4#6 Flying Characteristics vs 4G6 or V120D02

[BillG]

Hi,

I'm new to the Walkera line, though very intrigued over the sub-micro size and availability of CP and gyro stabilization.

A little background:
I typically fly a CopterX 250 and another T-Rex clone 450. My skills are a little past the hover stage, I can do FFF and figure 8's, side-in hover, and am working on nose-in hover.
I thought I'd get a sub-micro heli to practice nose-in hover indoors, over padded carpet (at work where I have access to a huge room, and/or home).

So, to the point:
I purchased a 4#6/2401 to get my introduction to Walkera without a significant investment, in case I didn't like it.
Well, I've been flying the 4#6 and find it unsuitable for what I had intended, above. I find that holding a constant altitude is almost impossible. The heli constantly climbs and then descends as I try to adjust altitude. Over and over again.
Can't practice orientation skills this way....

Is it just me, or is this a characteristic of this heli and maybe FP in general?
Would a 4G6 or a V120D02 be more appropriate fo my mission, since both are CP?
If so, I would sell the 4#6 and get one of the above.

Anybody here had both a 4#6 and a 4G6 or a V120D02, that can give real-world feedback?

Thanks in advance for reading this long post, and any comments you may have.
bill

[pedrojlucas]

Hi Bill,

In my short expirience flying these little birds, I can only say that the answer to your question depends on what you're looking for, the room you have for your flights and your own skills:

4G6, 4G6s and V120d02 will probably match more the behaviour of your "big" bird, and so your practice sessions will be more profitable. In the other hand they are more tricky to fly, though 4G6s and V120d02 have installed the autostabilization system that helps a lot.
But if you need/want really stable flights the recommendations goes to CB100 or 4#6 Bell, both of them with Bell rotor head. If you want, you can purchase a 4#6 Bell rotor head alone for 19$ in Chinesejade, Helipal, eHirobo and other online stores. You can change easily the rotor head of your 4#6, as the Bell head is sold totally assembled.
Between these two options is a 4#6 with a Bell-Hiller rotor head mod (I think people all over this forums has documented how to do this mod, if you don't find it let me know), this rotor is very reponsive to all the cyclic inputs so it's almost a 4G6 but with the advantages of a fixed pitch.
So, it's up to you depending what you're looking for. I hope this helps.

Pedro

[jackeb]

Hi,
I have a 4#6 with the 2402 Tx. I've also converted the head to a bell hiller with a 90 degree flybar, and I have turned the extent pot up full. I would say that FP's do have a different response in the sense that, altitude wise, you have to be ahead of the heli because they lack the punch of a CP. However mine holds a consistent altitude easily (although I have flown some FP's that don't). With the conversion to the bell hiller and turning the extent up mine reacts very similar to my CP's on the cyclic. Mine is a sweet little flyer and is proving to be a great alternative for flying when the weather is c**p. The only other thing I can think of is maybe the main motor mesh is a little tight. These little helis really need a motor/pinion mesh as loose as you dare otherwise the drive train just saps the power, and in reality that tiny brushless in-runner isn't putting out a whole lot of power.
I can't really comment on the other two helis. My bother-in-law is waiting on a delivery of a V120D02 and I'm very interested to see what he thinks. The V120D02 and 4G6 seem to have good reputations and certainly have their devotees. The trouble is that it's a lot of money to shell out to find you don't like them.
It could be that FP's just don't suit you, or the sub-micros, generally, don't suit you. There's a fair few pilots about that hate them, with a vengeance.
I hope this is of some help, and I hope you bond with your 4#6, or at least find it a good home.
Regards.

[BillG]

Hi jackeb,

Yeah this model came with the 90 deg bell hiller flybar. I adjusted the angle of the paddles to be in line with the cage. Turned up the extent pot a little. Checked the pinion mesh; it seems good. I'm getting near 10 min. flights and the motor and ESC are just slightly warm. All seems good with the setup.

I'm believing that CP is just not going to work for my mission. I need to maintain a steady hover to be able to practice nose-in. My CP 250 is rock solid in hover, but it requires outdoor space for any "evasive maneuver" if I get dis-oriented.

I am very hesitant to spend the money on a 4G6 or V120D02 and 2801 Tx without knowing how they fly (thus why I bought the lower cost 4#6 to test the waters). At this point, I'm going to offer the still nearly new (4 flights) 4#6 for sale. Will post in the FS section later today after I take some pics.

I've got two 250 birds, so I'll tough it out, having a spare...

Rgds.

[hiwattheli]

Did you ever try an mSR? You can hold it still to your nose, and then push back it back, flying around the room in reverse. Cheap, cold weather, nose-in practice. Too bad it's always cold until March here.

Then buy a V120D02 (love it!), or the premium-priced M120D01.

My 2 cents,
John

[BillG]

No, I've not flown the mSR. I'm done with E-flite and their all-in-one boards (had an mCX). Also, a motor driven tail doesn't appeal to me.
I did like the Walkera seperate Rx, ESC, and servos. The VP shaft drive tail is pretty cool too. Just the FP aspect (I think) made it unsuitable for me.

BTW, I've put it up for sale in the classified section.

thanks.

[hiwattheli]

Hi Bill,

I almost bought your 4#6, as I've always loved mine (repair bills <$10). But anyway, you did the right thing. The V120D02 feels good, holds altitude well, and can fly around in a 14x20x8hi office (poorly with my skills). Oh, the M120 may not be a good alternative, as it weighs 1/3 more, and indoor flying is best when the heli feels light.

Good Luck, John

[BillG]

Hi John,

I may still get a 4G6 or V120D02 in the future. The idea of a sub-micro CP heli is attractive for a small indoor space. But for now, I'll keep honing my skills with the 250's. Lotta dosh for the ones I mentioned with a 2801 Tx...

Thanks,
Bill