Stinger 50

[Jeff Reed]

Just got by recever, so of course I spent 2 hrs finishing my set-up. :glasses: I noticed that pinion to main gear seemed kinda tight, but figgered it would wear in. Un-fourtunatlly I was very wrong. :shock: After assm. of clutch/starter shaft assm. run out @.01. When I went to crank up (OS 50 w/1 ga fuel) I got a good start but a little hot. Made adjustments and started again, however on second start it sounded like she started backwards and imediatlly stalled. Attemped recrank and it acted like it was flooded. Removed glow plug but still would not turn. After pulling the motor (45 min) :arggg: I found that starter shaft had sustained a spiral fracture 16mm from top of shaft. Is this a first or just my normal luck. Ordered a new shaft tonight but am looking for any ideas as to why shaft would break.

[Hotshot Charlie]

Hi lpgreed,

I haven't run into a shaft breaking. When you mounted your motor/motor mount, was it extremely hard to get it to match up with the mounting holes in the frame? I found on my kit, I had to make some adjustments to get the motor to smoothly align with the frame holes and to fit properly into the clutch bell. Just an idea, that maybe it was mated too tight, that might cause the problem you had.

[Jeff Reed]

It was a little tight, but I didn't have to force it. :shock: No hammers required! BUT after the fact!!! :twisted: When new shaft arives will double check 3 times.

[Hotshot Charlie]

Ok, let me know if I can be of help. That is the only place I can think that would cause you a bind that would do that damage. The gear mesh is tight, but will loosen up after the first few hovers, to a nice mesh fit.

[Jeff Reed]

Got my replacement cluch/starter shaft today. Fit to the fan hub is drasticlly better. I beleve that the first shaft assm. had a flaw that I missed upon assm. Got finished putting back to gether, and ran a tank of fuel this evening. Like the feel of the cyclic, smoother than my rap 30. Still need to trim a few things. First impression is very good :D Need to get to the field so I can try my first "Auger" :shock:

[929pilot]

I have been fighting a gear mesh problem since I got my Stinger 30 in march. I finaly fixed the problem last week by installing a Raptor main gear. The reason the motor mount holes do not line up is because the main gear is to large (in diam.). When I compared the two gears there was a noticeable size difference. When you try to fix this major manufacturing defect by drilling the engine mount holes out bigger you create another problem, now your pinion bearing and start shaft bearing are not aligned properly aligned and the bearing races gaul/eat your start shaft and pinion. I'm currently on my 4th pinion, (Raptor pinion with the piniom bearing red locktighted on). The pinion that came in the heli was not concentric, the clutch bell wobbled so badly that the clutch bell bearing seized on the start shaft before I even get off the ground (this is a bad sign for a brand new heli). After a call to Gohbee and about two weeks I got a new pinion free of charge :roll:. After 2 or 3 gallons of fuel the tail started kicking. A tooth had broken off the pinion gear and the other teeth were badly worn:shock: . So I bought a Raptor pinion and all was well for a few months (keep in mind I had drilled out my motor mount holes to get a somewhat acceptable gear mesh). I had a crash that required frame replacement and thats when I figured out about the pinion bearing alignment issue. I ordered a new pinion and bearing (Raptor) put it all back together and the gear mesh was totally unacceptable. That's when I decided to try a Raptor main gear. Now the gear mesh is PERFECT.

The gear mesh on some of these kits is way to tight, it does cause damage and it should not be that way, just running it that way and letting it "wear in" is not the way it should be. Anyone who has built a good quality kit should know that. My starter adapter cup cracked, it must be made from the same top quality alloy as the pinions. The engine mount bolt holes strip out way to easy (crappy alloy). My fuel tank developed a leak, not really due to the tank being thin but because the black plastic brace that is glued to the bottom of it forces the dimples against the frame and wears a hole in it. The fix? Raptor tank (with no brace, starter cup and gears. Sure, Gohbee will replace the parts, but where does that leave you?

Why would I go to all this trouble instead of just buying a different heli? It really flys well and is fun to fly. It always goes to the field, and gets more than it's share of flying. I'm on my 24th gallon of fuel this year so I do a little flying. I put a Sceadu yoke with Carbon Extreme dampers on this heli and now it really rocks.
Gohbee crash kits are a great value for $29 and they fit Raptors. I like the woodies way better than those Mavrikk woodies, better quality.

I think competion is a good thing in the heli market place, for the consumer anyway.

I have built, built/owned and flown 3 Century, 1 Kyosho, 3 Thunder Tiger, 2 Hirobo, 1 Align, 1 Shogun and 1 Gohbee helis for five years and I fly 3D.

I'm not bashing Gohbee, I'm just sharing my Gohbee experience, your results may vary. I'm sure this info will help people resolve their gear mesh issues. I have no doubt that the reps and Gohbee will say all these problems have been fixed or they have never heard of such problems or the new kits are fixed, whatever. I guess these are growing pains associated ARF helicopters mass produced in China. The price is nice, but gear mesh sucks and so do the alloys used in the metal components. When these material quality issues are fixed in reality, not just in words, this will be a great heli for a great price. It does fly great, and I'm obviosly not a Gohbee rep. I'll be waiting patiently for my Stinger 90 kit to arrive! LOL. :glasses2:

[drvcrash]

Did you also replace the tail drive pulley under the main gear? I replaced my clutch and start shaft with raptor parts in hoping that would fix the binding but it didnt and I was thinking to try the main gear next. But I didnt want to keep throwing more parts at it and it not fixing the problem as I bought the gohbee to save a few bucks over the raptor

I have been fighting a gear mesh problem since I got my Stinger 30 in march. I finaly fixed the problem last week by installing a Raptor main gear. The reason the motor mount holes do not line up is because the main gear is to large (in diam.). When I compared the two gears there was a noticeable size difference. When you try to fix this major manufacturing defect by drilling the engine mount holes out bigger you create another problem, now your pinion bearing and start shaft bearing are not aligned properly aligned and the bearing races gaul/eat your start shaft and pinion. I'm currently on my 4th pinion, (Raptor pinion with the piniom bearing red locktighted on). The pinion that came in the heli was not concentric, the clutch bell wobbled so badly that the clutch bell bearing seized on the start shaft before I even get off the ground (this is a bad sign for a brand new heli). After a call to Gohbee and about two weeks I got a new pinion free of charge :roll:. After 2 or 3 gallons of fuel the tail started kicking. A tooth had broken off the pinion gear and the other teeth were badly worn:shock: . So I bought a Raptor pinion and all was well for a few months (keep in mind I had drilled out my motor mount holes to get a somewhat acceptable gear mesh). I had a crash that required frame replacement and thats when I figured out about the pinion bearing alignment issue. I ordered a new pinion and bearing (Raptor) put it all back together and the gear mesh was totally unacceptable. That's when I decided to try a Raptor main gear. Now the gear mesh is PERFECT.

The gear mesh on some of these kits is way to tight, it does cause damage and it should not be that way, just running it that way and letting it "wear in" is not the way it should be. Anyone who has built a good quality kit should know that. My starter adapter cup cracked, it must be made from the same top quality alloy as the pinions. The engine mount bolt holes strip out way to easy (crappy alloy). My fuel tank developed a leak, not really due to the tank being thin but because the black plastic brace that is glued to the bottom of it forces the dimples against the frame and wears a hole in it. The fix? Raptor tank (with no brace, starter cup and gears. Sure, Gohbee will replace the parts, but where does that leave you?

Why would I go to all this trouble instead of just buying a different heli? It really flys well and is fun to fly. It always goes to the field, and gets more than it's share of flying. I'm on my 24th gallon of fuel this year so I do a little flying. I put a Sceadu yoke with Carbon Extreme dampers on this heli and now it really rocks.
Gohbee crash kits are a great value for $29 and they fit Raptors. I like the woodies way better than those Mavrikk woodies, better quality.

I think competion is a good thing in the heli market place, for the consumer anyway.

I have built, built/owned and flown 3 Century, 1 Kyosho, 3 Thunder Tiger, 2 Hirobo, 1 Align, 1 Shogun and 1 Gohbee helis for five years and I fly 3D.

I'm not bashing Gohbee, I'm just sharing my Gohbee experience, your results may vary. I'm sure this info will help people resolve their gear mesh issues. I have no doubt that the reps and Gohbee will say all these problems have been fixed or they have never heard of such problems or the new kits are fixed, whatever. I guess these are growing pains associated ARF helicopters mass produced in China. The price is nice, but gear mesh sucks and so do the alloys used in the metal components. When these material quality issues are fixed in reality, not just in words, this will be a great heli for a great price. It does fly great, and I'm obviosly not a Gohbee rep. I'll be waiting patiently for my Stinger 90 kit to arrive! LOL. :glasses2:

[bobc1]

I finally replaced the clutch shoes, clutch bell, pinion, starter shaft, starter shaft bearings, main gear, & tail pulley with Raptor V2 parts. About a $90 upgrade (after flying Hirobo products until the GB, it sounds funny to say I'm upgrading to Raptor parts) but I now have a clutch that works and the mesh between the pinion and main gear is OK.

The reason that I spent the $ to upgrade is because I plan on keeping the GB. It flies pretty well except I still cannot get the tail to hold (401/9254). It serves it's purpose as a cheap, good flying 50.

The only other thing that wore badly in about 15 gallons was the OD of the pivot bearing on the collective lever. I have repaired with metal, gap filling loctite that is designed for worn splined shafts, etc. & is it working OK, so far. The ID of the collective lever wore from slight movement of the OD of the bearing working against it.

[drvcrash]

Thats what I was afraid of. for 90 bucks worth of upgrades then its the same price as the Raptor 50 base kit. I guess ill order the raptor main gears tonight finally to get it fixed once and for all

Thanks

[dorfmann]

I haven't even flown my Gohbee 50 and I want to get rid of it. You guys are scaring me! :oops:

[Hotshot Charlie]

Hi dorfman and guys,

Great flying heli, I had a few small issues, but other than that.... the Gohbee flys like a dream. Fly your heli and have fun with it.

I can say that the kits "issues" that I found are no more than any other Century, Thunder Tiger kit that I have built.

On replacing all the stuff that the guys did above, not necessary. Any problems with a new kit CAN and WILL be handled quickly and satisfactorly by David Ellison at Gohbee. All you have to do is call and he is the first to handle your problem. David is one of the gems of our industry, customer service is the name of the game.

I am sorry for the other guys problems. Stuff happens and I know that the problems they have had are not excuseable, but please give David a shot at fixing the problem, first.

[WillJames]

I agree with Rob. I have never known David not to help 110% with anything involving his heli.

Check the video of Jody wringing his Stinger 50 out at Mooresville Event! They sure fly good, especially with the new dampeners!!

[gohbeenice]

I'll side with Charlie also. My Gohbee 50 has been nothing but fun and learning. Out of the box it was a little tight but with a new heli, you should be watchin things wear in anyways. Any issues with anything and David will take care of you...hands down he's excellent with customer service.
I don't think anyone buys a gohbee to have a perfect machine. They are very economical and can teach you lots with the few $$ you spend on them. In my opionion, you can't beat the price and flight quality of this kit. You can learn as much as you like for minimum price. Then go beat the snot out of your more expensive ships! :glasses2:

[929pilot]

drvcrash: The Raptor main gear fixed my gear mesh problems. I did not replace the tail drive pulley.
Rob: I had gear mesh problems with my original frame set and a replacement frame set and 3 different Gohbee and Raptor pinions. That only leaves the main gear. Since I was already using a Gohbee main gear I bought a Raptor main gear to troubleshoot the problem. I have no doubt that David would have sent me a replacement Gohbee main gear free of charge. BUT, I already had a Gohbee main gear. I suspect a Stinger 50 main gear would provide a better mesh since it's 85 tooth instead of 86 on the 30. I have a Stinger 30, I can't speak about the Stinger 50 kit, it may be perfect.

I will say again this heli flies great, I use it as my "simulator" bird. It takes some major abuse. The tail pitch yoke is much stronger than that of a Raptor, mine has survived two good crashes, one on the tail.

I went to the Lexington, KY heli funfly yesterday, I had, and flew the only Stinger at the event. It's cool to have something different!

[Hotshot Charlie]

Hey 929,

Sounds like you are getting some great service out of the Stinger, that's good news.

On the gear mesh problems, the early kits (30 mainly but also some 50 kits) had some definite issues with gear mesh and main gears being warped. This is one thing that us reps worked with David on. Also the Starting Shaft and Clutch assembly in the early kits had some issues, again us reps were primarily the test bed and we worked with David and now the Stingers have a totally different starting shaft/clutch setup.

Unfortuantly, some of the kits got out to buyers before the mods were made. I have found that David Ellison is a gem in this business and had gone out of his way to make people happy.

Also, the gears, unless just toooo tight, will wear in and make a very nice mesh. Mine did and they weren't exactly loose or smooth.

Basically what I am saying, Folks, if you have problems with a part, etc. on a Gohbee Stinger, please contact a rep or contact David. We will work to fix your problem. Give us a shot at making it right.

I really like my bird and I'm not saying that because I'm a rep. It flys better than I can fly and it tracks beautifully in FFF. The 3D'ing aspect is better than most birds of this caliber.

Have fun and fly that Stinger !!

[drvcrash]

Mine is a .50 and I have about 9 1/2 gallon thru it. The gear mess is as tight as it was in day one, its not wearing in. I did email David twice about the clutch dragging and never got a reply. Thats when I replaced the clutch/start shaft with raptor parts. Which didnt help other than now I can use the regualr start wand on all my helis and dont have to take two to the field. Ive just been flying it as is. It still starts running backwards every now and again since I have to hold the blades still while walking to the flight line becuase its dragging so bad.

I do like the way it flys in FFF over my raptor and I have bought gohbee parts for my other raptors like the frames so Im not down on the Gohbee stuff.

My problem is a dont like having to tinker with stuff to make it work the way its suppose to. I want to be able to taKe it out of the box put it together and for it to work the way its suppose to with the parts it comes with. I dont like having to spend anopther 100 bucks to make it work. Thats the main reason I stayed out of the micro helis for so long.

Anyways I have the raptor main coming this week and hopefully it will finally be right

[Hotshot Charlie]

I did email David twice about the clutch dragging and never got a reply.

Hi drvcrash,

I'm not saying this is not true, but it's unheard of David not answering a email or phone call. He really concerns himself with his customer. I will personally ask him about this, and I'm sure that he just missed communication with you.

I apologize in Gohbee's behalf.

It does sound like you are enjoying the Stinger and it does fly nice. Again, please take my sincere apology for the mis-communications you had with David. He is a class act.

I do feel your pain about wanting something to work right out of the box, but I have built quite a few different heli's and the others are no different from Gohbee, all have some issues that you have to work around.

This is a great hobby and I am glad you have the Stinger, its a lot of value for the dollar !

[gohbeenice]

dvrcrash, when you clutch drags, is your idle set high? I have the same issue as my cluth will drag when I hit the throttle hold but if I idle it down just 2 clicks, the clutch doesn't engage at all. Just a thought of something to try. It's a very tight fitting clutch and I'd rather have that than a loose one that'll eventually break.

Dave

[drvcrash]

nope Idle is not set too high. it drags right until the point were it cuts off. Thats why I though maybe the clutch was sprung so I put in a rappy one. That didnt fix it. I know its were the gear mesh is too tight and binding the clutch bell. Once I put the raptor main gear in Im sure it will fix it. Ill report back later this week once my parts get here

[OzarkCopterBum]

I did email David twice about the clutch dragging and never got a reply.

I'd have to agree on that. Email support is either poor or non existant. I've had ALOT better luck emailing the field reps, but all they can offer is advise. Since they've gotten the toll free number though, I've been able to get David everytime.

[RCHeliJim]

I have a issue I would like to run by some of you long-term owners of the Stinger. Did any of you have a problem with the pitch plate lining up right? Meaning, my pitch plate is closer to the frame on one side than the other in the back, but further in the front (kinda like the pivot screws arent lined up - giving it a skew). The only thing I have been able to do to fix it is add washers on the inside of the pitch plate on one side (that means adding washers to both servo supports and the front shaft that the control ball screws into as well) This seems to at least take the pressure off enough to get rid of the binding - but it is still a bit skewed. I wish I had a better way of explaining this :(

Thanks - Jim

[Hotshot Charlie]

Hi Jim, thats the first time I have heard of that problem. Give David a call at Toll Free: 800-381-4127

I am sure he will straighten out your problem. I still have never had a problem emailing him. Always an answer in a couple of days.

[929pilot]

I had to use a dremel tool to grind the bottom corners of the front A arm because it hit the frame/spacer.

[gohbeenice]

Was this only when the swash was at a full down position that it hit?

[929pilot]

No, it hit in the middle. The bottom corners of the A arms hit the frame spacer behind the start shaft bearing.

My emails went unanswered, I finally called after Rob gave me the number. The manual says to email your questions or contact a rep, no number to call in the manual...nice.