OK, I'm about to start trying to set up my radio. Throttle and pitch curves are
all Greek to me. All the setups I have found are for normal or 3D flying. Nothing
for learning to hover. I read someplace that you wanted no negative pitch, and very little positive pitch when 1st learning to hover. I'm using an Airtronics 8000RD computer radio
and the instructions that come with it was pretty much written for someone who had a lot of experience setting these monsters up. Any tips. Alls left to do is setup radio/ final tweeks and applying the decals to the canopy, and it will be ready for it's maiden voyage.
Thanks

HeHe, this is the reason why I'm waiting to but me a heli (also money issue)

A small question, do you know how to set everything up ? Do you just need the figures from us, or do you also need to know how to dial them in ?

I think if I get the figures, I can figure out the rest.
Thanks

I can offer alittle help with the figures. I set up an 8U Futaba on a Raptor 50. I have a 5 step throttle an pitch curve in my radio. The beginner setting should be very low, pitch -2 to +6 with +5 pitch at half stick. You can set your lowest setting to 0 degrees if you like for the first few hops, alls this does is if you pull the throttle stick back when you panic you won't drive the copter 5 feet underground. Throttle curves you will have to play with but I learned it only takes about 75% of the throttle for your top setting to be enough for your +6 degrees of pitch. You want the throttle to come on fast until right around half stick then it should have setting very close for the rest of the scale. example 0,30,40,50,75 percent .raptortechnique.com helped me out in this area tremendously. read alot on his website before setting anything up. He does give you a referance pitch curve settings on his website depending on your skill level.

If you absolutely can't get any help from a Heli Club, go to http://raptortechnique.com
This site has something for everyone, including a brand new flier. I still encourage you
to get help from an experienced pilot. Heli's are dangerous!

Good luck

i hear there are a quite a few heli guys in Foridia.

A good place to start with your set up is to make sure you can mechanicaly reach -12 to +12 degrees for full pitch range. Set the low pictch curve point to zero% and high to 100% then set your linkages and servo travel up so you can get -12 to +12 degree range ( you might need to adjust the long rods between the swash and the upper mixing arms to get full range on both sides). Once you do this you can limit and change the range using the pitch curves to suit your needs (and they will change over time).

A good beginner set might be -2 degrees at low stick, and +8 degrees at high stick, and linear change between those points, so you end up with 5.5 - 6 degrees at the middle stick point or maybe a littel higher. i don't know that radio but some allow you to null points so you can just set the top and bottom point and ignore the midlle point settings (straight line).

Once you have that, you match the throttle curve so you have aprroximatly the same head speed as you go from 1/2 stick on up. before you do that, it is a good idea to work on the throttle linkage to be sure you get full range of motion at servo settings of -100 and + 100 (or thereabouts) (again the throttle curve set for 0% at low and 100% at top). make the throttle link the same length as from the center of the servo arm to teh enter of the carb barrel, and your geometry will work out nice and linear. a good set of numbers to use once you have done that is 25% at low 50% at mid stick and 100% at high stick. you will need to adjust these numbers a bit once you get it running. the tricky part is the carby tuning has a big effect on RPM and heat. and RPM has a big effect on carby and heat and heat has a big effect on RPM and engine life, so you will be juggling settings for a while. what engine do you have?

If you run OS 32 or 50 they tend to run nice and cool in the 160 degree range is very common, if you run TT 39, they tend to run hot between 190 - 230. Knowing the temperature is very helpfull especially for the TT (IMO). you can get a good cheap littel IR thermometer from tower hobbies or your local RC car supply. you tune by temerature. too cold too rich, too hot too lean. The head speed is also important. If you run too slow, the blades have to be at high pitch to lift which puts a strain on the engine and you miss out on valuable power.... shoot for 1500 - 1600. If you are carefull an airplane tach can be used. Great heli ones are available but they are expensive.

Once you get the heli running, be sure to keep it LOW maybe only a few inches off the ground and only for a short time. Be happy to take your victories a few seconds at a time untill you tstart to get the hang of it and you have a chance to get the set up adjusted right. Simulators are the best way to learn to fly. Realflight G2 is the most popular one, it is 200$, but even if it were 2000$ i would highly recomend getting one.

best of luck, find some help if you can, if not ask lots of questions and take your time. it is a booger to get started, but well worth the effort.

wE HAVE 1 GUY WHO FLY'S AT OUR FIELD, HE ISN'T A CLUB MEMBER, HE SHOWS UP ABOUT ONCE A
MONTH.THE WAY I UNDERSTAND THE BEGINNING SETUP, ZERO NEGATIVE PITCH TO KEEP FROM
SLAMMING THE HELI IN THE GROUND, AND THE POSITIVE PITCH IS WHAT I'M NOT SURE OF
I KNOW AT LEAST +5 OR IT WON'T LIFT OFF AT ALL.

0,+5 (or +5.5), +8 -> this is for beginners. You can also choose to put -2 or -3 at your idle position (= lowest stick position)