RC-TEK Sky Shark/Diablo thread

[HeliSmith]

Yeah I just finished my rebuild been down a week. It's ok though because it was raining a week. Go out and it's gusting wind! argh.. Going to rain all next week including tomorrow too.

HeliSmith stops checks to make sure he's in the right California. :roll:

[strat1960s]

Well, I think God must enjoy RC Helicopters.
I ate dinner and when I got back to my room the last of my lipo packs was fully charged and ready to go. I went to a parking lot here on base and flew all three lipo packs. Nothing too spectacular, but it was really a lot of fun.
Back home in Montana they have about 16 inches of snow, wind gusts as high as 45 mph and a temp in the teens.

Just remember, spring is just around the corner and so are warmer/dryer days.

If the weather holds up, I'll be out flying tomorrow too.

Ted

[HeliSmith]

Ted that is great it is raining so bad here...

Anyone have a link to the specs for this RCT-40A ESC?

[strat1960s]

There was a little too much wind outside for my limited flying skills. I've read that if I bump up the head speed or engage the idle up switch it would smooth things out quite a bit. I'm not at that level yet, but someday maybe.
Anyhow, for those specs on the 40 amp ESC, you might contact Scott. He's pretty good about getting specs or at least a link that'll get you the info you're looking for.

Ted

[HeliSmith]

You might need some expo around center cyclic. Bumping up headspeed does stable it out but it has the potential to accelerate right rolls and climbs more when you are facing the wind. Facing the wind does this anyway. It also will accelerate the lift drop thing you get in the wind. Learning in the wind is not that great of an idea imo...

[strat1960s]

Helismith,

While I haven't mastered flying/hovering indoors without wind, I would say I'm pretty good at putting the heli where I want it. I would think the next logical step would be to go outside where the wind/breezes are not predictable and learn how to fly/hover the heli with it bobbing up and down and drifting from side to side. I'm not looking to fly in heavy wind conditions. Again, I'm still a newbie, so I'm looking for very light breezes. Once I get better I will consider flying in a little more wind. When I get back to Montana I will not have the luxury of flying inside a large aircraft hangar. When I transfer to my new job I will have nothing more than an office cube. I am transfering from vehicle maintenance to contracting. I'm pretty sure this is an upward transition. LOL
I could be mistaken, but my thoughts are that I need to learn how to fly outside. I am open to suggestions though.

Ted

[HeliSmith]

Now fo the speech... lol

Never do anything on your heli you haven't done on the simulator first. You must learn the basics, such as hovering in all orientations, before you start flying but I know you won't so let's go to plan B. Don't exit your comfort zone. Learn how to flip the tail back to tail-in.

You can turn variable wind on in the higher end sims. I have RealFlight and it is ok to learn on. But it has this suspended in midair effect. If you turn the heli exactly sideways-blades vertical it hangs there for a minute. My real heli drops instantly. I have purchased Phoenix and I will see how that one is I hear it is good.

[hobbystuff]

Saw this over at RCG. Now this is a SkyShark.......

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9034509&postcount=1

-- Hobbystuff

[HeliSmith]

Ken how much did he charge for that? Think he can make me a Nemo one? j/k

[strat1960s]

Helismith,

I've been flying on the sims since August. I've been puttzing/hovering around inside a KC 135 hangar since September. True, I don't have all the orientations mastered, but I'm pretty good at keeping the heli where I want it. I've been working on both nose in and side ways hovering/flight on both the sim and the real thing.
Thanks for the info.

Ted

[blade strike]

here are some pics of my new canopy and my good old SkyShark, canopy painted by an RCG member EAST.

Let me know what you guys think!

EDITED:
I see hobbystuff already posted my thread... oh well I will leave these on here.
@helismith
This is Ken;)

[HeliSmith]

Helismith,

I've been flying on the sims since August. I've been puttzing/hovering around inside a KC 135 hangar since September. True, I don't have all the orientations mastered, but I'm pretty good at keeping the heli where I want it. I've been working on both nose in and side ways hovering/flight on both the sim and the real thing.
Thanks for the info.

Ted

It is nothing more then stick time. Some people take longer like me but eventually I am getting it.

[HeliSmith]

Crash #2 on the Sky Shark this morning. Holds up like a frickin tank. Lighter than my Trex. Plus still no slop anywhere.

P.S. These Digital MG servos are the shizzle... Tail servo is earning my trust back too.

[hobbystuff]

I just bought a SkyShark and started to set up the head last night. One thing I noticed is that the ball links are EXTREMELY loose, in fact on one of the pushrods from the servo to the swash has a small bit of discernible slop.

My gut tells me that this is too loose so I guess I will have to order up some new balls and go through the head. Anyone else have this problem?

[HeliSmith]

No I have not actually they are usually a bit tight so you can size them are you sure they are too loose? You watched the Finless video for ball links and you know how to check for lateral movement? (Not saying you don't know what you are doing just checking to make sure I don't waste your time.) Ball Links 101 (20 Megs) (http://video.helifreak.com/?subpath=finless/generic&filename=Ball_Links101.wmv)


This is RC-TEK shoot Scott an email to be amazed! I love RC-TEK customer support.

scott@rc-tek.com

List your problem to him along with a count of those ball link connectors that are loose.

Here's the Trex setup videos which mostly apply:
http://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=11373

Here's the RCT-450 set videos:
http://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=41512

Edited: Several times I am at work. Last edit 7:29am

[hobbystuff]

Helismith:

Yah, these ball links are REAL loose. I can feel the slop between the ball and the link when I move it. Based on my experience with previous helicopters, by the time I fly this thing a few times those balls are going to be WAY too floppy.

On the other hand, I bought a Phantom at the same time and the balls on it were so tight the head wouldn't move at all. Had to resize every one of them!

Thanks for the suggestion to talk with RC-Tek, these are my first RC-Tek helicopters so I haven't had the pleasure of the service yet (although my order went extremely smoothly with good communication).

Both helicopters are nice.

[strat1960s]

I really think this is an isolated problem. I've had my Sky Shark since October. Everything was dead on perfect. I've been going to 4 different forums that have RC Tek topics and this is the first that I've heard of ball-links being too loose.
I'm 99.9% sure Scott and the folks at RC Tek will take care of you.

Ted

[TheBum]

If anything, the ball links on my Diablo are too tight. I'm tempted to tear down the head to see if I can get the flybar to swing any more freely; right now, it only goes down-up-down when I slap down hard on one of the paddles. I'll start by popping the links; if the head's super loose afterward, then I'll start looking at resizing links.

[HeliSmith]

I took mine apart twice to get it right. You can always remove material but you can't put it back. I like mine loose but just barely so leaving as much material as possible on the link connector.

[hobbystuff]

This is RC-TEK shoot Scott an email to be amazed! I love RC-TEK customer support.

scott@rc-tek.com

List your problem to him along with a count of those ball link connectors that are loose.

Just got a response to my inquiry from RC-Tek, good fast customer service. Very happy with my helicopter choice.

[strat1960s]

I have been very pleased with the customer support and the customer service. I get answers to my questions within a day and I get my parts within 3 days. Can't beat that.
I've been nothing less than impressed with RC TEK

Ted

[TheBum]

Scott and I were even trading e-mails during the Super Bowl and he was able to help me resolve my main gear frame rubbing issue, which was due to sheer stupidity/ignorance on my part.

[rcboosted]

FWIW, Align plastic links and SS balls recently have been dead on without any resizing needed. When snapping on, it feels solid without any mushy feel.

[HeliSmith]

Thanks for the heads up I will stay away from them. I like to size my links. Any link that is dead on is dead off on at least a few of them due to tolerances.

[ROne21]

Where is the Diablo made? Taiwan, China, Korea.....?