Flight Stabilisation for 450 PRO

[drajagop]

Have been thinking about flight stabilisation for my 450 Pro for sometime now. The reasoning emerged owing to more than handful of crashes, nosedives I have had over time. Generally don't get to fly a lot, when I do, I do something very well ... Crash the heli.

Having been there done that am thinking about getting a kit in till i get some experience.

Read about Helicommand, Co Pilot II from FSA.

Request your advice on:
1. Which is better ?
2. Do I need a gyro or can these kits manage this ?
3. Anything else I should be aware of ?

Thanks in advance.

Cheers,
DR.

[Spork01]

Do you get any sim practice?

[Mon_t]

You can always try one of these.
KDS FLYMENTOR 3D Gyro Stabilizer System

[jockstrap]

Whichever you get you need the smallest as there is virtually no room on the pro for any extra wires, etc...

I have the spartan AP2000i and the copilot II and both would be a nightmare to install on the pro... you're much better off getting a 2nd hand 450 V1 or V2 frame and using it on that!

For less than the price of a helicommand - you could get the copilot II and a cheap clone 450 from hobbycitty with servos, gyro ,etc... unfortunately the pro is a bad choice to try and install a stabilizer on due to it's limited space design.

The copilot II is very good @ $209US - what ever heli you end up installing it on you will be glad you did - will pay for itself in crash parts... not to mention build up your confidence and skills so you can slowly lower the gain on it till you fly without it... I think they are great learning tools for some of us who find it harder than others to learn...

One Idea would be to get say the HK-450MT from hobbycity - remove the motor, esc and servos from your pro and use them in the 450mt with a copilot II till you can fly a little more confidently.. put the pro on the shelf for 6 months and train with the copilot - then swap the parts back to the pro and enjoy the pro...

Maybe in the meantime you could save and buy extra servos, gyro ,motor ,etc for the 450mt and end up with both... the 450 pro as per normal and a 450mt with the copilot on it...

anyway - just some ideas and i know $$$ are not always available..

OH - and as stated above - a good flight simulator is a must!

[drajagop]

Originally Posted by newbflyer101

Do you get any sim practice?

I have tried simulator and to be honest, am not a great fan. I would rather prefer the break and learn stuff.

[drajagop]

Originally Posted by Mon_t

You can always try one of these.
KDS FLYMENTOR 3D Gyro Stabilizer System

Thanks monty...

[drajagop]

Jock, cant agree with you more. Definitely great thoughts to ponder over. I bought a trex 250 to save the pro. Am able to hover around the 250 with forward and reverse indoors. I will have a look at Co Pilot II and Monty's suggestion. The cheaper the better, may be I can fix the FS on the 250...

Sobs : 450 pro is nicely tucked away in its aluminium case below the bed. Should admit, I enjoyed the pro better to whatever I made it fly.

[Spell]

Don't know if you read this or not but here is a link
http://www.helifreak.com/showpost.ph...&postcount=111

[jockstrap]

I have a 250 as well - probably not the best to learn on as they are twitchy and FAST!!!
I don't think the FS will fit there either..

Not sure how you are for finances but a great learning heli is the gaui hurricane 550 - it's much bigger and very stable.. parts are as cheap as a 450 to repair and I do inverted hover with mine using the stock cheap wooden blades which are as cheap as 450 wooden blades... the stabilizer would be great on that heli and the heli itself is cheap.. use some spektrum 821 servos on cyclic as they are fine for that heli and cost peanuts..

otherwise - maybe get one of the cheap 450 clones like I said before...

If you put a copilot II on a hk-450 - you will be doing forward flight within a week - almost guaranteed... (but not with it turned off, that will take more practice)..

However, if you do eventually get a flight stabilizer - use it to learn to hover well in all directions first... tail-in, left, right and nose-in... if you use it to learn those orientations, your flying will improve heaps and quickly.. I wish I had one when I started, I would have saved a lot of crashes and probably learn't the basics better and quicker... (I was too scared to learn nose-in for about 1.5 years or more)...

[744drv]

Have you tried flybar weights to improve the Pro's stability? Have seen some pictures of HFs using them ... what level of stability improvement do they give? Certainly the cheapest option to give a go!!

[icerat4]

Sim Sim Sim is the best way IMO...SAVES CASH AND DOES a fine job ...

[bahnzai]

drajagop,
I am buiding a 450se V2. I love the way it looks, but in the meantime, I fly a Blade 400 with Helicommand and Heli-Max Axe 400 with Flymentor. As a beginner/novice I like the Flymentor as it is reasonably priced, and like you, I enjoy it more than the Sim. I have a cheap Sim and use it when I can't fly, I should use it more. A cheap sim is better than none, and any stick, including co-ax is better than nothing. Buy, and enjoy, life is too short.

[Slyster]

Originally Posted by drajagop

I have tried simulator and to be honest, am not a great fan. I would rather prefer the break and learn stuff.

That's a foolish attitude. That's just like someone not buying a tail gyro and learning to fly the tail like they had to do in 1980 just because they don't want to spend $100.

Phoenix is only $129.. the cost of 1 or 2 crashes come on... its 450 Pro flies spot on.... and is absolutely essential and will actually MAKE $1000 or more by using it faithfully... in saved parts. Plus it uses your actual radio!

Besides.. the stabilization unit will cost a lot more than phoenix.. and once you get better and realize you DO need a sim (when you get to 3D training) you will buy it anyway!

[Homer]

Originally Posted by Slyster

Besides.. the stabilization unit will cost a lot more than phoenix.. and once you get better and realize you DO need a sim (when you get to 3D training) you will buy it anyway!

I couldn't agree with you more, Slyster,
i've been on that road, (break and learn attitude) for quite some time.
Crashed heaps with the 450 pro and drained my wallet accordingly.
I must admit that i used a sim, (reflex), to learn hovering in all directions, but didn't like the bad realism of it.
Untill, one day, i bought Phoenix.
First of all, it was a lot cheaper then Reflex and the realism struck me, like lightning on a clear day.
It felt like starting all over again, i thought that i could hover, but on this Phoenix sim, i couldn't keep the heli steady anymore.

To make a long story short, the combination of both, sim and real life flying is imo the best way to gain skill and confidence in the shortest period of time possible.

And indeed, we are most fortunate with the upcoming of the gyro, that, on itself, takes a whole lot of skill, otherwise needed by the pilot, on its shoulders.

So you see, even sim time in combination with real life flying doesn't exclude crashing, but in my case, it certainly reduced the rate of it.

There is no better investment in this hobby than Stick Time !!!!!!!!!!!.

Homer.

[bassmahn]

I managed to install one on my pro and it works great but nothing beats the sim than any flight stabilization system.

[vanguy]

I just got a FMA copilot II to put on my PRO and if it works well, I would put in on my unassembled 500 ESP. I'm not using the stabilization to hover but to help recover when I lose orientation which seem to be the cause of my last two crashes. As well, in theory, I should be more willing to try out new moves with less apprehension. I will update once I have it installed and flying.

[jockstrap]

Vanguy - how did you fit the CPII on the pro - any pics... there is not much space at all on the pro, must have been a mighty tight fit

[Robban]

Look at my picture and you can see how I fitted the Co-Pilot II on my Pro!! I use the CPII on my Pro and Sport and have not crashed once after installing it!

[Robban]

Here are some more pics

[dialarotor]

http://www.fmadirect.com/new_applica...pII_media.html