RE: Mini Titan thread
 

I was wondering - ignoring cost and noise - what are the pros/cons of having mini titan v. tres 450 new se v2. people say that it is more stable - what makes it so?

RE: Mini Titan thread
 

I don't think the MT is more stable, per se. It is a more compact design along the roll axis than the "classic" stacked frame helis, so its control response is more direct, which just makes it more predictable, and yes, easier to fly.

Pros and cons I don't want to get into, really- there are enough religious wars about my heli is better than yours -but the MT has just impressed the heck out of me and the folks I know that have bought it. I was on the edge of buying a v2 TRex, but tried the MT instead and I'm a total fan. Others I know who have various versions of TRex have tried it, and all compare the MT favorably to the TR. When the MT costs a fraction of what the TRex does, flies well, and is easier to maintain....

RE: Mini Titan thread
 

thanks - I get that good feeling about the4 MT from yours and others' post - the only thing that sort of worries me is that doing an online search - I was surprised as to how many usual vendors do not seem to carry it - makes me worry about parts as well - I hesititated to ask because I never can't find source - but what is a great vendor for the MT? here, in the states

RE: Mini Titan thread
 

Well said Oster
I've researched who had the best price and Amainhobbies was unbeatable, For the Kit, For parts I like heliproz. Rather than buy spare parts I just bought an extra kit for $129, then I had one of everything extra. I'm very pleased with mine, and my Trex 450 SE hasnt been flown in months.

RE: Mini Titan thread
 

Thanks, SuperD.

For parts, AMain, HeliProz, and HeliDirect are where I usually look. My first look is heliproz because they support the Thunder Tiger helis pretty well, and I'm thinking about buying one of their Raptor kits- they have some very good combo deals. For the Mini Titan specifically, HeliDirect is a good place to go-- they're a good company with very good customer service, and I would go there first for most things. There are some pieces for the MT that they don't stock though, and I go to HeliProz for those, and HP will be my first choice, instead of HeliDirect, if I do wind up buying a glow Raptor.

[edit] Oh, and the MX450 XS is in good shape, and flying just fine :). It's not going to the mothballs any time soon. [/edit]

RE: Mini Titan thread
 

How tight or snug should the main rotor & tail blade be? At the moment both blades, set-up by a exp. pilot, are quite tight, hardly able to move them. Would appreciate exlaination on the theory?
BOY this hobby is a steep learning curve, well for me anyway[sm=drowning.gif]
Thanks for help on this.

RE: Mini Titan thread
 

They should stay put if you hold the heli on its side but move if you shake it.

They need to be able to lead and lag a bit or you will get vibration. Floppy loose and you can get a boom strike.

RE: Mini Titan thread
 

Andy,

THANKS for that info. on the blade tightness. That might explain why my MT gets a little shaky when spooling up. If not, what do you guys think is causing it?

It DOES NOT shake at all once I get to a high enough RPM but when gradually increasing throttle, the whole heli gets the shakes at (I think) 2 different points on the throttle. I'm still only hovering so I'd have to describe it like this.

Approximately...

1-20% throttle- smooth
25% throttle- shaky
35% throttle- smooth
45% throttle- shaky
50% throttle- smooth
55% throttle- smooth (and hovering)
60% throttle- smooth (and gaining altitude)

Any ideas???

Also, after my first mini crash I tried Align white/red woodies. Three of the four training gear balls was vibrating slightly. On the next flight I put the newly assembled MT OEM blades on and the vibration was gone. I did balance the Aligns so not sure what the issue is. I have another set of black Align woodies to try but for now the OEM's get my vote.

There is still a "just barely" perceptible vibration to the front left golf ball but I'm not going to sweat it for that (unless you guys make me sweat it ;-) )

Dave D.

RE: Mini Titan thread
 

They all go through ressonance when spooling up.

Make sure your flap dampeners in the head have some grease on them but lower rpms cause wobbles.

RE: Mini Titan thread
 

Like BH said, a bit of the shimmies during spool up isn't bad. If you had the balls on your training gear vibrating slightly, I would lean toward a small imbalance somewhere.

How did you install the align blades? Did you use spacers?

Check your paddles, if they are slightly out of alignment you could get some wobbles and not really see it.

Did you have the shakes on spool up/down before your first crash?

I replaced my stock plastic head with the Kasama and threw on a set of radix blades. No vibrations. Sometimes it will vibe a bit spinning up, but its barely noticeable.

RE: Mini Titan thread
 

Thanks BH and red.

I'll have to check the flap dampeners but the heli only has a dozen flights on it so I'd hope they are still lubricated.

Only one training ball is "very very slightly" vibrating.

I did use the Thunder Tiger spacers when I tried the Align blades.

The paddles should be in alignment but I'll double check them.

I had the same shakes on spool up/spool down before the first crash too.

Just curious as I had a T-Rex guy tell me that T-rex's don't shake/vibrate like that. (NOT a proud moment)


I'm sure I will eventually replace the head/blades with premium stuff but not until this newbie can fly all directions which might take some time ;-)

Dave D.

RE: Mini Titan thread
 

If it just gets a couple quick wobbles while it goes up or down in rpm I wouldn't worry about it. Even if a ball on the training gear is slightly wobbling. From what you describe, I think your heli is running just fine.

I lubed my dampers with vaseline when I installed originally and during maintenance but most of it seems to get squeezed out installing the feathering shaft. Tri-flow or some of that silicon dielectric grease you can get at auto parts stores will work as well.

I've seen t-rex helis do the same thing so I wouldn't worry about that. I used mine with the plastic stuff forever and flew fine for me. I've got a friend that flies a nicely equipped trex, I let him take my MT up when we get together IMO it makes his flying look more precise and smooth.

Biggest contributor to the shimmies I have seen with my MT is the tracking. If it is even slightly off I think the spool up/down was worse for me.

RE: Mini Titan thread
 

Thanks.

I will keep it as is for now and just PRACTICE...

Now, per your comment on the other new MT owner thread, where did you get that AXI cooler/heatsink? I really think I should get one for my MT as all I'm doing is hovering at mid throttle so I know that can't be good for the brushless motor.

Can you give me exact model numbe and where you ordered from?

THANKS AGAIN!!!


Dave D.

RE: Mini Titan thread
 

Ok guys, I need some advice (HELP) here.

I went to fly my MT Sat night (after 4 successful flights on Fri) and when I spooled her up, something went wrong and I never made it off the ground. Turns out a mixing lever (mixing arm) broke. Don't ask me how I trashed the training gear and cracked the frame mounts again but DID NOT break a blade.

I was planning on buying the new aluminum mixing levers but not sure if the Thunder Tiger part PV0805 or the G-Force made version (G-Force Mixing Arms M2 -MiniTitan- GFR2017) <http://www.heliproz.com/prodinfo.asp?number=882017> from Heliproz would be better?

The only difference I can see is that the G-Force arm is totally solid where as the TT part is hollowed out on one side.

I was thinking about upgrading the whole head to aluminum (Precision CNC Head System - Mini Titan E325) <http://www.helidirect.com/product_in...ts_id=5250> but not sure if I can/should go that far at this time.

I also noticed that my upper bearing housing screws keep loosening slightly so was considering getting either (PV0810 Metal Brg Block E325) <http://www.heliproz.com/prodinfo.asp?number=142529> or <http://www.helidirect.com/product_in...ts_id=5264>


What do you guys recommend? What other stock parts are prone to break easily?

I don't really want to upgrade any more than necessary because the cost will really start adding up and I'd rather save that money to put towards a mini-Titan SE this summer.

Dave D.

RE: Mini Titan thread
 

As long as they both fit and work smoothly and have the same linkage holes, you probably wouldn't notice a difference between the G-Force and TT arms.

The Sonix parts that Helidirect sells have good prices, but the ones I've gotten have taken some attention to make work smoothly. The tail I got was a steal at $55, but even so, when you say "CNC" I expect the parts to fit right away. On the other hand, they're a good hard alloy, so I don't expect to ever replace those parts.

A very little dab of CA on the screws may keep them where you want them. I wouldn't replace the bearing blocks for that.

RE: Mini Titan thread
 

Mine also broke right at the end in that very thin spot just behind where the ball link pops on, I ordered the TT mixing leveler part # PV0805 from [link=http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_info.php/cPath/2_375_569/products_id/16238]AMainHobbies[/link], Bolts up nicely but then i got to looking after i bought it and found [link=http://www.cnchelicopter.com/servlet/the-1009/Mini-Titan-E325-CNC/Detail]this[/link] which i could have bought for $47 more bucks, When i get a chance i'll get that complete cnc shaft.

RE: Mini Titan thread
 

Thanks Oster and Crossfade.

I don't see the Sonix parts that you mention but I think I'll just get the TT PV0805. They are only $21.99 at heliproz so I'll most likely order them there. The complete CNC shaft looks awesome but I can't really spend that kind of money right now. It looks like they sell the same one at helidirect.com If I have another major head malfunction then maybe I'll do the aluminum head. If any of you do get that aluminum head set, please let me/us know how well it fit without modifications and how well it performs.

I guess it would be cheaper in the long run to just get the CNC shaft all in one set instead of piece by piece. If I break anything else on the head then I might just get the CNC head. Other than that and a motor heatsink, I'm hoping to keep this MT stock.

Thanks for the CA on the bearing block screws tip Oster. I didn't know if that would be a good idea to do. It's funny because when they are loose, they don't want to come out any further but just enough to allow the bearing block to shift a little in the frame if I push or pull the plastic head.

I assume you guys feel the rest of the MT is good enough to keep stock?


Dave D.

RE: Mini Titan thread
 

Sorry, Dave- I wasn't clear; the gray-anodized stuff is the Sonix brand parts. I don't recall seeing anything there bling-wise except Sonix and MicroHelil.

The MT out of the box is a great bird- there's no reason at all to run down the street for aluminum parts if you're not having a problem and haven't broken anything. I have a metal head and tail on mine because I wanted to run it over 3200 RPM, and you just shouldn't do that with plastic parts. But I flew it the first month I had it with the stock head, and I still have all the original parts preserved so I can go back to it.

BTW, I meant a very small amount of CA :D.

RE: Mini Titan thread
 

I dont know if everyone knows this, but if you use a mix, rudder as master and giro as slave, you can keep it in heading hold and as you move the rudder stick it will take the gain setting down to what ever you set your mix at. It will give you a piro rate that you can"t keep up with and as you start to return the rudder stick to center your gain rate returns also. I had to go + % with left stick and - % with right stick. I"am using a super 8 futaba radio and a stock mini titan. I seen a video of a pro that had a piro rate that was super fast and this is the only way that I know that he could do this

RE: Mini Titan thread
 

I already get a piro rate I can't keep up with if I slam it over :D. That's a cool idea, though! Wouldn't you need a rudder with a two-sided or point-based AFR mix to do that?

RE: Mini Titan thread
 

Thanks Oster.

After my last incident I just thought about if and when I'd replace the whole head. I thought I'd stick with the Thunder Tiger and get their aluminum mixing arms. This way if/when I upgrade more (or the rest of) the head, everything will fit without modification.

My only thought now is that in the future, it might be better to upgrade to T-Rex parts since they are more easily acquired. The thing is I'm so new to this and I don't wan't to end up with T-Rex aftermarket parts that don't fit and may or may not be modified to fit the mini-Titan.

In your post you said you're running an aluminum head and tail. I'm curious, what brands are you using and why you chose them?

Also, if I were to buy the complete Thunder Tiger aluminum head and tail, where would the best/cheapest USA based place be?

Thanks!

Dave D.

ps, I'll remember... A VERY SMALL amount of CA on the bearing block screws. ;)

RE: Mini Titan thread
 

Hey, Dave. I hear what you're saying about availability, but put bluntly, I don't think it's a given that the TRex head would be an upgrade. The stock head flies awfully well.

Pieces. The tail on mine is the Sonix part from Helidirect. It's a near perfect copy of the OEM plastic tail, but in a hard aluminum alloy and with bearings instead of balls for the grip control arms. I had to bend the hinge bosses a tiny bit to make the double-joint arm fit in, but otherwise it went together ok, and it's quite precise otherwise. Why did I get it? Because it went on deal-of-the-day at HD for $50 bucks all-up, and at that price I couldn't stop the credit card in time :D.

The head is the Kasama unit. I actually got it a couple months before I got the heli because it was the first really different, but still conventional, Bell-Hiller head I'd seen and I wanted to get hands on with it. I didn't have any plans to get an MT at the time, but I wanted to see first hand what the head was like, and I figured worst-case, I could sell it for only a little less than what I paid. The main difference in flight is that the K head will take a greater pitch range than the stock head; I have about 6-8 degrees cyclic pitch and 10 degrees collective, and I can put in full travel of both without binding. With the all-metal construction (and the fact that the K head is also a hard alloy and heavily built) I can run the head at its current 3200 RPM without any concern about it coming apart in flight. The speed and pitch capability make for insane aerobatic capability without compromising the MiniT's feel- quite an accomplishment.

All that said- at 2600 RPM, the stock head is just as good for almost everything- the upgrade stuff just dials up the volume at the extremes. I had an in-flight incident due to misprogramming the pitch ranges (didn't result in a crash, but could have), but that was my mistake. Others have mentioned issues with their plastic grips having tracking difficulties, but I didn't experience that personally. If I had it to do over, I would not use the Kasama head (though I'm not giving it back :) ) or the complete tail unit, either. Instead, since I like the high head speed, I'd go for the TT or Sonix main hub and grips, and aluminum grips for the tail (probably the tail slider "combo" at HD). HD also has stainless steel main and feathering shafts for the Titan that aren't a bad idea IMHO, but they aren't really required.

Anyway, that would turn out to be about $100 in upgrades instead of the $250 or so in mine with the Kasama head and Sonix tail, and I think it would be quite sufficient- the all aluminum SE looks cool, of course, but it's not $400 cooler! The fact is, the standard MT is great as it is when you get it; my only suggestion is the changes I mentioned for greater strength. Metal mixer arms and washout aren't a terrible idea, for the same reason, but the plastic bits make a nice fuse in the mechanics- my Gazaur has very light mixers that perform that function and protect the rest of the head, and that isn't a bad feature though you have to inspect them regularly.

:) Full disclosure, there's also the tinker factor. As with the K head, I get some stuff just because it's fun or interesting. I did that with the motor- the JGF 500TH that I had in there was very good and entirely sufficient, but I got a Scorpion 2221-8 to see what it was like, just because I'd heard they were great (they are :) ). There's nothing wrong with upgrading because it's fun, basically-- it's a hobby, after all :D.

RE: Mini Titan thread
 

Hey guys !

I've change the battery pack and now my heli don't want to lift. Can i know all you radio settings. And my radio ccpm dont want to move. Plz help me. Thx in advance

RE: Mini Titan thread
 

Did it work before? Can you be a little more specific? Radio? Pitch settings? Is the battery charged?

RE: Mini Titan thread
 

Go see the firts post on this forum. I've start it. :P Ya this heli work fine before winter now the CCpm don't want to move but the servo's do (so in clear the pitch don't change.) I'm pretty sure the radio (Futaba 6exhp) is unprogram. I admit, my cat pushed the heli down to the floor one day, but i'm pretty sure that noting is broke, but maybe loose. Thx in advance.