H550, What "MUST HAVE" upgrades are needed?

[nieves50]

Ok, here's what I'm thinking for mine (feel free to share your thoughts!!)

This is for Sports flying only, I'll never be good enough for 3D!!

Basic Kit (no motor/ESC)
500mm CF blades
Z20-1475
Century Electron 80
4S Lipo (in the 3000-4200mah range) I know 6s will be better but all my chargers are only for 4S lipos
GY401 + S3151
Hitec HS475HB for Cyclic
Dimension Engineering SportsBEC (All servos will be running @ 6V)

Now, could this power system provide between 2100-2200 HS? and if so,
what "must" be upgraded on the heli?

Right now I'm thinking Revco gears/pinion but in what gearing!? Any help would be appreciated....Thanks!!

[Skaross]

Looking at the numbers, the Z20 1475kV motor on 4S should give you around the headspeed you are after. Using the standard GAUI gears, select either the 14 or 15T pinion (14 yields 2040, 15 gives 2185 - 14 is probably a better choice).

If you go to the RevCo gears, 23 or 24T seems to work out about right. Assuming 90% efficiency, the numbers run as 1980 and 2070.

I don't know much about the motor itself, and therefore can't comment on whether the motor can handle the current on 4S, but its a comparable setup to a stock Century Swift on its Sports Endurance motor (very similar kV and the same cell count) so I'd guess no problem.

I suspect the motor will draw considerable current, and hence for any meaningful flight duration you'll need a 3700mAh pack or bigger - again comparing to a stock Swift, 3700 20C packs are the recommended.

On the BEC side, many people here have had good success with the stock BEC provided by GAUI (from the same factory as the Align BEC). If you're building to a tight budget, this is probably the cheapest option available. Saying that, there are some question marks over Align BEC reliability at the moment, so the SBEC may be a good choice.

For your gyro, is there a reason not to use the 9254 servo that is the matched item for the 401? It's available bundled with the gyro for under $200 from many vendors and it does give the best performance from your 401. It does of course mean you need a drop-down regulator since it doesn't run on 6V, but this is just a few $.

As for essential upgrades, I think you'd need metal blade grips and the metal head block for this RPM... the rest of the head bling is just icing on the cake. I'd also buy the upgrade motor mount and the anti-rotation bracket (both stiffens the frame a lot) and probably the metal elevator horn.

Hope this helps
Kev

[dutch_anykey]

Hi,

I got the CNC bladegrips as well now for safety.
But does the headblock really contribute to any change flight charistics or safety?
I moved that part to my "bling" list as well.

Maurice

[Tom Viper]

I am not a upgrade junky, I like things as stock (and cheap) as possible. So this is my list over the upgrades I feel nessisary.

1: Elevator lever - stock works, but I like the alu one just for safety.

2. 204677 CNC Swashplate Guide, this does improve flight quite a bit. loops and rolls are becoming straighter.

This is all you need.

Then , 204679 CNC Flybar Control set, makes it easier to align the paddles level.
But not really neeeded.

[Pinecone]

Why not run 2 3S packs in series? This is what the heli was deisgned for, and you can charge them on your charger.

[Finless]

Here is my list of upgrade reccomendations

1) metal grips but for your head speed desires plastic is OK. NO you do not need the metal head as it only really holds the dampeners.

2) Metal elevator bellcrank as a few folks have snapped the plastic one and when I looked at mine it as fatigued (plastic had a white line around it).

3) If you dont have the upgraded motor mount GET IT. Makes the stock gears last longer.

Now as for your power system desire. 4S 3700 is not going to yeld much flight time in my opinion. My lepton which is smaller and lighter (425mm blades) flew 4S 3700 and I got 5 minutes. You will be lucky to get 4 with lower head speeds. Since you dont want to upgrade your charger etc I suggest going with two 3S packs like two 3S 3300 packs.

Bob

[Skaross]

1) metal grips but for your head speed desires plastic is OK. NO you do not need the metal head as it only really holds the dampeners.


Bob, my plastic one broke badly in a crash and looking at the plastic it seemed brittle. If metal grips are required for high head speeds, I would be concerned that the next point of a potential failure is this block. Just my thoughts on a relatively cheap upgrade ($16).


Now as for your power system desire. 4S 3700 is not going to yeld much flight time in my opinion. My lepton which is smaller and lighter (425mm blades) flew 4S 3700 and I got 5 minutes.

Thinking about my original suggestion, these packs work on a stock Swift, but at far lower head speeds. I'd agree with you... very short flights at 2000+ RPM.

Kev

[nieves50]

Any idea if the new kits from readyheli come with these new "OK" gears from GAUI? Thanks!

[nieves50]

Well, no "OK" gears with the kits from Readyheli..

Can anybody explain what's the difference between the old & new motor mount? It seems the new one has a hole for what appears to be a bearing. Thanks!!

BTW, do I need this part if I order the new motor mount?

http://www.readyheli.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=204582&CartID=5

Sorry about all these questions... :oops:

[stevehonn]

1) metal grips but for your head speed desires plastic is OK. NO you do not need the metal head as it only really holds the dampeners.


Bob, my plastic one broke badly in a crash and looking at the plastic it seemed brittle. If metal grips are required for high head speeds, I would be concerned that the next point of a potential failure is this block. Just my thoughts on a relatively cheap upgrade ($16).


Now as for your power system desire. 4S 3700 is not going to yeld much flight time in my opinion. My lepton which is smaller and lighter (425mm blades) flew 4S 3700 and I got 5 minutes.

Thinking about my original suggestion, these packs work on a stock Swift, but at far lower head speeds. I'd agree with you... very short flights at 2000+ RPM.

Kev

Bob is right, the feathering shaft connecting the two main blade grips actually goes through a hole in the aluminium centre of the head block, as well as the plastic block. The plastic section only has to take the teetering loads from the dampers so is fine. I've fitted the metal main blade grips and one plus point for these is that they use a 4mm blade bolt as opposed to the stock plastic grips 3mm bolts, a little like the Swift. I am running over 2000rpm and using 3mm bolts with 500mm carbon blades at these head speeds does make me wince a bit!

[nieves50]

So, could a Swift be a better choice (better reliability) than the H550? Again, running on a 550+ (staying 4s ) & 4s 4000 lipos. This is just for sports flying........

[nieves50]

Ok, here's what I have in mind for "upgrades", total comes to $400.00 with motor/ESC. BTW, since Readyheli don't have the Revco gears I decided to add the "OK" gears from GAUI.....

Feel free to mention anything that I missed or don't need right away, I'll be running the heli stock for now, I'll be getting CF blades as soon as I can.

Thanks again.....

[Tom Viper]

The CNC pitch and roll arm arn´t nessesary at all, but will add up a notch on the "bling factor". Get the new M1110 motor if possible, straight away.

[Finless]

I agree with Tom, the CNC arms are bling only but if you want them GO FOR IT....

Bob

[Skaross]

Do you need the extra steel 8mm one way bearing, or is this a new upgrade part?

My understanding is you can just strip this gear off the old short shaft - anyone tell me if this is wrong?

Kev

[stevehonn]

Do you need the extra steel 8mm one way bearing, or is this a new upgrade part?

My understanding is you can just strip this gear off the old short shaft - anyone tell me if this is wrong?

Kev

If you've already got an 8mm shaft (early kits were 6mm) then you just replace the shaft and verything else just swaps over.

[odieser]

anyone install the cnc pitch/roll arms
I am curious which side the washer goes on the inside or outside of the arm
I can not get the arm tight and still work freely
Can anyone help

[hommer75]

I came across the same issue; I took out the washer which sits in between the two bearings in the plasic arms and put that between the bearing and the frame. I tightend it down firmly and it remains completely free. Simple as that

[odieser]

thanks I will give that a try

[Pinecone]

If you've already got an 8mm shaft (early kits were 6mm) then you just replace the shaft and verything else just swaps over.

So for the new mtoro mount, you need to get a different shaft? Which one?

Thanks.

[Finless]

The new motor mount kit comes with the shaft and spacers.

Bob

[stevehonn]

anyone install the cnc pitch/roll arms
I am curious which side the washer goes on the inside or outside of the arm
I can not get the arm tight and still work freely
Can anyone help

The washer goes between the two bearings, inside the lever, if you don't when you tighten the screw the inner & outer races of the bearings touch each other in the middle, binding the bearings. No washer is needed on the inside as there's a raised part on the frame which only bears on the inner race of the bearing and the screw also only bears on the inner race.

[dutch_anykey]

Hi,

Since this thread is called "MUST HAVE upgrades"

I say get the new GAUI 1100 kv motor!

From performance point of view ofcourse. The parts mentioned earlier are more important because of safety point of view. (I got the metal bladegrips, CF MAH 515 main blades, new motor mount and gears and some other things i cant remember right now)

I just got the new GAUI 1100 kv motor. Can't believe how much more power this one got over the stock GAUI motor. For normal flying and learning i would say that the stock motor is enough, but for loops rolls and more 3d....the 1100kv from gaui is graet. I run it with 7s A123 and a CC phx 80 ESC.

O.k. i had a blast today at our local flying field....so i just have to get this of my chest :D
3 guys overthere own the e-raptor 550 and 620..nice machines. So there i was spooling up the hurricane. i felt at least 3 pairs of eyes looking at the hurri.....still spooling up when i brought it in a hover. turned it sideways and when the HS was max. I pulled full pitch....It took of like a rocket
I still hear them comment ...."WHAAAAAT???" :lol:
Showed of some loops rolls and flips...didnt want to stop, but i had too...the downside of the 7s A123...4 minutes of flying doing nonstop "power show off" moves.

That was just about the coolest moment in my flying career with the hurricane so far.
Still have to learn a lot. Normally this thing would bog down in rolls and flips, also because of poor collective management from my side. The management still needs improvement, but if i make a mistake now it doesnt bog in a flip...it just takes off higher while inverted hahaha. I just love this this heli more and more.

Sorry for being a little off topic. Just had to get it of my chest :D

Maurice

[Finless]

:D

[Pinecone]

The new motor mount kit comes with the shaft and spacers.

Bob

Cool, thanks.