Can't believe the durability of 230s

[Nytro97]

Originally Posted by Nytro97

You can order braces from from Thingiverse / Makerbot for about $10.00. Looks like a good design. It is worth it just to save the work of changing a frame out. I am going to order since we are on the subject.

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:156...ps/print/#apps

Well my gussets or braces came today in the mail and I got them glued into place. I was a little messy with the glue. The braces were a little shiny so I took some fine sand paper to dull them up a little. I think I need to dust them with some flat black paint. Maybe I am to fussy.

[Batwing4]

One of my first Helis about a year ago was a Blade 230s. Yes they are durable but I am very good at crashing and now I am very good at rebuilding. At one point main bodies were in short supply so I rebuilt with carbon fibre body and added some upgrades from micro heli and Rakon so boom is also carbon fibre and so are the main blades. I am a bit more careful with this bird so I have not had to replace any pieces in a long time.

About 6 months ago a friend got a stock 230s. He is an aircraft pilot and he crashed once and gave up on helis. I got his as my trainer! I have given this a serious beating, high speed crash into metal poles, flying out of range and asphalt impacts, recently finished rebuilding on (4) new main body. I am amazed that the receiver, esc and motors all keep working. I have had to replace a couple of servos. 230s very durable and great trainer.

Also JJ at inverted has some great videos regarding how to rebuild and replace items.

Batwing

[RCFred]

Originally Posted by Thickfog

Exactly!

Here is what I did. Frame has been ok after a hell of a hard landing (had sevos plugged in wrong and took off fast like an idiot. Was excitement I don't need). Align 250 skid even cracked. Frame is pristine.


Just two carbon flat pieces. I'll trim the edge later on so it's smaller.

I use the align 250 skid with double sided tape on the front is all. Rear is stock mounting hole location.

The front skid mount sits back farther so I can't screw it into the 230s frame. But it helps transferring force to the more solid part of the frame under the motor. I think I can go back to stock 230s skids though with the carbon. It's super light too. Those carbon pieces weight nothing. I used 3mm carbon plate.

From the top pic, it appears the left side cantilever broke in spite of your plate.

[Mike680]

Originally Posted by RCFred

From the top pic, it appears the left side cantilever broke in spite of your plate.

That's just the split between the two frame sides. The frame sides are very flexible in that area and it looks like he just drilled that hole off a little and the frame flexed to accommodate it.

[Thickfog]

Actually it's a new frame and even without the braces this one keeps pulling away like that. Weird.

I need to skinny the braces up now. That was a test fit and a few flys with some good landings. Seems good, so I am willing to put more time into them now. They are ugly as is.
But I do not like working with carbon fiber. It's bad stuff.

I use a hepa mask and vacuum when cutting, grinding, etc. Still don't like it.

[flattrack]

Yeah, I've had mine for a year. Been through many frames and tail rotors. Speared it into the ground many times often without more than canopy and front frame damage. Now I practice my 3D in a grassy bushy field. When it gets crazy, hit the TH and usually all is good once it's over. I do, however, go through tail rotors like underwear.

Great bird to learn CP on for sure. Still on same motor, ESC, servos, main grips and shaft. Not quite a graceful as my 6HVU tho!

[concretefingers]

What glue do you use?

[Desmond]

So far I never totaled my 230S in a crash. But I have had a couple nasty crashes with other helicopters where onlookers were seeing the thing flying along nicely one minute and then a couple seconds latter was on the ground crumpled looking nothing like a helicopter. This has prompted onlookers to say stuff like, "gee, that's a shame...how much is it going to cost to replace it with a new one. They are often perplexed when I tell them that within a few days it will be back together and up in he air again. A little bit of glue or epoxy, a bit of ingenuity and some spare parts can work wonders with even the most crumpled up mess,

[N8KC]

Originally Posted by Desmond

So far I never totaled my 230S in a crash. But I have had a couple nasty crashes with other helicopters where onlookers were seeing the thing flying along nicely one minute and then a couple seconds latter was on the ground crumpled looking nothing like a helicopter. This has prompted onlookers to say stuff like, "gee, that's a shame...how much is it going to cost to replace it with a new one. They are often perplexed when I tell them that within a few days it will be back together and up in he air again. A little bit of glue or epoxy, a bit of ingenuity and some spare parts can work wonders with even the most crumpled up mess,

First crash for me on 230s this weekend. After reading this thread, it appears mine was major considering the extent of the damage. Broken parts include...
Stripped main gear
Broken frame(in front as described above)
Broken landing gear(where attached to the broken frame area)
Broken blade grip
Missing main rotor head linkage
Canopy in 5 pieces
Bent spindle for main rotor
Bent tail boom
Shreaded tail rotor blades
Main blades decent, but rough on the ends

Saw carbon fiber main frame, landing gear, tail boom and rear rotor blades. any thoughts on whether it's worth it? Less likely to need replacement next crash is primary consideration.

Carbon steel spindle, same question.

Figure plastic main gear saves the motor, so probably stick with stock there, gotta have a weak point, right? Same concern on metal blade grips and carbon steel spindle. What needs to give?

I need to buy $65 in parts to get this thing in the air. I will have a couple extra parts left over, but I can't afford to make crashing a habit, not ones like this, anyways.

Replacing the frame is really a pain. Could it be glued and reinforced or will it be likely to break easier next time and should reinforce a new frame instead and/or go carbon fiber?

[Thickfog]

The carbon frame causes issues with the flybarless controller last I heard/ understood.

Keep it cheap.

[Thickfog]

Originally Posted by Thickfog

The carbon frame causes issues with the flybarless controller last I heard/ understood.

Keep it cheap.

Also I posted few pages up on how I reinforced mine. Had a nasty side on crash. Frame didn't break. Also hard landing in concrete. All good. I also use align 250 one piece skids--they are not an exact bolt on though.

[RCFred]

Originally Posted by flattrack

Yeah, I've had mine for a year. Been through many frames and tail rotors. Speared it into the ground many times often without more than canopy and front frame damage. Now I practice my 3D in a grassy bushy field. When it gets crazy, hit the TH and usually all is good once it's over. I do, however, go through tail rotors like underwear.

!

Learn to use rescue. I moved it to the LEFT rear switch for quicker access.

[TowPilot]

Originally Posted by Thickfog

The carbon frame causes issues with the flybarless controller last I heard/ understood.

Keep it cheap.

Originally Posted by RCFred

Learn to use rescue. I moved it to the right rear switch for quicker access.

Just purchased a used 230S with carbon fiber frame, too much aluminum and fiberglass canopy.

Hovers rock solid in IU-1, barely need to touch the cyclic stick, rudder is simply spot on, just sits there. Crazy.

My first FBL machine. I'm impressed.

I know it is likely very heavy compared to an out of the box stock airframe.

That said, I don't see the carbon fiber frame as an issue (thus far) regarding the FBL.

Just one data point though in the "fleet" out there.

[Thickfog]

Originally Posted by TowPilot

Just purchased a used 230S with carbon fiber frame, too much aluminum and fiberglass canopy.

Hovers rock solid in IU-1, barely need to touch the cyclic stick, rudder is simply spot on, just sits there. Crazy.

My first FBL machine. I'm impressed.

I know it is likely very heavy compared to an out of the box stock airframe.

That said, I don't see the carbon fiber frame as an issue (thus far) regarding the FBL.

Just one data point though in the "fleet" out there.

Thanks for the update. You'll enjoy that bird with the better frame. A good beater heli.

[BrokeDad]

I bought a 230S as one of my first learning helis. Over time I also bought 3 extra frames as at one point they were hard to get. So of course I'm still on the original frame. The moral I guess is if you don't want to crash hard spends tons of money up front on spares

[Thickfog]

Originally Posted by BrokeDad

I bought a 230S as one of my first learning helis. Over time I also bought 3 extra frames as at one point they were hard to get. So of course I'm still on the original frame. The moral I guess is if you don't want to crash hard spends tons of money up front on spares

Lol.

[irob]

About a week ago I flipped to inverted, then a 180 piro followed by a right roll to upright. Too low for my skills. Went in from maybe 8 ft. Throttle hold about at ground contact.
This popped one of the balls out of a blade grip. I screwed it back in and flew it again. It flew fine and the ball didn't move at all. I changed the grip later but only out of caution. The ball creates the threads in the grip the first time you screw it in. I guess there was enough plastic to bind the ball into the grip tight enough.
For the record I wouldn't do this with a larger helicopter. But I'm constantly impressed by how well the 230 takes dirt diving.

[Desmond]

Originally Posted by learnedthehardway

The esc problem threads I've seen were mostly from wires coming unsoldered so they were fixable. Some of those failures did cause a crash though so that's money and time that never would have been spent on a heli using a $20 YEP.

This problem of the wires coming off the ESC has happened to me twice. The black wire running from the ESC to the tail motor broke loose from the ESC. Okay the first time it happened was after a crash which broke the tail boom right where it enters the frame and the jagged edge of the boom severed the wire. I spliced it carefully, put on a new bullet connector and carefully checked the solder joints to the ESC. All seemed well so I put it on the shelf. A few days later I picked it up to take it for a test flight and low and behold... the black wire was off the ESC. I soldered it back and flew it a few times and all was well. Then a week or two ago I took it up for a practice flight in my driveway. I took off and then realized I was in stability mode so I landed and put it into idle up and it started spinning on he ground and I noticed the tail blade wasn't spinning. Upon inspecion you guessed it... the same wire came off the ESC again. This time I pulled out the ESC and did a careful soldering job. I did a test flight today (it was very windy) and everything worked fine. Hopefully the wires will stay put.

The bad part it that it seems like those solder connections are a weak point and they can come loose suddenly and without warning. The good part it both times the wire came off the ESC I wasn't in the air,

[Desmond]

Originally Posted by N8KC

First crash for me on 230s this weekend. After reading this thread, it appears mine was major considering the extent of the damage. Broken parts include...
Stripped main gear
Broken frame(in front as described above)
Broken landing gear(where attached to the broken frame area)
Broken blade grip
Missing main rotor head linkage
Canopy in 5 pieces
Bent spindle for main rotor
Bent tail boom
Shreaded tail rotor blades
Main blades decent, but rough on the ends

Saw carbon fiber main frame, landing gear, tail boom and rear rotor blades. any thoughts on whether it's worth it? Less likely to need replacement next crash is primary consideration.

Carbon steel spindle, same question.

Figure plastic main gear saves the motor, so probably stick with stock there, gotta have a weak point, right? Same concern on metal blade grips and carbon steel spindle. What needs to give?

I need to buy $65 in parts to get this thing in the air. I will have a couple extra parts left over, but I can't afford to make crashing a habit, not ones like this, anyways.

Replacing the frame is really a pain. Could it be glued and reinforced or will it be likely to break easier next time and should reinforce a new frame instead and/or go carbon fiber?

I assume you have it fixed by now, However, I would be more or less inclined to keep it stock and just repair it with stock parts. Depending on the degree of frame damage you might be able to glue the frame with CA glue, epoxy, or Gorilla glue. You can probably add a brace to the front part of the frame to reduce the chance of breakage in the future. Or, you can but ready made braces , someone posted a link to a place that sells them earlier in this thread. The only "bling" I might add to the 230S is an aluminum swash plate. The aluminum swash gives it a more "professional" look. Keep a few spare tail rotor blades around as those seem to break on almost every crash, even on very minor crashes. Don't worry about the ends of the main rotors being a little rough. Mine are as well but it doesn't seem to affect it in flight. Reinforcing the frame sounds like a good idea. I am thinking of doing that with mine and is probably worth the effort.

[RCFred]

I Shoe Goo tooth picks across the frame breaks.
See the main page for putting Shoe Goo or certain other sealants/adhesives over the esc solder joints to mitigate breaking loose. Vibration from the heli is constantly challenging these solder connections.