DONE! Stretched Trex Helicam

[bullaculla]

Well, I'm done... again :)
My trex 600 cameraship has slowly transformed into a 10s monster swinging 690 blades.
It all started a year ago with a stock trex600 and an askman 360 mount.
Here are some pics to show my progress. you might recognise this bird from the askman site. My daughter wanted to put butterfly stickers on the canopy. At least they are on fire.
http://photos.imageevent.com/bullaculla1/heli/large/OB8J1532.jpg
Unhappy with performance and flight time, I soon looked for more a powerful motor and drive system. I turned it into this: A 10s beast swinging 620 blades.
http://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=42001
http://photos.imageevent.com/bullaculla1/heli/large/02.jpg
and I thought I was done, but then my inexperience in flying helis led me to making extentions to help with orientation and visibility.
http://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=45972
http://photos.imageevent.com/bullaculla1/heli/large/IMG_4562.JPG
And again, I thought I was done, but again I couldn't leave well enough alone. I wanted to go bigger. I know I should've started with a maxi joker, but I didn't know how serious I was going to be about this AP thing. Besides, I still think this route is cheaper than a new MJ2 with the big blue pletty. So my plan was to modyify a boom, like quite a few people have done already, and I got all the parts I needed to do it, but I found someone who makes custom booms that are just the right length that fit perfectly. So I got my boom and a new TT kit, and a raptor 60 drive shaft that had to be modified. I got it all measured out and fitted. Then I measured how long I could go with blades. I can fit 710s, but I think it would draw too many amps, so I went with the Radix 690 blades. Also, the 690 fit perfecty in the stock trex metal grips and I chose radix because of its ultra wide chord and it has a saftey wire down the lenght of the blade. I also got a custom titainium spindle shaft to save weight and hopefully will be a little stronger than the steel one.
So anyway, here it is :D
http://photos.imageevent.com/bullaculla1/heli/huge/IMG_0624.JPG

http://photos.imageevent.com/bullaculla1/heli/huge/IMG_0626.JPG
as you can see, the tail rotor has lots of clearance.
http://photos.imageevent.com/bullaculla1/heli/huge/IMG_0646.JPG

So now, i really am done. There isn't much I can do to it besides getting a Power Jazz and going 12s. And even that is not much of a change, more like an upgrade.
or I can sell it and buy a maxi joker 2 :thumbup:

I did some test hops and checked tracking im my driveway, but tomorrow it will be carrying the camera mount and getting a full performance test. maybe even a baby auto.
Before the stretch, it was just under 13lbs fully loaded with the heaviest gear it will ever carry. I havent weighed it yet, but I image that it cant have gained more than a pound, Which makes it a really light 90 size electric.
More pics of tomorrows test flights to follow :D

[Hogster]

Wow what a monster!!! :D Seriously nice looking craft :cool:

What are the orange sausages for if they're not for landing on?

I wonder what sort of flight times you will get .... do you know your current draw?


David :cool:

[crewchief]

bullaculla, that's one beautiful aircraft. Very powerful and streamlined. Congratulations! I'm totally impressed!

[bullaculla]

What are the orange sausages for if they're not for landing on?

I wonder what sort of flight times you will get .... do you know your current draw?

Just to help with visual orientation. It makes a nice profile and silhouette. I dont know if you saw this crappy test video with the 620 blades, but I was pretty far away. http://photos.imageevent.com/bullaculla1/heli/testvid.wmv
I'll put up a FDR graph after my test flights :D

[Efliernz]

Well done Iven.
I'm keeping my wife/the finance manager up with your build so "we" can justify a similar upgrade (or wait until the Trex700). 12S with 2 x 6S 5000's is very attractive tho. Good luck with the functional test.

I'll go and take my lowly T600 cameraship out now for some work... :bawl

[psindrup]

Hi BC

I am not familiar with the "standard setup" of a T-rex 600, but have you placed a second battery pack "inside" the frame itself? Did you have to make any modifications to get room for a second battery?

T.i.a.

Peter

[bullaculla]

Hi BC

I am not familiar with the "standard setup" of a T-rex 600, but have you placed a second battery pack "inside" the frame itself? Did you have to make any modifications to get room for a second battery?

T.i.a.

Peter

I'm using the Rotorworkz "HFE" frame that uses an inverted motor mount to free up more space in the frames. Stock Trex600 normally uses a single 6s lipo pack. Mine uses 2 5s lipos wired in series to give me a 38V 10s pack. You can also find single 10s packs, but using 2 5s in series allows more mounting options. No mods were made to the frame besides the frame swap, and a little reshaping to make room for my custom aluminum lower frame plate to attach pan LG.

[j_kookboy]

Nice mod Iven.

I was limited with what I can lift with the 600's as well.

I went with 690's instead of 710's too. Didn't do much for lift but it pulled a lot more amp's.

Way to go.

Jesse

[bullaculla]

I went with 690's instead of 710's too. Didn't do much for lift but it pulled a lot more amp's.


Do you mean that from 690 to 710s didn't do much for lift or 600 to 690s didn't do much for lift?
I didn't know you stretched a trex. How did you do yours?

[bullaculla]

Well, we have been having really bad weather around here lately. 50mph winds and heavy rain. But I did mange to get a test flight and a few more photos in my driveway under windy conditions.
The total weight as you see it is 13lbs 14oz. so about what I predicted, but will go up by another pound with the 10-22mm EFS on there :o But still she carried the weight like it was nothing. :thumbup: Hovering below 3/4 stick and flying smooth after I tracked and balanced the blades. Even the little 900mhz TX antenna wasn't shaking. I did a few little climbouts, not full pitch tho, but she still shot up pretty hard with no bogging.
http://photos.imageevent.com/bullaculla1/heli/huge/IMG_0649.JPG

http://photos.imageevent.com/bullaculla1/heli/huge/IMG_0655.JPG

http://photos.imageevent.com/bullaculla1/heli/huge/IMG_0659.JPG
The "outriggers" make a nice visible profile and you can easily see orientation from a distance.
http://photos.imageevent.com/bullaculla1/heli/huge/IMG_0656.JPG
Wide chord
http://photos.imageevent.com/bullaculla1/heli/huge/IMG_0651.JPG

http://photos.imageevent.com/bullaculla1/heli/huge/IMG_0663.JPG
Looks like 8 minutes of comfortable flight times are possible. The small power cutouts are little test autos, and there is plenty of energy left at the bottom. The long cutout is me playing with the gyro settings. This is using the 5350mAh pack.
http://photos.imageevent.com/bullaculla1/heli/huge/fdr.jpg
Still gonna need more testing tho. Trying to hover in such a small space with the gusty winds blowing through wasn't fun. I still need to play with the gyro setting. It's not setup for these giant tail blades. but the little climbout had no tail kick at all. lots of authority. :smokin:
and if this doesn't work out(which I doubt) I still have 3 fully built (2 belted and 1 TT drive) normal length tail assemblies, complete with tail rotors and all the fittings :D nice to have lots of spares when you are also an aspiring 3D pilot too ;)

[Efliernz]

I want one. Do you deliver? :D

I have beer :cheers

and my own park :Hi

[trackhead]

Nice work. Nice looking heli...........

[bullaculla]

Nice work. Nice looking heli...........

Thanks D. Now if I could just fly like you ;)
I saw your video flying through the woods over the creek. Very very nice stuff! :thumbup:
So, I guess the helicommand is working for you :D

Edit:
I got in another flight at home. Less windy. A few hard climbs at the beginning and end. Mid flight is just smooth hovering.
Much more stable than with the 620s on. I cant wait to try it out in the open with the AP2000i.
http://photos.imageevent.com/bullaculla1/heli/huge/fdr2.jpg

[trackhead]

You're new heli is really making me want to build one myself. I don't really need the extra power, but it just looks fun.

When and if you have time, it would be cool to see a vid of the 700 flying.

[j_kookboy]

Do you mean that from 690 to 710s didn't do much for lift or 600 to 690s didn't do much for lift?
I didn't know you stretched a trex. How did you do yours?

Not a trex but a stretched raven and a raptor.

600 to 690's was a godsend. Lifting/auto's were night and day.

Difference between 690 and 710's were not significant enough to offset the higher amp draw.

When did you switch over to the Tango from the Zpower ?

I've always been a Tango fan since I tossed a 45-08 in the raven.

Compared to the Z, how is yours ?

Jesse

[bullaculla]

I only bought the Z to test Kv. I used it for about 2 weeks before I decided to buy the Tango. They really are awesome motors. Ultra smooth and powerful. I was about to buy yours for a backup, or stick it in my play bird, but the timing was wrong because I was on the verge or doing my stretch.
Another nice thing about this size blades is that there are quite alot of semi symms available, but the Radix blades provide plenty of lift for now. I only need a couple degrees of pitch to hover without the mount. The next thing is the aerial pack insurance, and of course, more Lipos! :D
...you still selling the 45-08?

[Hogster]

Is it better to swing wide chord blades slower, or narrow chord blades faster? Just wondering if it's worth me looking for some wide 550s for my Logo ....

Cheers,


David :)

[j_kookboy]

I only bought the Z to test Kv. I used it for about 2 weeks before I decided to buy the Tango. They really are awesome motors. Ultra smooth and powerful. I was about to buy yours for a backup, or stick it in my play bird, but the timing was wrong because I was on the verge or doing my stretch.
Another nice thing about this size blades is that there are quite alot of semi symms available, but the Radix blades provide plenty of lift for now. I only need a couple degrees of pitch to hover without the mount. The next thing is the aerial pack insurance, and of course, more Lipos! :D
...you still selling the 45-08?

Sorry Iven. Gone to Tip. :)

David,

Lower RPM, wider chord, heavier blades is much better for lift/AP than higher RPM narrow chord and lighter blades.

Jesse

[Wbird]

OK Bullaculla, I'm Jealous.

Nice setup. Have you thought of doing flybarless on this rig. A friend of mine has a couple of Logo 600's now with V-Bar. We were looking at his flight times and battery capacities. If I stretched one of them to 690s and run it around 1800 or so we could possibly get 15 minutes on a 10 cell 5000 mah pack. Those helis are very efficient.

Here's mine in the stock size. Would you recommend I stretch one or exchange for a flybarless logo and stretch that, AP use?

[bullaculla]

Sorry man, I dont know anything about flybarless. other than being very effcient and really expensive. I've seen some logos with V bar, and they are really ballistic. I'm sure if you dumb down the controls, you could get alot more flight time.
It wouldn't take much either, most of us already have the AP2000i. It supposed to do flybarless with the addition of a few gyros. But with the mixer working as a flybarless system, you'd probably lose your stabilization.

[j_kookboy]

OK Bullaculla, I'm Jealous.

Nice setup. Have you thought of doing flybarless on this rig. A friend of mine has a couple of Logo 600's now with V-Bar. We were looking at his flight times and battery capacities. If I stretched one of them to 690s and run it around 1800 or so we could possibly get 15 minutes on a 10 cell 5000 mah pack. Those helis are very efficient.

Here's mine in the stock size. Would you recommend I stretch one or exchange for a flybarless logo and stretch that, AP use?

I wouldn't recommend to run 690's on the align head at 1800. You'd be pushing the limits.

690's on that head should be spinning at 1500-1600 for AP flight.

As a comparison, I blew the head apart in mid-air on my backup raven at 1760 with 690's. I switched over to a metal head, lowered the RPM's down to 1500 and found the sweet spot for efficiency/AP.

Just a suggestion.

Jesse

[jascamera]

Guys,

For those who are short on money and don't want to do all the work to strecth the t-rex. Try a front mount setup, you will lose close to 2 pound of weight. When I first got the 360 underslung from Askman, I had couple of test flight and sent it right back because of the weight. Askman also have a front mount, but I modify my own front mount, cost me $150, then payign $400. Total weight is about 10 pounds with a 19 oz HD video camera, have a lot of climbing power with stock 600 XL motor and 4200 mah battery for about 5 minute of flight time.

Most people will argue the unslug are better to isolate vibration, for those who use for aerial still photos, there nothing to worry about because you can get away with it by with a faster shutter speed, higher ISO. In fact, switching from underslug to front mount, the photos quality was never a problem. It gets challenging when you use it for video. But look around and you will notice all the pro video people are all using front mount over underslug. Front mount also serve are a gauge for how well tune your heli is. If you are able to get good video with front mount, meaning your heli is tune perfectly, meaning less vibration, less part failure and less crashes.

With front mount, the 600 fly normal, you won't get the pendulum effect.

Also the 600 is design to swing a 600mm blade, with a 700mm blade, even the head and tail unit are strong enough, the ball link are the parts that I worry about, it might not be up to this type of stress for long run. Need to do a lot of testing.

All in all, I would skip the Underslung mount setup--just too heavy and the benefit just don't justify for the negative that it comes with.

[bullaculla]

Thanks for the safety concern. I am flying well under 1800rpm, and I am using a full metal head, and grips with a custom titainum spindle shaft. I am testing it eveyday with partial teardowns to check on wear. I am having problems with my tail tho. But I think its just the gyro settings that needs to be tweaked because of the huge tail blades. I just got back from the field after about 45 minutes of air time, and now my heli is almost complety apart.
Also, there are a few people who fly stretched trexs with 700mm blades doing hard 3D. One guy has been flying his for over a year without any problems, so I am not worried :)

Jascamera, I know all about the front mount ;)

[crewchief]

Thanks for the safety concern. I am flying well under 1800rpm, and I am using a full metal head, and grips with a custom titainum spindle shaft.What's the best tach/method for safely testing headspeed?

[Randallhurd]

I looked at the Maxi Joker2 and didn't see any prices..
Looks like the tail boom has a 45 on it.
Is that a pretty stable Heli? The web sites that I went to were pretty simple.
:confused: