How to swing a 450 size Heli

[Vladconnery]

I thought I would share how I was able to successfully swing my 450 heli. This is not the bible but it is what worked for me. A little background: I have both the blue and black 720's. I have used both in my Atom 500. Completed compass swing with relative ease using both units in the 500. Relative ease meaning that I got it locked within 1-5 tries each time. I moved my BE with GPS over to my 450 because I want to start learning some 3D and bailout will be necessary. Also I fly my 450 more than my 500 and I need to get used to using the bailout it is why I spent $400.

Well after switching everything over I tried from Monday to Friday in excess of 40 times to get the compass swing completed #FAIL every time. Finally what I did was removed one of the bolts near my center shaft stuck a hex drive through and spun the heli with success on the first try. FYI I put my hex driver in before I started the swing. I made sure to grab the head with the opposite hand that I would be grabbing the hex drive with.

What I noted doing the yaw part of compass swing it's relatively easy with the blades off. It's hard to get off plane when you have it by the rotor head. With such a small heli it makes far to much movement when swinging it by hands only on the roll axis. This is where I failed 100% of the time. I would say easily 95% of all failures happen on the roll swing.

The oddest thing that I notice that I have never done before in any prior swing. When I did the roll part I simply kept rolling it until the double flashing light cut to the normal start up slow flashing blue light. I set it down it kept flashing slow then achieved lock and that was it. With my Atom I usually roll swing it once or twice the blue light is still double blinking when I sit it down. It will go out then comeback on locked.

Here are some pics of my practice 450 with the BE and GPS.

[Xrayted]

Very cool and glad you finally nailed it! A very interesting variation on my wooden dowel rod through the frame, but I like it better, because there is not always a place to get something through, but there are typically always pairs of screw holes in the frames, and the hex driver was brilliant!

[Vladconnery]

Thanks xrated... I tried to do it with a broom stick there was just to much bumping the heli around when trying tto insert the stick. Also there was not a place where the stick fit without allowing the heli to still have a lot of movent in any direction. The hex and screw hole trick is a perfect solution the hex fits the hole snug. It eliminates the back and forth and other off axis movements. Basically you only need keep your hand fairly stable to make it work and it's a one man operation. I am going to try it with my atom next time.

[Xrayted]

I'm thinking I could possibly make small holes in the frames specifically for this, but I'm not sure how easy it would be on my 500 and especially the Goblin with the added weight.

Definitely going to consider it when the time to swings comes around again for any reason. There was talk a while back about building some sort of jig specifically for the purpose. Probably overkill, and ultimately unnecessary, but I like having a project for the sake of a project sometimes.

[Luvmyhelis]

Originally Posted by Xrayted

I'm thinking I could possibly make small holes in the frames specifically for this, but I'm not sure how easy it would be on my 500 and especially the Goblin with the added weight.

Definitely going to consider it when the time to swings comes around again for any reason. There was talk a while back about building some sort of jig specifically for the purpose. Probably overkill, and ultimately unnecessary, but I like having a project for the sake of a project sometimes.

I am still working on this jig. I want it to be relatively cheap and easy for anyone to make and have it fit a number of different frames. If not all of them.

[Vladconnery]

I just want to put this out there for jig building. I have a few rc car stands that swivel. I placed my 450 on one to do the yaw swing #fail every time. It is the only time I have ever failed on a yaw swing. It would give the fast flash before I completed the yaw swing every time. I would focus my jig on the roll swing.

[Xrayted]

Originally Posted by Vladconnery

I just want to put this out there for jig building. I have a few rc car stands that swivel. I placed my 450 on one to do the yaw swing #fail every time. It is the only time I have ever failed on a yaw swing. It would give the fast flash before I completed the yaw swing every time. I would focus my jig on the roll swing.

Most likely too small of a circle. The tricky part will be transitioning from one movement to another on a jig without stopping too long in between. A jig for the tumble is easy for a fixed device and the only movement needed, but how do you go from a large circle movement to the jig tumble without stopping? A lazy susan on a bar stool with a long rod sticking out comes to mind.

It cant be a complicated, bulky or sophisticated device because as I said, its possible to accomplish the end result now without one, so its more of something that is just more convenient and not really necessary. For me a rod or some sort of pivot device through the heli to help stabilize the tumble and another set of hands to help works just fine.

The best thing would be if Skookum could figure out a way for it not to be so damn finicky in the first place

[Vladconnery]

I concur that the gyros are to finicky. I can live with swing as you only have to do it once. My biggest issue is always fighting vibes. I can get my heli's right but the smallest mishap seems to cause a vibe issue. Then its back to tearing the heli back down to find a vibe issue.

[Xrayted]

I guess I count myself pretty lucky. I've never had to struggle with any vibe issues and have been using the 720s since they came out years ago.

Granted, they have only been installed on 500 size and up heli though, which are less susceptible to vibes than smaller helis can be. Art mentioned in another thread that they may allow the system to tolerate momentary high spikes for a longer period without shutting down. That may improve any issues coming from aggressive flight move induced vibes.

[Vladconnery]

You are right on size of heli. I had the issue once in my 500 straightened it out and flawless since. I think I got it worked out in my 450 waiting on a part. Learned something with my 450. The will fly just fine with bent tail hubs and trashed thrust bearings. Oh well first time I've had replaced them through many many many crashes. Even after yesterdays crash they looked fine. It was not until I took them apart .

[Luvmyhelis]

Originally Posted by Xrayted

I guess I count myself pretty lucky. I've never had to struggle with any vibe issues and have been using the 720s since they came out years ago.

Granted, they have only been installed on 500 size and up heli though, which are less susceptible to vibes than smaller helis can be. Art mentioned in another thread that they may allow the system to tolerate momentary high spikes for a longer period without shutting down. That may improve any issues coming from aggressive flight move induced vibes.

Yeah, aggressive peaks with my helis are what I fight now. I have the rest handled. Shoot, I find doing the gps swing with a little 450 or even a 500 is a total cakewalk just doing it by hand. But take a larger 700 and things get more interesting in a hurry.

The easiest idea I have found so far for these is a simple 4 ft. wooden dowel with a 90 deg swivel mounting plate on the end. But the mounting plate can be snapped from one angle to the other securely. From a 90 deg angle to straight out. Velcro strap or secure the plate to the side of the heli for its mount with the dowel facing downward. This would be the rotational swing position. Then use another simple 4 to 5ft high dowel seated in the ground with a V plate catch on the top of it. High enough to insure when you lay the primary dowel with the heavy heli in it. That when the rod is on its side for the vertical swing, that the tail doesn't hit the ground.

Just rotate the dowel with the heli mounted on it at a slow speed overhead. When that takes, click the mounting plate so the dowel now reaches straight out at a 90 from the side. Then muscle the heli onto the upright dowel. Laying the primary dowel on its side so the upright V catches it right under the plate, and continue rotating the dowel at the same speed for its vertical tumble. The only additional thing needed would be another handle dowel on the side of the primary dowel for leverage here for the vertical tumble. The cost may be well under $10 for the whole thing.