Need help setting trim

[Midnight_1982]

Hello, I've had a CX2 for a few years now. it's spent most it's life in it's box in my closet since my first handful of attempts at flight resulted in breaking it seconds after leaving the ground.

I recently got into RC Cars, and decided I'd like to break the CX2 back out of hiding.

I replaced the battery, replaced the blades, and am following the instructions from the manual for setup.

I get to the point to where I start giving it the juice and my heli wants to roll over on it's side.

any idea what I'm doing wrong here?

(forgive me for the utterly noob questions. I've got a lot to learn here)

[Oldladypilot]

The only thing I can think of is maybe the blades are on wrong? I'm just guessing as mine has never done that.
Is your CX2 all stock or have you made some mods?
More info may get you a better answer from somebody on here. It's been real quiet here for awhile so don't get discouraged if it takes awhile to get an answer.

[Midnight_1982]

I have a different boom on it. And I've done the standard aluminum upgrades.

I went to my LHS last night and bought new blades and also got a new inner and outter shaft I suspected damage. We'll see if that does it.

[whirlydude]

Originally Posted by Midnight_1982

Hello, I've had a CX2 for a few years now. it's spent most it's life in it's box in my closet since my first handful of attempts at flight resulted in breaking it seconds after leaving the ground.

I recently got into RC Cars, and decided I'd like to break the CX2 back out of hiding.

I replaced the battery, replaced the blades, and am following the instructions from the manual for setup.

I get to the point to where I start giving it the juice and my heli wants to roll over on it's side.

any idea what I'm doing wrong here?

(forgive me for the utterly noob questions. I've got a lot to learn here)

When your helicopter is powered up, check the swashplate to see if it sits level in all directions. (front to back - side to side) If it looks level, it should be close enough to hover the helicopter. Once it's hovering, and if it wants to drift in any direction, you can correct it by adjusting the servo pushrods. The helicopter should stay pretty much in one spot without touching the controls.
What I believe your doing wrong is spooling (throttling) up the helicopter too slow. It will have a tendency to want to lay on it's side when lifting off too slow. Give it more (quicker) throttle, so it pops off the ground and into a hover. Once it lifts off you can maintain a steady throttle, but just give it enough throttle so it hovers at about 3 feet off the ground. You shouldn't need to move the right control stick if the heli is trimmed out. They do have training gear one can install, that will prevent the helicopter from tipping on it's side. One can make them easily if needed.

[Ron~FordTech]

I received some really welcome advice when I was starting out (some of it from this ^ friendly and helpful gentleman) AND I'd like to disclose that my "starting out" stage is really not that far behind me.

That said, one trick that you can use to at least reduce the number of instant-catastrophe issues is to set the machine on a bare floor and spin up the RPM's until it's really light on its feet and see if it wants to yaw in either direction. This is not the sole concern (as you already noted) for when it becomes airborne...but if indeed it DOES want to rotate when it leaps up you can trim (or adjust) that out before it leaves the ground.

It's just one less thing to worry about.

And to expand on the previous excellent suggestion...
When you're ready to leap off the ground...program your mind to cut the throttle almost instantly the first couple of times. I found that when you feed in the power smartly -- and the machine leaps off the ground NOT STRAIGHT UP -- you find yourself in a mini-panic trying to keep it airborne even though it is sliding alarmingly to one side This is not always easy, particularly if you're inexperienced and/or tight for space.

Instead...
Decide in advance that -- as soon as the machine jumps off the ground -- you're gonna chop the throttle. "Program" your hands & your mind to create a hop-up-to-avoid-a-snakebite" maneuver...as opposed to a now-I-am-going-to-lift-off-into-the-air-and-fly-around-for-awhile maneuver.

Don't worry - your mind will register the direction and calibre of the anomaly -- and meanwhile the machine will already be back on the floor and you can then trim or adjust out that problem. Then -- after maybe one more snakebite avoidance hop -- you can alter your mental programming to the YES STRAIGHT UP for awhile lift-off.

HTH
Ron

[Midnight_1982]

Wow, thanks for the responses.

When I get home from work tonight I'll take a look at my swashplate to see if it's level front/back side/side.

And @Whirlydude, I think you must be watching my attempt flight. I am definitely throttling up slowly. I think it's nerves, I'm affraid of sending this thing into my ceiling. Not only that I'm flying indoors, in an apartment.

I might have to find somewhere outside to fly, maybe that will help settle the nerve.

[Imzzaudae]

Your helicopter just needs trimming.
Witch way is it tipping over?

If right side move aileron trim on radio left 2 clicks and try again.
If it still roles right 2 more clicks left aileron trim.
keep trying this until you get it trimmed or run out of trim on the radio. in witch case I will tell you how to fix it from there. Please let me know how you make out.

If it roles left move aileron trim 2 clicks right and try again. you should be able to trim it so it rises straight up.

How is it for shaking?

[Midnight_1982]

Hey there.
I've fixed the tipping issue, now i'm having spin problems. I'm spinning right, and I have my trim all the way left. So to fly I'm constantly giving left input.
My assumption is that I need to adjust the proportinal valve deal. Thoughts, suggestions?

[whirlydude]

Originally Posted by Midnight_1982

Hey there.
I've fixed the tipping issue, now i'm having spin problems. I'm spinning right, and I have my trim all the way left. So to fly I'm constantly giving left input.
My assumption is that I need to adjust the proportinal valve deal. Thoughts, suggestions?

If the turning to the right is very slow, which we call yawing, then yes the proportional pot screw may take care of it. You need to adjust it ccw, opposite of the spin. Now if the heli is spinning faster than it may be something slipping on the lower rotor hub. The set screws in the lower hub may not be in the holes of the outer shaft, or if your using the Xtreme outer shaft, the 2 set screws in the gear may not be catching the holes in the shaft. I would check them 2 places if the spin is faster, because it means the upper rotor is spinning faster than the lower rotor. It could also be a weak motor, but check for slippage first.

[Luvmyhelis]

One more thing to check for before you give it another try. Absolutely make sure the molding stamps on the base of the blades are identical from one blade to the other. Especially on the bottom set. If not the heli will try and shoot off in the wrong direction, no matter what you do. The blades have to be out of the same molded stamped set, or it will never fly correctly. Quite a few novice flyers break a blade and just bolt one in. The heli never flies correctly again and they end up selling it out of frustration, without knowing why it was doing this.

[Imzzaudae]

Yes look in the book then. You will need to turn the trim pot left 1/8 turn or so.
This helicopter is renowned for not holding it's rudder trim. As the battery goes down the trim changes. Get it close and learn to hold it with the stick.

[Midnight_1982]

Thanks for all the replies, and sorry for my delay. My girlfriend has had me in the Christmas Light hanging business all weekend.

Ok. so I replaced the blades, top and bottom with brand news.
I also replaced the left motor because it seemed to be wearing out (while off, rotating the blades, top felt very smooth, and the bottom was a little more rigid).

Still having some clockwise yawing, so once I get home from work, I'll charge up my battery and check the proportional valve.

The other thing I've done is move my servo to the third hole to give more travel. and I still wasn't able to trim. So it has to be a proportional valve setting, no?

Thanks again for all the advice.

[Mojos Heli]

If u moved the pushrod on the servo arm you will need to adjust the length of the pushrod by turning the top of it to make the swash level again.


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[Imzzaudae]

Moving the push rod out on the servo arm will only make the helicopter more responsive to
elevator and aileron inputs. As Mojos stated you will need to turn both of the ball links out 1 or 2 turns in order to level swash. Even then you will have to re trim the helicopter with the radio.

If you keep working away at the rudder trim control you will be able to get it close
but the helicopter will never hold it's tail. When you get it close turn gyro up 100% then down 1/16 of a turn at a time just until it stops wagging it's tail.

As the battery goes down the tail will drift. It's the nature of the beast.
You will ether get used to holding it with the stick or hate flying it.

Its a big, heavy and powerful beast. I bring mine out just for the pucker factor once a week or so. love it!

[Midnight_1982]

Thanks for the responses.
I did infact adjust the pushrod arms.

I think now i'm just working out my comfort level with this guy. Flying the MCX is SO easy, and so predictable. then I take my CX2 out and I break a sweat. She's got SO much more power, and I have to stay on my toes with it.

With the MCX, if I get squirelly, I just pull my hand off the right stick and she comes true, whereas the CX2 needs constant input.

On a side note, I picked up an MSR and a 120 SR off of Craigslist this weekend, and boy, they are FUN. MSR is pretty easy to fly, and the 120 SR is just incredible. I have a new found confidence in flight after this weekend.

[Imzzaudae]

You will love both the MSR and the 120SR both are great helicopters.
I fly both around my living room every day.

As for the CX2 it will test you thats for sure!
Have fun with the new helicopters.
Ron

[A6Intruderman]

I've had similar problems with my CX2. Every time I fly it, I have to completely re-trim it. One time it may be right aileron, then next it may be left or elevator and/or rudder. As a newbie, it gets frustrating. I was told that the CX2 was ideal for a first helicopter, but now I'm not so sure. I've checked the swash and it's level, the motors are good as are the main gears and flybar. I'm thinking that if I have to do all this trimming and adjusting, I should have saved my money and started with a CP model.