Hi guys, I followed Bob's videos, even the blade tracking video, but still, I don't get a proper blade tracking... I checked the pitch with the pith gauge and it's ok, NORM -2,0,9, in both blades, but there must be something wrong because at 40% trottle the blade with paint (I painted one blade to distinguish because they are balanced) the painted blade is the lower, then, i increase and at 65% the painted blade goes up to become the upper blade, the not painted blade is pretty stable... I was checking and everything seems to be ok.... what can be wrong???? check out this video [link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG7aRVPkSKE[/link] Thanks. Something I don't know is... up to what % of throttle should I check the blade tracking????? 65%, I mean... what percentage should I follow in order to set a proper blade tracking?????? Is there any effect on it because I am holding the helicopter????? or it's the same than on the air?????

Firstly i would not hold the heli by your hand. People have hit themselves this way and have caused all sorts of damage. It is best to track the blades in a flying state (the blade flying). Not sure how good a pilot you are but if you can hover it well you can hover in front of you at eye level and see what blade is out of track. That would be the preferred way, but if you not confident in doing that then i would hold the heli down (with some weight) and adjust so the blades track at normal hover pitch. Once that is sorted then you can check the blades at a higher rpm and pitch. if they don't stay in track then you might have a bung set of blades, however it shouldn't cause to much of a problem if they are a little out. Depending on your flying id say a hover track is more important.

It looks like a pitch problem but I would also check blade balance. The pitch tool they sell is just ok. A better way is to take a couple broken blades and cut them off close to the hub. Epoxy an 1/8" or so plywood platform on the end. About 1" by 5". Set it perpendicular to the blade position and be sure it is level with the salvaged blade hub. Buy a couple small plastic pocket bubble levels from Home Depot. Yellow, about 3/8 wide by 5" long, $3 bucks. Set the helo level on your workbench and clamp the flybar paddle to something in a level position. I always disconnect the leads to my motor to avoid disaster. Cobble together a 10 degree wedge (bits of plywood?) to put under the bubble level. In hover, I am looking for a level bubble at 0% throttle and level bubble with the 10 degree wedge at 100% throttle. I have (2) levels so I can watch both blades at the same time. Sounds like a bit of work but well worth it and very accurate. Linkage adjustment is obviously the only way to dial the pitch.

Thanks, I think I am gonna try the bubble levels tomorrow, the blades are pretty good balanced, actually i didn't have to put any tape, it's the 2nd set of blades out of 7 that I have got and doesn't need to be balanced. However, I'll check the balance tomorrow again. I don't know much about blade tracking, actually so far, that is my main problem![&o] , I understood that I am better to check it at 65% that is the hover pitch.... right?????? does that mean that eventhough it starts bad (at around 40%) and it gets on track at 50% or more.... is it ok?????? or it should be at ALL % of throttle well tracked from 0% to 100%?????????

About the bubble levels... can I use double-face tape to stick the bubble level to the blade? and then at 50% throttle, both blades should be bubble leveled... right????? and at any point of the throttle the bubble level in both should be the same..... is it that???? Thanks.

Is this a brand new heli? If not, I would suggest that you check the dampeners for wear. You might want to do that anyway, just in case they are not installed correctly.

Well, I bought it new, I have flown it maybe 30 times and crashed it maybe 6 times... just 1 hard crash that broke the tailboom..... sorry, what are the dampeners????????

I was thinking it could be the o-rings of the rotor head, maybe they are damaged... I don't see anything coming out though.... can it be?

PROBLEM SOLVED!!!!!! I decided to replace both, the o-rings in the head and the little metal rings that go with them...... tracking improved a lot and then I just adjusted the links and voila!!!! It seems to be ready, I haven't tried it flying, but I'll check it tomorrow.... at least, 0-75% on my table seems to be pretty close to perfect!!!!! I hope it will stay that way flying! Thanks!

Thats the o rings..

Apparently it was that... thanks heartofmadness. hey, another question..... each time I have a hard landing.... bending the shafts, breaking blades, maybe snapping the main gear..... do I have to check the pitch again or just the blade tracking with the new blades???

Tracking should be done every time the blades come off the head and every time the head comes apart. Balance should be done the once only. One little advice.... if you put a little dot on a blade, its grip, the side of the hub the grip is on and maybe the pitch link it will remind you of location of the matched parts so for what ever reason you have to pull things apart they will all go back together in the correct place and pitch should not have changed.

Yesssss, it's me again, same problems of blade tracking....... I am getting frustrated of not getting it.... Today, I finally could get the blades tracked after 1 batt pack of trying and then it was PERFECT, beautiful tracking for about 3mins on the air, thennnnnnn suddently....... they separed again, I stopped and checked the links and everything looked ok. That means it's not the blades, it's no the dampeners. I believe it could be the head block that is internally damaged in a crash (it's all scratched in the inside and the main shafts slides really easy to the head) OR it could be that I see some light movement between the 2 main parts of the swashplate, the big bearing is a bit loose I think it has too much oil. I don't have anybody around to ask and watch his t-rex, that is why I ask your help... thanks.... ideas?????? I was thinking about ordering tonight the head block, but then if it's the swashplate I am stuck with the same problem.... has anybody have this problem before??????

I got a very good blade tracking after 2 minutes, not sure yet why, if because I am using now a set of carbon blades and they are lighter than the woodies or because I "fixed" (more information about this in the other post) the swashplate and that was causing the movement directly in the pitch. I am replacing the block head next week just in case that has something to do with it (because it's a bit loose). If the glue that I put in the swashplate doesn't last, I'll order a new swashplate as well. But 2 batt packs of fly and the heli is great.

Hi Matador,
How free moving is the flybar? will it move up-and-down with the slightest touch? a stiff flybar can cause the "some times" tracking issues with the degree of not-tracking related to looseness.
Wb