V-Stabi/V-Bar installation.

[loopzilla]

I don't know if anyone makes a tester like ours. I made the one I use, and it is extremely important to make sure the servos are mounted EXACTLY the same way in the final application.

The POT in some servos are not perfectly calibrated to the center of the rotation, which can cause a lack on one side, and an increase on the other.

I agree that if you can start out with perfect servos, you are ahead of the game, at least it makes us feel better. But, there is so much going on in the software I really don't know how much it matters.

How is the re-build going?

[Cryofix]

MrMel!! That was AWSOME. when you do it you do it right thats for sure. Go big or go home!


Sorry about the crash but man I wasnt sure if I had a rival out there to make helis look like mine do after a crash.

I could smell this crash a mile away, you wanted a new Kit to drop your Vstabi system in anyway this is how you did it. :D

[Lorents]

I will put the vbar it in a Logo 10 :)

I have a cheap digital servo tester with two pushbuttons for adjusting the signal to the servo. It can also read a signal from the rx and display it. Pressing both buttons at the same time will make the servo arms go back and forth and the tempo can be adjusted by the pushbuttons. By parallelling three servos and putting on a servo arm its easy to see if they are more or less synchronized. My 9650's are pretty well matched.

[MrMel]

I could smell this crash a mile away, you wanted a new Kit to drop your Vstabi system in anyway this is how you did it.


Darn, you got me :D


My 9650's are pretty well matched


Normally they are, seems to be two different "versions" though, the latest one Ive bought have a different endpoints then the old ones, however, all that is "off" is exactly the same.

[Lorents]

Peeked around in the vstabi forum and found Timos setup thread. 17 mm servo arm + he mounted the censor just underneath the main shaft on a CF plate. Aligning this plate so that it is 90 degrees on the main shaft should be perfect :D

Hmm, wonder if its best to bolt the CF plate to the frame or use tape...

[MrMel]

Bird is rebuilt and re-configured!
Only thing left is to put on some blades (will be Vblades this time) and paint a new canopy.

If weather permits tomorrow I gonna test fly it.

Now when its rebuilt its easier to forget the. .. ehh... hmm. dont remember what it was..

Ps. Lorents, I told you so.

[Lorents]

:noteworthy

[MrMel]

Phew, Bird back in the air again, Test flight completed.

Just some hovering in the backyard, Mother nature has decided that I should not fly more today (raining).

VStabi system works, however, I dont seem to get a response from the Airspeed meter, gonna see whats up with that, however, Ulrich said it was not needed for 3D flight anyway.

Blades was out of track, remember now why I wasnt flying with those VBlades, they look as an S (skewed).. I guess I have to get some other blades instead.

[MrMel]

Here is how the new improved heli looks like :)

http://www.dacsa.net/heli/rebuilt/cimg0837.jpg

http://www.dacsa.net/heli/rebuilt/cimg0832.jpg
I moved the sensor inside the fram (Vstabi recommendations), However, the bottom plate is not 90 degrees to the main shaft, so I put it on a CF plate, which in one end is firmly secured, and in the other its adjustable.

http://www.dacsa.net/heli/rebuilt/cimg0834.jpg
Two screws hold the plate, the third (bolt + two nuts, one on each side) can be raised or lowered, so I get the plate to be 90 degrees to the main shaft.

http://www.dacsa.net/heli/rebuilt/cimg0835.jpg
Here is how the setup looks like, shame though that the canopy dont fit well anymore because of the vstabi system is in the way, I was thinking of putting it so it points straight down, but if the main gear would move in a crash, that would tear up the unit..
Anyone have some suggestions where to put it?

http://www.dacsa.net/heli/rebuilt/cimg0836.jpg
While I was rebuilding, I changed main gear (as well as tail gear) to use Mod 1 gears.

[MrMel]

First real flight completed

Today the weather cleared, so I headed out, however it was windy, VERY windy.
(12 degrees pitch and doing a rainbow into the wind and it barely moved)

OK, So I brought the Laptop with me, that kind of required for the first few times, I would really like to have that Bluetooth unit..

First of all I had to lower the tail gain, I dont know if my tail is setup bad or if its because I now run a 9254 while waiting for gearsets to my 9256.
And of course your radio is just a dumb unit now, so land, connect the laptop, then adjust. Thats the way to do it.

Also, I cant really compare to my old setup since I have changed blades and maingear/pinion, but for those that think V-Blades have extreme bite, well,

V-Blades with the VStabi-Logo head is then Extremly Extreme, too much for my liking actually.


I had dialed in 10% expo, still it was extremly sensitive, granted, I had upped the roll/nick rate since I felt my old logo was a bit slow, so I guess it

just takes time to get use to this.

It also felt like it did little left roll while doing tictocs, probably me touching the aileron, as I said, its more senstive, its up to you to really make

sure you give "clean" commands, I suspect this because when I did stationary flips, there was no interaction.
Rolling was perfect, it did them very clean

My old logo with paddles was extremly powerful, with the Vstabi its insane, I tried to bog it, couldnt do it.
Eagle Tree revealed that I was hitting the same peak amps/watts that I did with my old setup, but its just dont bog, RPM meter showed it too.

Well, I did fly 3 flights with it (until some damn training course for dogs decided to come and start training, right under my heli which I was flying 3D

with, crazy people.)

It was really too windy to tell any more, however, it was still pretty much affected by the wind (bobbing up and down), but then again, it was blowing hard.

This flights was with the air-pressure sensor connected, I gonna try without it next time.



So, whats pro's/con's so far as I see it.

+ More exact response.
+ Sensors correct "errors" by default/Stabilises the heli.
+ More power/Longer runtimes
+ Less items in the head setup.
+ More agile heli if you want, or more stable, with a switch of a button.
+ Holds up well in extreme crashes (good for 2000 G)

- Manual could be 8 times as thick, it has more to wish for.
(For sample, what is the correct way to setup the rudder? Rate mode, does that exist?)
Same goes for program manual.
- Price, for many it will be the primary issue.



Things to wish for:
- Be able to buy different sets of cables, longer or shorter, or it could even be included in the kit.
For sample, just a inch longer cables could give alot more mounting options.
As well If I where to mount it ontop of the receiver, it would be nice with even shorter cables.
- Manual as I stated on the con side, its missing alot of information.
- Replacement warrenty incase of a fatal crash, that would probably justify the price for many.

[loopzilla]

Nice work!

Maybe you could try some softer blades to decrease the bite a bit?

If you are up to it, you can get some very good crimps and plugs to make your own custom cables. I usually end up making wiring harnesses for my helis once they are dialed in, and it would make sense to do the same with this system. Your wiring looks great already, but being able to make your own cables would make life that much easier. I purchased my crimps from:

http://ashtekelectronics.com/store/servo-crimp-tool-p-82.html

You can get servo plugs in assorted colors and styles from them as well. Great investment...

[Daniel Jetschin]

Nice canopy color there :) Danny style :smokin:

[Lorents]

Finished the installation of the Vbar in my L10 yesterday and hovered it for the first time in the garden :) I was releaved by how familiar it was to fly - it just lifted off the ground into a stable hover. The garden is too small for fancy flying but if the weather permits I will try some real flying this weekend and hopefully do a video.

The installation was quick and easy to do, no surprises. The flybar less head is incredible smooth and has no slop.

Here are some pictures of the installation. Just like MrMel I made a simple gyro tray to straighen up the gyro inside the frame - this is probably a good idea if you have your tail gyro inside the frames too since it will give a more true input.

[WillJames]

Sweet pics Lorents! Very nice, thank you for sharing.

This thread is very interesting. I would LOVE to try the V-Bar setup out!! :smokin:

[loopzilla]

Be careful Will, you might just begin to love your 14 more than your other helis!

[BobbySmith]

Nice Lorents i cant wait to get mine!!!!
I mean L14 V stabi and Dx7 what elese could you possibly need?? :dontknow

Bobby

[WillJames]

Flew the 14 today for the first time. WOW!!

[Lorents]

Congratulations on the first L14 flight Will!!

I mean L14 V stabi and Dx7 what elese could you possibly need??
Not much! I have a DX7 on its way too. Looking forward to try it out :D

[MrMel]

As do I :)

I was hoping for the XPS system to be done, but meanwhile I will also try the DX7.

[OICU812]

Man you guys are really A Holes, lol. Now I must get one of these V-Bars as well! Ugh,,, ok well as soon as I got this E Rappy done and some other stuff built and done I will look into this. Meanwhile you guys are saving me and many other tons of messing around, by then you will have these dialed in perfect I bet! I do not completely understand the small gyro tray you guys made. What holds it on the front, nuts on other side or what are you threading into? As well on the back what is holding thread to maintain a height? Would it not have been easier to make a wedge?? Maybe Ralph should just make a darn wedge and we could adhese it in there quite simple, there you go Danny something else there to mention to your dad Ralph! hehhehe

[OICU812]

Flew the 14 today for the first time. WOW!!

Awesome Will, look forward to your flights and thoughts! :D

[MrMel]

Sorry shawn for pushing you into this :)

Yes, you could do a wedge that was a perfect angle and glue that to the frame, but this was a easy way to do it (if you have one of those gyro mounts laying around).

In my case, the third bolt have no threads in the plate, two bolts hold the plate and try to push it downwards.., third just acting as a distance.

[OICU812]

I have two of those plates NIB and hanging on wall. Did you or anyone try it without and did it make a difference afterwards? I know these pros are not using the wedge or plate like this. Do not get me wrong this is a fantastic idea, I just wonder how much of a difference it makes if any is all.......

And no worry Fredrick I have always wanted this V-Bar but it will have to wait, I been blowin so much cash on other crap and now with X-Mas coming that will hurt more, lol. Great job guys, I am really enjoying your threads and progress, it is awesome!

[OICU812]

Lorrents where are your airtube things and what is that white heatshrunk thing by the left canopy post?


Nice Lorents i cant wait to get mine!!!!
I mean L14 V stabi and Dx7 what elese could you possibly need?? Dam you are all jumping on this train, I am so jealous!

[Lorents]

The white heatshrunk thing is the ferrit ring from the ESC. Didnt know where to put it so I just stabbed it through the canopy holder. Hopefull it wont affect the filtering... (which reminds me that I have to remind my flying buddy to remind me to do a proper range test before flying it).

I'll try it first without the air tubes. They are not supposed to be needed for 3D flying. Will add them later to see how they work.

Hope this DX7 is as good as its supposed to be :)