Blade CP Pro Servo Arm Problem

[BenHeli]

I just picked up a CP Pro on the cheap. All parts, mechanical and electrical, are functioning. However, a closer examination of the servo arms conneting them to the swashplate appears to be off. First, all three linkages to the servo arm are set two holes closer to the center instead of the outer most hole. Second, these linkages are not of the same length as the fron linkage is twice the length of the two rear linkages when the swashplate is level. Finally, because of the current set length of the linkages, the swashplate rides high on the main shaft. I'm going to "re-assemble" this baby (the wires also are rubbing the motor which I think will cause problem if the motor ever happened to get too hot) and so here are my questions:

1. After the 4-1 (or 3-1) is initialized (with the linkages not connecting the servo arms to the swashplate and all trims at center), at which angle should the servo arms be? Both the front and the two rears (or right and left) - 90* to the servo, etc;

2. Where in the main shaft a properly adjusted swashplate sit - higher toward the top or lower toward the bottom or middle?

I'm collecting parts slowly for a T-Rex 450SE V2 so I do have a DX7 tx which I'll use to fly the Pro. I'll also buy a HH gyro (please recommend one under $100).

BTW, I spent this past weekend reading this forum and WOW! I'm glad I found HELIFREAK.

TIA,

Ben

[BenHeli]

Problems fixed after few trials and errors. I also changed the cheap plastic blades to wooden blades and added the G90 head lock.

[denham]

I am wondering the same thing regarding the servo arms. In idle up at mid-stick (which should be zero pitch) should the servo arms be at 90 degrees? On my CP Pro they are NOT and I find with certain combinations of collective and cyclic the rods that go from the servos to the swash (sorry, newbie, don't know what the name for those rods is!) will touch the plastic bar that runs across to hold the canopy on. I believe this is happening because the two rear servo arms are significantly angled down from 90 at midstick in idle up, but I don't know for sure. This is the way it came from the factory.

I would have thought they needed to be at 90 degrees at midstick in idle up, then I need to level my swash from there, and check it's at the right height so it doesn't touch anything through the full range of motion of the collective and cyclic. Can anyone please confirm this? If so I'm a long way out and have been flying a rather badly setup bird straight from the factory!

Thanks :)

[denham]

To give a bit more info on what I do that causes the arms to touch the plastic bar holding the canopy on.....

When I pull all the way back on the elevator, both the rear servos move down (duh!). Everything is good at this point. If I then add left aileron, the left (as you look from the tail of the heli) of the two rear servos has to move down further to tilt the swash to the left (again, duh!). As it does this, the angle of the swash causes the arm that goes from this servo to lean forward and make contact with the plastic bar that holds the canopy on.

I would imagine setting the servos to 90 degrees would help this, but it would be good to know for sure that the servos should be at 90 on this heli at midstick on idle up. This is what I have heard for all other heli setup, but it just strikes me as weird that they're so far off. The elevator servo arm is significantly above 90, and the two rear servo arms are both noticably below 90.

Edit: Ok, after looking at the motion of the servo arms more closely I see there is a lot more room for them to move in the downward direction (to almost vertical) than there is in the upward direction. So assuming we want them in the middle of their range at midstick in idle up then they should be below 90. I'm starting to think maybe I should just completely forget about the CP and just get out and fly the B400 :P

Edit 2: Alright. Having left the servo arms where they were, moving the cyclic controls, I noticed that the swash plate was too high at full negative pitch and was touching the piece above it. I shortened all the control arms from the servos to move the swash down so it was clearing everything in all situations. Now of course I can't get the pitch correct on the blades. I know there are the pieces that attach to the flybar and the blade grips that allow you to adjust the pitch so that your blades track ok, but the blades are a long way out now and I think I really need the next piece down in the head to be adjustable to get the pitch right.