Bench Testing Your Heli

[e92vancouver]

When you are bench testing your heli (ie. blade tracking, etc.), what method do you use to secure it to the table?

I was thinking some old blades over the the landing gear skids secured to the table with duct tape.

I would on the kitchen table so I can't screw anything into it (Live in a condo so no work bench)

[luckyshot]

just pray the tape don't give way!!!:arggg: I would get a piece of wood from home depot like 3/4 ply and secure it with straps of some sort. anyways that what im thinking of doing

[e92vancouver]

just pray the tape don't give way!!!:arggg: I would get a piece of wood from home depot like 3/4 ply and secure it with straps of some sort. anyways that what im thinking of doing

This is an excellent idea! I can secure the plywood to the table with cargo straps wrapped around it.I will use some 1 x 5 secured to the plywood with some sort of locking mechanism to hold the heli down.

I just hope the undercarriage screws don't give way. I really don't see them being able to withstand the pressure of the blades.

[AKPhill]

Strapping your heli down is never a good idea could be dangerous

Hint if your swash plate is level and you use your pitch gauge correctly and you have good quality blades you probably wont have any tracking issues

If you have low quality blades such as wood or fiberglass you need to balance them

But a person normally checks tracking when hovering the heli at the flying field
Good luck on this tracking issue

[backburner1955]

just pray the tape don't give way!!!:arggg: I would get a piece of wood from home depot like 3/4 ply and secure it with straps of some sort. anyways that what im thinking of doing

Do not rely on Duct Tape, you will have rotor marks on your ceiling...:wow2:

[e92vancouver]

If anyone has some photos, it would be much appreciated.

Should I do blade tracking with slight negative pitch?

[e92vancouver]

Strapping your heli down is never a good idea could be dangerous

Hint if your swash plate is level and you use your pitch gauge correctly and you have good quality blades you probably wont have any tracking issues

If you have low quality blades such as wood or fiberglass you need to balance them

But a person normally checks tracking when hovering the heli at the flying field
Good luck on this tracking issue

Thanks. I am a newbie and didn't know this.

[Corvette & Copter Guy]

I do my blade tracking in the air. I do think with the heli set-up right and good blades, tracking should not be an issue. I dont even balance my blades. Of course I dont buy wood/fiberglass blades.

[Larry227]

I would never consider spooling a heli on the bench with the blades on.
I will spool one up without main blades and the tail pushrod disconnected though. Then you can easily hold it down by hand.

[rcflier1]

i spin it up without blades once inside, than take it out with the blades. even the tail rotor spinning will suck in anything loose in the area.spinning up while held down with the blades will also get some vibrations going.imo, it's just asking for a bad ending......

[desertstalker]

If you set the heli up properly the tracking wont be out by much. To correct hover it at head height (wear eye protection) a safe distance away (depends on size).

You can check tracking on the deck but only if you stay away from any +ve pitch (same distance requirements). It is easier to do hovering though.

You should never be so close to a spun-up heli that you need to restrain it in any case...

[e92vancouver]

I do my blade tracking in the air. I do think with the heli set-up right and good blades, tracking should not be an issue. I dont even balance my blades. Of course I dont buy wood/fiberglass blades.

Do you use strictly carbon fiber blades?

[Corvette & Copter Guy]

Only carbon fiber! not countiing the blade 120 sr of course.

[e92vancouver]

I would never consider spooling a heli on the bench with the blades on.
I will spool one up without main blades and the tail pushrod disconnected though. Then you can easily hold it down by hand.

Thanks. Sure glad I posted here. This dumb idea is now officially dead.

Maybe I should buy this laser pitch guage:

0EvNbfRKGA4

[e92vancouver]

This guy is doing blade tracking in his kitchen and spools up the heli indoors and then uses a laser to check the tracking:

en2UMeGgaCk

[luckyshot]

I'm new also and the laser idea from ron soundscrazy. you have to put tape on four walls. he doesnt say that the tape has to be perfect level to one another. so what if you put tape three feet off the ground and one five feet you split the diff??? what the!!! I was considering thishttp://www.espritmodel.com/rc-logger-digital-pitch-gauge.aspx

[Corvette & Copter Guy]

I dont think blade tracking has to be "laser" close. If your vision is normal, you can see if the tracking is right or not.

[Larry227]

For tracking I use the method that the Vbar setup software recommends. At exactly midstick/0* pitch fold the blades out to the side of the heli and see if the tips are even. If not adjust links until they are. I've never had to make any adjustments in the field after I started doing it that way. Tracking is always spot on.
Note: On larger helis it can be hard on the servos so some people lay the heli on it's side so they just hang down.

[e92vancouver]

For tracking I use the method that the Vbar setup software recommends. At exactly midstick/0* pitch fold the blades out to the side of the heli and see if the tips are even. If not adjust links until they are. I've never had to make any adjustments in the field after I started doing it that way. Tracking is always spot on.
Note: On larger helis it can be hard on the servos so some people lay the heli on it's side so they just hang down.

I like this. You fold the blades out to the left or the right of the heli?

[e92vancouver]

I'm new also and the laser idea from ron soundscrazy. you have to put tape on four walls. he doesnt say that the tape has to be perfect level to one another. so what if you put tape three feet off the ground and one five feet you split the diff??? what the!!! I was considering thishttp://www.espritmodel.com/rc-logger-digital-pitch-gauge.aspx

ROTFLMAO!!!!

[dze]

first i wouldnt do this with a large heli, but 250/450 size i do it in my living room on the floor in front of a window preferrably when the sun is shining in so i can see it good, and put tools i need to the side .. i lay down on the floor and hold the skids with my hand and spool it up with the tx off to the side with the other hand .. tracking should be dead on at zero pitch, center stick, at the headspeed you plan on using .. a large metal tool like a pipe wrench through the skids is probably a safer alternative to using your hand and a couple of pounds will hold anything 450 or smaller just fine ..
..
..once i have center stick zero pitch tracking set, i change out the lipo, and check it again but flip to idle up and see how it looks with a little pitch bite in both directions and tweak it if necessary to get a good happy medium if the blades arnt so great .. also while im there i note the stick position on the collective hash marks on the tx and see if i get approximately the same pitch bite at equal distances from center stick pos and neg .. this tells me if i really have my zero in the right spot on my stick ..
..
.. other notes ... this is just how i do it on smaller helis and i wouldnt call it safe .. also im not worried about it so i dont need to be preached to lol. DO NOT get careless and hit the cyclic while your testing thats a big no no - a hand can hold pitch just fine on the skids but cyclic can tip it and it could get away from you and then your going to be rebuilding it again .. use a fresh lipo not an old test lipo to set tracking .. all it takes is a quick look i wouldnt sit there and stare at the blades for any amount of time it just increases risk to your face and eyes ..

[rdlohr]

If you are careful setting up your head with a pitch gauge, you should only ever have to adjust a top link 1 turn or at most two. Just hover it outside at a safe distance and its easy to see when its right. Turn 1 turn on one blade remembering which blade and which direction you went. If it tracks you are done. If it get worse, you turn two turns the opposite direction. Repeat if necessary. Definitely good advice to not tie down a heli or spin it up in the house.

Rick

[Larry227]

I like this. You fold the blades out to the left or the right of the heli?
Yes. Like this (http://www.vstabi.info/en/zero_collective)

[banditpowdercoat]

My 400 and 500 I hold them in my hand, 0 pitch finger on TH. My arms are long so not an issue. but over a 425mm blade i won't

[npomeroy]

With a 450, I place a narrow plank through the skids, on a grass lawn, hold the plank down with 2 bricks or similar, and lie on the ground about 5 metres away to check the tracking. I think ideally you need a bit of positive pitch to make it realistic, but something below hover throttle.