qwereca

CA not gonna hold the tail boom for 43T. I just flew it for two pack of battery and its slippage again(slippage gonna be faster when we do spinning). just mount bak the tail boom, 1st i sand the end of the boom toward mainframe then 2nd i put a clear tape. Hope this would hold. If not urghhh.....just gotta fine tail boom that are bit bigger than the stock + a new tail rotor .

makaluch

Advice for people that are new or very interested in entering the RC Helicopter hobby

[ul][*] I highly suggest getting one of the top end simulators to practice with when first entering this hobby (even before a heli purchase).[*] Your money was spent wisely. No rc helicopter is perfect and they all require that you know how to tune and setup well.[*] We all understand your frustrations. Everyone goes through these growing pains. It's not the helicopter's fault.[*] Ranting to that extreme will never yield a good response, especially on a King 2 fan forum. We all apologize for the harsh welcome. Again, be patient.
[/ul]

Wisdom on a platter (really just my .02 cents [])

Mark M.

kenhiraihnl

fwiw, my hbk2 actually flew 'out of the box' for $165 delivered (including 8 aa batteries for the xmtr!) i immediately saw a lot of potential with some mod and fine-tuning (all covered in this forum.)

belt-jumping: turn the idler hardware upside down or use a zip tie -- no cost
binding in tail: exacto or dremel and remove pushrod hangers -- no cost
brush motor burns out and takes out the esc at the same time -- $45 for new bls motor and esc
tail boom slip causing loose belt: slip a hose clamp over the boom -- $1.50

if you're spending hundreds of $$$, you must be crashing -- that comes with the territory...just my .02...ken

makaluch

Hey Ken,

I never heard of the pushrod hanger trick. Can you explain or post a pic? So far I have my ball links set a little loose and it seems to help.

*love you sig byt the way. I was giggling for a minute or two thinking back to me having the same OH CRAP event...lol. Only cost me a vertical fin and a 50 yard walk.

crashcrash

You don't need a bigger tail boom (maybe now you do). Use the small hose clamp or CNC servo holder as suggested.....that'll lock 'er right there. Being how you sanded, you might now have a sloppy fit and the only thing that will fix it is a new boom and upper frame (sorry....that's the way the cookie crumbles).

crashcrash

First, Mark and Arrow...well said. I started on a Walkera #4 DragonFly.....thought it was garbage (fixed pitch....radio problems etc). Actually knowing what I know now......I MIGHT buy another because it's a 180 sized FP heli and when properly set up....might be a lot of fun in the house here (see annoying the dog and chasing the cat...LOL). These R/C heli's...any of them...are shipped from the factory as bare minimum to achieve flight, engineering flaws are free, and they just throw them in. DOn't matter which heli...you'll have to modify or upgrade to make them better than out of the box as stock (MX-400 is the perfect example, but it's expected and it IS a better heli than the HBKII after the weak parts are replaced with T-Rex parts). I would grade R/C heli's as the best would be the one you had to mod the least or upgrade the least (HBKII is GREAT....requires minimal upgrades/mods, and they're easy to do). The worst being a heli that required so much mod/upgrade, the only original parts left are the frame, tail boom and mast assembly...LOL. I don't get irritated with any heli anymore, not even the CP-Pro, because I know how to make a CP-Pro just as good as the HBKII....I just don't want to spend that much to do it. The HBKII takes a minimal amount of $$$ to make it a great bird. Remember....this is just all my opinion.

makaluch

Agreed 100% crash!

I did my homework before buying the HBK2 and also got a sim right away. That being said, I still get frustrated from time to time, but it's mostly becuase I don't have the skills to really fly a less-than-autopilot helicopter. I was confident that I made a good choice in the beginning. And...the more I learn the more I realy know how good the HBK2 is. I'll say it again:

The HoneyBee King 2 is the best helicopter in its class BY FAR Now all I need is a little more tuning experience and better flying skills.

canniscam

My Feedback: (1)

Greetings All,

I am new to the Hobby, and I have been scanning all of the HBK2 forums as much as possible. I just received one for my birthday this year from a good friend of mine. He noticed that I would drool over his and pout about my Walkera [ JK ]..

This heli was pretty nice, but after a couple of flights I had to invest in a new battery pack the stock pack discharged and failed to balance again. (Battery Goes Bad according to Esky Charger). The new battery, an e-flite 1250mah 20C 3S would have been nice but when I got it out of the package one of the leads had come loose from the solder point on the battery. New battery is on the way .. Yay .. This leads me to the meat of my query.

In this month's issue of Fly-RC I noticed an add for hobbycity.com/unitedhobbies.com .. And they had some really decent prices on Outrunner motors and ESC's, not to mention battery pack prices. ( Zippy Brand )
I was wondering if anyone here has had any experience with these parts, and weather or not I may have shot myself in the foot. I ordered the following parts for about $57.00 US including express shipping from Hong Kong via Airmail.


TURNIGY Basic 25A v3.1 Speed Controller:
1) http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/s...idProduct=3731

KD KA400H 3500kv brushless Heli Motor
2) http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/s...idProduct=5245

TURNIGY BESC Programming Card
3) http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/s...idProduct=2169

Regards,
Casey Annis

kenhiraihnl

most experienced hbk2 flyers remove the two guides that are supposed to support the tail pushrod between the tail servo and the bellcrank...as i recall, the oem guides put a bow in the pushrod, which is another source of binding...by removing all binding and increasing the size of the tail blades (trex 'batwing' blades), tail authority should be pretty good...of course, if you want a rock-steady, totally reliable tail, you'll also need a good gyro, fast tail servo, and maybe the 43-t pulley kit...hope that helps...ken

makaluch

Thanks Ken! I did that w/o even knowing what the parts were called


I run the Esky 3800kv/Esky 25A and paid around 55 to my door. Programming is done with the radio and is simple (soft start is all you need to do). I'm more than happy with it's performance. Bummer to hear about your packs. I'd keep it simple at first and just get something inexpensive that's 15C or better. I use a Mega Power 1350 15C pack at like 32.00. It's a fine pack for my mild ESC setup although 20C batts will have more punch.

For the King2 check out:

RCSuperSales and JagHobbies. Both are outstanding as a source for King 2 parts. Kyle at RCSS is an active member of this forum and has a very diverse selection of items. Jag is more of a specialist store and offers heli setup for a small fee.

crashcrash

Looked at all the stuff......it'll get you going decient. Batteries....it's a 50/50 shot. I've had two BAD from Commonsense RC, and one out of 3 bad from hongkong (mystery 1500mah 15C's). For the HBKII...I think a 400 is a bit overkill, and the 25A ESC....don't overload it with the 20C's and the 400 motor. A 3800kv/25a ESCcombo with an 11T pinion is more than enough, especially if you're just starting out. I'm running a 3500kv with 33a ESC, used 15C on the HBKII...more than enough. Now the motor and ESC are in the MX-400.....I'm bumping up to 20C's. The 15C's work fine but lack in flying time. One problem I ran into with the HBKII (after it got a bunch of time and crashes on it), keeping the motor tight and in one spot....so be on the lookout especially if you're that overpowered. Remember, the HBKII is a 300 sized heli and if you push it too hard, it'll structurally fail...even as good as it is.

noobflyer01

Question....How can you tell if your gyro is really dead? when i power on the gyro blinks then goes solid red. It used to initalized fine. but now the tail servo doesn't even engage when i move the tail around. I still have rudder control. How long did your rate gyro lasts? I've only had it for a month. Just installed brushless motor 3100kv with 11t pinion and 25a esc, with a 1500mah 20c li-po.

This is a great bird btw. never flown a helicopter in my life and i'm already hovering in a week. very stable ...just a little twitchy with the tail at first but after i moved the tail servo up the boom towards the nose flys like a dream.

just ordered the hh gyro and a bunch of spare parts already. cant wait to fly again...thinking about getting another one.

crashcrash

Hint.....make sure your trims are centered (except throttle). Rate gyros do go bad, but it's seldom and I only know of two people who had it happen to them. You wont believe how COOL the HHG is when you get it, it's an awsome upgrade.

Zimatosa

Hey,

I installed a Telebee HH Gyro and holy cow what a difference! I know these are not the top rated for after market but it is 20 times better than the stock Esky! I also went ahead and installed the Heli-max 275mm Carbon blades...I was afraid to go 288 that most brands off and these were 31 bucks at a LHS no less...I saw a video on youtube of a King going inverted, and all of a sudden it looked like the Heli exploded. Pilot said: "main rotor hit the tail rotor" I did not want to even take the chance so I stayed with stock length(why does Esky put out longer than stock Carbons for the King 2???? I think thet are 278 mm? maybe not an issue?)

I really just wanted to say how much better my King is flying now with the better blades to make it stable and the Gyro to control the tail. Watching the Finless vid 5 times helped quit a bit too...

I did get a bit cocky in the front yard and was flying at about 40 feet high(with training gear on no less...LOL) and I hit a branch on a tree! My heli bounced down the tree hitting every branch on the way down and believe it or not, I only had to re-connect the balls on the o-ring push rods!

On another note:
I shot an email to Kyle asking him if HBK2 parts would transfer over to the HDX 300 carbon frame kit he has for sale. If anyone knows what it would take to make that work, Would it not be kewl? Its only like 30 something bucks for basic and 50 something for a conversion they call a belt cp upgrade....Anyone/everyone please give me your thoughts!

noobflyer01

thx crash...its not the trims ,everything centered except for throttle. I should have the new gyro by tommorrow. I was so disperate to fly that i plugged the servo straight in the receiver and tried to fly without the gyro. it is not easy at all. did manage a steady hover for 2-3 seconds. did not crash. just wanted to try the new brushless setup. and man its awesome. so much more head speed and power. i got the new li-po positioned perfectly for center of gravity. My first heli was a mash rescue chopper co-axe. The king 2 is more stable than that. I bought that to test the waters....a week later i got the king 2. after i hover and maybe do some forward flight i probably get the trex 450 se.

crashcrash

Straight servo connection....LOL...now thats old fashoned flying by the seat of your pants. Never tried it but I know it can be done, and it's NOT easy. The way older .15 nitros, some of them didn't use a gyro (can't remember the name of them). They could be flown, but you would have to fly the tail constantly. The radio had programming in it that would allow this type of flying. They were'nt very successful to say the least, especially if you never flew a heli before. Just calm down...wait for the gyro. HHG is "nuts and berries" compared to a rate gyro.

osterizer

Schluter r00lz, crash . I've flown a 450 without the gyro a couple times- it's not that much worse than a crappy rate gyro but it takes a bucketload of trimming and setting the revo mix just so. I can imagine what it would have been like without a good computer radio like a 9C- something like juggling live trout .

crashcrash

I figured there was SOMEONE out there who flew the ole "fly by the seat of the pants" heli. I knew revo mix was involved but couldn't think of the name of it (LOL). I think my brother learned on such an outfit to fly heli's. I know he did his share of crashing at first, eventually, he got pretty good at it. I saw him with that (mid 80's)...I stuck with planks, a lot cheaper (LMAO).

crimsonrain22

I think the heli you guys are talking about was called a Lite Machine. A friend of mine has one, and I always wanted one.

Here is a page I found with some pic's of one, pretty much had a flybar on the tail
http://www.serpentaerospace.ca/lite_machine_heli.htm

crashcrash

mannnnnnn...see how short the tail boom is? I guess back then with limited technology, you flew what was available. Oh.....I wouldn't want one at all (LOL).

GTX SlotCar

LM (Lilte Machines) still makes the Corona 120. The basic version is FP and it's very rugged, and expensive. Supposed to be the best heli for learning how to fly.

In the mid 80's I had a GMP Cricket (fuel). No gyro and no revo mix. It was hard to fly, and even harder to learn on.

crashcrash

Cricket is the one I almost bought...decided against it because of parts availibility, no internet back then.

osterizer

Ah, the 80s . I wanted very much to try helicopters back then, but they were way, way too expensive for me. Heck, if I'd known how much it would cost over time, I might not have started now, but water under the bridge . The thing that really made it accessible was the current crop of helis like the King that you can learn on and spend $20 or $30 on a crash instead of $200 or more on a pranged .50.

That may be part of why the King seems so good- it flies as well as it does, and even with electronics upgrades it still costs less than a good hard crash with a glow bird.

crashcrash

Yeah...I felt the same way. I'd loved to try helicopters. I was on active duty, think I was making like $520 bi-weekly take home....wasn't gonna happen. If I remember what my brother said, a set of main rotor blades were like $30 per set....heck, I scream about $12 a set for MX-400, but it's part of moving into the 400 class....guess I'd better quit screaming (LOL). My MX-400 is good because I took all the electronics out of one of my HBKII's and stuffed it in the MX-400...even the E-Sky servos, and I'm using the 704A HHG on it.....works great...just physically bigger than HBKII but basically the same bird since I threw the 120deg CCPM upgrade on it too. Kinda a cross of HBKII/Belt CP all rolled into one and add an aluminum frame to boot (I like the aluminum frame).

osterizer

I actually like the layout of the MX with the CCPM kit better than the Belt, personally. The Belt is more complicated, while the MX is simple and straightforward. I've spent almost as much time on my MX as on the King now.