Raptor 30V2 to Stretched E-Raptor Conversion

[MLaBoyteaux]

I finally took the plunge and started ordering the pieces to convert my Raptor 30 V2 to a Stretched E-Raptor. The parts should start arriving next week and as it progresses I'll keep updating the thread.

So far, this is a list of the items I've ordered for the conversion:

TP1010 Charger and 210 balancer for $286.
http://www.rchover.com/inc/sdetail/29003

Castle Creations PHX85HV controller $169 from Century and it was in stock!
http://www.heli-world.com/detail.aspx?ID=1312

Metal rotor hub (TT) 63.99
OnlyRaptors.com

E-Flite Power Meter Fuel Gage $44.99
HorizonHobby.com

A 6R 3-368025 Tail drive belt $9.12
sdp-si.com

660mm blades 60.00 (used from DJ)
extended tailboom $30 (Ditto)
95mm tail blades

A50-16s motor $149.99 from Hacker
http://www.hackerbrushless.com/motors_a50.shtml

Raptor 30/50 V1/V2 120 eCCPM Conversion Kit 79.00
Raptor 30/50 Electric Conversion Kit 65.00
http://www.tppacks.com/products.asp?cat=17

I'm planning on using FlightPower batteries. I'm going to use the R30 86T/9T gearing. This is going to be an AP bird to lift a home made mount with my Canon Rebel XT camera (underslung). I may eventually switch to one of DJ's front mounts, but I'm going to start out with the underslung because I already have most of the components.

Stay Tuned!

[miami6]

mark


why dint you talk to gary at tppacks he could have gotten you the motor and the esc with the conversion in a package deal ?


looks good so far

[dreslism]

Gary is out of stock on the motor and esc for a while.

[MLaBoyteaux]

The ccpm conversion and motor mount came in from Gary today. Man that was fast! The ccpm conversion recommends servo arms that are 25mm long. The longest I have are 19mm. Since I'm only going to do AP with it, I'm going to check the rigging tomorrow and see if I can get enough throw with the arms I have. I think I only need about -4 to +10 or so.

[Nate Dogg]

Mark-
Does the ccpm kit not come with all the needed parts? I ordered one from DJ with my mount and there's no lhs here? Please keep me posted on what else I need to do the same thing you are! Thanks :lol:

[askman]

www.tppacks.com eccpm kit comes complete. good stuff.

[AZ ChopperCam]

I used slightly shorter BuBro arms and have no issues.

[GGoodrum]

The use of 25mm arms is really for the 3D setups, so that you can get +/- 13 degrees of pitch. You can actually use much shorter arms, just make sure all three are the same.

-- Gary

[MLaBoyteaux]

Yeah, the ccpm kit is excellent! The instructions are clear, with good photos, and the parts are excellent quality. Gary shipped the parts on the afternoon that I ordered them. I would've ordered everything I could from him, but it seems the demand for electrics is really taking off!

The only place I could find a CC Pheonix 85HV controller was Century. Even Castle Creations website has them back-ordered.

I can start working on the front mount today!

[dreslism]

Just to be sure everyone knows what they need or will need.

Mark-
Does the ccpm kit not come with all the needed parts?

One thing that changes when you get this kit is that previously your servos were SCREWED into the servo tray up front.

In the eccpm kit, you will now bolt your servos to the servo mounts that come in the eccpm kit. No bolts are supplied for doing this. It would have been nice if they were or if they were in the future. :wink:

Second this thread is about stretching your raptor. One thing not listed here, or in DJ's list of parts to get is that once you stretch it, your pushrod to your tail rotor will no longer reach and you will need a new one.

If you have a boom mounted tail servo, then you could most likely just slide the servo back on the boom so it reaches.

If you have a newer Raptor 50 ( i.e. the Titan) like I do, you are also hosed as the tail servo mount for the titan is not a boom mount, but a rear frame mount so you cannot slide your servo and you will have to get a new pushrod. ( Not fun to realize this at 2:30 AM when you plan to fly the next morning.)

Anyhow, just wanted to point out the tail rotor pushrod issue when stretching so no one else gets bit like I did.

[Nate Dogg]

two other issues I ran into when installing the eCCPM kit are:
Throttle servo (for those of us staying with nitro) and
Gyro placement (the rear servo is right where my gyro was)
Other than that the kit is awesome and pretty straightforward. If anyone has suggestions on the throttle servo, I'm still looking for a solution...
Too bad the hardware store is across the island. I guess thats the price you pay here :D

[AZ ChopperCam]

gyro can be mounted just behind and slightly to the side.

[dreslism]

Don't mean to hijack, but since this is about stretching your raptor, I think it will be helpful.

I stretched mine with the ergo boom, and put on the funkey 660's.

Without blades on, the thing spools up fine, nice and smooth. A little shimmy on first startup, but I think that is just the quick semi jerk of the motor.

When I put the blades on, this thing is shaking all over the place, almost looks like it want to explode itself.

I check the tracking and it is perfect.

I Balanced the blades ( CG also) and they are the most perfectly balanced blades I have ever had. NOthing was needed to do to them.

DJ, do you have any isolation between the chasis and landing gear?

When it is sitting there, If I just grab the frame and push it side to side, it will rock back and forth like crazy. The plastic frames give some, and so do the landing gear.

I had also upgrade to true lipos from the emolis, so the headspeed went up.
It was at 1800 when I used to fly ap at about 1550.

So I even dialed back down to 1550 and same thing.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

I put this thing on its underslung mount and it almost tipped over. Then I went back to putting it on the ground and messing around checking things out. Been doing it all morning without luck.

[AZ ChopperCam]

hmmmm.... can you shoot some video of this and post it up? I can't understand what could be the problem.

[dreslism]

hmmmm.... can you shoot some video of this and post it up? I can't understand what could be the problem.

Yeah, that is what I was planning to do.

It will probably be a bit before I can get it up.

[dreslism]

Ok, video is up now.

First video here is with no blades. To me it *appears* to be fine.

Http://www.greatlakesap.com/video/MVI_8034.AVI

Next video is with new 660 blades.

Http://www.greatlakesap.com/video/MVI_8035.AVI

Next video is just jiggling the boom, you can see the whole heli shake back and forth as the landing gear jiggles around.

Http://www.greatlakesap.com/video/MVI_8036.AVI

Kinda seems like the slightest shake or jump on startup just gets transfered throughout the whole heli.

If you watch spool up with blades on, it seems like it is almost smooth at the end, but then a few seconds later the thing starts going nuts.

I thought the packs on the landing gear might agravate this, so I took them off and it does the same thing.

I put a Kasama head on the other day, and had to tap it on with a rubber mallet also.

You don't think that could have bent the main do you?

I flew it since then, but only with the 600 blades.

If I put my 600 blades back on now, I don't get the same vibes I do with the 660's, but those 660's store a lot more energy than the 600's.

Driving me nuts. Today is non wet and rainy day we have had in 9 days and I thought I would be out shooting today.

Forcast so far is another 6 days of damp and rainy coming up again tomorrow! :bomb:

[GGoodrum]

You might try a set of 600 blades, to see if still has a problem. If it is head-related, the problem should still be there. If it is maybe some resonant component related to the 660s, it shouldn't be there with the 600s.

[GGoodrum]

Are you using one of the hardened shafts? If not, it very likely be bent slightly, just enough that you can only see it with longer blades. If you have a hardened shaft, I doubt very it is bent at all. I've seen these survive some pretty horific crashes.

[dreslism]

Are you using one of the hardened shafts? If not, it very likely be bent slightly, just enough that you can only see it with longer blades. If you have a hardened shaft, I doubt very it is bent at all. I've seen these survive some pretty horific crashes.

Yep, its the original titan main shaft which is hardened, and appears to be quite beefy.

[AZ ChopperCam]

I noticed on the second one with eh 660's the esc kicked hard enough to swing the blades back quit a bit. tighten up the blades in the grips and pre-spin them a bit before spooling up and see what happens.

also having the heli held to the ground with the board and weight may be enhancing the effect.

what happens when you spool up in grass with no weights on the skids and tightened blade grips?

as for jiggling the boom and seeing the flex of the frames.... mine does the same thing.

one thing I did was put on Raptor 90 size boom support rods when I stretched. not sure it will make a difference but in order to make it the same config as mine which exhibits none of these issues it's worth a shot.

[dreslism]

I just put the 600's back on for a second time, and it seems to spool up fine with no nasty shake at the end.

One thing I did notice when removing the 660's is that they are *VERY* tight in the grips. I don't even have to tighten the blade bolt to keep it from flopping around in the grips it is so tight.

I'll try DJ's suggestion now on grass.

ONly reason I held it down as it was hopping all over the place if I did not.

I'll try the tighter grips, on grass and pre-spin.

[dreslism]

Ok, tighter grips, pre-spun the blades, no kick from esc, did it on grass.

Same thing looks exactly like the second video at the end.

[AZ ChopperCam]

ok. I am stumped. have you tried to pick it up into a hover?

[johndale]

Watch the blade spread just before the vibration starts. Looks to me you have the WOOF

[dreslism]

ok. I am stumped. have you tried to pick it up into a hover?

Too big to do in my yard. Going to run over to a field right now.

I sat this thing on my underslung mount yesterday and it was even worse, I thought the mount was going to explode.