I'm curious here, has anybody ever tried this without the paddles and replace them with weights on the ends.

Weights will give you stability and not much else, the reason for having actual airfoils on the paddles is to give the system a "power boost" when the cyclic is applied. You will end up reducing the cyclic authority of your helicopter significantly if you remove the paddles.

The paddles have weight, so the stability during hovering (minimal Cyclic inputs) comes from the weight of the paddles. As soon as a bigger cyclic input is given the paddles "grab" the air and the cyclic input is transferred to the blades.

You have been looking at Hueys for too long.

Just fly your heli the way it is...

Edit: This is a simplistic approach to try to present the situation, I'm pretty sure that somebody with more time and aeronautical knowledge will jump in here and argue some of my "presentation".

Rafael

Okay, is there an advantage or disadvantage of adjusting the airfoil in any particular angle other than level? You have to admit I ask good questions eh?

Well, if you want the heli to fly level and stable
in a hover the flybar blades MUST be level when
the swash is level.

I can't even imagine that the heli would fly if you
twisted one of the paddles up or down. It would
sure be fun to watch tho...

AB

On the Raptor 50, with the ultra-light paddles I have been told that the paddles need to be 1/2 to 1 degree down to conuteract the pitchiness on fast forward flight. Other than that, I have no clue on what the possible outcome could be by changing the angle of attack of the paddles. I'm sure somebody will chime in pretty soon.

Rafael

Sounds vaguely familar to your cars front end alignment when "toe in" is set.

Sorry ... just me thinking out loud ...

I've heard of tinkering with the angle of the paddles but my Raptors aren't pitchy even with the outer hole in the washout arms and the light paddles.

I'm looking for options on mine, a lapse of concentration during FFF and the thing either wants to dive into the ground or balloon like crazy. All this in upright FFF. I have not tried Inverted FFF.

Rafael