Okay
Tryed to grease the dampers and did not help a bit, think I'll try the radix. I'll post a report later.

Tex has experience with the 430L. My experience was with the 430XL, which I didn't care for (recounted earlier in this thread).

It's just a mid range power motor. It's got enough to get you going, but lacks real potential for stick banging.

I found it perfromed best with the 11T.

Change the blade arms links from the solid links to adjustable links to get a fine adjustment for tracking. Make sure you do not have a sticking mixing arm or seesaw. Use the Align Pro wood 325s $10 and very well balanced. Or fix your current blades. I do all my blades using the following manner no matter how premium they are. All blades need adjustment, no exception.

I checked my stock blades and found them way out of center of gravity. About an 1/8 in. In other words one blade has a rotor tip way lighter than the other. Before you can balance the blades the tips must weigh the same. You want your rotor tip heavier that the root so thay will track the same. Take a pencil and teeter each blade on it till it balances and then make a mark where it balances. do the other blade and make a mark. Now put the blades side by side and the blades mark should be the same distant from the tip. If not, you have to fix it. The blades with the mark closest to the tip of the blades is the blade with the heaviest tip and you will want to use as a reference for the other blade. To fix the other blade you will have to put weight on its tip some how. You can put tape as an example or sand the root end to take weight out. The stock blades have a lot of mold flashing on them at the root end so I would sand it off since the stock blades are fiberglass. remember that all blades are hollow except wooden blades so do not sand through the cloth or carbon, just the jell coat. After you have done this then add tape to the tip to bring the weight up. After the blades have been c/g matched then balance them. You will put the tape on the lighter blade. In this case the tape will be put on the blade at the C/G mark and not the tip.

I use the 430L with a 13t pinion and works very well 10min runs and the motor and ESC are only slightly warm. Align motors want high head speed so you will need to lessen you pitch and use higher Th. curves. My heli I use 100 100 95 100 100 in idle up and 0 75 95 100 100 in normal mode. My pitch range is 9 to 9. Align recommends the 13 for duration and over all performance. If you are Pounding the heli in 3D that will make your eyes water then change the gearing to your liking. Most folks will be pleased with the 13t on the 430L. Tex is a great guy and has tried many set up's and found some that he likes for certain situations. It takes time and dedication to get to his level. However his set up may not be what you or you pocket book is ready for. No offense to anyone.

I hope this helps

Jim

Jim-- about the Align motor, Align recommends the 13T for a TRex, which has a 150 tooth spur gear. The 12 fewer teeth on the MX spur will make for about 200 RPM higher than the TRex, for what it's worth. At 3500 to 3700 kV (430L or 430XL), I think Tex is right on the money for the gearing.

have a 450 comin soon and from what I hear the manual stinks, inother words it would help if ya had some heli experience, dont know , maybe ya do?

It helps with them all to have experience . The HMX manual has extensive exploded views (good) but for text/instructions, it's mainly just assembly instructions to get it put together and that's it (not so good). Compared with others it's short (for example, the Thunder Tiger manual for the E325 has a whole section explaining how the rotor head, CCPM and blade system work), but you can supplement it with the info on RCU, RCG and helifreak. It doesn't need to slow you down, but it would be nice if there were more; it's about the same level of detail you'd get with an average plank ARF.

Well, I did it. After reading all the great information on here, I bought a MX450 SX. I am new to heli's and aircraft all together. I love a challenge. You guys are great. I love all the great info and tips you guys give out. I will keep coming back for more hints. I just hope you all don't get too tired of me if I have too many stupid questions.

Thanks alot,
David

thiers no such thing as a "stupid question thats the reason for this thread, so ask away............I dont normally hang around this site just checkin for more MX450 info

We don't get sick of anything helis. Come back as many times as you like, we promise not to charge you.

Could someone provide me with the Align part# for the adjustable links for tracking adjustment? Thanks

Hey Tex, thanks. I still think I am going to give the Venom motor and esc a shot. As much as I like their ground systems, there heli systems can't be too awful bad. If they are I wont be out too much dough. I will keep you all posted on how it goes. May be a while though. I have to put my system together as the funds come along.

Osterizer, Tex:

Yes I see your point on the gearing: I stand corrected on the MX gearing. 11T it is.

Thanks
JIM

ace 9

The part number you are looking for is AGNH1126 (Linkage $ ball link set). About $4. It contains the head links for the Trex. The very short rods will be the one to use.

JIM

I forgot to mention that the ball links only go on one way. The "A " marking is facing out from the ball.

Jim

It is safe to assume that all links on helis are one way.

I think Helimax is the only company that doesn't tell you that.

Thanks dooleyje. I am going to order some of those. I always place the ball links onto the steel balls without actually snapping them onto the ball. Then I rotate them 180 degrees while paying attention as to how far they go onto the ball. Whichever way they go onto the ball more that is the orientation in which they are to be mounted. Thanks very much again, Ace9.

OK I have another question. I am going to install a Futaba S3154 digital servo on the tail rotor. It has a slightly different case than the S3107's for which I used on the swash. The difference is the holes in which are drilled for mounting (one at each end) are small and are not open to allow the rubber grommets/brass eyelets to slide into (It doesn't come with them either) like the 3107's do. Not to mention the hole to hole center distance is slightly shorter. This leads up to my question. How are the 3107's being mounted onto the factory openings in the frame with respect to using the rubber grommets/brass eyelet bushings etc? I am sure I could get out the dremel and make the holes just like the 3107's and then they would accept the grommets/brass eyelet bushings if I have to. I suppose I could even allow the servo case to contact the frame directly, but I have always had some sort of a cushion between the servo case and the aircraft frame in the past. I just want to make sure I'm on the right track here!!!

Well,

I rerceived the missing blade spacers from Tower with an extra set of Blades attached. They always go far and beyond in customer service.

The blades are very bad. I can usually get a set in balance but not the 4 I have. The blades are so very different from each other in weight, C/G that in my attempt to "fix " a pair I found that they were all so far out of each other that its not worth having a safety issue with flawed manufacturing. Unfortunately a lot of the blades are that way not just Heli-Max. You have to check them out before you use them. I have found that the Align Pro 325 wood are super close and a bargain at 10-12 bucks and run very well.

I will cut the heli-Max blades off to about 5" and use them for Pitch set up blades and paint stirring.

Jim

When I used the 3107s, I just screwed them down with the grommets/eyelets. I generally use them if the servo comes with them. The 3154, just screw it down directly. On helicopters, the vibration (if it's set up well) is less than a glow plank, which is where you really need the grommets to insulate them. If the heli has problems, though, and a lot of vibration going on, it will tear up servos quickly (I killed a 3154 with that 'way back when); remember the servos are directly connected to the stuff that vibrates in the first place .

For comparison, the microHeli boom mounts I used for the 9650 servos come with milled aluminum eyes to go in the holes where you'd put grommets, to take out compliance in the mounting.

I agree with Osterizer. I used the grommets and inserts
Be carefull with the 3154 if using a 6V bec. It will burn up very fast. You need to limit it to 5V. The funny servo screw nuts that Helimax gave you are very hard to install inside the heli as shown in manual. I mounted them on the outside of the frame with the screw head on the inside. The main shaft is in the way. A lot easier!

JIM

Thanks osterizer, One thing for sure it will be rock solid with direct contact mounting. dooleyje, that is a good point worth mentioning as I got so caught up in the servo mounting, I haven't even gave that any thought. My Raptor uses a 4 cell Nicad pack so the servo voltage isn't a problem. As far as the supplied plastic servo screw nuts, what I did was removed the bolt/nut that goes thru the main shaft/gears at the bottom, then removed the 4 screws that hold in the upper bearing block/with bearing, pulled back the anti-rotation guide to clear the anti rotation pin and then turned the swashplate so it comes out of the slot. Then carefully pulled out the entire head assembly straight up and out of the upper main frame assembly. Then I went ahead and installed the 3 swash plate servo's as per instructions. I honestly could not have done it any other way. I was able to have the whole head out and sitting on the table in about 5 minutes. Once everything is out of the way it isn't bad at all. I had to trim off one servo arm as well as one of the servo screws that exited out the plastic servo screw nut as it was dangerously close to the main shaft (barely see daylight between the 2) I could see a glitch develope that would be almost impossible to pinpoint without having the head removed and being able to look straight down from the top side. Not to mention you get to seperate the main and anti-rotation gear to apply a couple of drops of oil in the one way clutch that seemed to need it. It works best to install the 3 swash plate servo's before you install the motor and other things that get in the way. Also to install the motor I simply loosened the back 2 screws and removed the 2 middle and 2 front screws which hold the lower frame to upper frame (5 minutes work). That allows the lower frame to fall down and open up like a jaw and gives you total accessability to the motor mount plate whereby you need to enlarge the one hole and the slotted one anyways. Then screw the motor down slightly and put her back together You will have to put it back together to set the backlash, then open her up again to snug down the motor mount bolts tight (loctited). It sounds like alot of work but I fought for an hour just trying to get 1 motor mount screw in without success. This other way I had it done in 1/2 of the time. Ace9

OK guys. Here is a method for mounting your battery in the manner of a Align Trex. Get another gyro mount 4012-021 $5.99 and some 2mmx16mm cross members 4021-010 $3.19 and 2 more 2mmx4 screws or socket bolts and the Align Battery holder HS 1123-00 $4.99. You use the gyro mount to bolt the battery holder on to. First you will drill 3 hols in the top of the gyro mount and bolt the battery holder on to it . Then mount the gyro holder to the front of the frame at the front cross member on the upper frame above the motor. The other mount screw tabs will be place toward the back toward the cross member at the servos. Drill two holes in the frame and insert 1 cross member. Bolts those tabs to the frame with the 2mmx4 screws. The battery holder will be toward the front of the heli at an angle and suspended above the stock battery mount. Us the old battery mount to secure the ESC to. The canopy will fit the battery just like the Trex.

Jim

Post some pictures if you can please.

Will do. I am waiting on the Align carbon battery plate.

Jim