Fixed Pitch 450 VOL 2…Featuring the Flybarless FP450

[jburg]

I believe someone had asked if the button at the top of the flybar needs to run flat. If that is true, mine is off. If I had an adjustable link, that could be fixed, so I tried but the balls must be a different size? Looks like another method would be to raise my swash plate a little, but I've run out of adjustment on the servo to swash links.
Has anyone come up with a solution?

I ask because something is still not quite right with the beast.

[HELIHANKSTER]

Originally Posted by jburg

I believe someone had asked if the button at the top of the flybar needs to run flat. If that is true, mine is off. If I had an adjustable link, that could be fixed, so I tried but the balls must be a different size? Looks like another method would be to raise my swash plate a little, but I've run out of adjustment on the servo to swash links.
Has anyone come up with a solution?

I ask because something is still not quite right with the beast.

I’ll look this weekend, think I still have the adjustable links ATC sent me. He was nice of enough to send me a set for free. I don’t need them on the flybarless conversion, so if I still have them, I will pay it forward so to speak and send the links to you free of charge.

[OnGuard]

Just more flying.

YouTube

YouTube

[HELIHANKSTER]

Sweet flight Onguard

Still amazes me how well your videos turn out using the #16 cam.

[jburg]

I'm really jealous of how nice your ship flys OG. Someday maybe I'll figure out whats going on with mine. Maybe its me......but I didn't have this much trouble the very first time I started RC....only 10 months ago. Still got lots to learn.

[OnGuard]

Originally Posted by jburg

I believe someone had asked if the button at the top of the flybar needs to run flat. If that is true, mine is off. If I had an adjustable link, that could be fixed, so I tried but the balls must be a different size? Looks like another method would be to raise my swash plate a little, but I've run out of adjustment on the servo to swash links.
Has anyone come up with a solution?

I ask because something is still not quite right with the beast.

If your stock servo to swash links are not long enough you may have made the notch in the main shaft for the head bolt too high up the main shaft and the whole head assembly is sitting too high up as a result.

[jburg]

That was my next work item, was to adjust the height of the head. This thing was sure fun to build, really enjoyed that part. Now just like to see her fly.

[jburg]

This forum and the DD one hasn't been updated in quite some time. I know, its summer, we are all out flying.
I was wondering tho if anybody knows or has changed the settings on the funcopter head.....ie the Zbar, have you tried the other holes and what effect that has?
My update...being still new to this sport I haven't zipped around with the FP450, but just hovering it to get the feel of it and tuning. Just like to confim, is this thing like flying a CP heli? I'm comparing it to my micro Blades....MSR, 120sr, and MCPX which don't require you to be on the stick 100% of the time...pretty stable. This 450 seems to require 110% attention.
Is the flybarless version better? I think that will be my next step.

Please note.....my thumbs are a slow learner, and a little chicken...

[Riktar]

Found this thread just recently and WOW! I have had a old Walkera 60 with a bum head, and a funcopter frame with a bad motor and receiver.

Instead of trying to fix both by themselves, I am going to combine the 2!!!!

[Chipped Rotor]

Hello Riktar, I would like to hear/see how it works out good luck.

[jburg]

I'll have to say, these things are tuff. Managed to fly mine 30 feet up into a tree, took a hour to get it down. Tried using the throttle and cyclic to get it to drop but no luck. Tried a football and only managed to knock the canopy off. Finally found a 30 foot pole and pulled it down. On initial inspection I think I'll only need to put in a new main gear. This will be my fourth one. I have all the parts to build a flybarless version.....I like building these just wish I could fly them........I keep trying.

[jburg]

I went over the heli carefully and the only damage from the tree is the main drive gear. I've replaced it, spun it up and have some rather nasty vibration. Since I did check the main shaft and it seems straight, I pulled the main blades and spun it up again....nice and smooth. Blades and in very good shape, perfectly balanced, so what could be the cause of it. What did I miss checking? Bearings seem to be ok, not perfect but bad enough to change.

[Chipped Rotor]

Hello jburg, check all of of ball links---make sure they have not been bumped off the balls, and ckeck your tracking.

Originally Posted by jburg

I went over the heli carefully and the only damage from the tree is the main drive gear. I've replaced it, spun it up and have some rather nasty vibration. Since I did check the main shaft and it seems straight, I pulled the main blades and spun it up again....nice and smooth. Blades and in very good shape, perfectly balanced, so what could be the cause of it. What did I miss checking? Bearings seem to be ok, not perfect but bad enough to change.

[HELIHANKSTER]

Originally Posted by jburg

I went over the heli carefully and the only damage from the tree is the main drive gear. I've replaced it, spun it up and have some rather nasty vibration. Since I did check the main shaft and it seems straight, I pulled the main blades and spun it up again....nice and smooth. Blades and in very good shape, perfectly balanced, so what could be the cause of it. What did I miss checking? Bearings seem to be ok, not perfect but bad enough to change.

Glad to hear someone is still flying an FP450.

Take another look at the roots of the Blades. Sometimes they get hairline cracks that are hard to see. Another thing to check is the hole in the center hub where the spindle/main pin connects the rotor grip to the hub. If the hole has opened up some do to ware or crashing and the spindle is no longer a tight fits all the way around it will cause major vibs when the blades are on. Had this happen to me once and had to replace the hub.

[Chipped Rotor]

Thanks for the correct info HH, good save. I thought all you guys gave up on this bird.

[HELIHANKSTER]

Originally Posted by Chipped Rotor

Thanks for the correct info HH, good save. I thought all you guys gave up on this bird.

Yeah it does look as if most of the original guys that were part of this bird's development have moved on. I still have both of mine, but have no desire to fly them anymore for the most part. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with them and they still fly good. I just need to concentrate what time I have on my collective pitch birds. I finally had to face it, fixed pitch helicopter will teach you a lot of skills needed to fly helicopter, but no matter how much modding you do, they are still limited to what they can do.

[jburg]

I need to learn to fly these larger fixed pitch machines before I can move on. I plan to build the flybarless version (bought two green gobblin frames). I have a lot to learn yet with the MCPX since it's tolerant to crashes. I have a descent hover down, still working on flying it around without it getting away from me. So, I'll be flying mine for the next year or two....these thumbs I have seem to pick this sport up rather slowly. Guess that is why I never played video games.

[OnGuard]

I still fly mine just not as much as I used to. I went back to messing with my 3d planes. I'll keep flying the FP450 until I think I have learned everything I can from it. Still have to work on nose-in a little more and right hand circuits. Left hand circuits are natural for me, but the right hand ones require some work still.

I'll skip doing a cp450 and go for something bigger when ready. Heck I still have a .30 nitro Kyosho Concept 30 that I learned to fly on. I should get that out and fly it again.

[Chipped Rotor]

You're right HH. My son and I see the benefit of flying this bird before we get deep into CP birds. It is a great trainer, when I'm done with it I should be flying my Trex 500 a lot better. I still find it very enjoyable to just fly it around the yard or anywhere.

[jburg]

Guess I have to ask, how much experience to you folks have that are comfortable flying the fixed pitch 450 before you built this. I'm still not confident to fly it around like I do the little micro birds. I was hoping it would be a larger "trainer" for me....easier to see, more stable etc. I getting much more confident with the MCPX than this one. Maybe its a mental thing.......know that the micros can withstand the occasional .