Bench Testing Your Heli

[desertstalker]

Originally Posted by Larry227

For tracking I use the method that the Vbar setup software recommends. At exactly midstick/0* pitch fold the blades out to the side of the heli and see if the tips are even. If not adjust links until they are. I've never had to make any adjustments in the field after I started doing it that way. Tracking is always spot on.
Note: On larger helis it can be hard on the servos so some people lay the heli on it's side so they just hang down.

This will only work if the swash is perfectly level, however. So you still may need to tweak it a turn in flight.

It is very obvious if the tracking is out, you see two blades its no good, just one its fine... so lasers are not needed.

[Skiddz]

Originally Posted by npomeroy

A tethered heli at hover power-pitch will load the blades.

True, but the blades will be in ground effect and all the recirculating air is not the same as the heli in the air, up out of ground effect. The surface the helicopter is over when strapped down will have an effect as well...

[npomeroy]

Originally Posted by Skiddz

True, but the blades will be in ground effect and all the recirculating air is not the same as the heli in the air, up out of ground effect. The surface the helicopter is over when strapped down will have an effect as well...

Yeah, OK. But if you consider all the flight loads a heli has to operate under, hover thrust in ground effect is a fair approximation. No-one ever suggested you needed separate blade tracking for hover, hard collective pumps, banked turns, etc.

[DominicD]

I must be missing something here, what is the problem with HOVERING your heli to check ?

[npomeroy]

Originally Posted by DominicD

I must be missing something here, what is the problem with HOVERING your heli to check ?

I mentioned earlier, that at least for me when I was a newbie, I was not able to hover the the heli still enough to see properly. And done at a safe distance I don't see a problem of doing it at ground level (NOT on a BENCH).
And I'm thinking about the newbie, who may not be competent at the pitch measurements who wants confirmation the blades are tracking OK.

[desertstalker]

Originally Posted by npomeroy

I mentioned earlier, that at least for me when I was a newbie, I was not able to hover the the heli still enough to see properly. And done at a safe distance I don't see a problem of doing it at ground level (NOT on a BENCH).
And I'm thinking about the newbie, who may not be competent at the pitch measurements who wants confirmation the blades are tracking OK.

Yep for a newbie, safest to do with a touch of -ve pitch (1deg is fine) on the ground as long as you stay well back. Dont spin up anything bigger than a 250 (even that is pretty scary IMO) indoors with blades on, too risky.

[WillJames]

If you setup the head and rod lengths even eyeing them, why not just fly the heli to do the maybe one half or max 3 turns to dial it in. Strapping down a heli is not a good idea IMHO. Running a heli with the mains off is something I have never needed to do either. Ask the boat guys if doing more than idle is good for the drive train when no load is on it. There is no reason to do anything but setup correctly then test fly a machine to set the tracking. Sheesh.

[mrultralite]

I will be setting up a 600 FBL system for the first time and i will VERY concerned with that first flight. I there any way to test it first, iwas hoping to bench test it . Just thinking out loud here, guess I can run the electronics w blades off .

[desertstalker]

Originally Posted by mrultralite

guess I can run the electronics w blades off .

Do that, make sure the swash does what it should (will tell you if there are excessive vibrations). The maiden it like you would any FB heli, if you have checked the setup (instructions will be with for FBL unit) then it wont do anything mental.

[Bob O]

Originally Posted by mrultralite

I will be setting up a 600 FBL system for the first time and i will VERY concerned with that first flight. I there any way to test it first, iwas hoping to bench test it . Just thinking out loud here, guess I can run the electronics w blades off .

I guess you missed the post right before yours?

If you set it up correctly, the maiden hover or flight should be a non-event. Do not treat it as a FB heli though. You do not want to give any cyclic input while the heli is spooled up but sitting on the ground, at least not until you're familiar with the FBL system and proficient with things.

[mrultralite]

''If you set it up correctly'' , that might be a big ''if'' , but i get your point shouldn't be that bad.

[DominicD]

I'd rather spool up an improperly setup heli at the field then in my house strapped down

[rdlohr]

Originally Posted by DominicD

I'd rather spool up an improperly setup heli at the field then in my house strapped down

Exactly. We can argue for pages, but I'll always come back to spooling up a tethered heli is a recipe for disaster.

Rick

[e92vancouver]

It was a pretty stupid newbie question of me to ask, but Youtube is littered with videos of people spooling up their helis on a work bench or kitchen table. Now I know and thank you!!!!!

[rdlohr]

Originally Posted by e92vancouver

It was a pretty stupid newbie question of me to ask, but Youtube is littered with videos of people spooling up their heli's on a work bench or kitchen table. Now I know and thank you!!!!!

No, it was a great question. You probably saved a few of our buddies from some pain!


Many things are intuitive, I don't think this one is.

Rick

[TexasC]

Originally Posted by AKPhill

But a person normally checks tracking when hovering the heli at the flying field
Good luck on this tracking issue

You're assuming that he can hover

[osterizer]

If you can't hover it doesn't matter. The point is that tracking doesn't make your heli crash. If it's way off, then you'll see it when it's spinning up. If it's not, then you can take it off and fly; if you can't hover yet, you'll still probably see it's off in the few seconds before impact, but then it won't matter now that you're taking it apart again . And if you can hover it, then you can see how it's doing.

I'll echo the others, though, in pointing out that if one has a reasonably good heli and is diligent in setting it up on the bench, then it won't need much adjustment if any-- so coming at it all different directions doesn't really make any progress. It just isn't necessary to tie the heli to anything for this. So why do it?

[ForHim]

I want to power my rx directly with a 6V battery through a spare channel on the RX while the ESC is plugged in without a battery connected to the ESC. When I do this the motor will slightly twitch as I move the throttle.

I have built the 450 Pro V2 (flybar edition) Super Combo and use all the parts it came with. I hope to be able to continue doing this without damaging the ESC or anything else. All my connection are inside the frame and not accessible, and I would prefer to leave it that way.

Any thoughts on the electronics getting fried with this setup? I would never have both batteries plugged in at the same time. I just want to be able to tweak my pitch curves and check things out without the blades accidentally flying about my face.

[razeyoshi]

Originally Posted by ForHim

I want to power my rx directly with a 6V battery through a spare channel on the RX while the ESC is plugged in without a battery connected to the ESC. When I do this the motor will slightly twitch as I move the throttle.

I have built the 450 Pro V2 (flybar edition) Super Combo and use all the parts it came with. I hope to be able to continue doing this without damaging the ESC or anything else. All my connection are inside the frame and not accessible, and I would prefer to leave it that way.

Any thoughts on the electronics getting fried with this setup? I would never have both batteries plugged in at the same time. I just want to be able to tweak my pitch curves and check things out without the blades accidentally flying about my face.

you will be fine, mine twitches too without flight pack connected. if your really that worried about it unplug your esc connector on the throttle channel or your three motor wires, then set up pitch curves...

[MLFLY]

I did my setup with TH on. If TH is off, then I assume I'm flying lol