New Mikado Logo 700 Build Thread/Review

[rb30cory]

Hello Everyone,

Once again at IRCHA this year I left mesmerized by a new helicopter.. it happened last year with the Synergy 766, and this year it was the new Logo 700 that left me speechless after watching Mr. Dahl and Mirko throw down live for the full week at IRCHA.. Unreal - the heli flew soo graceful, soo smooth, so fast .. I left saying I just have to have one.. Thus after I left IRCHA I threw in a pre-order @ Mikado USA, waited nearly 6 weeks for the heli to finally arrive which happened Tuesday this week where I spent nights after work putting her together.

Here are some of the photos along with my comments on the build along the way.

I choose a 697 platform as I wanted a little heavier disc loading this time.. I plan to make this my "higher headspeed" heli for some "Cory Smack" - this smack is far from pro level but gets my jollies off so thats all that maters.

Anyway here we goo...



Finally arrived - picked it up and headed home ready to build!



Kit spread out on the table along with my electronics. Shes getting the new Xnova 4525 motor, 13T pinion, Spartan Vortex, HW 130 with BEC, BK Servos.





Very high quality canopy! The paint looks excellent.



Mounting Servos on frame halfs - make sure you have grommets to go on the servos mount holes. If you dont your servos will not line up perfectly centered with the swash. Also if you dont alignment will be off servo to servo. Luckily I had some spares left over and was able to use them to make sure everything mechanically was square.



When mounting the tail tube pay close attention to the L on the side of the tube - look at the orientation of the photo it needs to be mounted this way.



Frame halfs together. Dont forget the belt!! I did the first time.. Also I found this part to be pretty much a PITA. The screws are longer than the sections so you must make sure you get the nylock nut into the frame half first then put the screw in slowly. I also found the little threaded rod to not be helpful as to use it you must thread through the nylock side first which is very difficult. My trick that seemed to work for me was lay frame on side, place nut luck nut with a thin pair of needle nose, hold nylock nut with a large 3 or 4mm allen key, then come in the other side with the bolt. I found the hole frame building portion quite cumbersome as it took all my hands and fingers.. and chest to hold the frame steady.

This is my first Mikado build but 4th 700 build and by far this frame was the biggest PITA.

Lower frame went together much smoother as it uses the 3 posts to hold itself together so there are only I think a couple nylock nut places.



Skids went together fine, I made sure to mount the U portions first, then I adjusted the depth of the sleighs in and out to my linking before tightening down.




Main gear was very nice, main shaft a nice and thick 14mm. These parts went together OK. I found it a bit challenging to get the shim between the auto gear and the main gear. I also found it challenging then to get the center pin into the auto rotation gear. I found basically it was line to line clearance on the hole to get the pin in between the auto and main gear - thats all the space there is to slide the pin in. I used the supplied fuel tube and that seemed to work OK. About 5 or 10 minutes a few curse words later and she was together.



Tail was next.



Now I didn't realize it then.. as it was about 1 a.m. and I was a few beverages deep 1 eyeing it.. but I mounted the tail grips 180 degrees out.. well this matters as when I went to spool my heli up today to check the tail without main blades on she tried to spin herself to death and actually tipped over on my carpet (I test in a large open space in my house the tail)... so yes NOTE the blade grip direction - the hex side should be towards the boom.



I should have went to bed.. but I didnt and kept on with the tail.. be SURE to have the shrink wrap on each side of the bearing - the tail bearings sit on the torque tube - the shrink wrap goes in front and back of the bearing to keep it in place.. I wont mention what my initial thought was..



Shorter hole side goes towards the tail box if you dont fill like measuring.



Thats it done for the night.. I made the tail supports and tail guides and let the epoxy cure while I slept..

2 days later, back at it.



Motor built and ready for install.. time for my least favorite part.. wire routing and soldering...



The motor and the ESC are VERY close to another about ~1 inch apart or so.. so like I normally never do.. I cut both the motor and ESC wires down before soldering on the 6.5mm bullets.. this made for a cleaner setup and well less weight right? It was painful to cut off the leads but.. its done now. bandaid is off.

This was my first HW controller and I ran into some issues programming it.. my program card shit the bed for a minute while trying to install new firmware.. basically left me with a blank screen and wouldn't do anything. Well after about 1 hr of screwing around trying different plugging sequences to make it work.. I switched the mini B cable and would you believe it! it worked.. fixed the firmware install and was on my way.

Also note I set the pinion to zero backlash per the manual - I rotated the main gear before fixing it looking for the tighest spot and well.. really the main gear was pretty damn true because it all felt the same to me.



Build the head - it went together very nice. Those 3x side 0-ring style dampers were mfers to stick together. I basically had my body weight on them to get them into the center housing so the spindle bolt could then jack them in the rest of the way.



Mounted the VTX blades - boy are they a work of art. These ones the paint was near perfect. Only a few very very minor inperfections. Nicest set of 700 blades ever. Even nicer paint than my 717's on my Goblin - looks like quality control perhaps is improving!

I then setup my spartan Vortex - go the wires cleaned up and threw a battery in here to see how fat she is.




Not bad - basically what I was predicting. Now before anyone gets too excited I have 2x6s glacier 4400mah 45C packs in this bird. These are not 5000's. I wanted a closer to 11 lb heli swinging ~700 blades and well it was achieved.

Ate some lunch then headed out to the field for the "true maiden". The 2 minute hover check in the spare lot next to my house doesn't count.






Shes beautiful - I really like the looks - very sleek, nice pain job and just makes me want to fly her. Which I did today for the first time - here is the video - Enjoy!

New Mikado Logo 700 Low 3d VTX! - Maiden Day - Pilot Cory (5 min 18 sec)

So my conclusion so far.

Great heli - in the first battery it gave me soo much confidence it was unreal. It flies like a very large 550sx which I also own, but faster, more locked in, and just more awesome. She got 6 flights today and I am overall very satisfied with my purchase. I quit flying today because the sun was disappearing.. however was a great day!

So here is my final review.

The good:
- Pretty light for a 700
- Beefy
- Flies excellent!
- Battery tray is very nice
- VTX blades? WOW - just awesome
- Quality fit and finish were superb
- Took all but a few minutes of tuning to get her basically perfect - thats outstanding.

The "Could be better?"
- System drag - that belt between the main gear and the tail adds some drag. I feel like Mikado would have hit it out of the park here if they just made it a mechanical gear link to the tail drive. The TT in the tail is super smooth - but that center belt adds some uneeded drag. I notice it in low HS autos compared to say my Synergy E7.

The Bad
- Canopy fits very tight.. already have a few small cracks - one of which started from looks like a manf. defect.. Had to also add small reliefs for the front two servos for clearance to the canopy





Notice the line on the underside of the canopy - looks like two peices of fabric coming together there thus allowing my canopy to start "un zipping it self" along this line...

Final Remarks.

Great heli overall 9/10 from me. Gave me almost immediate confidence, flew outstanding, had great air presence and just flat out put a big freaking smile on my face! When you land happy - its a good heli.

Closing comment - to the folks saying the blades dont fit in the blade caddy? - Push harder maybe? Mine fits fine but a bit tight - however it works fine.



Saludos!!

[MS60]

tremendous Cory.....very nicely done

[MS60]

I hadn't watched the flight yet......WOW, i could watch that all day man, getting down low, smooooth, nice transitions, art in motion = like a masterpiece

[Fauropitotto]

Very cool. Good write up!

[rb30cory]

Originally Posted by MS60

I hadn't watched the flight yet......WOW, i could watch that all day man, getting down low, smooooth, nice transitions, art in motion = like a masterpiece

Thanks Mark! I appreciate the comments. Looking forward to flying with you this coming weekend sir.

Originally Posted by Fauropitotto

Very cool. Good write up!

Thanks. Trying to give people some facts with tips and some comments on the machine. I know when I buy things I always like to hear how things compare to others etc.


So today she got 4 more flights. I got my mah telemetry working. At 1650 rpm I can fly for about 7 minutes doing circuits. 1920 rpm close to 5 minutes of decently hard 3d landing at 3.74v per cell.

Tail authority at 1650 is very good. I couldn't get her to blow out even during high speed maneuvers.

I will also mention my setup seems to be super efficient even after a hard flight my motor temp is 120f and esc is only 95! Ambient temperature today was 75. That's awesome cool.

I also today did some auto play. Specifically acrobatic inverted ones. The head speed bleeds off quite quickly compared to my other machines. In the logos defense it is the only one with sub 700 blades on it.

I'll consider swapping the 717s from my g700 to the logo and see how that works for kicks.

Otherwise heli flies like a dream. A few club members were there today and commented how graceful it looks while flying. They also really liked the colors and plastic frame. (They are airplane people)

Hats off to Mikado overall !

[cudaboy_71]

I flew back to back 697s and 717s on mine today. On the logo the longer blades seem nice, though they draw the current a little faster even at lower headspeed. I'll have to pull my UI logs to see what the actual numbers are. On the 717 flight I just shot a simple auto from about 200'AGL. I got to my 'spot' where I'm usually just running out of HS, and I just hung it there for another 3-4 seconds before it settled down. (I didn't think to do an auto on the 697s)

I say "on the logo". I also flew the 697s and 717s back to back on my Protos max and I did not like the 717s at all...but, that machine is 1lb heavier.

For now, I'm leaving the 697s on the Protos and the 717s on the Logo.

[rb30cory]

Little thread bump here with an update.

First mods. Can you please move this thread to the Logo 700 section only plz?

Next: Logo now has about 60 flights on it. Overall I really love it. It flies great. It's also very good looking in the air lots of people who watch it fly come over after to view it up close.

I have tried it with 4400 12s and 5000 12s packs. I like it's flight characteristics a bit better at 5000 12s but it's autos suffer a bit here.

Also I have moved on to 717s as I found 697s to really lack on this heli on the crazy fun dismount inverts I love to pull off. 717s foxed this heli for me. I really was disappointed on 697s when I started pushing the auto envelope when compared to my other 700s.

What I did do this week was install protos Max v2 magnets mounts. The stock rubber with the posts were a bit of a pain to get off without fear of cracking the canopy. It took a little massaging but the v2 mounts fit great! Now the canopy snaps right on with ease!









I had to cut the mounts at a bit of an angle to get them to allow the canopy to fit nice. I did it little by little until I liked the fitment. Now throwing this canopy on is simple fast and easy!

[Baedarlboo]

Nice, I did the same on the front for my NX7 (hate putting my hands near the pipe). I may pick up more mounts to try this out for the Logo.

[KevinB]

for the canopy posts, yes, mine were very tight to get the grommets over as well.

I just use a little automotive spark plug boot grease on the pin. It's completely safe on the rubber grommet.
Push the grommet on and off a couple times, and it goes on easy after that. Just add a little more when it starts getting tight again.

I've been doing this on all of my Logo canopies for years, but the 700 canopy needed it the most. Note, I have also always run fairly strong magnets on the rear seam of my canopies. If you're not doing that, I don't think I'd recommend applying this grease on all but the 700 (which has the retaining pins to lock the canopy on). There could be the possibility of the canopy popping off in fast backward flight.

KevinB

[Markherring]

I have the same motor and esc ordered, iim curious about how you shortened your motor leads. Arent motor wires coated in some kind of enamel? How did you remove it befor you soldered the bullets on?

[aziz76]

Originally Posted by Markherring

I have the same motor and esc ordered, iim curious about how you shortened your motor leads. Arent motor wires coated in some kind of enamel? How did you remove it befor you soldered the bullets on?

Yes, motor wires "magnet wire" is coated in enamel. If shortened the enamel needs to be removed. This can be done using a hobby knife to expose the shiny copper under the enamel. It can then be soldered quite easily. It has to be done carefully and thoroughly though, to completely remove the enamel off about 1 cm to ensure good contact with the bullet. Otherwise you risk creating a high resistance contact that could generate heat and enough to melt the solder and loose the connection.

[rb30cory]

Originally Posted by aziz76

Yes, motor wires "magnet wire" is coated in enamel. If shortened the enamel needs to be removed. This can be done using a hobby knife to expose the shiny copper under the enamel. It can then be soldered quite easily. It has to be done carefully and thoroughly though, to completely remove the enamel off about 1 cm to ensure good contact with the bullet. Otherwise you risk creating a high resistance contact that could generate heat and enough to melt the solder and loose the connection.

I used a combination of a knife and 80 grit to 180 grit sand paper to get it off.. was a bit of a pain but it came off with some elbow grease.

[pblais]

Thank you for your efforts. Very Nice!

[Flight Risk]

Originally Posted by Markherring

I have the same motor and esc ordered, iim curious about how you shortened your motor leads. Arent motor wires coated in some kind of enamel? How did you remove it befor you soldered the bullets on?

There's really no need to shorten either the esc or motor leads. Add hot glue or your protective canopy trim to the ridge that divides the sections directly under the esc and motor. Snake the esc wires down and under and the motor wires straight down to meet them. I did it with a brand new hobbywing 160 and the length is perfect. Of course there is an efficiency advantage to shortening the wires so if you're ready to dedicate the motor and esc to this heli forever that would be the way to go! The esc could probably be opened up and have new motor leads soldered on the board if you really had to lengthen them later.

[RGorham]

Thanks for this excellent review. Thinking of adding one of these to my small fleet as my primary go-to helicopter.

[smittylube]

+1 for the proto magnetic canopy mounts.
Just figured out a great way to mount them on my 600's but used the smaller 380 version. With the magnets in the back seam also, it is fantastic to just have the canopy mount itself!

[3D Dave]

Steve,

If you have the time and care to, I'd love to see pics of the smaller Protos magnet mounts.

If there's one thing I wish would be improved (for all the Logo's) it would be a better/faster canopy mount system.

I know we might give something up (I'm sure the stock mounts weigh less) but I'd give up a little of the lightness for a Protos type system.

Even now, I sometimes forget to put the pins in the 700's posts. I'm sure many fly without them, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

[smittylube]

Dave, I don't want to take his thread OT so I'll be happy to share what I did. I will start a new thread.

The weight penalty is minor at best.

[doubletap]

Nice write up! How is it now? Any maintenance done so far? Thank you. Cant wait for mine.

[rb30cory]

Originally Posted by doubletap

Nice write up! How is it now? Any maintenance done so far? Thank you. Cant wait for mine.

Thank you! The Logo is flying awesome! I havent flown much this year, I have gotten back into other hobbies and started taking care of my health better which has distracted me a bit.. BUT I did make it out last weekend and the Logo 700 saw 4 beatings.. I mean flights

By my log count she has 75 flights under her belt - flies amazing still, locked in still, no issues, none. The canopy is starting to slightly fade... .. but I am a Goblin owner and well.. its part of the super bright canopies... I do my best to keep the logo out of the sun when I am not flying it.. however its still starting to loose that amazing luster it had out of the box.

Other than that - no real complaints. I settled liking the 717's with 4400 12s 45C packs for disc loading.The hobbywing 130 internal gov is amazing - no desire to move to external gov.. internal keeps that tail locked hard.. What was funny is I have only flown 2 sessions all year.. and the logo is flying so well I actually did a very nice set of consecutive 4 point tick tocks about 10ft up last weekend.. that was a first that low so the Logo had me feeling confident.