raptor newb

[prancibaldy]

I've been flying a t-rex for about a year now and in February I plan to buy a raptor titan for my b-day. I've been looking around this forum and raptortechnique.com and found alot of good information. There's just a few things I'd like to know, and general advide you'd all have, especially about recommendations for upgrades/replacement during building. I understand that the stock tail hub should be upgraded to part 0499, would it be worth upgrading to the whole metal tail from quick uk or also using the alum tail pitch slider? Would it also be worth using another swash plate instead of the stock? How about using the alum. collective tray? I also understand the stock fuel line should be replaced? I plan to put the os 50 h hyper in it and use a gy401 on the tail, using my 7chf for the radio. The general opinion seems to be that the futaba 9252 is the best for collective. I've noticed that it's not rated for 6v on the futaba web site. I was planning to get the thunder power li-poly reciever pack, but would I be unable to run a 6v set up with the 9252? Also, what would the recommended mains be? It looks like the SAB's or v-blades are what's preferred on raptortechnique. I'll think of some more things in a bit to ask, for now I'll leave the post here. Thanks.

[torkboy]

Yes SUS tail hub is a must, as for the stock swash its just fine, got about 200 flights on mine. No necesary upgrades, right away, unless you want to break down and get a metal head block, or kasama, gforce, what ever you must.

Landing gear screw mod.
Get a button head self tapping screw and screw it into the landing gear a little bit more than past half way on the front skid, then take a dremel, drill whatever, and drill a hole in the canop clip, the size of the alan head screw. That will prevent the canopy from coming off.

Servos, 2nd best are, but most commonly used are 9252, but 9251s look like they will be a bomb set up as well!

As for battery, Running ALL digitals, will take your battery donw in about one flight =). So either get a Sub C JR sport 2700 battery, OR fromeco peerless 2400/ and ARIZONA regulator combo. I love this combo, and It to this day has never failed me.

Blades. Umm. Pick you gun basically.

I like radix, cause they auto a tad better than the vblades, but are a bit slower on the response. And that wind grabbing noise commonly refffered to as a blade fart, well Ive read that that is a less effective blade, and the radix are quite quiter than a vblade. Sabs never flown them so no input here.

Hoe this helps

[prancibaldy]

Oh I just remembered one other thing, throttle servo! What's recommended for that, considering I won't be using a governor?
Looking at the futaba web site with the specs on their digital servos, the 9451 looks like it's got similar characteristics to the 9252 on 5v but also seems to be rated for 6v with better performance for the same cost.
I don't want to hop up this thing like crazy from the get go, so I'm not going to blow a bunch of money on the full metal head etc etc. As with the tail hub though I understand that there's some stuff that it would be alot easier to just use the better parts from the very beginning, so I'd like to hear from others their suggestions/opinions what would be a good idea to do.
As to the reciever battery, if I were to use a TP 7v pack I would absolutely have to use a regulator to knock it down to 5v, or one that can switch between 5 and 6v? No plugging the reciever battery right into the reciever? I was thinking it'd be a good idea to use a lipo pack if I'm going to be using digital servos.

[torkboy]

Ok the arizona regulator is adjustable 5-6 volts! and fixed for the gyro!

I use a 9254 for my throttle servo.

[BarracudaHockey]

52's are fine on regulated 6volts, that warning applies to 5 cell packs which when hot off the charger are 7v +

[prancibaldy]

The 9451 doesn't seem to be suggested for heli use according to the futaba chart, but there are several people on run ryder who say they use them and they work perfectly and that the 6v option really brings them to life. I was wondering if I put a 9254 on the tail could that damage it with a 6v set up, but I suppose if I were to use the arizona regulator it's fixed for the gyro/tail at 5v. The duralite regulator seems to require a seperate step-down circuit in between. Any other regulators you know of? What's with the pin on the arizona regulator? Is that in place of the on/off switch the duralite uses?

[torkboy]

Yes its in place of a switch, but I use a switch anyways. Youll have to get the lil box programmer thing to, to program the voltage. its like $6

[prancibaldy]

It's not necessary though, is it? The arizona seems to say it can be programmed also just by conducting between the two jumpers, right?
Also, in the pictures of rappys with the canopies off that I've seen the stuff up front seems to be wrapped in foam, I suppose that would be a good idea to insulate them from possible vibrations?

[ClayK]

Vibration and crash protection.

[prancibaldy]

Ah ok. This is also going to be my first nitro aircraft, so I'm compiling a little list of all things ancillary to the heli itself but will be necessary (replacement fuel line, the rubber foam stuff, etc). I've got the TT field case, so that's got the glow starter, etc. Would a fuel filter be necessary? How about the crank shaft locking tool? Thanks.

[ClayK]

Fuel filter isn't necessary, but it's recommended. I tend to go to the extreme... I have a fuel filter on my fueling rig and a fuel filter between header tank and carb. Filters when fueling and filters while flying.

I would recommend the MA Crank Lock, 0511. Piston locking tools can damage the cylinder and a toothbrush can bend the crank or scar the cylinder.

[comeflywithme]

Personally I wouldnt use a 9254 servo for throttle... any standard servo will do totally fine and the money is probably better spent on other upgrades - oviously up to you though.

One thing worth getting if you havent considered yet is a Governor. Also an onboard battery checker, exhaust deflector.

If you are using the 620 blades (SAB do them), I was recomended to go for an alloy Head as apparently the standard one cant cope with that size blades which could result in boom strikes. Another upgrade which may help here and also make the heli generally feel more responsive are the red 80 durometer dampeners. i use them on all my raptors and they make a heck of a difference using the standard head.

Make sure you also change the fuel tubing on the inside of your header and main tank as its too thin and prone to tear - otherwise its auto all the way back to the ground :-)

[prancibaldy]

That's what I was just thinking about last night, it might be a bit overkill to use a 9451 for throttle. Perhaps a standard futaba or maybe even a hitec? I'll be using my 7c for the raptor (for now anyways) so I won't have enough channels for a governor, being as I want to use the GY401 in it.
I was thinking that perhaps I should ask it as, on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being most importantly recommended (such as the replacement tail hub) to 10 being perhaps a bit exorbitant and only really use if you're super pro (such as all metal head), what all would get a rating of 3 or less? I don't exactly want to toss a lot of money into those upgrades that won't help me until I'm at the level where people would be saying "wow you should compete", but I don't mind buying some little parts such as dampeners, etc, that give it a decent improvement in handling over stock.

[comeflywithme]

Thats a much more sensible approach! Of course we would all love to upgrade our heli's till we drop but you have to consider a couple of things:

1. Do I really need them? Certain upgrades will make big differences at different stages of your development. For example - I have a raptor 30 which I set up with standard Hitec servos on the cyclic and pitch and they do absolutely fine for pretty much all that you'd want to use a 30 for (Flips, inverted, tiktok etc)
Now of course I dont use standard servos on my Titan, and would recommend servos with highish toque, but you really dont have to go overkill - 9001's would do absolutely fine. Again a standard servo is fine for the throttle as there is virtually no resistance - A 5g servo would supply enough torque for that. The only reasons to use a digital servo for throttle are better centering and faster response but unless you intend to compete with Curtis within the next year that would be pointless.

2. What happens if you crash?... Since you're not completely new to heli's you'll know that EVERYONE will eventually crash - Sorry if that got anyone down. Since you are more likely to crash while you are learning, it makes no sense to spend 100's of $'s upgrading a heli only to risk spending it again when you crash.

If you want my advice,
get decent servo's 9001 or simillar, maybe a torqier one for pitch
3001 or simillar for throttle
401 gyros are great
9254 digital tail servo is also great
a decent receiver
Carbon Blades
Alloy main hub if using 620mm main blades
Alloy tail housing
Red Dampeners (use when you want a bit more response)
Lighter Paddles - such as the green ultralight ones (use when you want even more response)
A decent pipe (use once you want a bit more power)
A governor - This is extremely useful!

[comeflywithme]

By the way - You can use a Governor or Rev limiter even if you only have as little as a 6 channel radio. Governors like the Throttle Jockey Pro cost realtively little and Throttle governing via a manual pod which means you dont need an auxilliary channel on your radio. It pretty much works by activating the governor once the target RPM has been reached and disabling it once the throttle stick goes under a certain position. Just make sure you buy a governor that does allow manual use.

Hope this helps :-)

[avatar71]

did you consider the SE vs the titan? or has the decision been made??? both great choices!!!

[BarracudaHockey]

The CSM revlocks require only 1 spare channel so 7 channels is fine and they are great governors.

[Mike C]

Get a Ubec regulator and you can run your t-rex packs for the Rec. batt. with great results.

Only needed upgrades (till your a 3d Jedi) is metal head and tail hub. The rest is fine :wink:

[prancibaldy]

Two more questions: The most common fuel being used in a titan seems to be 15%, that's what I should use, right? Also, what size tail blades does it take? Thanks again.

[Mike C]

15% Heli fuel should do , If you think you need more power go to 30%

Stock tail blades will work fine :wink: size varys a little

[avatar71]

i have used 92 and 95 tail blades on my titan and noticed little... it comes with 92's i think

[prancibaldy]

Does anybody have any experience, know of someone who does, or have a link to a post elsewhere by someone who does, with the hitech HS-5965MG digital servos? They have the same response speed at 6v as the futaba S4951, slightly more torque, would be $10 cheaper each, and are also rated for heli use.

[BarracudaHockey]

For 10 dollars differnece I would go with Futaba any day of the week.

[Mike C]

Got to agree if you are buying new, Futaba is a trusted servo. If your on a budget and allready have the hitech use them :wink:

But get HB-karbonite gear set or TG titanium gears they will last longer then the metal ones ( I use hitec in my slabs :wink: )

[prancibaldy]

I've done some looking at the specs and the hitec 525 seems to be a good choice, what raptortechnique uses too. I was thinking of getting that mavrikk metal tail pitch slider/fork hub upgrade from heliproz, anybody know someone who uses that? Also, anybody know the difference between the blue and red dampeners, other than price? I've seen both on heliproz, the only one I've heard about before are the red ones. Also, the replacement fuel line, the 'medium' diameter would be ok for the 50 engine, yes? How much would I be looking at using? Thanks.