Main shafts?

[boykintom]

Curious if most of you guys straighten your main shafts when they're bent in a crash? I have found it to be a pretty easy process. After removing the center hub and swashplate, I take out the top two frame screws and separate the frame with my hands, while pulling the main shaft out. I then roll it on my table saw top, noting where it is bent and then carefully bend it opposite way in the vise. It takes some trial and error, but I haven't bent one so badly I couldn't straighten it yet. Do you do something similar?

[Luke Warmwater]

Not me. Main shafts are always binned if they are bent. It only takes the smallest of bends virtually invisible to detect except on a perfectly smooth surface, to cause vibrations. Any vibration is bad for a heli; it wears bearings and other parts really quickly.

[Steemo]

I have had some success doing this BKT, you can get it close to perfect if you are very patient and have a dead flat smooth surface to test on, but they never seem to run as smooth as a new one. Luke is right: vibes = bad, the more you can avoid them the better.
Now a days I only do this as a last resort if I can't find stock at my usual haunts, but then swap in a new one once I get more.

[boykintom]

I can definitely see the vibrations when the shaft is bent, and it is easy to watch the swashplate for movement as you spin up. After I straighten the shaft, I can't see the Bee vibrate, and there is little to no movement of the swashplate. I have been doing this for a year and haven't had to replace any bearings yet. I break most of the other moving parts before they have time to wear out!

[Viet-Lama]

Hey if it works for you then go with it. Personally I dont have the patients to mess with straightening and just keep a healthy supply of new ones in the parts bin

[boykintom]

I guess I'm too cheap to spend $3 or more per shaft when I can get around it! Especially since my parts spending has already greatly exceeded the cost of the Bee. Sometimes I feel like I'm keeping Esky in business all by myself. Oh well, I sure am having fun while I'm at it. I've been working on outside circles for a while now, and by that I mean instead of circling myself, the circles are out in front. For some reason clockwise circles are a lot easier for me than counterclockwise. I both cases, though, I have to really be careful due to all the pecan trees and other obstacles in my side yard, although there are few I haven't hit at some time or other.

[Viet-Lama]

+1 on CW circles being easier. Took me longer then it should have to master smooth, perfect CCW circles and even now I occasionally fumble a tight one.

[boykintom]

I know what you mean--I"m still working on it. These days, if I stuck to what I can already do, I would seldom crash, but I keep pushing, trying to get better and learn more and then I crash! I think that is just the way of it in the heli world.

[Birdkiller]

As far as the shafts go, I've tried to straighten them, and checked them with and indicator and V block and have never been happy with what the dial indicator said....sure they would work relatively well, but it would always be on my mind that it's NOT straight, and drive me crazy...

I have actually made my own before, and they worked well but now I don't have the time anymore to get in the machine shop for Heli parts, so I just stock up on them and changem out when I bend'em...

[boykintom]

I guess the fact that the straightened ones do so well that I can't see any vibration or problem has led me not to worry about their perfection. I have bought several shafts this year, mostly just to have straight spares, but I honestly can't see that the brand new ones perform any better. I did, however, buy a new one recently that was already bent when I got it. It was also the only one I ever bought that has a lower pin that you can actually move.

[Steemo]

Originally Posted by boykintom

I guess the fact that the straightened ones do so well that I can't see any vibration or problem has led me not to worry about their perfection. I have bought several shafts this year, mostly just to have straight spares, but I honestly can't see that the brand new ones perform any better. I did, however, buy a new one recently that was already bent when I got it. It was also the only one I ever bought that has a lower pin that you can actually move.

This is the only thing that drives me insane about the bee. having to sand out the bottom hole of every shaft so it is humanly possible to remove the pin without ripping the heli apart.

[Birdkiller]

Originally Posted by boykintom

I guess the fact that the straightened ones do so well that I can't see any vibration or problem has led me not to worry about their perfection. I have bought several shafts this year, mostly just to have straight spares, but I honestly can't see that the brand new ones perform any better. I did, however, buy a new one recently that was already bent when I got it. It was also the only one I ever bought that has a lower pin that you can actually move.

Yeah man, don't get me wrong, if you straighten a shaft good enough it will fly relatively smooth with the low head speeds of the bee.

And you are right about the new shafts coming In bent sometimes ...unfortunately QA/QC practices coming out of china are less than desirable..

My thing is, when I measure the runout of a shaft with an indicator and get .005 - .008 runout, it's physically impossible for it to spin true...

Even if it " appears" to not have vibes, I personally can't use it.. It's just me, with my profession ( Journeymen machinist/ CNC programmer 11 years, currently Engineer) I am a perfectionist and In my head it drives me nuts... Haha

Not to say you are wrong by any means, and not to say I haven't straightened a shaft and got back in the air when in a bind...I just prefer to use a nice new straight shaft, then I KNOW that's one less variable to worry about, that's all.

But then again....these Bees are just back yard rippers for fun anyways!!! I just find myself getting carried away with them some times!!

[Birdkiller]

Originally Posted by Steemo

This is the only thing that drives me insane about the bee. having to sand out the bottom hole of every shaft so it is humanly possible to remove the pin without ripping the heli apart.

No sanding required with my shafts....

[boykintom]

Originally Posted by Birdkiller

Yeah man, don't get me wrong, if you straighten a shaft good enough it will fly relatively smooth with the low head speeds of the bee.

And you are right about the new shafts coming In bent sometimes ...unfortunately QA/QC practices coming out of china are less than desirable..

My thing is, when I measure the runout of a shaft with an indicator and get .005 - .008 runout, it's physically impossible for it to spin true...

Even if it " appears" to not have vibes, I personally can't use it.. It's just me, with my profession ( Journeymen machinist/ CNC programmer 11 years, currently Engineer) I am a perfectionist and In my head it drives me nuts... Haha

Not to say you are wrong by any means, and not to say I haven't straightened a shaft and got back in the air when in a bind...I just prefer to use a nice new straight shaft, then I KNOW that's one less variable to worry about, that's all.

But then again....these Bees are just back yard rippers for fun anyways!!! I just find myself getting carried away with them some times!!

Fortunately for my peace of mind, I can't measure the straightness like you can, so I just go fly, thinking it is straight enough if I can't tell the difference in flight! I am sure that will change with the 450 I will be building soon.

[Birdkiller]

Originally Posted by boykintom

Fortunately for my peace of mind, I can't measure the straightness like you can, so I just go fly, thinking it is straight enough if I can't tell the difference in flight! I am sure that will change with the 450 I will be building soon.

Alright....another member of the 450club, cool man!

[boykintom]

Thanks!! Already got all the parts for the 450 (HK 450 Pro), plus a Spektrum DX6i, but since this is supposed to be a Christmas present from the wife, I have to wait a few weeks to start building. Meanwhile, still having a lot of fun with the Bee. The recent King 2 esc mod was the best thing I ever did to it besides the SuperBlades.

[Luke Warmwater]

Originally Posted by boykintom

I am sure that will change with the 450 I will be building soon.

Hehe...yup, the Bee is pretty forgiving, whereas a 450 will punish you for faults you can't even find to start with!

[Viet-Lama]

Check out the brand new Tarot 450 Pro V2 ! Its only $120 and it comes with motor. For $60 more you get the FBL electronics.
If you dont know, Tarot is equal to Align in quality and most like there FBL head and electronics much better then Align.
I wish I didnt have so many flybar spares for my two 450s or id have one of these already.

What a beautiful heli! I love the white blades / gear / skids.
Add some white tail blades to complete the look.
http://www.oomodel.com/tarot-450-pro...s-p-61751.html

FBL electronics
http://www.oomodel.com/tarot-zyx01-z...05lrgm4rlbgo06

[Birdkiller]

Originally Posted by Viet-Lama

Check out the brand new Tarot 450 Pro V2 ! Its only $120 and it comes with motor. For $60 more you get the FBL electronics.
If you dont know, Tarot is equal to Align in quality and most like there FBL head and electronics much better then Align.
I wish I didnt have so many flybar spares for my two 450s or id have one of these already.

What a beautiful heli! I love the white blades / gear / skids.
Add some white tail blades to complete the look.
http://www.oomodel.com/tarot-450-pro...s-p-61751.html

FBL electronics
http://www.oomodel.com/tarot-zyx01-z...05lrgm4rlbgo06

Dang VL that is one sweet rig for the money!!

[hopkin]

I just made 6 new main shafts from 3mm silver steel ,it comes in 13 inch lengths is inexpensive and has an accurate ground finish, 1mm hole one end 1.5 the other, if you break a drill use the shaft to make the pins. time consuming I know but a lot stonger than an Esky shaft!