Pulling left; Ok. Eureka!!!! The links fixed the other probs

[vette747]

My EX is pulling left when I start to fly. I have not flown more than a foot high to the ground. Is it due to down draft effect?

I know there is a down draft effect up to 3 feet. My question is if your EX pulls left when you are less than a foot from the ground.

When I move the stick to the right to correct the situation, the heli lean to the left.

Maybe I should try flying at the 3 feet altitude. Or this is due to a bad setup.

Any suggestion or experience?

Thanks in advance.


C.
http://pages.videotron.com/vette747/

[ckoelliker]

I would suggest to try to find someone with experience to give you a hand. If that is not possible just take it real slow. When you crash that thing it is not going to be cheap to fix. But to answer your question I think they all tend to pull to the left when you are trying to lift off. What I did not understand is that I think you said that when you try to correct it it only leans to the left more. Are you sure you have your swash tilting in the right direction? If you look at it from the rear it should tilt the same direction as your stick input.

[vette747]

Thanks a lot for the quick reply. Yes I will joint a club. I sent mail to club but I have not got answer yet. I guess the season is not started yet.

What I did not understand is that I think you said that when you try to correct it it only leans to the left more.

Sorry, my mistake it lean right.

But to answer your question I think they all tend to pull to the left when you are trying to lift off.

Ok I will continue to practice slowly until I can get up to a few feet to confirm my setup is not ok.

Thanks again.

Cheers,
C.

[BarracudaHockey]

All helicopters (with a clockwise rotating head which is nearly all models) slide left with a level swash plate. Its called translating tendency and its caused by the tail rotor blowing the helicopter sideways, in a balanced hover in no wind they hang slightly to the right, its normal.

Ground effect is when you are under about 1 rotor span height.

[vette747]

Thanks a lot for the reply guys. I was able to practice today. I discharged 6 batteries. I work from home so when the battery is full, I take a brake, go in the backyard and fly.

Anyway, a few times, I went 2 feet above the ground and the pulling effect was less present.

Also, there was less wind today. Yesterday was windy and it was even snowing in one of my flight.

I’m going slowly. This is why I have not flown more than 2 feet above the ground yet.

Side note: The Bell Helicopter service center is 10 minutes from my house. I stopped today and had a chance to talk to a mechanic doing the after flight check up. She gave me a quick course on motor and tranny. She told me that the turbine engine runs at 30,000 rpm and the tranny reduce it to 500 rpm for the blade.

The linkages were not the same as my EX. It was a 3 blade heli.

I think I will stop by more often.

I may also try this:
Ever dreamed of flying a helicopter without the expense and hassle of going through training and getting a license ? Helicraft offers you the opportunity of actually flying a helicopter with a qualified instructor. You get a complete pre-flight briefing that includes the basics of flying a helicopter before taking off. A dream come true !
http://www.helicraft.qc.ca/en/tour/

Edit: I forgot to say, I installed custom made 'Landing gear for the Dumies' for the EX. See pics.

Thanks again,

Cheer,

C.
http://pages.videotron.com/vette747/

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e63/lesfichier/Lepton/S2020007.jpg

[ckoelliker]

Do you have a simulator? They will speed up the learning curve dramatically, and will pay for itself in crash costs.

[vette747]

Thanks again ckoelliker. I used a simulator for a few hours, but I do not think it was a good one. It was too easy. I use my small Helicopter (Hirobo Lama) you see on the picture above to practice. But yes, I'm planning on getting a good simulator.

[Jafa]

Did you use a ball link sizing tool when building the Lepton?
The links are too tight when new - you need to relieve them
We all found our Lepton would not hover in one place
Needed continual left/right adjustments
Once we loosened up our links the servos could center better
and sub trim was much more effective
All sorted now...

[vette747]

Hi Jafa. I think you are right to the point. I saw that in finless video and I found the link were thigh. My local hobby shop is big but they did not have the ball sizing tool available. I figured out that the servos would be strong enough. But I think you put the finger on one of my problem.

I can do basically what ever I want with my Hirobo lama. I’m even able to land in my Losi lst Truck bed. See video http://pages.videotron.com/vette747/.

That might be why I find the Lepton so difficult to fly. Ok, now I need that sizing tool. I just call the owner of one of the local hobby shop I go to. He is an heli pilot. He told me I could use a pair of normal pliers and squeeze the link on the ball at a 90 degree angles. This is what he do on his helis.

I think I will give it a try. I do not want to wait two weeks to order it and I bought spare hirobo spare link bag in case I damage something.

Any major concern with that technique?

[ckoelliker]

No that works fine. Just go slow at first and you will figure it out. Going from the llama to a Lepton is kind of like learning to drive a golf cart and then trying an AC Cobra. I use the G3 simulator. It has saved me a fortune in crash costs. I learned on a blade cp. You might want to consider one of these. They are cheap to fix and only cost 225 new.

[vette747]

Going from the llama to a Lepton is kind of like learning to drive a golf cart and then trying an AC Cobra.

This is a good one :lol: I did not realized that the difference would be that big.

Thanks for the info. And I will also look for the G3 simulator. Maybe I should have gone to the middle step with the blade cp. My wife is ok with my toys, but that will be difficult to bring a third heli since I already bought two is the last 3 weeks. 3 helis in 3 weeks will not pass. She will want a trip to cancun instead. :roll:

[vette747]

Eureka!!!! The links made it all. Thanks jafa. As soon I fixed the link and I put the power on, I was able to fly more than 100 feet long, 2-3 feet above the ground. That was a bit windy so the fly was not really straight but this is the first time I can go more than a foot high for more than 40 seconds. I was able to take the heli in the air for several minutes at the time.

Still pull left when I’m really low but as barracudahokey said this is normal and I can leave with it. I just have to flight higher.

Thanks also to ckoelliker for all you good advice and quick reply. Thanks to all for your input, now the fun begins!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m going to a big model show tomorrow. They have plane, boat, submarines, train, die cast, and for sure heli. There is one of the best 3D pilot of the region. And they also said he is a teacher. So I will get his number and when I’m ready I will take some lessons. If not this year, maybe next year.

I also found a club 15 minutes from my house. But the season has not started yet. So I will be by my own for a few more weeks.

A few pics with sticker on. Most of the heli I saw in the gally have nice paint jobs. I’m a car guy, so I chose the Nascar look.

The heli an RC family.
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e63/lesfichier/LeptonSalonEtRC.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e63/lesfichier/LeptonSalonEtRC5.jpg