Expo for a newbie with a T-rex 500?

[psindrup]

Hi all

I just had a very short "maiden flight" with my T-rex 500 in my living room (of only 3x3 meters), and I think it is pretty "wild".

What is your suggested expo setting for a total newbie with a T-rex 500 and a DX7.

T.i.a.

Peter

[hamslice]

i personally dont use expo but i would start at 20% or so no more than that. and please do not fly in your living room with a 500. i wouldn't even spool up my 450 in my house.

[Hulley]

If your gonna spool up in your living room, at least get in on video :YeaBaby:!!!!

[Finless]

Since I have my cyclic maxed out, I am running 20% expo.

Bob

[miragewsu]

I say fly whatever expo it takes to get it flying comfortably. There is nothing wrong with expo. Most say to lower it down as you get more comfortable. I have read that some pros fly with some expo. If you can 3d the thing with 90% expo more power to ya!!! It's all up to your preference.

Oh, and make sure you pick the right type of expo for your transmitter. NO need to make it more sensitive

[wbplomp]

Hi all

I just had a very short "maiden flight" with my T-rex 500 in my living room (of only 3x3 meters), and I think it is pretty "wild".

What is your suggested expo setting for a total newbie with a T-rex 500 and a DX7.

T.i.a.

Peter

As a newbie you should not use EXPO at all. Instead, decrease your cyclic for PITCH and AILERON to a level that is not that twitchy at all. EXPO only solves your problem at mid stick.

[psindrup]

Thanks all for your input.

As a newbie you should not use EXPO at all. Instead, decrease your cyclic for PITCH and AILERON to a level that is not that twitchy at all. EXPO only solves your problem at mid stick.

Don´t you mean elevator and and aileron?

Peter

[wbplomp]

Don´t you mean elevator and and aileron?

Yes, sorry... i meant ELEVATOR and AILERON.

[Azlum]

As a newbie you should not use EXPO at all. Instead, decrease your cyclic for PITCH and AILERON to a level that is not that twitchy at all. EXPO only solves your problem at mid stick.

I dont agree with this statement AT ALL. If you numb your cyclic pitch to the point where its no longer twitchy, how will you make a quick correction should you get into trouble?

There is nothing wrong with expo for newbies, or for experts. I personally started into the hobby with no expo, flew that way for 6 months, and then decided I like having a little expo after I already knew how to fly.

[psindrup]

I
There is nothing wrong with expo for newbies, or for experts. I personally started into the hobby with no expo, flew that way for 6 months, and then decided I like having a little expo after I already knew how to fly.

Azlum - How much expo did you use? I was thinking +50% to begin with. But is that to much? And how much can I reduce "maximum cyclic"?

My T-Rex 500/radio is setup, so 60% in the swash mix. menu gives the max. "allowed" mechanical output. I was thinking of reducing the cyclic by 33% so I end up with 40% in the swash mix settings on the radio.

Thanks a million

Peter

[ChasHeliCop]

I was thinking of reducing the cyclic by 33% so I end up with 40% in the swash mix settings on the radio.
Peter

Peter, Don't mess up your cyclic setup, like was stated before, if you get into trouble and need the cyclic to pull out of it, it's there. You are tieing one hand behind your back. Run your EXPO +20% on the DX7 and work it up or down a few degrees as you get more comfortable. Personally, I run mine at around 15% right now. It's all about feel, personal preference and response to input, so no one can give you a definite number.

[Hulley]

I personally think expo relates to how calm a person is. If you panic or get excited easily you may want more expo so you dont "over" input a command in the heli. If your the kind of person that stays calm and level headed you may not need expo. Thats how it worked out for me at least! The more I flew, the more relaxed I became and reduced the expo I like not having to move the stick so far to control to heli.
Just my .02

[W4DJW]

Just my 2 cents worth:
When you start out you do want your helicopter mechanics setup with full cyclic deflection so that as you get better you can dial in the amount of throw that makes you comfortable simply using the transmitter programming rather than having to alter the helicopter mechanics. When you’re learning, if you’re like me, your brain likes to know what to expect from the helicopter when you input commands from the transmitter. For me that means if I give it ¼ stick deflection I get a know reaction from the helicopter. If I give it ½ stick deflection I get double that reaction precisely. That makes my brain happy with the results. To accomplish this I use dual rates rather than exponential rates. As I get better or more comfortable I bump up the amount of throw available on dual rates, through the transmitter programming, until I reach the point that toggling between low and high rates satisfies the need between smooth easy flying and aggressive fun flying. Now, at some point further down the road when you are really comfortable with both rates you are not going to want to take the time to flip the switch between the low and high rates. At this point you’ll have already made your brain fully aware of what the helicopter can do at full stick deflection on high rates. With this in mind there will be no surprises when you are in exponential mode and you bang the stick to full deflection to get the desired 3D maneuver you are attempting to make. The reaction from the helicopter will be just what you were asking it to do and at the same time the behavior at center stick will be more precise as you want it to be. This means you no longer have to flip between low and high rates anymore. If, on the other hand, you attempt to use exponential rates right out of the gate, you may be unpleasantly surprised when the exponential rates kick in sooner than you expected and the helicopter makes a radical pitch or roll when you weren’t expecting it. This could be really bad if you were to get a little out of kilter in the living room and tried to make a more than moderate correction and suddenly it went wild on you when you least expected it.

[wbplomp]

I dont agree with this statement AT ALL. If you numb your cyclic pitch to the point where its no longer twitchy, how will you make a quick correction should you get into trouble?

There is nothing wrong with expo for newbies, or for experts. I personally started into the hobby with no expo, flew that way for 6 months, and then decided I like having a little expo after I already knew how to fly.

Don't get me wrong. It is hard to explain, but when you use HS-65xx servos and a Futaba receiver, you can use 40% on SWASH AFR for AILERON en ELEVATOR. This is not twitchy, but PLENTY of room for sudden reaction. You can easely fly sports or mild 3D. The cyclic pitch is normal, linear, not twitchy. When you want to fly more 3D and need more cyclic, you can give it about 45% wich makes it move very quickly all the stick, this is also known as to be twitchy. This is where you put in your EXPO, beginner or experts it does not matter. Ofcourse you should use EXPO the way it suits you.

But again to many cyclic pitch can be way more dangerous for a beginner. Lower its cyclic to normal (NOT LOW) and it flies without EXPO. I can tell, when your movements are linear its more easy for students to learn, I can tell. This is not a opinion I made myself, everybody I know off (sutdents and also at our club) seems to be doing the same thing too.

For example when you are a beginner...
SWASH AFR:
PIT: 40% (-10 ~ +12)
AIL: 40% (normal and enough)
ELE: 40% (normal enough)

Or when you are experienced
SWASH AFR:
PIT: 45% (-10.75 ~ + 10.75)
AIL: 40% (a lot and twitchy, you need/like EXPO)
ELE: 45% (a lot and titchy, you need/like EXPO)
EXPO: -25% (- for Futaba, + for JR/Graupner)

You should ask yourself, why do I need EXPO? Answer: Well, in most cases because your cyclic is to twitchy. This is where EXPO comes handy. But be aware, to many EXPO ruins your linear cylic curve, for beginner this can cause sudden surprises.

Just an advice though!

[psindrup]

Thanks a lot for all you detailed replies.

Does anyone have a "qualified guess" of what I should reduce the cyclic to, measured in degrees. to "calm the T-Rex 500 down" just a little.

I will use a pitch gauge to find the swash mix to achieve that cyclic range.

T.i.a.

Peter

EDIT: This was written before I saw wbplomp (http://www.helifreak.com/member.php?u=20152)'s reply

[AutoXMan]

Hey just because I know some of the above posts can be confusing, give 20% expo a shot first. The worst thing that can happen is you take off and find it still twitchy, or too soft around the center. Then adjust accordingly. I use some expo and the pros do too, so I say give it a try :thumbup:

Any thoughts on when you can take this guy outside?

[psindrup]

I think I will go for 20 % expo, reduce pitch to +10/-10 and cyclic to +6/-6

And I have no clue as to when I will be able to bring the bird outside for its (and my) real maiden, as it is blowing gale force winds here at the moment. :arggg:

Peter