New V18G01 nitro

[jimmymc2286]

I recieved one of the bata run model V18G01 nitro helis today. A few weeks ago I started looking for a 500 size nitro and found only one. It is this one. I don't have any pictures of it yet but will work on that. The heli came in the same box as the HM83 and is the same size but using 425mm blades. It has CF blades, boom, frame. vertical fin, and horizonal fin. The head is an all metal FBL unit, and metal tail. The canopy is fiberglass and is very nice. It comes with a .18 engine that is badged as a Walkera. You also get the WK-2801PRO TX, and the RX-2702V RX, with the FBL system built in.

After unpacking you can't help but notice this thing is well made. Everything was tight and looked to be ready to fly. That is the way the lady in China said it would be. After putting batteries in the TX and charging the nicd flight pack, I went over the controls throws and found everthing worked right but were not as I would have set them. All this needed now was fuel.

Just because I didn't trust the FBL unit or the pitch and throttle curves I put on my training gear and went out to start it up and start the breakin. This is where good went better. The little .18 is an easy start and easy tune engine. Opened the high speed 1/4 turn and hit it with the starter. It fired right up and idled great at the factory low speed setting. I let it idle for about a 1/4 tank to warm up some. "35F temp outside". raised and lowered the throttle making sure not to over rev the engine for the rest of the tank. I done this without the Blades on it for safety reasons. The next tank was with the blades back on and the main turned back in 1/8 turn. On spoolup the clutch engaged right when I thought it should and held good. Lift off was just a little past half throttle, with a little left stick and forward stick needed for steady hover. After adding a little trim it set rock solid. for this tank I hovered it for a minute set it down for a minute then repeat. After doing a couple of pops with the throttle the lack of pitch was going to have to change.

I ran one more tank moving the main in 2 clicks. This time the engine leaned out with just a 4 cycle every once and a while. The little engine runs great and has more power than I was expecting. Not a hardcore 3D machine but a very capable sport flyer. Flew 1/4 tank landed idle for 30sec. repeat till out of fuel. With the engine running a little leaner and more power I worked the cyc. a little. They are fast but stop right one the spot. This is my first FBL, so I had no idea what to expect but was pleasently suprised. It is rock solid like my Raptor but as nimble as my Trex 500.

After the 3rd tank I went in and reset the head the way I like. It only had +6 -3. Now it has +10 - 10, and reset the pitch curves and throttle curves. Next time out will do some lazy circles and figure 8s. I was wanting a 500 size nitro to fly in my small field that I have trouble keeping my big gasser and nitros in. I believe this is going to be just the ticket.

Jimmy

[crf69]

sweet let's see it!

[dineli]

Thank you very much for this interesting information and explanation, it was a pleasure to read everything, thanks and lots of nice flightsè

[jimmymc2286]

I have been busy with other things and just got the chance to take the V18 out to do some flying. I had ran 4 tanks through it and the engine was running good. Sat. I ran another tank through it just hovering it around and doing the final setings on the radio. Yesterday Sun. going ot do some circuits and and if things went well maybe some loops and rolls. I started it up and the engine died after just a few seconds and when I went to restart, the engine was not turning over when the starter spun. Not good. Well the crankshaft broke just below the clutch. I contacted the dealer I bought it from and they are going to check on a replacement for it. I hope this doesn't take to long. This helicopter is sweet and I just want to fly it some. Will let you know how things work out.

[crf69]

ughhh sorry to hear

[jesmondfenech]

I'm sorry to hear that too.

Hope you will fix it soon and give us some more updates on this heli.

[cna.robert]

Originally Posted by jimmymc2286

I recieved one of the bata run model V18G01 nitro helis today. A few weeks ago I started looking for a 500 size nitro and found only one. It is this one. I don't have any pictures of it yet but will work on that. The heli came in the same box as the HM83 and is the same size but using 425mm blades. It has CF blades, boom, frame. vertical fin, and horizonal fin. The head is an all metal FBL unit, and metal tail. The canopy is fiberglass and is very nice. It comes with a .18 engine that is badged as a Walkera. You also get the WK-2801PRO TX, and the RX-2702V RX, with the FBL system built in.

After unpacking you can't help but notice this thing is well made. Everything was tight and looked to be ready to fly. That is the way the lady in China said it would be. After putting batteries in the TX and charging the nicd flight pack, I went over the controls throws and found everthing worked right but were not as I would have set them. All this needed now was fuel.

Just because I didn't trust the FBL unit or the pitch and throttle curves I put on my training gear and went out to start it up and start the breakin. This is where good went better. The little .18 is an easy start and easy tune engine. Opened the high speed 1/4 turn and hit it with the starter. It fired right up and idled great at the factory low speed setting. I let it idle for about a 1/4 tank to warm up some. "35F temp outside". raised and lowered the throttle making sure not to over rev the engine for the rest of the tank. I done this without the Blades on it for safety reasons. The next tank was with the blades back on and the main turned back in 1/8 turn. On spoolup the clutch engaged right when I thought it should and held good. Lift off was just a little past half throttle, with a little left stick and forward stick needed for steady hover. After adding a little trim it set rock solid. for this tank I hovered it for a minute set it down for a minute then repeat. After doing a couple of pops with the throttle the lack of pitch was going to have to change.

I ran one more tank moving the main in 2 clicks. This time the engine leaned out with just a 4 cycle every once and a while. The little engine runs great and has more power than I was expecting. Not a hardcore 3D machine but a very capable sport flyer. Flew 1/4 tank landed idle for 30sec. repeat till out of fuel. With the engine running a little leaner and more power I worked the cyc. a little. They are fast but stop right one the spot. This is my first FBL, so I had no idea what to expect but was pleasently suprised. It is rock solid like my Raptor but as nimble as my Trex 500.

After the 3rd tank I went in and reset the head the way I like. It only had +6 -3. Now it has +10 - 10, and reset the pitch curves and throttle curves. Next time out will do some lazy circles and figure 8s. I was wanting a 500 size nitro to fly in my small field that I have trouble keeping my big gasser and nitros in. I believe this is going to be just the ticket.

Jimmy

i just got this in the mail.this is my first heli.i cant find out how to put fuel in the gas tank.the only hoses go to the card and pipe.can you help? thanks

[jonbailie]

I'd love to see how this nitro walkera performs in the air.. Has anyone got any sport/3d videos of it?

As for putting gas in it, I'm not sure about that. There's no 'gas cap' to pop off? Theres gotta be a spot to fill it up.

[vronny]

It did not come with a manual?

[Heli-opolis]

Originally Posted by jimmymc2286

Well the crankshaft broke just below the clutch.

That rings a bell! A while back someone was complaining about Walkera's lack of support in regards to something similar, if not exactly the same issue, a broken crankshaft.

It's not really a manufacturer's job to deal with support/service issues like that so that part of it is useless but the mechanical problem being the same definitely appears to be useful in that it sounds like it may not be an isolated incident.

Who knows.

One thing I do know though, I hope whomever you bought it from gets you back flying soon!

[mdula]

Just thought Id chime in. I got a V18 sitting on my shelf waiting for repair, no maiden flight yet. We had issues starting it, had to turn the mixture screw all the way in to start it. upon all the cranking the clutch nut came loose, and the cooling fan spun off the crank threads breaking all the fan blades.

We fixed that and decided to try to run it in anyway. Got it running pretty good until, the crankshaft broke starting it. Got a crank on order from a #83 Heli. Was told it was the same, we hope so. Its not my heli, its a friends and Im just helping him with it, but our luck just getting it running isnt looking good...

On tuning it, I think its odd that the mix screw needs to be all the way in to run right, soon as ou turn it out (counter clockwise) the rpms lower and throttle up stalls the engine.

Im not very schooled in these gas helis...Hes running 22% oil fuel.

[jonbailie]

This seems like a cool little nitro heli, too. It's been out for a little while now, and I've only found a couple of videos online of it, and I think only one video of a home-user flying it, the rest are hobby shops demonstrating it. Not sure if that means anything, but it seems like people would be jumping at this nitro, due to its size, power, brand, etc.

Maybe it makes more sense to just go with an Align machine or something. I think the smallest nitro they make is the 600, though, whereas the walkera is about a 500-size bird.

I wish someone would come out with a reliable 450-sized helicopter, but that may be underpowered due to size restrictions. I'd love to get some 10+ minute flight times, and hours of practice in on any given flying day

[pinguin]

If you can find a .18 size heli engine, better replace it. It looks like their weakness is in the crankshaft. Even if you can get the replacement part, it won't stay for long. Imagine if it broke during flight.

[jimmymc2286]

Walkera never did get with me on my broken crank. I replaced the engine and went on with my life. Now just a little on this helicopter. These engines take a long time to breakin. I have several flights on it now and the engine gets better and better. The flybarless system has worked flawlessly. The machanics have been better then I could have hoped for. The only problem other then the crank was on the last trip out the pipe came apart. I found the end and the baffle in the middle of the runway. Screwed it back together and back to flying. Until broken in the engine is touchy, after breakin it is no more to tune then my YS or OS 50s. This thing is a hoot. Not a smackdown 3D heli but a great sport flier. It is one of Walkera's best Ideas. I hope more people looking for a small nitro gives it a try. If you do, give it some time to breakin and it will run great.

[luffy]

i purchased this heli last week, it should arrive this week some time. i have the devo 8 tx, could you help me out with some settings to get it flying well. ta.

[jimmymc2286]

Originally Posted by luffy

i purchased this heli last week, it should arrive this week some time. i have the devo 8 tx, could you help me out with some settings to get it flying well. ta.

I didn't get Devo TX I got the 2801 Pro. I had no trouble making the changes to get mine flying the way I wanted it to. The first thing just go through the head setup and set the linkage up the way you want it manually then the rest will be easy. I made no changes to the flybarless unit it is working great just as it came form the box. The head was off a lot. I set mine up at 0 pitch at mid stick and +10 -10 in st1. In norm I have -4 0+10. I set the throttle curves up as I do on my other nitros.

Give the engine plenty of time to breakin. It takes a long time for the ABC engine to smooth out. The second engine is broken in and runs great. At first it is lacking power but the more it runs the better the power.

[Heli-opolis]

Originally Posted by jimmymc2286

Give the engine plenty of time to breakin. It takes a long time for the ABC engine to smooth out. The second engine is broken in and runs great. At first it is lacking power but the more it runs the better the power.

I think a couple members here had reported problems with Walkera engines mentioning that crank shafts broke within a couple of flights or so. I wonder if any of that was due to the engine(s) maybe not having been broken in?

When I flew nitro's I always broke in new engines but never found out the hard way why, I just did it, didn't have any problems so I continued doing it.

Not knowing the results of not breaking in an engine, I wonder if one of the possible results is having it seize up and break the shaft, maybe?

[luffy]

i plan to give the engine a thorough break in, hopefully get some more life out of it, gonna be very dissapointed if the crank shaft lets go after a couple of tanks.

[luffy]

has anyone had a look around for an aftermarket engine for this heli? or got an idea of what size could fit? finding it hard to find other nitro heli engines this small

[jimmymc2286]

My crankshaft broke just below the clutch. Right at the end of the thread. I think when the clutch was put on the person over tightened it and stressed the threads and that caused the failure. I replaced the engine with the same brand only a .15. The engines run great, and when broken in run very reliable. I have been looking at the small nitro car engines and one of them may be a good upgrade for this heli. I'm not a 3D pilot just sport flying. This little heli will do what I can and a gallon of fuel will last all week not just one trip to the field.
If someone tries one of the car engines let us know how it goes.