Blade Tracking 101

DebianDog · 12-04-2006, 10:11 AM

You do know how to track your blade correctly... right?

wilesrevo · 01-10-2007, 12:34 PM

im like everone else in the world i dont know what im doing and i dotn really have no one to help me i managed to crash my mx400 before it got off the ground the blades are not tracking and i dont no how to fix it

DebianDog · 01-10-2007, 12:38 PM

You should be able to look at your helicopter in a hover and see one blade. How does you heli compare to the one in the video?

ClayK · 01-10-2007, 02:36 PM

I think it's hard for a first time pilot to track blades up in the air. Hovering can be difficult at first and trying to hold it in place while trying to track it can be daunting. I suggest either having someone hover the helicopter for you or having someone watch the blade track while you hold it in a hover, at least until you are comfortable.

halfassastronaught · 06-26-2007, 02:11 AM

no kidding, but i have my wife hold my heli down on the bar while i throttle up and eye ball them against a white wall......hey, shes insured.

istandalone · 10-03-2007, 03:27 PM

before i could hover steadily i just did it on the ground. spooled it up to just before it gets light on the skids, and then look. so far, doing it like that hasn't caused problems, but now that i've nailed tail in hovering i do it the "right" way.

Rick Rotorhead · 10-13-2007, 07:27 PM

For my lil' T450 I take the less technical approach. Hover it, if the tracking is out, land and do one turn on ONE of the the short links to the blade grips, noting which one I've turned. Hover again if its ok, then fine, if its twice as bad then land and wind the same short link two turns the other way and do a test hover again. That normally fixes it.

mattkreps · 11-30-2007, 04:18 PM

I just put it under the pitch gage and get it perfect before i ever take it off

Rick Rotorhead · 12-01-2007, 08:54 PM

With the T450, just getting the blades staticly perfect in pitch doesn't guarrantee perfect tracking I'm afraid. you have to see 'em in flight really.

steffgiguere · 12-01-2007, 09:57 PM

You know what I use my pitch gauge and set them as straight as possible at mid stick to 0 pitch and most of the time tracking is perfect.

Derrell · 05-31-2008, 09:14 AM

Hi Everyone,

Newbie here...I got a strange situation....after watching Bob Whites Vid on blade balancing I went to try it, Both of my blades (woodies for a HBK2) weigh the same but when I go to balance them I have to add 1g of tape to get it to balance. What do I need to do? Is the different weighted balancing tape?The clear tape was wrapped almost four times around the blade and IMO that seems way to much. Any help would be great.

Seledtsov · 06-04-2008, 07:14 PM

Hi, Derrell!

4 times are not so much for HBK2 woodies really.

69daytona · 07-19-2008, 08:35 PM

Has anyone used Golf Lead Tape instead of 2-8 wraps of Vinyl tape? I have about a 50 foot by 1/2 inch roll someplace around. If used, where would it be placed, 1 in. from end, middle, top, bottom or leading edge of the blade? Use to use it to help balance the wheels on my 1/4 and 1/5 scale RC cars.

mattkreps · 07-20-2008, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Derrell

Hi Everyone,

Newbie here...I got a strange situation....after watching Bob Whites Vid on blade balancing I went to try it, Both of my blades (woodies for a HBK2) weigh the same but when I go to balance them I have to add 1g of tape to get it to balance. What do I need to do? Is the different weighted balancing tape?The clear tape was wrapped almost four times around the blade and IMO that seems way to much. Any help would be great.

that just means the cg on the blades is off. on a 450 this dose not need to be perfect

RappyChappy · 08-10-2008, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Derrell

Hi Everyone,

Newbie here...I got a strange situation....after watching Bob Whites Vid on blade balancing I went to try it, Both of my blades (woodies for a HBK2) weigh the same but when I go to balance them I have to add 1g of tape to get it to balance. What do I need to do? Is the different weighted balancing tape?The clear tape was wrapped almost four times around the blade and IMO that seems way to much. Any help would be great.

I had blades that were way out of balance that came with my Raptor kit. I took the blades back to the shop and told the guy. He checked them over and said they were so bad, they were unsafe and changed them for me.

stormtrooper · 10-21-2008, 12:08 AM

I'm rather confused...

I setup the pitch on both blades at 0 degrees mid-stick. Spooled the heli and tracking is bad. So, I turn the pitch control of the higher blade to make it go down. Test, then turn again until it tracks or almost tracks. However, when it does track, it turns out the pitch angle of the blade I adjusted is off about -2 degrees already or so at mid-stick!

To me, it would mean that both blades aren't angled the same and would affect flight, right?

Pinecone · 10-22-2008, 05:44 PM

It would, IF both blades were EXACTLY the same. Might be a difference in the airfoil shape, leading edge shape, one blade might have a twist in it, it might be warped to add camber. Lots of reasons that the measured pitch would not be equal to get them to track.

But when they are tracking properly, you are at equal EFFECTIVE pitch, which is what we really want.

BTW, what blades? If they are the yellow/black Align "Carbon" blades, you will find the tracking changes from day to day and flight to flight. Do yourself a favor and toss them out.

squirrel4207 · 01-28-2009, 05:52 PM

what exactly is tracking, how do you do it and why?

Rollin_3z · 01-29-2009, 02:36 PM

Tracks as in railroad tracks, you want de train to follow de tracks..no?

mtnbike101 · 03-27-2009, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pinecone

...

BTW, what blades? If they are the yellow/black Align "Carbon" blades, you will find the tracking changes from day to day and flight to flight. Do yourself a favor and toss them out.

For a beginner, could you recommend a couple of good brands\models of blades...maybe both a wood and carbon suggestion? I had initially put the aforementioned blades on my list due to them being "carbon" and the low price, but your input has changed my mind. FYI, they will be going on a Furion 450 if that makes a difference.

Thanks,

Jeff

12-04-2006, 10:11 AM	#1
DebianDog Registered Users My HF Map location Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Powhatan, VA	Blade Tracking 101 You do know how to track your blade correctly... right? __________________ Dan Da Dawg - JR X9303 Hexa F550 on 3S + 6S TREX 500 + 6S TREX 600 + Blade mSR + Blade mCPx2 Brushless + 12S Rave FBL ENV

01-10-2007, 12:38 PM	#3
DebianDog Registered Users Thread Starter My HF Map location Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Powhatan, VA	You should be able to look at your helicopter in a hover and see one blade. How does you heli compare to the one in the video? __________________ Dan Da Dawg - JR X9303 Hexa F550 on 3S + 6S TREX 500 + 6S TREX 600 + Blade mSR + Blade mCPx2 Brushless + 12S Rave FBL ENV

01-10-2007, 02:36 PM	#4
ClayK Registered Users My HF Map location Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: VA	I think it's hard for a first time pilot to track blades up in the air. Hovering can be difficult at first and trying to hold it in place while trying to track it can be daunting. I suggest either having someone hover the helicopter for you or having someone watch the blade track while you hold it in a hover, at least until you are comfortable. __________________ Veni, Vidi, Velcro I came, I saw, I stuck around Bringing people out of Radio Shack and into the hobby. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. μολὼν λαβέ ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

06-26-2007, 02:11 AM	#5
halfassastronaught Registered Users Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: katy, tx	no kidding, but i have my wife hold my heli down on the bar while i throttle up and eye ball them against a white wall......hey, shes insured. __________________ you cant soar with eagles if your pecking with chickens.

10-03-2007, 03:27 PM	#6
istandalone Registered Users My HF Map location Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: bennington, vermont	before i could hover steadily i just did it on the ground. spooled it up to just before it gets light on the skids, and then look. so far, doing it like that hasn't caused problems, but now that i've nailed tail in hovering i do it the "right" way. __________________ AMA# 906249 i'm now down to one heli (align sev2) but have an arsenal of 120+ mph jets. hmm...i think i see a pattern here lol.

01-10-2007, 12:34 PM	#2
wilesrevo Registered Users Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: batavia ohio	im like everone else in the world i dont know what im doing and i dotn really have no one to help me i managed to crash my mx400 before it got off the ground the blades are not tracking and i dont no how to fix it

10-13-2007, 07:27 PM	#7
Rick Rotorhead Registered Users Join Date: May 2006 Location: Ludgershall, Wiltshire, England	For my lil' T450 I take the less technical approach. Hover it, if the tracking is out, land and do one turn on ONE of the the short links to the blade grips, noting which one I've turned. Hover again if its ok, then fine, if its twice as bad then land and wind the same short link two turns the other way and do a test hover again. That normally fixes it. __________________ 450SE Silver - Power: Neu1107-2Y + 10t pinion ESC: Jazz 40-6-18 Governed. - Batts: 4s, FP 2100 Evolites. Pitch +/- 12* (TC63 PC 0,25,50,75,100), cyclic 6* HS2900 HS65Mg x3 + GY401 + S9650 tail.... Rx: AR6200 - Tx: FF9Super(T9CP) +Spektrum Module Crash count = 13 for 179. Trex time aloft = 22:42

11-30-2007, 04:18 PM	#8
mattkreps Registered Users My HF Map location Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Rancho	I just put it under the pitch gage and get it perfect before i ever take it off __________________ Trex 450SE V2, Trex 500 CF, Trex 600 Nitro Pro DX7, AR7000s, JR770s 2.4 is for people who only listen to AM radio (like me)

12-01-2007, 08:54 PM	#9
Rick Rotorhead Registered Users Join Date: May 2006 Location: Ludgershall, Wiltshire, England	With the T450, just getting the blades staticly perfect in pitch doesn't guarrantee perfect tracking I'm afraid. you have to see 'em in flight really. __________________ 450SE Silver - Power: Neu1107-2Y + 10t pinion ESC: Jazz 40-6-18 Governed. - Batts: 4s, FP 2100 Evolites. Pitch +/- 12* (TC63 PC 0,25,50,75,100), cyclic 6* HS2900 HS65Mg x3 + GY401 + S9650 tail.... Rx: AR6200 - Tx: FF9Super(T9CP) +Spektrum Module Crash count = 13 for 179. Trex time aloft = 22:42

12-01-2007, 09:57 PM	#10
steffgiguere Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: St-Eustache	You know what I use my pitch gauge and set them as straight as possible at mid stick to 0 pitch and most of the time tracking is perfect.

05-31-2008, 09:14 AM	#11
Derrell Registered Users Join Date: May 2008 Location: St Clair Shores,MI	Hi Everyone, Newbie here...I got a strange situation....after watching Bob Whites Vid on blade balancing I went to try it, Both of my blades (woodies for a HBK2) weigh the same but when I go to balance them I have to add 1g of tape to get it to balance. What do I need to do? Is the different weighted balancing tape?The clear tape was wrapped almost four times around the blade and IMO that seems way to much. Any help would be great.

06-04-2008, 07:14 PM	#12
Seledtsov Registered Users Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Moscow (temp. UK, Oxford)	Hi, Derrell! 4 times are not so much for HBK2 woodies really.

07-19-2008, 08:35 PM	#13
69daytona Registered Users Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Orange Lake, FL	Tape and Blade balance Has anyone used Golf Lead Tape instead of 2-8 wraps of Vinyl tape? I have about a 50 foot by 1/2 inch roll someplace around. If used, where would it be placed, 1 in. from end, middle, top, bottom or leading edge of the blade? Use to use it to help balance the wheels on my 1/4 and 1/5 scale RC cars.

10-21-2008, 12:08 AM	#16
stormtrooper Registered Users Join Date: Sep 2008	Blade Tracking on BELT CP and the Pitch Guage I'm rather confused... I setup the pitch on both blades at 0 degrees mid-stick. Spooled the heli and tracking is bad. So, I turn the pitch control of the higher blade to make it go down. Test, then turn again until it tracks or almost tracks. However, when it does track, it turns out the pitch angle of the blade I adjusted is off about -2 degrees already or so at mid-stick! To me, it would mean that both blades aren't angled the same and would affect flight, right?

10-22-2008, 05:44 PM	#17
Pinecone Registered Users Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Maryland	It would, IF both blades were EXACTLY the same. Might be a difference in the airfoil shape, leading edge shape, one blade might have a twist in it, it might be warped to add camber. Lots of reasons that the measured pitch would not be equal to get them to track. But when they are tracking properly, you are at equal EFFECTIVE pitch, which is what we really want. BTW, what blades? If they are the yellow/black Align "Carbon" blades, you will find the tracking changes from day to day and flight to flight. Do yourself a favor and toss them out. __________________ Terry AMA#47402, IRCHA # 3395 Blade CP "Pro", Trex 450SE, PiccoZ, Quick of Japan EP8v2 EX, Hurricane 550, Hurricane 200, JR Vibe 50, Blade mCX, Bergen Intrepid Gasser, Pantera 50, Blade mSR, Novus CP

01-28-2009, 05:52 PM	#18
squirrel4207 Registered Users Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: tarentum	UMM Tracking? what exactly is tracking, how do you do it and why?

01-29-2009, 02:36 PM	#19
Rollin_3z Registered Users Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Surrey, BC Canada	Tracks as in railroad tracks, you want de train to follow de tracks..no?

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