Question on G4 sim and blade400

[flapjack]

Been flying a CX2 around the house. Liked it so much decided to get a blade400. So i figured i should grab a sim and practice.
So a couple questions related to G4 sim and blade400.

Which heli in the G4 sim would best represent a blade 400?

Since ive been flying a fixed pitch heli i am unsure about CP heli's. When your a beginner, do you fly CP heli's in idle up mode, or the normal mode which seems to be kinda like fixed pitch(advance throttle slowly to increase head speed until heli lifts off)? Ive read a few beginner heli thread and websites but ive never really been able to pull this out of the lessons. Sorry if i posted in the wrong category.

[LockMD]

Fixed pitch? which FP do you have, the CX2 is a coaxial. If you dont have a FP I highly recommend learning on it rather than the 400. Don't have G4 so someone else will chime in on that.

[topquark41396]

My learning curve with heli's went something like this: 1) Sim (G3.5), 2) CX2, 3) B400.

I use several models in G3.5 (can't comment on G4), but mostly the Dominion 3D, which comes with the sim, and a Trex 600N & Trex 450 that are user-made models. The Dominion 3D is nice and gentle, and helps you learn control. The Trex 600N is a lot more responsive, and a nice step between the D3D and the 450. The 450 is twitchy, and moves very fast.

None of the above models correlate very well to the B400 in my opinion. The B400 is like a 450 (somewhat twitchy), but not as sensitive as the 450 in the sim. I have never flown a 450 in real life, so I can't comment on how accurate the sim is.

The value of the sim isn't so much teaching you how to fly a B400, or a Trex450, or a 600N, but rather teaching orientation, reflex, and muscle memory. Try not to use the big red button on the transmitter to reset right after a crash, but rather stop, think about what went wrong, and then start again.

As for normal vs. idle up, my 2 cents is this (I consider myself a newbie, so use a very large grain of salt on this one): Normal mode is the closest approximation to how the CX2 behaves with the throttle input. Idle Up is the way a real rc helicopter should be flown. I found Normal mode to be a great mode for my first 10 or so flights on my B400, getting used to the feel and having a quick way to land without slamming the heli into the ground with lots of negative pitch at high rpm's.

In the sim, I take off in normal, achieve a stable hover, then switch to idle up for all my practice. The important thing is to get used to using the throttle hold switch when landing or crashing, as this immediately cuts the rpm, which in my experience has saved me a few blades (in real life). Practice autorotations all the time, as the heli flies differently when the throttle hold is on.

Good luck, and keep at it!

[BKF]

I downloaded a Trex 450 V2 model and have to say it was the most realistic. However, the model holds the tail rock solid, and the Blade 400's tail isn't nearly as stable (at least for me).

I had downloaded a Blade CP Pro and the Trex 450 figuring the Blade 400 would likely be somewhere in the between, but found it pretty close to the Trex in real life.

[adelmasw]

Where did you download the Trex 450 for the G3??

[phrank]

Trex 450 SE V2 can be downloaded at the KnifeEdge Swap Pages:
http://www.knifeedge.com/forums/downloads.php?do=file&id=3417
This is a performance variant, if you are "n00b" then you should also install the "stock" variant, set it to low rates, and enjoy.

Someone at knifeedge forums said they would take up the task of making a blade400. I'm not sure what the status of that project is though.

[adelmasw]

Thank you. I did not know that there was a forum to swap aircraft.

[flapjack]

Thanks for the input, I have been switching between the impala trainer and the trex 450 se v2 in the sim. Mostly practing hovering and keeping it close to me. The trex seems doable with the dual rate switch active.

And thanks for the idle up tip. Need to start using the throttle hold switch. The CX2 has me in the mode of chopping the throttle (left stick).

[sokal]

i edited the rates to be a lil more like my blade