had that damn near destroyed my modified rear canopy I've been flying without it. I finally finished the repairs to the back canopy Sunday night and threw it on to see how well the heli handled the extra weight with all the Xtreme goodies installed. What a pig! With the led kit and the back canopy....it houses the nav light portion. My flight times went in the toilet along with all the nimble characteristics I've grown accustomed to. I'm going to try to find a way to lighten the load and see if I can have the best of both worlds.
Oh yeah that rudder spring is rusting peacefully in the backyard somewhere
I actually did that last night, I love it. Pretty weird to get used to though, you put the tail exactly where you want it....and boom....it just stays there, no thumb pressure required. I'm still waffling over the servo holes though. Being as I'm stuck to indoor flight for the next 6 to 7 months and my house is pretty tight, I think I'll leave her the way she is. I'm just having way to much fun landing on stuff I shouldn't be now. Without the fear of the "plastic shower" I'll try and put her down on anything that has a ledge big enough to clear the rotors....and I do mean just clear the rotors
I love this damn heli!

Oh, but used to You will ! ! I tried to fly my Son's I built that is almost all factory and a factory TX and it was not enjoyable at all.

Like flying 'a bag of rocks' I think You said somewhere.

Anyway; No, moving out 1 servo hole will not be so dramatic that You will slam it into a wall when You breath on the stick; but it will take some of the travel out of the sticks in the TX that is needed to get the same result. It's like it takes out the 'dead zone' in the heli. I would wait a few days, though until You are comfy with 'rusting' the spring.

Gary

Hey, Bry.

I'm gonna try to carefull drill all the way through the aluminum center hub and run som solid c.f. rod the same diameter all the way through it, center it and epoxy it in. Then put the weights on the end of that; if too floppy, then will super glue a shorter piece of tight fitting c.f. tubing on the inner half or so, then screw in the weights backed up with ca. I think it might work. It will always be straight and will flex enough to hopefully eliminate the stress. I don't know about the light paddles of how it would work with that, but I'm always trying to eliminate steel wherever possible. I just want the weight on the ends, You know? Maybe I'll drop a Gram or two.

I'm gonna have Michael send me three hubs.

Wish Me luck,


Gary

Gary,

That sounds interesting. Let us know how that comes out. My own idea is a little simpler, I think. I need to find some hollow CF tube with an ID close to that of the stock flybar. Then, I will cut the hook end off of a stock flybar and slid ethe CF tube over it and affix with either CF or Gorilla Glue. This approach should make it easier to install, provide bending support and also be stronger due to the metal core.

Problem is that I went to my LHS yesterday and they don't have hollow CF tube.

Bryan

I don't think it will be 'too' floppy. The CF rod should provide good support. I run several weights on a #4, with a 2mm CF rod, not wobbly at all.

'Outgoing offer' waiting your review

For me or for Gary? [&:]

That's a good deal.

Yea, I'm trying to get a light and unbendable solution; eliminate the steel altogether; and the aluminum hub is the only way I can do it; as the plastic one would be too hard to work with. The aluminum is already drilled out somewhat. I want something to flex in a wreck, and 'spring' right back into shape.

Gary

Sorry, that was ambiguous. It was for gary, but could be for you 2, if you desire!

Michael

LOL! You already know that I'm going to order some replacement hubs and links, Michael! Let me know when my outgoing order is ready.

Have you looked into the lights on http://rc-lights.com/products/air.htm ? Uses a 9V battery, and I'm not sure about the weight compared to the one mentioned earlier, but the site says 34g.

No, I haven't. Honestly, I am looking for lights that I can attach to the Heli frame and that would plug right in to channel 5 on the 3-in-1 / 4-in-1. A 9V battery would add a lot of weight to my Helis that are both heavier than stock.

I don't need any blinkers, I just want a nice bright light at the nose and 2 sets of red and green LED's that I would use as navigation aids for night flying. Nautically and aeronautically, I can't remember whether the green lights are supposed to go on the port side or starboard side. But the idea being that I could easily mount the lights on either the Heli frame or landing skids, running two greens on one side and two reds on the other, with a nice, bright white or blue light on the nose.

If anyone can build a setup to those specs, I would be willing to pay for it. I don't mind some simple circuit-building if necessary. I do not need the lights to blink, strobe or do anything but shine. I do not want to mess with IC chips and circuit boards unless they are included as part if the kit. Weight is also a factor as I have indicated above.