Axe CP separations and setup journal

[Major Bladebreaker]

Folks,

Hope you guys had a good Christmas!! I certainly did: I finished a second Trex and have had time to fiddle with the Axe (amidst time with the family of course!!..) I've even had time to fly every day which for me is an impossibility otherwise. Anyway, I did indeed have the prop on backwards on the tail but have not been able to test it because the tail motor burned out yet again!!! The motor spun the right way but apparently I wasn't getting enough "bite". I am one step away from ordering the tail mod from Australia as I am tired of replacing motors. I read some reviews of this particular mod on another blog and they all sound quite positive so I'm going to take the plunge. Any comments from folks who have tried it would be greatly appreciated. I'll post pictures of my "Frankenaxe" once I've completed the mod. Thanks for all your help BTW, Ray!!

Mark

[mintaka007]

Hey all, this is my first post ever on an rc forum. I started in on the hobby about 6 months ago. I now have 6 heli's including a joker cx being converted to a cameraship. I did install the belt mod from the guy in australia on my axe. Let me start by saying that now that I have flown the bigger heli's, going full separates with brushless and belt tail on my axe was retarded. Just stop now and get a trex. The axe was fine for a living room flyer, but the direct drive tail means you end up flying the tail the whole time just to keep a stable hover, and if you take it outside there better be no wind or good luck! You can still fly the trex in the living room, and it is 100 times more stable than the axe, even with all the axe mods. If you are already $$$deep into re-doing your axe as I was, and can't just write it off, the aussie belt kit is a nice setup, and it was a very easy install. I realize I am still green as they come, but now that I am a full addict and have blown several thousand dollars and a ton of time on this hobby, here is the order I would go in and why:

1.) 4 channel co-axial like the esky lama v4
why: very cheap to get into to see if this hobby is for you. It is 4 channel, so the controls are the same as the big heli's. No building or tx programming, just flying and scaring the dogs. Can practice all the different orientations i.e. nose in etc, and if you crash it, throw on some new blades and crash it again. I can't even count the number of times I crashed that poor thing, and it still flys!

2.)Good sim.
why: Much cheaper to crash! get a decent one like pheonix or reflex, I like pheonix because all downloads like updates, new versions and aircraft etc are free. Practice, practice practice.

3.)Good quality 450 size heli
why: You never outgrow it. I have only flown the trex, but I'm sure there are others out there just as good....DON'T BUY WALKERA! The electronics are garbage.

4.) Divorce
why: because you have now become fully addicted, and it gets much more expensive. (funny sidenote, my wife just read this as I was typing it and she says:
"it;s not just the money, it's the neglect". Many hours are spent over your heli saying things like "What the f&*k, this sh^t should work"

Sorry this was so long, but if it save someone some $$$ not buying a walkera and having it in the air for 20 seconds before it glitches and shoots straight up into the ceiling, then I am happy. Happy flying!

[aponteluis]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=GSo7Qmt9Kq0

[carloserizzo]

And it's finally here: trex 450 s cf with spectrum dx7 radio system XD XD XD XD. Before starting bulding it, I want to finish my Axe. The last modification I made was the brushless motor and esc, but I'm having one problem: with the throttle stick in one position, the height tends to vary a lot. I have to be constantly moving up and down the stick to keep a constant height, (lot more than usual). Do you have any idea of how to solve this problem? Have any of you had this kind of issue?

[jcwing123]

>>Many hours are spent over your heli saying things like "What the f&*k, this sh^t should work"

Very funny... ::drool:

[Ray K.]

That sounds like a tough one, Carlos!

I have no way of knowing for sure what the problem is, but I would start with the radio. If you're using the DX7 to run the Axe, I'd suggest going through all of your programming and make sure that everything is right, specifically the swash mix setup.

If you can give me some more information (channel assignments, channel reversing, etc...) I might be able to help you better.

Good luck, and happy new year!

-Ray

p.s.- jcwing hit the nail on the head... helicopters are a pain in the ass on the bench before you get them flying!!!

[carloserizzo]

Well Ray, I still haven't run my Axe with the dx7, I have one receiver and it's for the trex, but in few weeks I'll buy the axe's receiver. Maybe I can fix the problem with other throttle curve than the stock transmitter, but I think it might be a mechanical problem, because when I had the stock brushed motor, It had the same problem too: I have to make a big effort to keep a constant height. My LHS told me that maybe the swashplate is a little clogged, and some oil could help. I still haven't tried that, but maybe is the solution. I'll notify you how it is going.

P.S. Can you give us your trex dx7 settings? I started reading the radio manual and there are a LOT of functions and curves to program, I'm kind of lost. Maybe your settings could help me to start programming it.

Thanks!

[PilotLight]

And it's finally here: trex 450 s cf with spectrum dx7 radio system XD XD XD XD. Before starting bulding it, I want to finish my Axe. The last modification I made was the brushless motor and esc, but I'm having one problem: with the throttle stick in one position, the height tends to vary a lot. I have to be constantly moving up and down the stick to keep a constant height, (lot more than usual). Do you have any idea of how to solve this problem? Have any of you had this kind of issue?

Sticky swashplate or vibration will cause the swash to jump up or down. Be sure your fly bar is centered and balanced. Disconnect the ball links and see if it balances. If not, loosen the wheel collars and slide towards the high paddle.

[hammer833]

Hi Guys:

Just got my first hlei, an Axe CP, and wanted to say thanks for all the great info. It is invaluable.

[markind]

Yep me 'ol Axe CP sat on a shelf for a long time, being a bit overmodded to fly well anymore...

Then I got a email that my buddy invited an Align rep to visit our club airstrip! Kewl, good excuse to get the last few bugs out of my TREX build, which has also collected a lot of dust, a royal hangar queen if I ever saw, and get it out to the field for a pro flight prep!

Zack West went over my build, pointed out a couple places I missed Locktite, tensioned my belt properly, and went over my DX7 radio setup. Way cool! Thanks Align for hiring a way cool dude!

Then he flew it around a bit and trimmed it out! Great! It was way to windy for me to try, but now I know when I find a calm day, she is ready for hover practice!

Now I'm thinking to finally let go of the 'ol Axe... Learned a LOT from this model, no complaints about it.

[Ray K.]

Did you see that HMX has released a Bell-Hiller mixing head for the Axe? Almost makes me want to spend the $35...

I feel you, though. Since I've been flying the 'Rex, the Axe has become more of a novelty than anything. Don't get me wrong- it was my first bird, and it got me hooked on helis. I still love flying it, but it was only a stepping stone. A very, very, very expensive stepping stone. If I can get it to do just one clean barrel roll, I'll be happy.

-Ray

[d3vnu11]

Anyone manage to get some base settings for this radio ? For the AXE.

[Ray K.]

Do you mean DX7 setup numbers for the Axe?

[d3vnu11]

Well I saw your post with your settings for DX7 and best translated but trims are still off and mixing isn't quite the same to program on the Futaba T6EXP. I was just hoping some else might be using that radio also. Like in your setting so for normal throttle curve whats the INH mean ? I can't only input 0% - 100% "New to R/C helis" But fly the real ones :)

you have for

Normal Throttle Curve
Expo Off
Point L : 0.0
Point 1 : INH
Point 2 : 50.0%
Point 3 : INH
Point H : 100.0%

What exactly is in INH ? I can't only program select 0-100% on that radio..
Regards Kevin

[markind]

INH means Inhibited or 'disabled'

Set points 1 and 3 to some other value and you get what you want, a 5-point curve instead of 3.

In this case, its not needed because its a linear curve from zero to 100.

To maintain the linear curve, set point 1 to 25% and point 3 to 75%.

[d3vnu11]

Ah ha hrm so when it's not possible to disable a point on the curve what does one do ? I guess I could just set it to a linear curve by setting points 1 and 3 to linear values then ? IE 25% and 75% respectively ?
Kev

[Ray K.]

Thanks, Mark!

That's exactly right. What's more is that the "INH" function will also calculate an actual curve point if you're using expo or have a non-linear curve. It's pretty handy.

Kevin-

If you can't disable a curve point, and you have a graphical display of the curve that you're programming, my guess is that simply "eyeballing" the curve to get the shape you desire is perfectly adequate. If you don't have a graphical display, you could probably just as easily sit down with the old pencil and paper and draw out your own curves and what you want them to look like, and then calculate what certain point values should be. My opinion is that if the curve (throttle curve, specifically) is intended for an electric bird, linear curves are fine. Seems to me that the only time you'll really need a curved curve is if you're running a nitro bird with a poor or no governor. For an Axe, a straight curve is fine. If you don't want the hard changes in the ramp rates of the curve, just apply some expo to it and it'll knock that hard "corner" off of the curve.

Let me know if there's anything else I (or Mark, or any of us) can help you with!

-Ray

[d3vnu11]

Excellent I was look for the base stock radio programming but want the option to step it up later on if needed and as my skills increase so I'll use your post as a starting point and just start from there. I'll just take it slow maybe I'll pull the pinion off the motor just to avoid an accident. Thanks You've been very helpful I was even thinking of getting rid of the 3 in 1 but I figure if it's not broke why fix it ?
Regards
Kev

[Ray K.]

You know, I never did find out what the exact stock radio curves were. I have a hard time thinking that they're anything very elaborate, and I think that the curves I initially set up my DX7 with were very close to stock. At least, it flew very similar to stock after I switched out the radio- in terms of the pitch and throttle curves, at least. The cyclic was a lot cleaner, but the collective seemed about the same.

[d3vnu11]

So I guess really then the last thing im missing is setting sub trims and trims back to 0 and centering the server horns back to 90 degrees and that should take of it then ?

[markind]

Could be but its easy to miss stuff at any point in the game.

I highly recommend the following:

1. Start practice in a large indoor area with a hard smooth surface. Not easy to find, but extremely helpful.

2. Begin by, after following all safety and startup procedures, slowing spinning up the main rotor and "getting light on the skids", where you should have Training Wheels / balls.

3. Start learning what the heck the left stick does to your model by watching closely - you should be able, with very small stick movements, nod the rotor disk around a bit.

4. Assuming all is well (tracking and all), you can begin to learn control by gently applying power and getting the model to scoot and slide around on the smooth floor. Watch carefully and the instant the model comes off the floor or is about to hit something reduce power. REPEAT until you are confidently scooting and sliding your model around where you want without leaving the floor.

5. Then begin Hopping practice. You must learn to avoid the super common newbie mistake of slamming your model to the floor every time. Hop up and gently come down.

6. Gradually increase your hops until you take off, hover to about 3 - 6 feet or so, and then demonstrate that you can set her back on the floor gently.

7. If you are good at Hopping and Sliding indoors, its time to think about going outdoors. If she is getting away from you too easily, you are not ready!

[d3vnu11]

It's not about flying the heli it's about programming the new radio to fly it. I fly real helicopters and have flown this heli accident free stock on the HH 240 gyro... after trying to fly on the new radio I suffered damage never even left the ground I was almost full throttle and the feather bar failed . So now im confused. and thinking about the DX7 I have the DX3 radio R/C but helis are a new beast then cars for me. :)
Regards
Kevin
Kev

[d3vnu11]

And please don't feel bad im on a learning curve here it was $40 in parts this thread has been really helpful :) though the total bill was more but R/C 3D great can't do that in a real helicopter :)
Best regards,
Kev

[Ray K.]

Kevin-

I'm glad you found this thread helpful- that's why I started it, and why so many people have contributed. In the grand scheme of things, a $40 crash is dirt cheap. It could have been cheaper, but I've also had crashes (with the FrankenAxe) that cost over $150 to repair. I'm not saying that you should get used to the prospect of crashing, but it's certainly one of the ugly constant truths of this hobby. Like it or not, you're gonna biff, and it's gonna cost money. The idea here is to try to keep the "impact events" to a minimum, but respect the fact that they're going to happen anyway, no matter how hard you try. What you can do, though, is go slow, fly within your ability, and do everything you can to eliminate mechanical failures. I was once also very much into RC trucks, and making the switch over to helis brought a new set of rules with it- setup is almost everything! You can't let anything slide, and every detail is important. As long as you understand that, you'll do fine. Besides, imagine how many times folks like Curtis Youngblood, Danny Szabo, or Andy Rummer have crashed, and how much it's cost them. I'd say that 40 bones isn't too bad at all!

Hang in there- you're gonna love being an RC heli pilot!

-Ray

[d3vnu11]

I completely agree. I knew the day would come it was a question of when :) And yeah $40 I got off pretty cheap the parts should arrive tomorrow. Can't wait. But apon further inspection I've noticed why the failure happened the front servo was going the wrong way and the swash plate was moving up on throttle up rather then down in idle down which is probably why it wouldn't take off then the load of trying to bury it'self into the ground cause the feather bar bolt to come loose or strip.
Sigh I should have known better when at half throttle idle up off mode the heli didn't wanna take off. But now I have all the servos working right direction but something interesting that maybe I'm missing when I give Cyclic Left the swash plate moves right ... how do I fix that ?
Regards,
Kev