Like a kid with a new toy

[kevashaz]

Finally, I got it. After owning a 4#3b for over a year and hundreds of crashes into walls, furniture, pets and even the wife, today I learned to fly the thing. I have a HBFP and a HK-450 and can fly both with some degree of control but for some reason, this little Walkera was kicking my #ss. I've seen lots of videos of others flying them effortlessly and read all the set up tips and checked an rechecked the thing and couln't make it fly. Determined to fly it or junk it, I sat down at my workbench today and went thru the setup for the hundredth time. But today, I fired up the TX while it was on my bench and dialed down the EXT screw until I had very little swash movement. Voila ! Instant results. I can now fly it from the floor to the computer table, land, take off again and chase the dog thru the living room. I can't stop smiling

[Dusty1000]

Pleased you're having fun with it at last, I think it flies quite like a mini HBFP

Dusty

[chipbutty]

You're not the only one who has found this little beast difficult to master. It took me ages but it's incredibly rewarding once things click. I found going brushless helped immensely with stability. I don't think the stock brushed main motors ever delivered enough head speed. I find the 4/3B has unusual qualities in that it either likes to coast around and fly in a relaxed fashion, or fly aggressively. Anything inbetween and it feels mushy to me. I love it though.

Originally Posted by kevashaz

Finally, I got it. After owning a 4#3b for over a year and hundreds of crashes into walls, furniture, pets and even the wife, today I learned to fly the thing. I have a HBFP and a HK-450 and can fly both with some degree of control but for some reason, this little Walkera was kicking my #ss. I've seen lots of videos of others flying them effortlessly and read all the set up tips and checked an rechecked the thing and couln't make it fly. Determined to fly it or junk it, I sat down at my workbench today and went thru the setup for the hundredth time. But today, I fired up the TX while it was on my bench and dialed down the EXT screw until I had very little swash movement. Voila ! Instant results. I can now fly it from the floor to the computer table, land, take off again and chase the dog thru the living room. I can't stop smiling

[oliverdots]

Dialing down that little screw makes all the difference. The first thing I did before even flying her.

I find mine flies more like a mini Trex 250 than a HBFB. I'd still say the HB is the twitchiest bird I have

[chipbutty]

OD - Do you use the longer swash arms to increase cyclic throws? For some reason I never bothered but I've recently changed and can't believe I didn't do it sooner. It's the first thing I do with any new heli these days. These helis are so sensitive to changes that I had to adjust the swash links a little after doing it.

[oliverdots]

CB - I can't remember and my 4#3 is at work. I'll have to get back to you on that one BUT I think they are on the inner arms which work fine. I guess it depends on how much you turn the EXT screw as to what arms fly how. I mean, If the EXT screw is up high and the links are on the innner swash arms, is that the same as the EXT dialled down but have the links on the outer arms?? Mine is very lively and responsive I have to say. I'll let you know anyway on Thursday. Gotta stay off wirk until then, (48 hr bug thing).
AHHHHHH unclean!!!!!

[chipbutty]

I'm never quite sure what the technical difference is between changing to longer ball links and increasing EXT. EXT increases the cyclic throws. So maybe going to the longer swash links gives you something like negative expo on a Spektrum Tx. I'll play around with the EXT now I'm on the longer links

After my frying ESC mishap I only have one working 4/3B. I've been playing around with the double brushless. I love it but I think the brushless MM with brushed TM gives the best combination of performance and flight time. Inside anyway. I have a more powerful brushless MM so I'll give that a go on the double brushless setup.

[Dusty1000]

Originally Posted by chipbutty

EXT increases the cyclic throws.

As OD says, going from the shorter to longer ball links does much the same thing. As I only fly my FP 4#3s indoors I keep them on the shorter ball links to give the servos the most resolution, not sure if that's the right term, but I mean that for a given servo movement, there is less action on the flybar/blades, so that any twitches from the servos will be 'down-geared' so to speak

I recently fitted a 4G3 brushed main motor I had lying around to my old 4#3 using the original 4#3 pinion, you ought to see the power this thing has. Hovers on 40% throttle, use too much and it goes spiralling toward the ceiling at a rapid rate of knots, the tail motor doesn't stand a chance

Dusty

[chipbutty]

It does much the same thing though increasing the cyclic throws should come in very handy for more aggressive flying. I find myself trying to make all my helis more sensitive the more I fly them. I guess we all do that as our skills increase. It would be great if the Walkera Tx had some basic programming functions. It's the one thing I miss as I use my DX6i for my other helis. I won't be Spektrumizing my 4/3B though. I had enough issues doing that with the Bee

[Dusty1000]

Actually I've just noticed that on my 4#3 (which is almost a 4#3A with an RX2406 and a 4#3A head) I have the links on the outer balls - I'll need to move them in

Yes using the outer balls certainly does make it move faster per given stick input, and more suitable for aggressive flying, but personally I just prefer them to fly smoother, I like to have them cruise around

Dusty

[oliverdots]

Not sure how mine is set but I can easily have calm and mental 4#3 all in one flight, sometimes unplanned .

Dusty, if you are using the 4G3 motor at 40%, does that mean you are gonna get over twice the life out of it? Maybe you have stumbled across something Walkera wanted to keep secret?? If you "suddenly" disappear, we'll know who's behind it And being brushed, I could just plug it straight into my 4#3a 4-1?

[Dusty1000]

Originally Posted by oliverdots

Dusty, if you are using the 4G3 motor at 40%, does that mean you are gonna get over twice the life out of it?

I hope so though I just used it since I have a few of them spare.

Yes it'll plug straight into the RX2406 which is what I have on my 4#3. The only thing is it's quite tall and I had to bend the front servo pushrod out of the way, not sure if you would have to do the same with the 4#3A since the original 4#3 motors were smaller still, though I wouldn't be surprised if you had to - though of course being an FP it flies exactly the same with a bent servo pushrod as it does with a straight one

Dusty

[oliverdots]

Cheers bud, keep us posted on your findings. I have 2 spare motors at the mo, so in no hurry.
One thing I have noticed, since I fly this 4#3 daily, I am slowly having to remove more and more expo on the trex 250 to get the same feel. Down to 5% on that now, otherwise the 250 feels too slow to respond Seriously!