What did you do with your Blade 230s today?

[Ram_Wagon]

Originally Posted by Allan114

I'm glad to hear you got it sorted. What was wrong in the end. These helis are normally quite docile fliers so you should enjoy it if you have an easy style. I am intl big sky maneuvers and don't do the twitchy 3D stuff.

Well, I can say that after HH got back to me, with the reply via email that I needed to perform a calibration and trim flight, AFTER firmware update... that it would be good to go. So as far as the issue? I'm chalking it up to a crap job Trim Flight I did before? Terrible amount of trim and sub trim adjustments when it was drifting? demonic possession? Can't say exactly.

But I didn't have the update cable, so a friend and I just performed the Calibration Sequence (which was good) and did a Trim Flight (which he had never heard of) via 230S manual, and it was all set! He bound my 230 to his DX9 and set up via the manual, to eliminate my DX6i being the issue. And after, I had to bind it again to my DX6i, and I flew it the same as with his radio.

I don't like the goofy swashplate after initialization, and neither did he, but after HH replied, I get the impression that's either Normal, or, the update to latest firmware will solve that?

Otherwise, flying yesterday I feel like this is a BIGGER version of the 130S and I love my 130! So, safe to say I love this 230S as well.

I plan on making the bigger of my "S" birds a scale flyer. And you're right, Allan114, she's a docile candidate for some good scale and sport flying.

[Liduno]

Originally Posted by Ram_Wagon

Terrible amount of trim and sub trim adjustments when it was drifting? demonic possession? Can't say exactly.

For future reference, do not use any trim or subtrim. The trim flight should eliminate the need for any trim, and the flight system is designed not to use any trim.

[Ram_Wagon]

Originally Posted by Liduno

For future reference, do not use any trim or subtrim. The trim flight should eliminate the need for any trim, and the flight system is designed not to use any trim.

Good advice! Thanks for that info.

Everything is back to "0" now, so to speak. No need for any Trim and the Sub Trims are all zero as well.

[Liduno]

Originally Posted by Ram_Wagon

Good advice! Thanks for that info.

Everything is back to "0" now, so to speak. No need for any Trim and the Sub Trims are all zero as well.

This needs to be done before the trim flight.

[Allan114]

Today I was moving some long bits of wood around my garage. I accidentally knocked my spare 230 off the shelf and it fell right on the end of the tail and broke the tail rotor and the RKH tail motor mount / tail fin and snapped the boom by the mount. I couldn't believe it did so much damage as it fell about 6 foot, but onto a concrete floor. I guess it hit the ground dead right to break everything. This bird was built from my spares pool and has only flown for about 10 minutes. I refitted the blade tail. I think its a softer aluminium boom but the plastic motor mount and bendy tail fin are more robust than the RKH stuff.

[tryinghelirandy]

I have been flying my heli for two weeks now and I'm still mostly tail in and experimenting with idle up 1. I'm starting to turn a little until I panic and turn the tail back toward me. After about four 5 minute flights (sometimes I land in the middle of a flight to breathe and unclinch) I was installing a battery for the next flight and realized the frame was broken. I looked a little closer and realized the frame was broken in two places. I thought to myself there's no telling how long it's been like that so I was trying to decide whether to fly more because I had three batteries charged up when two guys showed up so I decided not to embarrass myself and go home and repair the frame. Later I watched a video on how to balance the blades so I did that too, they were perfect, nice job Blade. Kinda excited to go flying tomorrow and see if a solid frame will make any difference.
Please don't tell me to get a sim, I would rather .....

[Ram_Wagon]

Oh man... the search function on this forum isn’t my friend! It find what I don’t want. I should clarify that I’m on my phone versus the laptop. Computer is better! App won’t let me find squat.

Anywho:

Can anyone with a 230S V1 remind me which AS3X cable I need to perform the firmware update? Also, from those that have the experience, would I need yet ANOTHER cable if I needed to update the AR7200BX as well?

Thanks in advance!

[Allan114]

The AS3X Receiver USB interface is SPMA3065. I think you need the SPMA3030 cable for the AR7200BX.

https://www.spektrumrc.com/Products/...rodId=SPMA3030

[Ram_Wagon]

Thanks Allan!

[xoexoe]

Today I did forward flips. A few times I stopped halfway and did an inverted hover. My first!

[xoexoe]

Originally Posted by tryinghelirandy

I have been flying my heli for two weeks now and I'm still mostly tail in and experimenting with idle up 1. I'm starting to turn a little until I panic and turn the tail back toward me. After about four 5 minute flights (sometimes I land in the middle of a flight to breathe and unclinch) I was installing a battery for the next flight and realized the frame was broken. I looked a little closer and realized the frame was broken in two places. I thought to myself there's no telling how long it's been like that so I was trying to decide whether to fly more because I had three batteries charged up when two guys showed up so I decided not to embarrass myself and go home and repair the frame. Later I watched a video on how to balance the blades so I did that too, they were perfect, nice job Blade. Kinda excited to go flying tomorrow and see if a solid frame will make any difference.
Please don't tell me to get a sim, I would rather .....[IMG class=inlineimg]https://www.helifreak.com/images/smilies/wow2.gif[/IMG]

Let us know how it goes! Did the unbroken frame make a difference?

[Allan114]

Originally Posted by xoexoe

Today I did forward flips. A few times I stopped halfway and did an inverted hover. My first!

That is really good. the forward flip or "bunt" in my book is quite an unnatural maneuver. To catch it half way and remain inverted is also really good. If you can catch it inverted and hold the hover that's a great benefit and will help later with piro flips. As an opposite try flying tail in and upright then rolling inverted and hovering tail in inverted. This also helps for later aerobatics.

[tryinghelirandy]

Originally Posted by xoexoe

Let us know how it goes! Did the unbroken frame make a difference?

No, the unbroken frame didn't make any difference that I could notice. My new frame will be here tomorrow, but I'll be using the broken one repaired with bubble gum and Popsicle sticks until the next big crash.
Thanks for asking.

[Ram_Wagon]

I know this thread is supposed to be what I did today... but it's not even daylight yet and I'm always posting AFTER I did something.

BUT, yesterday was really windy, so I attempted to fly my 230. Of course I have just installed some semi-symmetric main blades on it. Well, needless to say it won't fly worth a crap that way!



So I'll have to wait until this afternoon to see if the wind quits and try again.

I bought the semi-symmetric blades to see if I can fly more scale with this bird. I guess I thought the EFLH1147A blades would be longer and had hoped to use them for the 450 once its' back together? But, no... they're perfect fit for the 230S!

Damn thing is, I have another set of these blades arriving tomorrow!

Anyone flying their 230S scale, want to try some white, wooden semi-symmetrical blades on their 230S?

[BrokeDad]

If you want to fly scale Ram_Wagon try some 255mm blades. There are the CF ones in a couple brands and also the colored plastic Lynx ones they sell for the Oxy 3. They will give you a nice scale floaty feel without changing the boom length. I wouldn't recommend doing intense 3D with them though without stretching.

Oh and to add a note the Zeal blades need a couple of washers to shim them out for thickness in the grips. The plastic Lynx ones fit fine as is.

[Ram_Wagon]

Originally Posted by BrokeDad

If you want to fly scale Ram_Wagon try some 255mm blades. There are the CF ones in a couple brands and also the colored plastic Lynx ones they sell for the Oxy 3. They will give you a nice scale floaty feel without changing the boom length. I wouldn't recommend doing intense 3D with them though without stretching.

Oh and to add a note the Zeal blades need a couple of washers to shim them out for thickness in the grips. The plastic Lynx ones fit fine as is.

I've saw those blades! And was considering them also.

I was under the impression that semi-symmetric blades (flat bottom blades) were the "cats meow" for scale flying? But in yesterdays wind (gusting 30-40mph) I don't think it was RC Heli weather... No matter what blades I had on! I have wondered how much longer I can go on the main blades without any tail mods? So thanks for the info!

I should've added here too I bought a Microheli fuselage for my 230S. While I'm not sure if I'll stay with the E-Flite semi-symmetric blades that are on it now, it's definitely getting a scale body. And while it isn't a "true" scale fuse, just not looking so "pod and boom" and slow flying will make me happy.

[Allan114]

I've never tried these semi symmetric blades but I have noticed that the 230s is quite "floaty" in the wind and can be difficult to control. I have not tried it in 30-40mph winds but I can imagine it won't fly too well. I have been practicing in breezy weather through necessity and I am getting better at flying it and doing some basic maneuvers. It also doesn't like gusty weather.

If you want more scale type flying what about lowering the head speed?

[Ram_Wagon]

Originally Posted by Allan114

I've never tried these semi symmetric blades but I have noticed that the 230s is quite "floaty" in the wind and can be difficult to control. I have not tried it in 30-40mph winds but I can imagine it won't fly too well. I have been practicing in breezy weather through necessity and I am getting better at flying it and doing some basic maneuvers. It also doesn't like gusty weather.

If you want more scale type flying what about lowering the head speed?

From what I've read here and a couple of other places before I put the semi's on, there was talk of "ballooning" in wind. And yup! It was like the 230 was filled with helium and ridiculously hard to control in that much wind!

It's still breezy outside now, (8mph) but I have another 5 hours before I'm home, so I'll try again later.

I did notice the LIFT with these blades..! WooHoo! I mean, I use quite a bit of pitch vs. throttle on my settings, basically turning it into a fixed pitch heli. And with these blades, flat bottom, all lift, it was in the air NOW!

I don't know how to lower the head speed, though, Allan? I've read alot of the Scale Flying threads, but it's a language I don't speak well...! And I've heard of folks lowering head speed, changing ratios (pinion to gear) and such. Even, using different batteries?

But I honestly don't understand how to lower the head speed. Plus, I read the higher lift of the semi-symmetric blades could allow longer flight times, which is what a scale bird needs.

[Allan114]

I have not messed with the 230s head speed myself but if you have a programmable Tx I would think the first thing to try is reducing the throttle curve. In what mode do you fly your heli, I am presuming normal stability mode if you fly it like a fixed pitch heli? With the DXe the Normal Stability mode has a curve - 0, 25, 50, 75, 100. Intermediate mode is 100, 80, 75, 80, 100. Agility mode is 100, 90, 85, 90,100. If you fly this like a fixed pitch heli in stability mode I would just try reducing this curve but keeping the bottom end of the curve otherwise it may just drop out of the air when trying to land, say 0, 25, 40, 60, 80.

Semi symmetric blades will give more lift over symmetric blade at a given speed but the cost is loss of inverted lift which you don't require for your scale flying.

If you want to permanently lower the head speed you could try a smaller pinion if its possible to get them. This will probably also give you a longer flight duration and be kinder to the motor and ESC.

[Ram_Wagon]

Originally Posted by Allan114

I have not messed with the 230s head speed myself but if you have a programmable Tx I would think the first thing to try is reducing the throttle curve. In what mode do you fly your heli, I am presuming normal stability mode if you fly it like a fixed pitch heli? With the DXe the Normal Stability mode has a curve - 0, 25, 50, 75, 100. Intermediate mode is 100, 80, 75, 80, 100. Agility mode is 100, 90, 85, 90,100. If you fly this like a fixed pitch heli in stability mode I would just try reducing this curve but keeping the bottom end of the curve otherwise it may just drop out of the air when trying to land, say 0, 25, 40, 60, 80.

Semi symmetric blades will give more lift over symmetric blade at a given speed but the cost is loss of inverted lift which you don't require for your scale flying.

If you want to permanently lower the head speed you could try a smaller pinion if its possible to get them. This will probably also give you a longer flight duration and be kinder to the motor and ESC.

Just posting here to let you know I read what you put! And THANKS!

But off the top of my head I cannot remember what my throttle and pitch curves I'm using? But since, yes, I do fly in normal stability mode with the 230, I'm more than likely using the suggested TC/PC from the manual. With some small tweaks up or down depending...

I am pretty aggressive on the pitch curves I use, so there's plenty of lift as throttle is increased. Since I'm still flying with the DX6i, F.MODE is my IU and I've never flipped that switch with the 230. The 130S I have flipped the switch and of course, I've crashed that little heli several times because of it! So, I don't fly IU at all...

But with the 230 slated for scale flight, I'm assuming a pinion/main gear swap may be the only way to slow down the head speed on it? I did try to fly once more yesterday afternoon when the winds died down some but it's just like a balloon with those semi-symmetric blades. So I swapped back and found the symmetrical blades are unaffected by the breeze.

I think I've learned (and could be wrong!?) that the more pitch early on (in regards to throttle curve association) the quicker it's off the ground, with less motor speed? Hence why I fly like a fixed pitch pilot. I use throttle to control motor speed and the pitch is adjusted based on throttle position. That may be a bad way to fly? That may be hard on the ESC and battery flying with so much drag/load?