Motions
07-15-2007, 10:29 PM
It's been a couple of weeks since the Mikado USA team pilots have received our kits and we've had time to inspect this new generation model very closely. I would like to offer some tips on building this kit in hopes of making your build go very smooth.
This is not a build thread, it is only to provide valuable tips for building this kit which the team pilots have found during the build, setup, and test flights of this model.
My tips:
1) First and foremost, the very first thing you should do is deburr the side frames. The edges are very sharp as with most all plastic frames but more importantly, the edges on the battery tray are very sharp. A small bump or hard landing could cut into your battery pack so please deburr this area at a minimum. I have been told that extra detailed work with the molds should help smooth these edges out in the future.
2) Next on my list is the servo mounts. If you go strictly by the manual for servo installation, you will no doubt be scratching your head. The Phillips head screws provided for the servos are too large to fit in the eyelets of most standard servos. My solution was to not use the eyelets (which are not needed on electrics anyway) and to use standard metal mounting plates on the top to give a solid and even pressure on the grommets. (see attached photos)
For the tail servo, I used standard Futaba mounting screws and eyelets which worked great. The eyelets are needed to ensure the servo mounting posts in the frame don't damage the grommets.
3) This next tip is not specific to the Logo build but it does apply more to the Logo since all the electronics are so close together. To make a very clean installation, it's best to cut all the servo wires to length especially on the gyro. The best way to do this is to cut the wires to the correct length and crimp new connectors on. You can splice and solder but it's a little more work.
(DO NOT attempt cutting and shortening any servo leads unless you are very proficient at soldering and crimping. Just one small mistake can have devastating consequences.)
4) My last important tip has to do with the tail control rod. During my build I epoxied the ends on the rod and let it sit overnight to cure. When I went to install the tail rod, I noticed it was too long. I am using the carbon tail box so I'm not sure if that made a difference. The rod came out to be 6mm too long so I just removed 3mm of rod from each end and shortened the threads. My suggestion would be to only epoxy one end of the tail rod and then do a test fit before trying to epoxy the other end. It's much easier to shorten before the epoxy goes in.
We are working closely with Mikado to fine tune and enhance the new generation models even more. I truly have to say that this is by far the most well designed and engineered model I have ever seen. This is the dawn of a new era in R/C helicopters.
This is not a build thread, it is only to provide valuable tips for building this kit which the team pilots have found during the build, setup, and test flights of this model.
My tips:
1) First and foremost, the very first thing you should do is deburr the side frames. The edges are very sharp as with most all plastic frames but more importantly, the edges on the battery tray are very sharp. A small bump or hard landing could cut into your battery pack so please deburr this area at a minimum. I have been told that extra detailed work with the molds should help smooth these edges out in the future.
2) Next on my list is the servo mounts. If you go strictly by the manual for servo installation, you will no doubt be scratching your head. The Phillips head screws provided for the servos are too large to fit in the eyelets of most standard servos. My solution was to not use the eyelets (which are not needed on electrics anyway) and to use standard metal mounting plates on the top to give a solid and even pressure on the grommets. (see attached photos)
For the tail servo, I used standard Futaba mounting screws and eyelets which worked great. The eyelets are needed to ensure the servo mounting posts in the frame don't damage the grommets.
3) This next tip is not specific to the Logo build but it does apply more to the Logo since all the electronics are so close together. To make a very clean installation, it's best to cut all the servo wires to length especially on the gyro. The best way to do this is to cut the wires to the correct length and crimp new connectors on. You can splice and solder but it's a little more work.
(DO NOT attempt cutting and shortening any servo leads unless you are very proficient at soldering and crimping. Just one small mistake can have devastating consequences.)
4) My last important tip has to do with the tail control rod. During my build I epoxied the ends on the rod and let it sit overnight to cure. When I went to install the tail rod, I noticed it was too long. I am using the carbon tail box so I'm not sure if that made a difference. The rod came out to be 6mm too long so I just removed 3mm of rod from each end and shortened the threads. My suggestion would be to only epoxy one end of the tail rod and then do a test fit before trying to epoxy the other end. It's much easier to shorten before the epoxy goes in.
We are working closely with Mikado to fine tune and enhance the new generation models even more. I truly have to say that this is by far the most well designed and engineered model I have ever seen. This is the dawn of a new era in R/C helicopters.