SeaComms
04-22-2008, 04:36 AM
Well....
Anyone who has read my previous rants would know I have been plagued with dramas since I bought my Blade 400. It was shipped in Mode 2 despite requesting and being invoiced for Mode 1, they replaced that and a week after receiving it I was right to go.
2 successful backyard hovers later I decided it was time to go to the local park and try some forward flight. First lift of it drifted back and to the left rapidly, I put it down to the light breeze I was not accustomed to. Second takeoff attempt same thing. Third takeoff attempt I counteracted before lift off with a little forward having positioned it pointing directly into the light breeze (prob 5km/hr max) and as it got light on the skids it nosedived before even leaving the ground, wiping out the blades, the feathering shaft, the main shaft, the flybar and the tail shaft.
Close inspection found a faulty aileron servo, over driving under load and creating a new centre position for itself causing the nose dive. Supplier came to the party and replaced the servo and most of the parts (I didnt realise the main shaft and tail shaft were both bent at the time).
New parts in but in the mean time lost confidence in the factory servos and installed some HS-65's for the cyclic and the new Hitec 5000 and 5083 servo for the tail.
While testing and setting it up I noticed a severe twitch in the servos under different stick positions. Several tests, conversations and the purchase of a second receiver later (wanted a new receiver for a plank I am putting together as well) it was detirmined the transmitter was faulty. Also noticed the receiver was at v1.2 and did not have the quick reconnect function, so both the TX and RX were sent back last week.
Today the replacement TX and updated RX arrived! YIPPEE!!! Checking out the TX I noticed the sticks were in Mode 1, but the switches on top were in Mode 2! No biggy, swapped the switches and lables and all good (also sent an email off the the importer to advise them of this stuffup). Fired up the receiver and nothing happened. Checked, double checked, triple checked - nope, dead as a dodo. Another email sent to the supplier and back to grounded.
Receiver will be sent off tomorrow and will try yet again. Unfortunately the second receiver I bought is the 6100 not the 6100e, so although I could use it, the wires stick up and is a real pain if I have to remove any connectors once installed - however, the long weekend coming up will prob get the better of me and it will find itself stuffed in there regardless!
Oh well, rant over, just needed to vent my frustration of owning this thing for 6 weeks and not yet able to actually fly it!
Happy flying all, Dave.
Anyone who has read my previous rants would know I have been plagued with dramas since I bought my Blade 400. It was shipped in Mode 2 despite requesting and being invoiced for Mode 1, they replaced that and a week after receiving it I was right to go.
2 successful backyard hovers later I decided it was time to go to the local park and try some forward flight. First lift of it drifted back and to the left rapidly, I put it down to the light breeze I was not accustomed to. Second takeoff attempt same thing. Third takeoff attempt I counteracted before lift off with a little forward having positioned it pointing directly into the light breeze (prob 5km/hr max) and as it got light on the skids it nosedived before even leaving the ground, wiping out the blades, the feathering shaft, the main shaft, the flybar and the tail shaft.
Close inspection found a faulty aileron servo, over driving under load and creating a new centre position for itself causing the nose dive. Supplier came to the party and replaced the servo and most of the parts (I didnt realise the main shaft and tail shaft were both bent at the time).
New parts in but in the mean time lost confidence in the factory servos and installed some HS-65's for the cyclic and the new Hitec 5000 and 5083 servo for the tail.
While testing and setting it up I noticed a severe twitch in the servos under different stick positions. Several tests, conversations and the purchase of a second receiver later (wanted a new receiver for a plank I am putting together as well) it was detirmined the transmitter was faulty. Also noticed the receiver was at v1.2 and did not have the quick reconnect function, so both the TX and RX were sent back last week.
Today the replacement TX and updated RX arrived! YIPPEE!!! Checking out the TX I noticed the sticks were in Mode 1, but the switches on top were in Mode 2! No biggy, swapped the switches and lables and all good (also sent an email off the the importer to advise them of this stuffup). Fired up the receiver and nothing happened. Checked, double checked, triple checked - nope, dead as a dodo. Another email sent to the supplier and back to grounded.
Receiver will be sent off tomorrow and will try yet again. Unfortunately the second receiver I bought is the 6100 not the 6100e, so although I could use it, the wires stick up and is a real pain if I have to remove any connectors once installed - however, the long weekend coming up will prob get the better of me and it will find itself stuffed in there regardless!
Oh well, rant over, just needed to vent my frustration of owning this thing for 6 weeks and not yet able to actually fly it!
Happy flying all, Dave.