NEW TO FLYING HELP ME SET UP AXE CP???

[onetrade]

Just became a member and the new owner of a brand new Axe CP. I was very big into R/C cars, i bought a lot and built a lot but raced none. every time i would build a car either electric or gas something would break, if it didn't crash into a wall then the wheels popped off, the longest running time for me on a car ever was like 2 min. and i had like 6 cars with electric going over 85 and gas about the same. So i decided to try a Helicopter, ohh boy... first time i took it out, horrible.. everytime i would throttle up to try and get it jsut slightly off the ground the heli would start tipping forward or left or right. im guessing that it was cuz of the wind. but the whole heli tipped over and didnt have enough time to kill the throttle before the blades mowed the cement floor. Today New blades... YAY anyone have any suggestions on hovering? maybe the controls arent set correct , what do i change? Thanks guys

[PilotLight]

I've got an Axe CP and it doesn't stay in the air by itself. You have to hold it there. Keep working on it and take your time. You'll get it sooner or later.

Find a place where there is no wind. Even inside if you can get a big enough place.

How do you tell someone how to balance a pole on the end of your finger. Its just takes practice.

[vetterick]

These things don't fly themselves, it takes alot of patience to even hover, i'd suggest getting a simulator even a cheap or downloaded free one.

Hovering is like standing on a ball, or trying to balance a ball on a piece of glass, it will never be completely stable.

Have fun learning, I know I did, alot of frustruation :arggg: but it's worth it the first time you can hold it in one place :mrgreen: .

Rick

[Ray K.]

Yeah, I'm a newb with an Axe CP too. I didn't get a sim, but I'm beginning to realize that it's absolutely a good investment. I intend on getting one as soon as finances allow. I've learned to hover my Axe the hard way (several sets of blades, a couple tail rotors, and some other parts...), but it appears that patience, perseverance, and a steady right hand is the trick. I've also found that setup is EVERYTHING on these little birds, particularly when it comes to blade tracking and paddle setup. Make sure that your swash is totally level at center cyclic stick, and don't worry if your cyclic stick isn't totally centered when you're hovering. I've found that you've got to hunt for that magical hover point, and it's going to be in a different spot every time you fly.

And don't be embarrassed to fly with the training gear, either. It's saved me at least a few sets of blades and tail rotors. Just be patient, and try not to over-correct when the heli begins to wander- the Hiller-only setup on Axe CP's makes control inputs a little hyperactive around center stick, especially with the stock radio and it's inability to put some expo on the cyclic control. A little input goes a long way. There is a little control lag because of the low head speed in normal mode, so try to anticipate what the heli is about to do and react accordingly in small amounts.

Also, make sure that there is no freeplay in the control links at the z-bends. I took some time and made some custom servo horns with really tight holes for the bends and then lubed them with some petroleum jelly, and it made a HUGE difference. The control is much less vague, and really helped me. It wasn't until after that mod that I was actually able to get a solid hover for more than just a few seconds at a time.

So try that, and hang in there. You'll get it. Just realize that you've got to crawl before you can walk!

-Ray

[VBDave]

I've found it's also a lot easier to 'hop' the bird up to get it airborne and fly from there -vs- slowly throttling up to get it to lift off. They're really flaky when light on the landing gear. Just seems a lot easier if I get to about mid-stick, then tap'er up to jump to about a foot in the air and fly from there. Also, once you take the training gear off, I'd suggest some anti-skid mod for your landing gear.. Tubing or even foam stickie pads to stop it from sliding across smooth surfaces. You'll notice most, if not all of the 450+ size birds have those 4 rubber bumpers on their gear... it's to do just that. stop them from wanting to slide when lifting off and landing.

[Iceman140]

Onetrade-

Hey guy. Welcome to the club. Now I have to admitt I haven't even cycled my batteries 6 times since I bought my AXE in April, but I can fly better than I thought I should. The reason is I fly RealFlight g3.5 simulator and have crashed the Axe and every heli they have to offer at least 200 times. Worth the $199.99 just in aggrevation alone. Not to mention parts. Check out www.toyhaus.com, Realflight G3.5 for $199.99 w/ FlightPack 1 included. You're going to need a 3D video card in your comp. I was able to get free shipping too. But be warned. After you fly all those other helis in the sim, you gonna wanna buy 'em. :mrgreen:

If you don't get a sim, get a credit card with a very high limit. RayK, you got a spare card this guy can use? :rolling

Ed