I don't know if I'm just trying to get things too perfect or if its even possible. But I have I new stock HBK2 that I just can't seem to get to sync up. What I mean is should I be able to trim, adjust linkages, etc so that when I hit the throtle that it lifts perfectly straight up and hovers in one spot without moving any sticks on my TX.

I have my main rotor at about +2 degrees of pitch at 0 throttle. I've adjusted linkages until my fingers hurt but its like I just can't find a sweet spot. It always wants to pull to the left or right so I adjust for it on the links and adjust but I just can't seem to get it just right. It also seems like it is tail heavy and always wants to move backwards. I've managed to move my battery way forward with pretty much only 1/2 inch actually sitting in the battery holder.

Last, it always wants to spin left or right. I move my tail servo forwards and backwards to try and comensate but I worry that each time I move it I'm also twisting it a little bit around the pipe.

Is there something I'm missing here? This is my first heli as well so please keep that in mind before just calling me an idiot, unless I really am just an idiot, in which case flame away!!

Hang in there, yes they seem tail heavy moving the battery up dose help some you can add weight also up front.
Check the two guides that are on the servo arm rod, they cause binding.
I have disconnected my guides and this helped a lot. (They are not need as far as I am concerned they only bind and add weight to the tail) [:'(]

Thanks, I'll give that a try tomorrow. I also ordered a larger 2200 Mah battery too so hopefully that will help give it some forward weight.

In regard to the tail servo, I was also thinking about moving the screw to the top of the arm so that I get 100% play out of my tail rotors. Right now with the screw closer to the pivot point of the servo I'm not able to get full pitch motion out of the tail rotors. You see any reason not to do that?

So should I keep adjusting my linkages on the swashplate to try and get it to not lean? Should it be able to hover in a windless condition with no stick adjustments?

Th efirst thing you should do is make sure the blades are tracking good.
If the heli is turning CCW then you should loosen the servo and slide it back just a mm at a time until it stops spinning.
Then plug in the battery,center all the sliders on the TX and then turn it on and don't touch any controls until the gyro sets.
Then take it from there.
As for the heli just going straight up,NO WAY.
It will hoover good when you get ut up at least 4 feet off the floor but it will dance around a bit and a 4 foot square is considered good.
Take your time and remember to turn any of those links only 1 turn at a time
Keep us posted.
Vegas/

Blades are tracking good, I'm not sure that they are 100% balanced but I don't really get any wooble either. I used a pitch guage to get them both at the same pitch.

I'll keep fiddling with the tail servo until I get it right. I do let it calibrate itself before messing with any controls or moving it.

I guess its "bad" to know that it won't just hover with no interaction, but its good to know that what I'm experiencing is expected and that I just need to work the stick and be patient. I'll maybe fiddle with the linkages one more battery just to make sure I'm as good as I can get and then start working on actually using the sticks to control it!!

I had similar problems with mine out of the box. It was tail heavy like yours so I did the same as you with the battery and velcrowed it in place to level it out.I also noticed there was a slight amound of yawing and discovered that the tail rotor shaft was slightly binding. A drop or two of lube in the bushings and on the shaft corrected it so it's good now. The swashplate wasn't level and it would go backwards and a flybar paddle was about 20 degrees off level. I have it hovering faily well now. Several members suggest a heading lock gyro in place of the stock rate gyro. I know what you are going through. I'll be adding a brushless motor in a few days just waiting on the Align pinion gears and will research the posts on adding a heading lock gyro. Sounds like you have it well under control. My fingers were so sore from pulling off those links that I ordered a pair of ball link pliers.

Thanks everyone for the hints and tips. I got it pretty good leveled out and then slipped up and splintered one of my rotors so I'm out until I get another set or two in. However, my buddy got brave and had about a 30 second flight around the basketball court that ended as his heli slammed into the ground, burned out its ESC which then caused his motor to spin up full throttle and grind about 30 teeth off of the main gear and now is front servo clicks when it moves. Kinda makes you sick, but better him than me! I'll have to look around for some of those pliers. I also wanna upgrade everything to metal so it will be a little tougher and I'm sure that will help with controlling it because all the plastics wont be flexing.

If it spins fast,balance it,weight it and track it and that also goes for the tail rotor blades