Critical Setup - Aileron & Collective Servo Connections

[Sam2b]

On the TotalG I've found it critical everyone to connect the aileron servo and the collective servo in the correct position on the heli relative to the elevator swash linkage. The Instruction Manual mentions this briefly in step B.3 and image 14.

For example:
1) If the elevator is facing the rear, the right side servo is the aileron servo.
2) If the elevator is facing the front, the left side servo is the aileron servo.
3) Naturally the collective servo is the opposite side.

If you are very disappointed with large pirouette deviations and cyclic/pirouette maneuvers, check to see if your aileron and collective servos are connected in reverse. I'm describing symptoms much more than mere drifting. This fix is not meant to flatten your stationary pirouettes. If you decide to reverse the servo wires, do not fly until you follow all setup instructions completely all over again, and level the swash again. This includes endpoints, swash movements, gyro directions, and swash leveling for mid/high/low. Before you re-level the swash, be sure to turn off trim lock. When finished leveling, turn trim lock on again.

Experience and explanation:
Initially I had the servos backwards too and the heli flew horrible any time I did cyclic/pirouetting maneuvers, and severe deviation at a stationary hover - not mere drifting. The best way i can describe it is very bad cyclic interaction. However it would hover ok, flip ok, roll ok, and fly forward and backward ok. So the symptoms are only revealed during stationary pirouetting and cyclic/pirouette combination maneuvers. With this incorrect servo connection the more I increased the FC gain the worse it got (up to 70). The Vbar will have the same symptoms when connected backwards. So once I swapped the two servo wires it flew completely different just as I expect it to feel with combination cyclic/pirouettes maneuvers, and it drifted much less during stationary pirouettes.
Note: I have my unit's servo wires facing to the rear.

[ncarbon]

OK... so I have a CCPM Hirobo X-spec. My ELEV servo connects to the front of the swash. Hirobo says the AIL servo is left rear and COL is right rear as viewed from the front of the Heli. And if I used Figure 14, I would have to switch AIl and COL?


Ned

[nwmtech]

Curtis confirmed that with the current firmware it doesn't matter or affect flight performance which one is which unless your running mixes which most people don't.

However, with the new firmware that will be coming out it will. So... if the elevator is in the FRONT of the swash plate then the LEFT REAR would be Aileron and the RIGHT REAR would be Collective. If the elevator is in the REAR then the RIGHT FRONT would be Aileron and the LEFT FRONT would be Collective.

[ncarbon]

So that is the opposite of image 14?.......

[nwmtech]

If the elevator is in the rear use exact setup of image 14. If it's in the front then rotate the image 180*.

[ncarbon]

In the image, Aileron is front LEFT to me with the Elevator to the rear.....maybe I am all balled up...but I am struggling with this!

Ned

[nwmtech]

In this manual http://issuu.com/youngbloodent/docs/total_g/2. Image 14 shows the aileron on the right, collective on the left, and elevator in the rear. You need to look at the heli from standing behind it with the tail pointed at you.

[ncarbon]

"You need to look at the heli from standing behind it with the tail pointed at you."


Ned

[nwmtech]

you bet!

[ncarbon]

Right now, My ELEV is in the front. AIL is rear Right and COL is rear left. I must have missed the section on How to View the Heli from the Tail.


Ned

[nwmtech]

No, you didn't miss it. Instructions aren't very clear. I had to clear it up with Curtis. I think a lot of folks got it backwards that have a front elevator but since it hasn't effected flight performance as of yet then it wasn't a big deal.

[ncarbon]

I had my front facing setup wrong then. Will be ready for next firmware. I think that is a pretty critical setup detail that needs better documentation. I appreciate the help.


Ned

[jessegodsey]

My friend and I had this setup incorrectly as well and we were getting and still are, even when it is setup correctly, "toilet bowling" affect when piroutetting. For those of you who haven't really checked this, go ahead and try this.

Hover your heli in front of you and level it off. Now start to pirouette it in front of you without any cyclic inputs. You will more than likely notice it will start to nose down and tilt one way. It will not stay on an even plain.

[nwmtech]

Yep indeed. Nice part is it will be remedied very soon with the new firmware update.

[ncarbon]

So, I have a front facing ELEV servo, initially I had the servo AIL/COL incorrect. Today I flew with the servos set correctly. Flew better, piros were better. Just my results with my Hirobo Xspec.


Ned