View Full Version : Another day another crash. Bye Bye Blades again.
Well took the Heli out yesterday and put 5 tanks of fuel through it and everything was fine. Really getting good at tail in hovering. Took her home cleaned her up and charged her up.
Today I took her out for some practice flights before I head over to crow island and I got 6 excellent flights in and had no close calls. So I figured it's time to start practicing nose in hovers as I pretty much have tail in mastered. Well it started good and after half tank of fuel I lost it about 2.5 feet up and hit the ground hard. Much more damage than the 1st crash.
Damage Report so far:
Blades are History (carbons again, when will I learn)
Fly-bar Rod is bent
both Double Links are broken
Main Shaft is bent (slightly but enough warranting replacement)
I will add the other damage to the list once confirmed that there is more. I will also add a pic or 2 once I check it over. Well I never made it to Crow Island today. There's always next year.
I have a couple pics posted here: http://www.heliraptor.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=127#127 although you can't see the damage too well. There may be even more damage as I didn't look at everything yet.
blakka_1
06-26-2005, 09:07 PM
Unlucky mate, crashing is part of the learning curve so try not to feel to bad. Since your learning I would stick to the wood blades, cheaper to replace and also they seem to crash better (heli doesn't take so much of a beating). Just a word of advise, replace all rotating parts even if they look straight, so replace the main shaft, feathering spindle and tail shaft.
Try and get her back up in the air as fast as possible as it sounds like you was progressing very well until the crash. :)
Yeah, thanks for the comments. I'm doing very well on tail in. No more problems there. I will be replacing all that you mentioned and anthing else that seems broken or damaged. I think I will spend some extra time on Real Flight G2 with the nose in hovering. Other than that I am doing pretty well. It was over 2 weeks ago that I had the 1st crash. And I put at least 15 tanks of fuel throught it. I'll get it. This is part of learning. I was actually laughing :lol: after it hit the ground. Although inside I was a bit disapointed. But again this is learning. If I think I will never crash then I'd be fooling myself. I'll keep everyone posted on my results.
DavidH
06-26-2005, 09:17 PM
Main Shaft is bent (slightly but enough warranting replacement)
If the main shaft is bent any, it needs replacing. If you don't replace it your going to be replacing the heli soon as it will shake to pieces.
Also I would think the feathering spindle (blade axle) is bent .
Learn nose in on the simulator or put the training gear back on the heli and learn it from the ground up like you did tail in hovering.
Need to learn to hover the heli with each side of the heli facing you also. Also need to learn to control it fairly well thru all 360 degrees of rotation.
David
If the main shaft is bent any, it needs replacing. If you don't replace it your going to be replacing the heli soon as it will shake to pieces.
Also I would think the feathering spindle (blade axle) is bent .
Learn nose in on the simulator or put the training gear back on the heli and learn it from the ground up like you did tail in hovering.
Need to learn to hover the heli with each side of the heli facing you also. Also need to learn to control it fairly well thru all 360 degrees of rotation.
Both shafts are definitely bent and will be replaced. And I actually did have the training gear on. I think that this is why the damage isn't any worse than it is. I appreciate you stressing the point though. Experience is always worth listening to.
I just wish to point out that everyone here on HeliFreak.com is great. You read the posts and you reply back and offer opinions and advice. I post on other forums including my own and rarely do people reply back with comments that are encouraging. Many times there are no replies for days but if you look at the view count it is clearly being looked at.
I just wish to send out a THANK YOU to everyone. :D
WayneBrown
06-27-2005, 05:17 AM
Check out the IRCHA Pilot Proficiency Program, use that as a guide to learn manuvers in a contolled sequence. I didn't realize what I couldn't do until I tried to fly all of a level. Kinda humbling... :)
blakka_1
06-27-2005, 09:31 AM
I just wish to point out that everyone here on HeliFreak.com is great. You read the posts and you reply back and offer opinions and advice.
That's what Helifreak is all about buddy, and thanks for the kind words.
PS. Let us know about the condition of your Raptor once you have stripped it down and found out what needs to be replaced and what is ok. Would love to help even more. :)
OzarkCopterBum
06-27-2005, 02:24 PM
Heli,
Don't feel alone and pregnant! I did pretty much the same thing, with the same results, last week but about 25 to 30 feet up. I was thinking I should buy some carbons but quickly decided I liked the woodies just fine...hehe.
Anyway, get back on the horse and keep after it. I flew again 2 days later and acted like it never happened.
I mostly learned nose in on the sim, and at the time I was already flying circuits. This was backward, I'll admit. I should have learned to hover in all orientations before flying in forward flight. That being said, I learned nose in by doing the center part of my figure eights with a nose in hover. I would pause in the middle of the circuit, at an angle at first and progress to a full on nose in hover, and as I gained confidence I got closer and closer to the point I am confident in takeoff and landing nose in. This was all pretty much in one afternoon of flying, since I had already worked it out on the sim, and just needed to convince myself that I could actually do it in real life. If I hd to do it again, I reckon I would ahve worked on the sim a while longer and then just gone for it. But that is kinda my style, may not be suited for others.
As for the carbon blades, you will save money with a copy of Ray's authoratative Heli manual and read the blade balancing section, and use wood blades until you can get to the point that your crashes damage the blades to being unrecognisable as blades. It is much more satisfying if you can completely pulverize carbon blades instead of just cracking them. Then you know you $120 wwas well spent. :mrgreen:
WayneBrown
06-27-2005, 11:38 PM
I have a copy of rays' heli manual...under a wobbly leg in a coffee table. Best place for it IMHO. ;)
OzarkCopterBum
06-29-2005, 12:40 PM
I have a copy of rays' heli manual...under a wobbly leg in a coffee table.
Theres some useful info in Rays, but most of its dated. I don't care what they were flying 10 years ago, I want to know about whats going on NOW.
It was usefull as a starting point when I got my first heli, but basically doing the same thing as Lamebirds.
DavidH
06-29-2005, 12:48 PM
Theres some useful info in Rays, but most of its dated. I don't care what they were flying 10 years ago, I want to know about whats going on NOW.
There is more than one edition of Rays Heli Manual. The one that Ivan mentioned is the latest edition and was just printed in 2003. It had updated information that was available when the latest edition was printed. I think the latest is the 3rd or 4th updated version of Ray's book.
David
blakka_1
06-29-2005, 03:00 PM
Helifreak is my heli manual. :wink:
Bluefuzzyone
06-30-2005, 06:43 PM
It was a little windy here today so I left my training gear on for one more flight and then the next flight was to be without the balls and sticks, as luck would have it I lost perspective of the Heli up about 20 feet and crashed. :oops: My son-in-law was watching and said it was one of the Best Bad Crashes he has ever seen. :twisted:
Main Blades, Tail Boom and Intermediate Gear. About $65.00.
Theres some useful info in Rays, but most of its dated. I don't care what they were flying 10 years ago, I want to know about whats going on NOW
Just for giggles, can you tell me how balancing a set of wood blades had changed in 10 years? :mrgreen: (I am not trying to flame anyone here!)
the advent of the Koll Rotor pro helped, but I never wanted to spend $100 on something I could do with a few simple tools, and about 5 minutes more time.
True, a bunch of the information in there is about GMP's and Schoonard helis, I think there was even a blue cabin shuttle on the cover of mine, but the bulk of the information can be applied to today's helis. I honestly Ihave never use mechanical mixing of the tair and throttle, but, the idea and understinding how they did this certainly helped me set up revo mixes, and accelleration mixes, and leads to me knowing just how hard a heading hold gyro is working to keep your heli pointed straight during sideways rolls in a crosswind.
I could go into more reasons, and lessons on the value of knowing history, but the biggest reason I used Ray's manual as a reference, is that he has had several more years to finesse his discription of blade balancing, and with my twisted tounge, it is much easier to let Ray do the typing.
I received all my parts today.
The damage is Main Blades, Main Shaft, Feathering spindle, Both Double Links. It looks like everything else held up.
I did buy a complete Mavrikk Crash Kit though. So I have several other parts available that are ready just in case.
Also I do have a copy of Ray's Complete Helicopter Manual 3rd Edition and a copy of The Basics of Radio Control Helicopters Second Edition. Along with many Monthly magazines and videos. My biggest mistake was forgetting to reverse my inputs when I was practicing nose in. No problem though. I should have her up this weekend.
Thanks for all the suggestions. Once I check it over good I'll keep you posted.
Don't think of it as a crash, think of it as an "Upgrade Opportunity" :idea:
Glad you got it running again.