Blade 400 spins counter-clockwise

[jeffige]

So, I got a B400 this week, after spending a couple of months on the G5 simulator, I can maintain a pretty good hover.

After two days of windy conditions, I found a nice little grassy area. Problem is, my B400 spins unctrollably to the left. ( see attached youtube video). I followed all the set up procedures. I did 4 or 5 flights. But, it still would want to spin counter - clockwise.



Thanks for any help.

[TowPilot]

Here is an FAQ item that will help when posting a YouTube video in an HF post.

Regards,
Mike


http://www.helifreak.com/faq.php?faq...aq_postyoutube

[Larry227]

1. Loose belt

2. If you did a repair than involved removing the belt from either end it got twisted the wrong direction when you re-installed it. When looking from the right side of the heli with the tail to your left rotate the main blades clockwise. Do the tail blades spin counterclockwise?

3. Broken tail drive gear. That's the gear at the front of the heli that the belt goes around. They've have a habit of stripping for no apparent reason.

[jeffige]

No. No repair. Right out of the box. Checked screws, blade (s) rotation, switch on gyro - norm position.

I actually got it up with training gear and with some major input on controls, got it to hover for a few seconds before I sat it down.

[Mr._Torque]

Also, check the gyro. Is it in normal or reverse mode?

[jeffige]

jeffzub, can't send PM, but yes, I am using the Dx6i that came with the RTF version.

[jeffige]

jeffzub, can't pm you, yet.


No repairs done. No upgrades. Just opened the box, charged the lipo, did all pre flight checks per the manuals.

Things I've checked:

Tail belt - ok.
blades ( main - clockwise, tail - counter clockwise)
gyro in norm position.

On one 40 second flight, I got it under control with some major adjustments on the sticks, but it still wanted to spin.

[jeffzub]

Tail rotor is probably not set up correctly. It must be centered in "rate" mode. The settings that HH provides do not put you in "rate" mode, just 2 different degrees of Heading Hold. To get into Rate mode on the stock servo set the gain in the radio in the "1" position to 25%. Next #1 take out any trim or sub-trim. #2 center your tail rotor servo arm as close as possible in the neutral stick position. #3 mechanical adjust the linkage to center the the tail rotor pitch, you can eyeball it but measure it for accuracy, the goal is to take out all tail rotor pitch. #4 reset your gyro back to where you had it, probably 64%.

One thing to remember you have to let the gyro acclimate to the temperature, let it set 10 to 15 minutes. Bring you heli into a hover, it will take some trim to stop the drift, for me it usually is 4 clicks right. Mine holds very well. Don't forget to take out the trim after you fly, next flight the required trim may be different.

[Larry227]

I forgot about the rev switch on the gyro. I know it's fresh out of the box but check it anyways. Power it up in HH mode, then after it initializes stand at the rear, grab the tail and move it to either side and watch the pitch slider, it should move the opposite direction. If it doesn't reverse the Norm/Rev switch on the gyro.

Then again, it could just need a good setup in rate like jeff said. If you switch to rate right now does the slider go to the center of the shaft?

[dannylightning]

do you know how to trim hour tial/rudder when my gyro was dead this is what my helicopter was doing. i am going to guess you do not under stand trimming or your gyro is bad. u really should check belt tension tho, some times they make a mistake at the factory, setting there installing one thing over and over and over all day long can get pretty manotinous and its easy to make a mistake..

this is my check list and suggestions to try......so trim the rudder it the opposite direction that the nose is spinning if you have not already done this, every time you turn off the controller center your rudder trim only. leave the rest of the trim settings where you have them set if they are where you want them... always center the rudder trim after you unplug battery from helicopter and before you turn the controoler off, between battery change but controller must be turned off and back on, when you plug in your battery you must not touch the helicopter untill you hear the little beeps and the you see the light inside the body come on one solid color and you see the light on the gyro come one one sold color, after that you can now pick up the helicopter and move it. if you bump it, wiggle it or any thing elee before it initializes it will throw off your gyro and it can spin like this...

[crashmore]

Originally Posted by jeffige

So, I got a B400 this week... spins uncontrollably to the left.

I had the exact same thing happen to me yesterday. Disconnecting and reconnecting the power plug fixed it. My guess is that I (and you) shook the bird while the gyro was initializing. You have to keep the helicopter perfectly still after you connect the power plugs until you get the dee-DEE "OK" signal (and you can get the OK signal even if you shook the bird).

Just a guess, but given that it's a brand new bird, I don't see there being any configuration problems--should be still freshly set up from the factory, no?

Oh, and BTW, there are those who think that starting out on a smooth hard surface that the bird can skitter over is easier than grass. I don't know if it is or not--that grass doesn't look long enough to snag very much...

Good luck!

[jeffige]

Thanks for the replies. Right now, I'm on a train run to Sacramento, Ca. Haven't tried ant suggestions since I last flown. I hope to get it out on Tuesday to check things, again. Turnigy lipo's haven't come in yet. So, I'm stuck with just the eflite one now.

Thinking back... I don't remember hearing the 2 beeps. Hmm. I hope this is all it was. I'm eager to get it up and hovering, but cautious. Does the heli have to be completely flat? It was sitting on some really thick padded grass. Might have been off just a hair.

What is HH mode?

[mtymyk]

Originally Posted by jeffige

.

What is HH mode?

Heading Hold... on your DX6i, the 2nd switch to the right on the top left face controls HH or rate.. 0 is for HH and the 1 is rate mode.. check out rchelicopterfun.com, a lot of good information on understanding how a lot of things work on your heli..

[crashmore]

Originally Posted by jeffige

I'm eager to get it up and hovering, but cautious.

Amen, brother.

Does the heli have to be completely flat? It was sitting on some really thick padded grass. Might have been off just a hair.

No, it doesn't have to be perfectly level or anything, but that brief interval between when you plug in the battery and it comes to life is when the gyro is sensing what is normal, and if you jar the bird at all it can throw that off. (The mSR manual says something like, "Do not shake, move, or pretend to fly the helicopter doing this time," which always makes me want to go back to my six-year-old self and swoop it around while making helicopter noises.)

+1 on rchelicopterfun.com. The Blade 400 Bible is required reading too.

Good luck and please let us know how it goes.

[jeffige]

Originally Posted by crashmore

"Do not shake, move, or pretend to fly the helicopter doing this time," which always makes me want to go back to my six-year-old self and swoop it around while making helicopter noises.)

+1 on rchelicopterfun.com. The Blade 400 Bible is required reading too.

Good luck and please let us know how it goes.

WOOSH WOOSH WOOSH WOOSH WOOSH WOOSH WOOSH WOOSH

Got John's PDF on 400 set up. Even emailed him, AND he replied with in a day. I browsed "The Bible". Will go back and read more. Charging lipo as I type. I hope those dam beeps were the only problem.

I did nick the underside of one of the blades. A few folks say it should be o.k. just for basic hovering, right now. What do you guys think?

http://s1211.photobucket.com/albums/...t=IMG_0072.jpg

"Insert image" not working!

[Jeff_Barrett]

Originally Posted by mtymyk

Heading Hold... on your DX6i, the 2nd switch to the right on the top left face controls HH or rate.. 0 is for HH and the 1 is rate mode.. check out rchelicopterfun.com, a lot of good information on understanding how a lot of things work on your heli..

+1 .. the info on rchelicopterfun is invaluable and significantly cut my bench time.

[jeffige]

Took the B400 out this morning, even though wind speed was around 7 - 10 mph. Found a little place at a softball park. Wind was aound 5 - 7 mph. Though, there were some small trees and bushes blocking some of it.

I think I found the culprit to my aggravation. I followed the steps as per the manual (s), heard the 2 beeps, didn't last time. As I was checking the controls, I noticed the rotor blades, after I did a left - right with left stick, the rotor moved far right ( looking at the rotor from the rear). I rapidly moved the rotor control left - right, again. It centered. But, it would find it's way back to extreme right, again.

If I moved right - left and then centered the stick myself it would stay centered longer. But eventually go right again. also, if I ended up to the left hand side, it would creep it's way to the left. Don't know if I have a bad tail rotor servo or not.

I did get my B400 to hover, though. If I got into trouble, I would sit her down. Idle down, throttle hold, and walk over to visually inspect the rotor ( don't know the correct nomenclature ) collar to see if it was centered. It wasn't. I centered with left stick. I hoverede a few times a few feet off the ground. Once, after I sat her down and started to lift again, the heli started to spin. I sat her down, and guess what, the rotor was far right.

All in all it was a good day. Learned a bit. And got my heli hovering. One time, about five feet up. That was a nervous flight. So, if I have to keep doing this to ensure proper flight, is the servo bad? I tried trimming, but it had no effect to the point that it would still creep right or left, depending on what the last input I made before landing her.

But hey! I flew my Blade 400 with a pretty decent hover. I couldn't stop smiling. If only I had my extra turnigy lipo's. I would have missed breakfast.

[jeffzub]

Here is a demo of tail rotor in both modes on a DX6i

[Jeff_Barrett]

Originally Posted by jeffige

I think I found the culprit to my aggravation. I followed the steps as per the manual (s), heard the 2 beeps, didn't last time. As I was checking the controls, I noticed the rotor blades, after I did a left - right with left stick, the rotor moved far right ( looking at the rotor from the rear). I rapidly moved the rotor control left - right, again. It centered. But, it would find it's way back to extreme right, again.

If I moved right - left and then centered the stick myself it would stay centered longer. But eventually go right again. also, if I ended up to the left hand side, it would creep it's way to the left. Don't know if I have a bad tail rotor servo or not.

This is completely normal when your gyro is in HH mode. If you plug your tail servo into the RX where your gyro is plugged into, it should center just fine. If it doesn't... well... then you have a servo problem.

What is happening is that the gyro is confused when it sits on the ground and will 'hunt' not knowing if it's pointed in the right direction or not.

[crashmore]

Originally Posted by jeffzub

Here is a demo of tail rotor in both modes on a DX6i

I don't get it. What am I supposed to be seeing?