New Align 500E Super Combo First Build - any tips?

[duytang]

Edit: I'm going to update this thread with pictures of my progress. Any advice along the way would be great!

Hey, so I decided to buy an Align 500e super combo. The price was too good to pass up ($425 new) and I thought it would be a fun project over the winter. Now this is my 'first' big helicopter (I'm flying an mcpx right now) and build so I was wondering besides using loctite on all the metal to metal contacts, is there anything else I should pay attention to building this up? I won't actually be buying batteries, charger, or receiver until the new year.

thanks

[bstanley72]

Don't forget the feathering shaft sleeve. Be careful when screwing the balls into the mixer arms as they will split if you tighten too much. Do a title only search here in the 500 forum for "500e". You'll get a lot of good info.

Good luck!

[Deet]

read the instructions

before you start, cover to cover

the read them again

then follow them

then double check them

oh, and loctite EVERYTHING that is metal to metal

[olemil]

Here is another great build by Finless. His videos are more than any manual can ever provide, but as mentioned still read it several times. I don't have a 500 yet, but I have already down loaded all these videos and watched them once, probably several times more if I do get the heli. Congrats on the bird and good luck with your build!!

[toonttm]

Finless Videos are priceless - also heaps of questions have been answered here but I guess nobody minds answering them again.

Don't overtighten bolts/screws - as suggested to me by someone here, tighten but let the loctite or CA do its job.

Get some decent hex drivers - I broke 2 x 1.5mm drivers from a cheap set. Get decent ball link pliers and also some ball link grips/tighteners/spanners.

(I broke a mixer arm straight away and have lost 2 tails due to overtightening/stressing bolts and rounded a few heads as well)

Make sure the head setup is perfect, if unsure post a pic here - get a swashplate levelling tool

Take your time and enjoy

[firefamily5]

X2 on the QUALITY hex drivers

[duytang]

Wow those videos are extremely helpful! Thanks.

I'm picking up some hex drivers today. Allen keys just don't cut it.

So i decided to start today after watching the videos and my first mistake was over tightening the balls into the SL mixing arms. It's a tiny crack but I decided to replace it...

[duytang]

Very cool, I spent the last few hours working on this. The quality hex drivers helped out so much, glad i bought them!

[Punkin71]

Those align hex drivers have stood up to a good amount of use on all my helis, the quality is definitately above par!

[bstanley72]

Originally Posted by duytang

my first mistake was over tightening the balls into the SL mixing arms. It's a tiny crack but I decided to replace it...

Don't say I didn't try to warn you!

[duytang]

ahh shoot, i should of read the thread more carefully haha. thanks

Originally Posted by bstanley72

Don't say I didn't try to warn you!

[emberjelly]

I think one mistake people often make is over torquing screws. As long as you are using Blue 242-243 loctite on the metal to metal, there is not need to apply too much pressure to any of the screws except maybe the feathering shaft. Especially do not over tighten the tail grip bolts as they will weaken and snap.

[nbells]

I didnt see the point in building the head up at the beginning as per the manual. You just have to take it all apart again to level the swash later.

I concentrated on getting the servos set up and the swash levelled before building the head, mades things easier.

nbells

[toonttm]

Yup, I think (I hope, lol) everyone broke a mixing arm. Don't try and muscle things in, do them up firm and then let the loctite or CA do its job. This may sound stupid but when you are repairing let the loctite dry, i.e. leave it overnight, don't be tempted to put a new part on, then go 'test' fly, it does need to dry.

And about the tail bolts, I have lost 2 tails due to bolts snapping because I over-grunted them in, also when you do fly, never let the tail face you directly, always stand to the side, my whole tail case blew off and flew backwards at very high speed. I knew these things were capable of damage but wow, when it happened, it was so quick and so fast...

Anyway, gotta get back to my rebuild, finally after 3 weeks looks like I'm getting some flying weather, 10 paks through the mCP X today until I tried one too many loops, lol

[toonttm]

Originally Posted by nbells

I didnt see the point in building the head up at the beginning as per the manual. You just have to take it all apart again to level the swash later.

I concentrated on getting the servos set up and the swash levelled before building the head, mades things easier.

nbells

I would like to disagree. Building the head was a great sense of accomplishment, I took it 'on tour' lol. Once you get to final setup stage you will only need to tweak it, though you will find that the swash links all need buttoned down 5 or so turns, hope you got that swash level tool, it will make your life easy. Another great 'tool' I found on these forums was bubble levels. I bought a builders level with 3 little bubble levels in it. I removed the little levels and glued one to my pitch gauge and attached the other 2 to picture hanging hooks. I could then hang each one from the flybar to make sure it was level while doing head setup. There is a thread in the tools forums.

[nbells]

You can't get the swash level tool on if the head is "on" and already built up on the shaft.

[bstanley72]

Originally Posted by nbells

You can't get the swash level tool on if the head is "on" and already built up on the shaft.

But all it takes to remove is the Jesus bolt and pop the links off the swash.

[duytang]

Originally Posted by toonttm

...also when you do fly, never let the tail face you directly, always stand to the side, my whole tail case blew off and flew backwards at very high speed. I knew these things were capable of damage but wow, when it happened, it was so quick and so fast...

This is what scares me about the big hellis. lets say a blade snaps off, I could only imagine that they could fly towards you like a sharp dagger, yet I still see people standing really close when flying and even flying them towards themselves. What is a safe distance to be standing from these? Like I said though, I won't be flying this for a while since its freezing cold outside and when the time comes I have a friend thats been flying for a while that will help me out.

Thanks everyone for all the tips, Ill keep everything in mind.

[Deet]

I Australia the rules say the pilot has to be 9mtrs away, and "others" 30 mtrs
Different places different rules

on big helis (90's) that is WAY too close.

Yes a blade could kill you, so could the drive to work ...

Safety is up to you as the pilot, if you don't think what your doing is safe, don't do it.

[mookie]

Here's another tip: double check your gyro correction direction before first hover test - don't ask me how I know!

I finished my 500e build today. Everything went pretty smoothly, FinlessBob's videos are a godsend - thanks Bob! One disappointment with the kit, though, was that mine was missing hardware (a linkage ball B, an eyelet and the main shaft spacers). I had to make a couple trips to the LHS (which isn't particularly close) to finish it. duytang, did your kit have all the necessary hardware or was it missing stuff also?