HeliKing

This afternoon, is another great day, It was the first time since my first raptor 30 V2 is running.[sm=thumbup.gif].
I tied the heli on a bench, so it did not fly. I didn't touch the factory setting of the engine.
When I cranked the engine for the first time, it could not fire, so I have to connect the glow plug starter directly to the glow plug, crank and it run well.
I checked the blade tracking, looks Ok , I didn't see two blades one on top of the other.
I didn't see much vibration (maybe its because the heli is tied to the bench). I stoped the engine after 3/4 tank of fuel due to low bat on the radio.

1. However, I noticed something different compare to the one I saw on my impala trainer on the real flight sim : The clutch didn't work the same as the sim. On the sim the main blade will imediately spin when I switched the trottle hold off. My heli didn't work the same, the blade spin gradually when I added throttle.
The blade spin faster when I passed the 1/2 throttle. I can feel wind blowing and the heli lifted the 10 kg bench (the bench didn't actually lifted it just getting lighter a bit).
Is this slow respond of coupling normal ?

2. I could not set my pitch 0 (min) and 12 deg (max) as recommended by raptor manual for beginner. What I got was 1 deg (throttle stick min) 6 deg hover (throttle stick on the center) and 12 deg (throttle stick max) . I used raptor pitch gauge.
What went wrong here ?

Tomorrow I will do the engine run-in again , this time the heli will be put on the ground with the trainer gear on.

FHHuber

The sim's heli blades don't have any mass... so they can spin up instantly. The model's blades have mass and the poor little engine has to WORK to get them moving.

You probably have the linkages hooked up just a bit off on thepitch control. If you use a different servo arm for example... you can move the connection at the servo out to get a wider range of pitch throw.

Sounds like you need to find an experienced guy to look at your machine. (just to be safe.)

WoofDog

If your using Real Flight then you could also have the 3 position switch on the left in the middle position which would be in IDLE1 rather than in NORMAL.

Spaceman Spiff

My Feedback: (1)

The raptor pitch guage assumes all the links are the ideal length. It would be a good idea to get the real pitch guage that clamps onto the blades to see what the real pitch is.

A good starting setup would be -4 degrees at low stick 0 degrees at mid-stick and maybe 9 degrees at high-stick. 12 is a bit much for that engine and a bit much for a newcomer.

Charlie

You should break that motor in before you start running it wide open. It's not a good idea to tie your heli down and then run it wide open, I know people do it, but they're just asking for trouble. It puts way to much stress on the head (especially with a +12 degrees pitch), I don't have to tell you what could happen if something ever let go. Like Spaceman Spiff said, get your self a real pitch gauge, don't go by the one on the heli. With the Raptor 30, you don't want anymore then +9 on the top (+12 is way to much pitch).

HeliKing

Charlie and Spaceman Spiff, both of you are the most active members who would spent your time answering question from newbie like me. Big tumb up for you [sm=thumbup.gif]. Also for others that do reply to newbie questions.

I did use the pitch gauge that is inserted to the main blade to check the blade pitch.

Stupid question maybe : -4 deg at low stick would it be risky for newbie ?
Is it correct to say that with minus setting on the blade, the heli will go down rather than go up (lift) ? A newbie tend to be nervous [], so when he/she pull the throttle stick all the way down quickly so as the heli (?). With the blade set to 0 deg at low pitch, the heli will not drop that quick.

Charlie

If your new to heli's, you want about -2 or -3 on the bottom (stick all the way down in normal mode). The reason you don't want 0 degrees pitch on the bottom, is because if there is any wind at all you may have trouble getting the heli back on the ground. It doesn't take very much wind to hold the heli in the air with 0 degrees pitch, and if you cant get the heli back on the ground when you want to, your going to be in big trouble. The heli wont drop that fast with a -3, but it will help get it on the ground in the wind.

Hotshot Charlie

My instructor had me set my pitch on the bottom to -2. He said it would be safer for a newbie like myself than set a -4. After flying this weekend, I agree. I would have probably driven the heli in the ground if I had -4 degrees in it.

My Stunt mode 1 and 2, we set to -9 degrees 0 degrees and +9 degrees. Not that I will be using the stunt mode anytime soon. We also set them up the same for now, and I can change that later after I need the feature.

Also, it was a little tricky getting all the movement out of the collective on my Rappy 30. Finally I went to [link=http://www.raptortechnique.com/index.html]raptor technique [/link] and found the problem. It was the set up of the servo arm and the collective. It is hard to explain here, but the angle of the link and the servo arm should be 90 degrees. After playing with different servo arms and getting the angle right, I had full (EQUAL) movement of the collective. I think it would go from -12 to +12 if I remember correctly. I also set up the heli collective on the inside (stunt) position on the collective arm. This is because I am using a computer radio and could program in my different movements.

I hope I am making halfway sense, remember I am a newbie to this, but now have 4 good flights under my belt. Whew ! The Raptor flies and flies well !!!

HeliKing

It was the set up of the servo arm and the collective. It is hard to explain here, but the angle of the link and the servo arm should be 90 degrees. 1. When do we set the angle of the link and the servo should be 90 deg . (?) (when the stick position is on the center ?)
2. Is is the rule of thumb for all servos (including throttle servo) ?

Hotshot Charlie

Hi HeliKing,

1) I believe that is correct on the 90 degrees at center collective stick. Don't hold me to this, my memory is short. Check out the raptor techniques pages, he explains it much better than I do.
2) Only on the collective, again if I remember correctly. And again, I refer you to raptor techniques.

I am sorry for my inability to answer. When I set up this heli with my instructor, I was trying to take in all I could as we moved from one thing to another. When you hit the late 40's (age), retention is not a strong suit. hehehe

If you have trouble finding out this info from raptor technique, let me know. I will research it and find the exact page where the info is located.

Hotshot Charlie

Here is the web page from Raptor Technique where I got the info:
[link=http://www.raptortechnique.com/3dsetup.htm]http://www.raptortechnique.com/3dsetup.htm[/link]

Good luck and keep me posted, if this is confusing.

HeliKing

Hotshot Charlie Jr, Thanks.

FLYBOY

My Feedback: (11)

Heliking, sounds like you are doing it ok. I have been strapping my helis down for the initial tests for over 20 years. It just makes sense to have them stable to make sure everything is set up right. Never seen one do damage to the engine.

As far as the idle up switch, I would bring the throttle up slowly with the stick to get the blade spinning and then go to idle up when you have RPM. It is better on the clutch. Take it slow, and if you don't have anyone there to help you when you start flying, use training gear, on a large paved empty parking lot, and get it just light enough to lift, but not fly. Learn to control it on the ground, moving it in all directions, then lift it just a touch and do it again. It will take a few tanks. Once you get used to moving it around, lift it about a foot and learn it there. SLowly get higher and higher till you are flying. Don't be in a hurry. My students all learn this way and none have broken a set of blades yet. If you just start flying, you are almost sure to get a set of blades.

Good luck, sounds like you are on the right track.

HeliKing

Flyboy, thanks for the ecouragement ...

I do fly on a park 2 minutes walk from my house. It is a perfect place, green grass about 1/2 foot ball yard, almost no people around and .... in the middle of Abu Dhabi dessert !!

Now I started to connect my TX to the USB of the R/F sim . I just got the R/F add-on vol 3 to have raptor 30 on the screen. Huh... that raptor 30 is harder to hover compare to impala [:@]