RMG2

All of us that fly a coaxial (CX2/ V3/V4?etc) know how easy it is to turn, and change direction of forward flight by just using the rudder (left stick, mode-2) only. When our coaxials are well tuned/trimmed you can literally fly with great precision (no wind) just by using throttle (left stick), rudder (left stick), and forward/backward cyclic/pitch (right stick) and never move the left/right cyclic (right stick). It's easy to get use to flying our stable little helis that way and completely forget that we have another option to help our turns, and better control the overall attitude of our heli by using left/right cyclic (roll/aileron). But, is using rudder only for turns helping us learn the skills we need for our "next step" single rotor heli???

Many of us who recently started this hobby of RC heli have learned to fly our CX2/V3/V4's very well and are already thinking about a single rotor. Some (like me) have already bought one, or are about to buy one. If you fit in this category do yourself a favor and if you are not doing it already, start practicing using left/right cyclic in conjunction with your rudder to make all turns while you are flying. Not only does it help train our minds, and fingers to always be using that right stick (which is needed for single rotor), it makes our little coaxials look very cool when the heli is leaning over a little as it glides through a turn, or sweeps in at a tight radius turn towards the landing pad!

Try it, you'll like it[8D]

bonsaidude

Thanks for posting this, and being a new CX2 owner looking to "move up" at some point, I would like to hear any other tips to "get ready". This is kind of like a 3 ch vs 4 ch plane, you can skid around making turns with just rudder on a 3 ch bird, that does very little getting you ready for ailerons.

evdreamer

Watch finless videos how to set up a CP helicopter. A good setup can mean the difference between flying or fixing your helicopter due to crashes. http://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=11373

soloboss

I am a former CX flier - addict - supporter - etc. I took the time to write the Soloboss CX Setup guide (http://www.heli-wiki.com/mediawiki/i..._and_CX2_Setup) and a friend (Balance) got the Wiki version published in the states and another copy was published in the Netherlands by Shufflez. I did a lot of experimental work on the coaxial helis. I was not a dedicated flier, but I certainly got my hours in learning how it all works. In fact I beat some of the commercial suppliers to the punch on a couple of items. I really thought I had this whole thing figured out.

Then I got my Falcon 40 a single rotor fixed pitch heli. Same as a Walkera #4, or EF Sabre or a couple of other fixed pitch electrics at about 250 grams. Along with my Falcon I got a good lesson in humility. And I connected my bank account to Michael at US Hobby Supply.
After finding that I had a shadow with the name Stump3r in Calgary, Alberta, Canada I had someone to work with on the 'buddy system'. Someone with whom I could compare notes and share discoveries. That helped. We used each other for a baseline and we kept each other's spirits lifted. We traded positions of mentor and student, depending on where our last error landed us.

Then one day I posted a piece in pure frustration. The post is in this forum, called "Struggling with single rotor basics". After over 2900 hits and nearly 200 posts that thread has a lot of really good stuff for the guy looking to take the plunge. I suggest you take a read through it from the point of view of a coaxial heli pilot. If you learn nothing, I apologize for wasting your time, but if you are really going for a single rotor, either fixed pitch or collective, it makes a good read.

RMG2 has contacted me a couple of times and he's gonna get the job done. He has a good perspective on the whole conversion from coaxial to single rotor.

One thing I can tell you. Even with a fixed pitch (FP), the first time you bring the rotor up to speed and bring in the tail rotor for stability and then lift it off, you will get sweaty palms a serious addiction - and probably repair experience. It's a whole new world. After a good bit of work, you will again bring it up to speed and lift it off, and with a well timed right bump on the cyclic you'll catch it - and hover it - and you will get goose bumps. And you'll know it's all worth every hour and every penny.

I hope you have as much fun with this as I am having. It's a wonderful diversion from a stressful job. There is no room for anything in your head except that helicopter when you are flying it.

Best of luck! Soloboss

sportrider_fz6

I got the addiction bad!!! I'm getting ready to make a purchase soon!!!

RMG2

Soloboss, I've said it before, but it warrants repeating. "You are the man"! I've read all of your stuff in these forums and am learning this hobby much quicker by following your reports of progress (and failure) along the path to the "next step". I'm sure I speak for many when I say, "Thank you" for your contributions to help all us new folks.

Okay, enough arse kissin', back to learning how to fly conversations

bonsaidude

Thanks, Boss! Good to see your Wiki page back up. I've read a bit of that thread, I'll make a point of reading more!

soloboss

RMG2
We're all new at this. Oh, of course there are guys well beyond where we are but they probably just ignore my posts. I have nothing to offer those guys anyhow. They are well beyond where I am.
I'm just an ordinary guy who lacks noteworthy eye / hand coordination. I'm no athlete, not an engineer, nothing special. But I do like to talk. When something goes well, and I know why I'll share the information. When things go badly and I'm really frustrated, You guys pull me back together. When I figure out the cause of the frustration that put me over the edge, I post that too. I think I have reached to next plateau so my mission is to fly. The Falcon 40 is properly tuned and it's all about my ability now. Sim time and flight time.

This is one amazing Collective, bringing together fliers of all levels of experience and many levels and types of flying machines. My personal contacts reach from the other side of Canada (Stump3r) to the Netherlands (Shufflez) to the great southwestern US (Ndoren) in New Mexico. I don't know that any of us is more teacher than student so we all share what we know and we all benefit from the information.

I'm glad that I can help in some small way. And I'll try to help in any area that I can.

bonsaidude Glad you're enjoying the Wiki page. I used it a ton after I wrote it. I can't remember everything in there.

We are all teachers.
We are all students.
We are the Collective.
We have been assimilated.

Soloboss

xyster101

I second that Solo. With the guidance of your undoings to the CX and my own desire to learn how she works, I too modded it out and learned how it handles. I also learned there are a fair number of things that will not work. Now working on the FP #4 with solo and company as we learn all over. Hovering is the easy part. Nose in on a CX is cake, nose in on a single rotor is nuts! Someday we look forward to more then 3 batteries with no crashes.

I agree we learn together, share together, fix together, and lets not forget supporting Micheal at US Hobby supply together!

stump3r

Solo as always has echo'd the sentiments of the collective. The thing I truely love about this collective group is how we seamlessly move from student to teacher right back to noob and start the process all over again. I will say that the move from coax to single rotor really threw me for a loop. My good buddy Soloboss just so happened to be struggling along with the same bird at the same time, then xyster chimed in having similar issues with the same aircraft. Thanks to the thread from Soloboss and some help locally from another fellow flier Gpach I finally got my bird figured out and all of us went from crawling to walking within days of each other. We all shared in our collective success and helped each other through the tough spots. One thing to remember no matter how bad things can get when learning the new bird the collective hive is here waiting. And lets not forget about Michael at UShobby Supply feeding us addicts our heli fix.