Questions before maiden.

[Vodarac]

Hello all. I'd like to maiden my 450 (Hovering only) and checked my swash and pitch. Swash is right and perfectly level, my pitch is ZERO at mid stick but I have a bit more positive pitch than negative. Full positive I have 15.0 degrees, and full negative I have 12.7 degrees. Would this be ok strictly for a hover maiden flight? I'm in my back yard ~150x100ft, and only plan to get it into a hover for 3 batteries to break them in and the heli in a bit.

Thank you.

[Nelsonisms]

I hesitate to answer these kinds of questions asking for a stamp of approval when there are so many factors to consider because I don't want to take the blame if you smack it up.

I forget what kind of experience you've said you have flying other RC helis. That's a lot of positive pitch, but it should be manageable if you're real smooth on the collective and don't over do it. If it were me I'd adjust the pitch range first. But I do wish you good luck if you decide to let her rip.

[Vodarac]

I understand your hesitation. My question was more in terms of is it ok to do. Its to my knowledge that there are tons who fly this thing out of the box without so much as looking at a nut! I plan to dive into the beastx to fix it since i'm almost sure I cant just fix it by only adjusting the swash links. The only downside is the next time I may have time to fly again is next week.

[Nelsonisms]

It's OK to do unless it's not.

Look, if you have some experience and feel confident enough that you can hover a RC heli then you should be OK. The collective may be touchy, so just watch out for that.

[meowguy]

A reply is very difficult if we don't know if you can hover. Can you hover?

If you can hover but you can't fly around you might set you pitch at 12 pos and 2 neg. If you can hover and fly around then you might set it at 12 pos and 4 neg. If you fly and do 3D then you want 12 pos. and 12 neg.

That's why it's difficult to answer.

[James Recard]

Disconnect your motor.

Check and make sure you know all your control surface directions with your stick inputs.

Check and make sure you know all your control surface directions from your fbl controller.

Directions are way more critical than degrees.

[Vodarac]

My flying skill level is a good grasp on all orientations in the upright position + figure 8s in both directions(Not reverse yet), and circuits in both directions(Not reverse yet) on my Blade MCPX BL and Blade Nano cpx.

I wen't ahead and flew my first maiden and I'd like to say it went very well. Throttle was a bit touch, as I figured it would be with the pitch the way it is, but being careful enough hovering was not an issue. I am thoroughly surprised at the power this thing has and like others say, the sound does not bother me at all. I had to dial in some expo on cyclic to hover though as it was a bit twitchy. Dialed in some expo on the tail as well but ended up taking some out as it was a little slow.

Before maiden and in the past couple days I check to make sure the swash was corresponding with my stick inputs in all directions both cyclic and pitch and rudder. Everything seemed to be in working order so I felt I was confident enough to do a hover maiden the way it was with the pitch a bit more on the positive.

[Nelsonisms]

Congrats on the maiden. Well done.

[Vodarac]

Thank you Nelsonisms,

I have two more quick questions. The first may sound a bit silly to ask but will I damage my servos by moving them when they are not powered (no battery)? like for instance when I am working on it and need to move the swash here or there, change the pitch of the tail, etc.

The second is how much tension should their be on the tail blades? I know how to test for main blade tension, but not sure about tail blade.

Also when it comes to correcting pitch was I right to say I can't correct it only by adjusting the swash links by lowering and raising the swash that way? Or do I have to do it through the beastx?

[ArchmageAU]

Originally Posted by Vodarac

Thank you Nelsonisms,

I have two more quick questions. The first may sound a bit silly to ask but will I damage my servos by moving them when they are not powered (no battery)? like for instance when I am working on it and need to move the swash here or there, change the pitch of the tail, etc.

No. It's a standard test procedure looking for bad gears and locked servos.

Originally Posted by Vodarac

The second is how much tension should their be on the tail blades? I know how to test for main blade tension, but not sure about tail blade.

Just enough to stop them from flapping in the grips is enough. Just enough to stop them flopping from where to put them, but not enough to keep them in place if you shake the heli a bit.

Originally Posted by Vodarac

Also when it comes to correcting pitch was I right to say I can't correct it only by adjusting the swash links by lowering and raising the swash that way? Or do I have to do it through the beastx?

Swash 0 pitch should be done by servo/swash link lengths. (TX on, all sticks middle, all servo horns 90 degrees to main shaft).

You also may need to teach the AR7200BX the geometry (J. Teaching the Cyclic Pitch Geometry).

[Vodarac]

Thank you Arch, turns out my tail blades were a little on the loose side. Before the next flight I will fix that(took both sets of blades off earlier after maiden). Now time to get intimate with beastx. Believe it or not zero pitch was correct from factory. Just had too much positive pitch is all.