Frustrating!!!

[SNOWFREAK]

This was a good week and a bad week. Flew Monday, Wednesday and this morning. Monday and Wed started off great. Getting the hang of FFF and figure eights and then I lose orientation and crash. Monday's was bad. Didn;t have time to hit TH and it chicken danced. Lost pitch links, broken center hub, bent flybar, bent feathering shaft and main shaft, stripped main gear. Blades OK. Actually snapped the main gear bolt on both sides and had to dremal of the nubs before I could remove it. Wednesday's was minor. Today's was really frustrating. Took off the last set of flybar weights. Got a couple of good stalls turns and one half-assed figure eight and then the tail motor craps out without warning. Hit TH this time but it went in tail first and broke center hub and feathering shaft. Will replace tail motor just to play it safe.

I guess it's all part of the learning process, but it sucks to have a really good week then to be dashed by three crashes in a week.

[dannylightning]

Originally Posted by SNOWFREAK

This was a good week and a bad week. Flew Monday, Wednesday and this morning. Monday and Wed started off great. Getting the hang of FFF and figure eights and then I lose orientation and crash. Monday's was bad. Didn;t have time to hit TH and it chicken danced. Lost pitch links, broken center hub, bent flybar, bent feathering shaft and main shaft, stripped main gear. Blades OK. Actually snapped the main gear bolt on both sides and had to dremal of the nubs before I could remove it. Wednesday's was minor. Today's was really frustrating. Took off the last set of flybar weights. Got a couple of good stalls turns and one half-assed figure eight and then the tail motor craps out without warning. Hit TH this time but it went in tail first and broke center hub and feathering shaft. Will replace tail motor just to play it safe.

I guess it's all part of the learning process, but it sucks to have a really good week then to be dashed by three crashes in a week.

ehhhh, crash happens lol. i crash mine too it is easy to make a mistake or to have a mishap like the tial motor, just got to roll with the punches and keep on truckin, cant let it frustrate you.

[tjm5837]

Don't beat yourself up Snowfreak. Save up and get a decent heli, like an align. You will be surprised at how many crashes are caused by the poor design of the SR. I never crash my Trex 450 pro. (knock on wood) But the SR, I crash all the time. That crappy tail motor just can't lock the bird in and is VERY disracting. Most of my flight time consists of fighting the tail, which distracts my attention from flying the bird and boom before you know it another crash. The Trex holds the tail rock steady and moves only if and when I want it to. I can concentrate on flying and learning and just the joy of flying the thing. It's like the difference between a ferrari and a ford focus. If your like me the money you've spent on parts so far may have bought you an align Trex 250. Believe me you won't believe the difference. Your probably a great pilot but just need a quality bird to fly.

[rollinolin]

would you recomend a blade 400. There is one available in my area. Im thinking of getting it just for the tx.

[dannylightning]

Originally Posted by rollinolin

would you recomend a blade 400. There is one available in my area. Im thinking of getting it just for the tx.

new, used ? how much. the 400 is a good helicopter but it really needs upgraded servos, and gyro so i fly's really good it is quite intimidating compared to a SR.

i just dumped a few hundred bucks in to my 400 and bought all the stuff i wanted for it, should be flying great after i get it all and install it.

if the price is right and you dont mind doing some upgrades some time down the line i say get it. its a descent flying heli out of the box but the servos are known to quit working and the tail just does not hold like it should. that is why you need to upgrade it.

in the long run its still cheeper than buying a t rex 450 kit and electronics for the 450, parts are also cheaper than the t rex . but when you crash the 400 a lot more stuff with break comapred to the SR

[Mojappa]

I feel your pain John, it's definitely frustrating and it shakes your confidence as well. It's stories like this that have me hesitant to build my 450. I am having to piece it together over time just to afford it and one good crash, be it my fault or a mechanical
failure, will most likely have me doubting even rebuilding it. The SR is fairly cheap to crash but still sucks, I can't imagine a crash like E-fan's, $330 repair cost! No way I'm gonna be able to bounce back from that. If I total one of my planes I'd only be out like $100, much easier to swallow.

[dannylightning]

Originally Posted by tjm5837

Don't beat yourself up Snowfreak. Save up and get a decent heli, like an align. You will be surprised at how many crashes are caused by the poor design of the SR. I never crash my Trex 450 pro. (knock on wood) But the SR, I crash all the time. That crappy tail motor just can't lock the bird in and is VERY disracting. Most of my flight time consists of fighting the tail, which distracts my attention from flying the bird and boom before you know it another crash. The Trex holds the tail rock steady and moves only if and when I want it to. I can concentrate on flying and learning and just the joy of flying the thing. It's like the difference between a ferrari and a ford focus. If your like me the money you've spent on parts so far may have bought you an align Trex 250. Believe me you won't believe the difference. Your probably a great pilot but just need a quality bird to fly.

the tail on my SR holds great. it blew out on me once and i have never had a problem with it since.

[Mojappa]

Don't go jinxing yourself again Danny, every tail motor dies at some point. Some are fortunate enough to get a couple of warning signs first, some are not so lucky.

[dannylightning]

Originally Posted by Mojappa

Don't go jinxing yourself again Danny, every tail motor dies at some point. Some are fortunate enough to get a couple of warning signs first, some are not so lucky.

i have had 2 die so far, i am just saying my tail holds really well, the post i quoted said it did not hold good and he had to chase the tail all over the place. i don't have that problem.

[Mojappa]

I didn't have any problems with my first motor, the one on there now is giving me a fit though, probably why I haven't been to inclined to fly it.

[Jumna]

I guess it's all part of the learning process, but it sucks to have a really good week then to be dashed by three crashes in a week.

A series of crashes can really be like a punch in the stomach. I can relate. They'll be better days for sure. As far as more stable helis go, I like the idea, but the worst crash possible for the SR is the cost of a new one, so at least we're not liable to smash say a car down payment into the ground!

[SNOWFREAK]

Originally Posted by Jumna

A series of crashes can really be like a punch in the stomach. I can relate. They'll be better days for sure. As far as more stable helis go, I like the idea, but the worst crash possible for the SR is the cost of a new one, so at least we're not liable to smash say a car down payment into the ground!

+1. Very true. If I jumped into something bigger, I would have a hard time convincing the wife of the repair costs.

[kidphc]

Originally Posted by Mojappa

I feel your pain John, it's definitely frustrating and it shakes your confidence as well. It's stories like this that have me hesitant to build my 450. I am having to piece it together over time just to afford it and one good crash, be it my fault or a mechanical failure, will most likely have me doubting even rebuilding it.

Build it and you appreciate it when you are finished. Don't cheap out on parts. Cheap out on the wrong parts and it'll be a bad experience before you even get to give it a chance..

Having had a CP Pro2 and test flown several SR's the 450 is in a different world. The Align 450 SEV2 and sport are built like tanks. Although, the crash cost aren't too bad. Only the cost of the blades really really hurt. The 450 is my trasher and for good reason.

Back on topic.
I agree with tjm5837, don't beat yourself up too much. The tail was a major reason I got rid of my CP Pro2, even with tons of mods to get the tail to fly right. I can however, now hover with pitch pumps with the tail in rate mode on my current heli because of it though

[DKS_ONE]

Hey John, I had a week like yours not too terribly long ago. I took both my helis on vacation with me to my folks' house (Blade SR and Trex 500). The first night I flew when I got there, I flew the SR through one pack great, but it seemed to have a bit of a vibe. Second pack, halfway through I lost orientation (was getting darker and mountains in background made it harder to see, stupid plan) and banked the wrong direction. I hit T/H RFN even before it hit the ground cuz I knew there was no coming back which I think saved more costly repairs. Bummer was I had JUST rebuilt it from frame up and it being on the shelf for about 2-3 weeks. So I ended up just needing blades and a grip which I had spares for. Put the spares on and took it out again a night or two later. It was flying great, and I mean really great. Super smooth, no vibes, I was really diggin' the flight! Did a big circle... a bit too big... it came over my head and just behind me. I lost sight of it for a fraction of a second as I turned my head one way to the other. When I looked back at it it was coming down and it took just a second to gather myself but that was just a pinch too long. If I had just one more second I'm sure I had it as it hit the ground flat on the skids. Boom was fine, main blades still ok, most of the head in tact but the frame busted in three different spots. If it broke in one more place it would have been in two pieces. Skids (from a Trex 450) had busted pipes. So, needless to say I was and cursed myself out for being so stupid to let it get behind me and lose it, much less the day right after another crash off a fresh build!! The only positive note is (knock on wood, pinch of salt over the shoulder, no jinx please) that I flew the crap outta my 500 the whole time I was there and never crashed it and have yet to crash it at all. The other positive to draw from the story is that where I was there were no SR parts so I ended up getting a whole other heli (walkera hiko 400, not sure bout this one yet). Chin up and keep fightin' it out. I know I'm gonna get around the dopey mistakes I make and there's nothing you can do about a mechanical failure but pick up the pieces, mutter some curses and try again. Here's to the frustrations we all gotta try to overcome to make a go of this crazy hobby! I'm pretty sure only addicts have this kind of behaviour... is there such a thing as heli therapy? lol

[SNOWFREAK]

Originally Posted by DKS_ONE

I'm pretty sure only addicts have this kind of behaviour... is there such a thing as heli therapy? lol

All my friends think I am nuts for getting so into rc helis. My wife thinks I go the extreme in everything I get involved with, which is true. Anything I start, I go head first. Like Hunter S. Thompson said, "Anything worth doing, is worth doing right."

[Mojappa]

Originally Posted by kidphc

Build it and you appreciate it when you are finished. Don't cheap out on parts. Cheap out on the wrong parts and it'll be a bad experience before you even get to give it a chance.

I have no intention of cheaping out on parts, I was just saying I can't afford all of them at once, couple servos here, a gyro there, batteries in between. I know all too well the consequences of cheap parts, I have an SR.

[kidphc]

Originally Posted by Mojappa

I have no intention of cheaping out on parts, I was just saying I can't afford all of them at once, couple servos here, a gyro there, batteries in between. I know all too well the consequences of cheap parts, I have an SR.

Good for you. I'm too impulsive with my helis. Hell even with I research the crap out of them I make some bad choices


Please don't get me wrong the SR/CP2/400 is a good heli for what they are and cost. I recommend them all the time. All heli will have their limitations and quarks.

[dannylightning]

Originally Posted by Mojappa

I feel your pain John, it's definitely frustrating and it shakes your confidence as well. It's stories like this that have me hesitant to build my 450. I am having to piece it together over time just to afford it and one good crash, be it my fault or a mechanical
failure, will most likely have me doubting even rebuilding it. The SR is fairly cheap to crash but still sucks, I can't imagine a crash like E-fan's, $330 repair cost! No way I'm gonna be able to bounce back from that. If I total one of my planes I'd only be out like $100, much easier to swallow.

after crashing my 400 and seeing the devistation, it makes me scared to fly the thing, it was really not all that bad but after buying new blades and a hand full of head parts and a canopy it ended up being like 50 bucks to fix. definately expensive to fix and a t rex is even worse

Originally Posted by Mojappa

I didn't have any problems with my first motor, the one on there now is giving me a fit though, probably why I haven't been to inclined to fly it.

they all do seem to be a little different, if i got one that gave me trouble i wold wright to HH and complain about it. and i would switch it out for a different one. so far all of mine have been good, I think both of mine died due to impact instead of just burning out for no reason.

[dannylightning]

Originally Posted by DKS_ONE

I'm pretty sure only addicts have this kind of behaviour... is there such a thing as heli therapy? lol

i wish, all my money will be gone before i know it.

i don't get upset when my SR smashes to the ground. it does not cost much to fix and i kind of enjoy working on it, most of the time at least. today was a different story, hours waisted but at least i found out why it was not set up correctly.

i used to get really upset when i would crash, now its just like o well ill fix it tomorrow if i got the parts or can get the parts. no reason to get upset or discouraged. i am kind of wondering if my crash last night was due to part failure, stripped out threads where mixer arm connects to blade grip, pitch kept changing. while in a inverted hover yesterday the heli just kind of seemed to do its own thing, it seemed to be steady and all of the sudden it just lost it and flew off really quickly

might have been my fault and might have been the parts fault, either way it crashed and i came home with a big smile on my face cus i did some bueatifull flips and rolls and had one short inverted hover that went well. that was a big step for me. i have done a few really sloppy trucks in the past but these were great.

as long as your having fun flying the thing that is all that matters, if you enjoy flying it it's worth fixing up and trying again.

[Mojappa]

Yeah, they all suck to a different degree