Dustin's Blade 450 3D Update

[Derek]

As some of you are aware, Dustin sent me his Blade 450 3D for setup. Turns out it needed a lot of parts replaced, repaired, and then setup, lol.

Here is a video of today's testing. Very very cold and not real productive but I still consider this to be "forward progress". The helicopter spools up very nicely. Just had some issues with the tail. I explained a bit in the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfpDK5nKqm4

[murankar]

Any progress is forward progress. Once the tail is fixed what else you got left or is that all that is left?

[Derek]

Any progress is forward progress.....quite true! I can't think of anything else that may need adjusted. I have already turned the tail blades around so they are on there properly. it spooled up very nice and very smooth. Quite happy with that! I'll try again tomorrow. If the tail will react to my rudder inputs and if the tail doesn't wag, I'll take the training gear off and try some gentle circuits. I just wanted the training gear to be on the helicopter for the first few tests.

[pvolcko]

Tail didn't seem to be reacting to any gyro correction either. Even if the blades were flipped they should have been cutting the correct direction with pitch change and done something.

Are the tail blades moving at all with rudder inputs? May need to setup tail pitch with the gyro again.

[murankar]

It seemed to be holding a little during spool up. Which is telling me that the servo and gyro are working. Whats next to think of is the rx and tx. I didnt see what radio you were using{ {dx6 or your dx8}, either way I am sure the radio would show that the gimbals are working as they should. This leaves one last problem point, ch 4 rx output to the gyro. If it was working on the bench and during preflight then I would think it to be a loose connection somewhere. Just a thought on my logic.

[Derek]

Tail didn't seem to be reacting to any gyro correction either. Even if the blades were flipped they should have been cutting the correct direction with pitch change and done something.

Are the tail blades moving at all with rudder inputs? May need to setup tail pitch with the gyro again.

Yeah, I noticed that the tail correction direction didn't seem to be working well either. Yes, when the helicopter is stationary, the tail blades do move from full left to full right. That's why I was shocked when the tail didn't react.

I'll redo the tail setup again and I'll try again tomorrow. The forecasted weather for tomorrow promises to be just as cold tomorrow as it was today but I will try again. I may not be able to get a camera person to come but I'll put the video cam on my truck bumper. Maybe that will be a decent angle.

[Derek]

It seemed to be holding a little during spool up. Which is telling me that the servo and gyro are working. Whats next to think of is the rx and tx. I didnt see what radio you were using{ {dx6 or your dx8}, either way I am sure the radio would show that the gimbals are working as they should. This leaves one last problem point, ch 4 rx output to the gyro. If it was working on the bench and during preflight then I would think it to be a loose connection somewhere. Just a thought on my logic.

That makes sense to me. Thanks! I'll proceed as planned with tomorrows retest. If the tail still is unresponsive, I'll put one of my receivers in the helicopter and try again. Then see if that helps.

[Derek]

I just spent the last hour and a half on Skype with Dustin. We were talking about today's hover test and a bunch of other things. After turning the tail blades around, so that the leading edge is "leading" and not trailing lol, I put his 450 3D onto my gyro test stand and tested the tail. Spun the head up to about half throttle and started banging on the rudder stick left and right...the tail then moved left and right appropriately. I started giving small and gentle left and right inputs and the tail would move left and right appropriately. Ok, throttle hold, shut it down and now we are just waiting for tomorrow to come so that I can try it out again.

I did mention to him that our new forum is coming along nicely and I told him that I will let him know when the forum will be open to the public. He's excited to still be a part of the group.

[danhampson]

Cool, the more the merrier. Hope all goes well today with the 450 testing Derek.

[Derek]

Thanks Dan! I know we are getting close to success. I've replaced every broken and/or missing part that I came across. The head really feels smooth and solid. The tail feel smooth and solid...and now that I have the tail blades installed correctly, lol, I'm pretty confident about tomorrow's testing.

[Tony]

Hey Derek, nice one on video pal, shame about the tail but it sounds like you've sorted that now. Missed out on a bunch of posts and your skype messages. I went to bed at midnight.... Anyway sounds like she's ready if she's responding on lazy Susan rig. Lessons learnt eh. I always put heli on lazy Susan first now after a build. It looked really good on spool up, no vibes there... Good luck on your maiden mate, you've done a good job.

[Derek]

I appreciate that, Tony! I think I've done pretty well with this helicopter. It's been a rough road, for sure!

I didn't get a chance to take it outside today. It's just too cold and windy. I don't mind the cold so much but when I get hit with a 20mph wind gust, my fingers just freeze up. Since I'm testing a helicopter, that isn't mine, I really want to be able to feel my fingers, lol.

[Tony]

Yeah the weather is definitely against us flyers, like you said in another thread we need another vehicle for sure....I went up the field today to fly but man was it windy.. Spooled it up but backed out, too scared...lol

[ken jackson]

I'm nice and warm flying my simulator. A nice day will pop up now and then. My first two years flying the cold didn't stop me, I was CRAZY!!

Ken

[Derek]

I don't mind the cold....it's the wind chill that hurts me, lol. There are some winter days that the temperature will be 28-34 degrees or so but as long as the wind isn't howling, it's actually quite nice to be outside.

[Tony]

It's the wind and rain that stops me, and that's all it's doing at the moment. Need a waterproof craft now that isn't bothered about either

[Graham Lawrie]

What gyro is it?:)

[Derek]

What gyro is it?:)

It's the stock E-flite G210 gyro. The gyro that was on this helicopter had a broken knob so our buddy Tony sent his gyro, all the way from the UK, to Dustin, here in the states, as a replacement. I've done some searching for information on this gyro and it seems that this gyro is very troubled by vibrations....even more so than other HH gyros. Some tips that I've read about suggest making "double sure" that the main blades are VERY well balanced (COG balanced as well as dynamic balanced). Dustin did send a spare set of main blades when he sent the helicopter to me. I am currently testing the helicopter with a set of my blades. I am pretty sure that they are balanced but I will double check that.

Unfortunately I am working again tonight and tomorrow night so I won't be able to get back to the helicopter until Monday. I sure hope that the wind will let up.

[Tony]

that gyro held pretty well Derek before i sent it to you, not sure what has went wrong there...

heres a vid i done with the gyro on my Blade 450 3D before i sent you it, i converted it to FBL after this, the crash at the end i discovered was the batteries in TX were down to 4.1V

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwjCK3L ... CllvUBBtMw

[Derek]

I have no reason, at all, to believe that the gyro is faulty, Tony! No worries there! The problem has to be with something that I'm missing. It's odd though...I put his helicopter on my gyro test stand and the tail works just fine. Left and right tail movements. Then, I take the helicopter outside for a hover test and the tail won't hold and I have no right rudder authority.

I'll be working on it again on Monday.