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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2011 21:53:44 GMT
Anybody seen Mick (helliharris) lately? he is a professional helicopter pilot, (Falklands war / RAF trained).... I'm sure he would have a few tips and tweaks He'd bloody shoot it down!!!
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Post by PinkFloyd on Sept 17, 2011 22:49:42 GMT
Anybody seen Mick (helliharris) lately? he is a professional helicopter pilot, (Falklands war / RAF trained).... I'm sure he would have a few tips and tweaks He'd bloody shoot it down!!! No no..... you're safe Ian (calm down) "friendly fire" is a US thing (they don't know who they are shooting at / they shoot at anything)..... your RAF pilot is a bit more clued up than your trigger happy yanky
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natospec
250+
Squeal like a hawg! Yeeehaw!
when in doubt, the simplest and dirtiest fix will do, even if it is twisted wire and tape
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Post by natospec on Sept 18, 2011 3:06:40 GMT
He'd bloody shoot it down!!! No no..... you're safe Ian (calm down) "friendly fire" is a US thing (they don't know who they are shooting at / they shoot at anything)..... your RAF pilot is a bit more clued up than your trigger happy yanky friendly fire is a form of communication between us americans "Hey steve!...HEY STEVE!... (pow!)" "AYE YOU SHOT ME YOU PRICK" "well you werent listening..." ;D man who laughs at self will forever be amused
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2011 20:16:54 GMT
That was actually quite a funny post. Now watch out for the missiles from your American mates!!! Ian
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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2011 15:41:46 GMT
Mike, I wrote to the Norfolk model shop about batteries and what they sell. They replied with:
We do the intellect Twin packs. 130mah Twin Pack and the 160mah Twin Pack.
Our battiers are a bit more powerfull than the turnigy, so We would not reccomend any bigger than our 130mah twin packs for the mcx2, else you could end up melting the main board.
The melting of the board seems a strange thing to say when the voltage is the same and the only difference is the capacity. I thought 3.7v was 3.7 volts and the number of milliamps tells you how long they'll supply that 3.7 volts for.
They're implying that the board could melt with bigger batteries.
Are we in the land of Noddy here?
Ian
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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2011 16:33:13 GMT
Anybody seen Mick (helliharris) lately? he is a professional helicopter pilot, (Falklands war / RAF trained).... I'm sure he would have a few tips and tweaks IMO he sounded a bit p....'d off on his last post (about insults at Frans) so maybe he's taking a sabatical in sympathy Dave.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2011 16:43:58 GMT
I think Frans just wants a break 'cos he ain't got the time. Not certain he'll come back in any case. He could have answered my battery question too!! Ian
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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2011 17:45:51 GMT
Ian, He did say he'd keep an eye on the forum, perhaps not contribute, but would answer PMs, IIRC. Hope you're wrong about him not coming back BTW . Dave.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2011 19:14:14 GMT
Well he said he may not in an email so I guess we'll just have to wait and see. You never know, he may change his mind ......
Let's all get a helicopter to calm our minds!!!!!
Ian
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Post by PinkFloyd on Sept 19, 2011 19:23:09 GMT
Mike, I wrote to the Norfolk model shop about batteries and what they sell. They replied with: We do the intellect Twin packs. 130mah Twin Pack and the 160mah Twin Pack.
Our battiers are a bit more powerfull than the turnigy, so We would not reccomend any bigger than our 130mah twin packs for the mcx2, else you could end up melting the main board.The melting of the board seems a strange thing to say when the voltage is the same and the only difference is the capacity. I thought 3.7v was 3.7 volts and the number of milliamps tells you how long they'll supply that 3.7 volts for. They're implying that the board could melt with bigger batteries. Are we in the land of Noddy here? Ian What they are saying is "we do not stock Turnigy or Miniaviation batteries so we will try and put you off them by talking crap and will do our best to extract money from you by talking crap" Absolute NONSENSE.... the battery only provides current when the motor asks for it..... the Turnigy / MiniAviation batteries are better specced and do not go "under" voltage as fast as the stock batteries do! The Turnigy batteries are 30c discharge meaning a higher voltage under load, which gives more lively performance.... It was Sam who recommended these batteries, he uses them with his E-flites and reckons they are far better than the stock 120mAh ones.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Sept 19, 2011 19:26:48 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2011 19:42:45 GMT
Well that's what I thought when he replied to me, Mike. He was trying to make out that the control unit would be burned out just because of the higher rating. It kind of put me off asking them for any more advice tbh. It just shows you, you can get some poor advice from shops who you'd think would put you on the right path. I guess if they ahd their way, they'd have us all buying e-Flite batteries at £8 a go when the Turnigys are a quarter of the price. (and better) The voltage is exactly the same so I couldn't understand what he was getting at. I have 12 Turnigy batteries that are great, no problem at all. I removed the labels because they're a pain and tend to lift up in any case, but they last fine. In fact they were a bargain. Did Sam come round and do a demo for you? I bet he tried to instill discipline!!!! Spot landing and all that. The double helix are a bit difficult low down because the sit on a fat air cushion that pushes them all kinds of ways, but it's quite a good discipline to try and hold it with small joystick tweaks. Quite a challenge actually!! I tend to drop vertically fairly quickly and do a final rev at the bottom so it has a soft landing. That way, you avoid the air cushion effect. I'm still thinking single blade you know!! You've got me going again. The MSR is very appealing. Even with the swashplate connection moved, it's not as aggressive as they make out. If anything, it's less dangerous in tight spots because it'll move quicker. However the downside is make a mistake and it'll move quicker!!! (as well) I'm also wondering about the planes. They look like a bit of a challenge. I really do like these E-Flites. Never tried one before but had heard of them. Does the club buy say ten fliers at a time and get better prices?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2011 19:09:55 GMT
I noticed another thing about the sensitivity of these helis, Mike. Mine started to slightly 'toilet bowl' in a hover. Only very slight but it wasn't holding properly and I'd been practising spot landings on dinner place mats in different locations in the room and it was really hard to hold the heli still once it got close to the ground, which is always difficult for this design.
In the end, I tried loosening the flybar - no difference. As I ws retightening it again, I noticed a fleck of black crud halfway along the flybar. I thought it was a bit of extra plastic and had left it, but when I slid my thumb over it, it moved!! I got it off (and we're talking tiny here) and tried another hover. Totally straight and no toilet bowling. I can't believe how sensitive these helis are.
The Blades fly a lot more crudely but they're not as touchy as that. However, they don't really fly as smoothly. Because of that, they're easier to fly outside than the e-Flites.
They're a great machine to learn on; especially at low power. I've really become attached to the MCX2's that I have. Much nicer than my old Blades.
I can definitely feel an MSR coming on. I quite fancy a single blade and since it will work with the same controller (and batteries) I may go for one at some time. They seem to be a bit more nippy with a lot of control, although I hear that they can get a bit out of hand since they're not quite as stable as the design of the MCX.
I have one MCX set with the more aggressive flight and one at normal levels and to be honest, the difference isn't that massive. It's really fiddly to change over.
I think you'd notice the difference more if you were doing hard stunts where you need sudden bursts of power and change of direction, but it handles much the same.
Ian
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2011 19:37:27 GMT
Just out of curiosity I had a little read around on this fun hobby.
Your problem with the slow/hover/landing seems to be cured if the whirly has a tail blade like the real thing.
I found a lot of pointers to the Honey BeeII as a beginners machine.
What do the guys who know in the real world think?
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Post by PinkFloyd on Sept 20, 2011 19:44:34 GMT
You won't believe it until you see it Ian but I have totally become ONE with this machine! The secret is definitely in the trimming and I find that, once trimmed, you can keep it pretty much in trim by position the same type of battery in the exact same spot in the cradle with negates the need to constantly trim I can now EASILY land the copter in my right hand or land it on my head.... total control over it as I have "finally" got a feel for the transmitter..... I say "come to papa" and can get her to come within 3 inches of my face. The key is ZERO wind and has to be indoors. This is NOT an outdoor copter and even the slightest puff of air will blow it off course..... I couldn't believe it but I timed it, I got 11 minutes out of a Turnigy battery this evening! and that was pure air time.... I think if you take off and land a lot the battery doesn't last too long but if you precision hovering it will last a lot longer.... no strains on the motor, just nice precision "steady" hovering. The throwing it around the room type of flight is relatively simple UNTIL you crash it. It takes a bit of time ( a good 2 hours flight training) to get really good with the transmitter but, as soon as you do, it's like an extention of yourself.... total control over the machine
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2011 20:14:24 GMT
Chris, the Honey Bee is very good. Well made and quite a bit bigger than the MCX2. It has a single blade and you can adjust the weights on the flybar to make it a fast heli. They look very nice actually and fly really well. They have a bigger battery than the MCx and are very rugged. Good machines. Mike, that's what I'm doing. I have the ironing board up in the room at one end and the heli box on the floor at the other and I'm going back and forth between them and landing. Mid air shooting about isn't too hard and you can make nice symetrical patterns with the two controls and just watch what happens!! The skill is in the real control as you're doing. Did Sam come round and demo or give you any pointers? I flew 2 MCX's at the same time today. Shows you how bored I must be!!! I can't land them at the same time very easily though!! I end up catching one and landing the other!!! I've also been stalking my daughter and landing it on her head, then holding it on a hover. Ian
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Post by PinkFloyd on Sept 20, 2011 21:14:35 GMT
Just out of curiosity I had a little read around on this fun hobby. Your problem with the slow/hover/landing seems to be cured if the whirly has a tail blade like the real thing. I found a lot of pointers to the Honey BeeII as a beginners machine. What do the guys who know in the real world think? According to Sam, the Honey Bee is NOT a beginners helicopter.... he rates it as a fantastic helicopter but not for starters..... I would love a Honey Bee but am still learning to fly with the MCX2. Mike.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Sept 20, 2011 21:22:59 GMT
He couldn't make it unfortunately..... I am confident enough now (however) to take my MCX2 into his bike shop and have a fly about when I'm in town The Bike Shop is where all the groovy eccentric people go Bike people, bike bike people (altogether now!)
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2011 7:56:41 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2011 17:50:20 GMT
I couldn't get on it Dave. It goes to Sky login.
Mike, I took the mcx2 with the swashplate moved out into the garden tonight and gave it a bit of welly on the throttle. It shot up into the sky until it was a little dot up there.
Getting it down when you can barely see it takes some time since you can't hear it either, so you have no idea what speed the motor is going at.
Anyway it went up a very long way so I did some moving around up there. A little gust took at a little way away and I had to turn it and bring it back and slowly brought it down again.
Those remote controls that come with it do work at quite long distances. I was really surprised. Normally, on an outdoor, you have 8 batteries not 4, but this was in range all of the time until it became a speck.
I'm thinking about the 120 sr now. A bit bigger and easier outside as well as being ok for inside.
These Blades are dead easy to fly in comparison to any of the others I've flown. It's just low powered slightly in comparison to what I'm used to, but it's a really stable heli.
If you get a calm evening, it's quite luxurious having space to chuck it around in.
120 SR has a bit more power so would be easier outdoors. I've flown single blades before. They are different.
Take offs can be unbelievably nasty. They have a tendency to spin so you have to rudder them one way to keep them on the straight and narrow. They can also veer off to the left or right, so you have to juggle rudder and left/right movement while putting the throttle up. Once it gets a foot or so off the ground you have to let go since it then hovers and you can go. The big thing is that it really does go as well if it's single blade. More chance against breezes.
I just couldn't believe how far away the transmitter worked.
Ian
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Post by PinkFloyd on Sept 22, 2011 18:15:06 GMT
I was in seeing Sam today and was mentioning the 120 SR.... he agreed they were good but also threw two others into the hat..... Nine Eagles Pro 2 and the Bravo SX Claims these are quite speedy. I haven't had mine outdoors yet Ian, I'd imagine it would be quite a "random" flight up here with the sudden "gusts" and it may end up crash landing on a poor unsuspecting sheep.... or even worse, the local pig who would eat it
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2011 19:01:36 GMT
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Post by PinkFloyd on Sept 22, 2011 19:45:11 GMT
Hi Dave, Looks like a snazzy little machine, are you going to buy one? For the first time in my life I am going to pass as I don't want a hangar full of "similar" types of helicopters.... much the same as I wouldn't want 25 pairs of similarly priced bookshelf speakers kicking about or 47 pairs of headphones that "mostly" all sound the same My next flying machine will be a single blade, again an indoor model, and probably an e-filte as I can "bind and fly" with the same e-flite 2.4gHz transmitter that I got with the MCX2. This could become extremely addictive and purchasing lots of quite cheap "special offers" soon mounts up.... next thing you know you have a squadron of helicopters but also a squadron of batteries / battery chargers / transmitters etc. The other thing you have to look at with these Cheapish "deals" is A: can you get spare parts easily, B: can you get replacement batteries easily and C: Do they actually "work" as good as they look? There is often a reason why people shift stock cheaply
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2011 19:50:12 GMT
Dave, that heli is similar to the Bladez. They have a fixed battery. (stuck inside them) and do fly ok but nothing like the range and they're also infa red controllers so as soon as the sun comes out, you lose control!!! That's how I crashed one of mine into a swimming pool. The sun came out. They don't bank left/right either. They just turn in a 'flat' way. However, they were an easy introduction to flying for me. Trouble is you start with them and before you know it, you want something a little more 'exciting'!!! Ultimately, a petrol 4 foot tank up there is stable, realistic and scary. If that comes down, you could flatten the local dog or something. I'll have a look into those others, Mike. I have tried a honey bee actually and they're very nice. When you first try them, they can shoot off like a rocket leaving you staring at the space where it used to be ......... Only outdoor really. They're pretty big for a house. The 120SR looks like a compromise. Good indoors while also being able to cope in still weather. That way, you can hone up the single blade skills indoors and take it out when the weather's good. It just amazed me how far away I could send the MCX2. It throws a few wobbles up there but was controllable. The sudden little gusts aren't so bad, it's when you get a steady stream higher up. The copter flies off at a helluva speed one way and crawls back because it can't fight the head wind easily!! Then you start to worry about the battery and the heli coming down from 100 feet or so!!!! Mike, that guy Sam knows his stuff. Those helis he's pointing you towards are sold at very low prices and they look really good. The Nine Eagles Pro 2 looks amazing for the price!! Ian
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Post by PinkFloyd on Sept 24, 2011 20:35:00 GMT
Hi Ian, I managed a spectacular crash today and actually managed to knock a but of the tail assembly off.... nothing serious just a flat piece of plastic from the actual body but that has prompted me to LOSE that flimsy piece of "flashing plastic" and fit a carbon fibre tail boom.... Sure, you lose the flashing lights but you GAIN an "nth" more flight time by not having the lights, the flasher circut in operation AND you should have better control with the carbon fibre tail boom..... This is the one I am buying www.rc-choppers.com/index.cfm/product/blade-mcx2-carbon-fibre-tail-boom-with-fin-153£2.25 seems a pretty reasonable price compared to £14.89 for the complete canopy assembly www.rc-choppers.com/index.cfm/product/blade-mcx2-complete-red-canopy-with-leds-installed--152 I will give the carbon fibre tail boom a road test and report back. She's in the hangar at the moment and the engineers (me) are having a good look at the engine room..... my GOD those motors are small! It's actually a miniature marvel of engineering when you think about it and those two little motors are the main engines.... the run absolutely FLAT out at all times and I think that it's a good idea to let them "rest" (cool down) between flights..... I did a "naked" flight with the engine in my hand and they do get quite hot...... not sure if I would do 5 consecutive 10 minute flights without a rest, especially with the stock batteries. It's a sure sign that I am enjoying something when you see it stripped bare.... it means I am starting to become "one man with his machine" and eager to understand what makes my machine tick. Sam is light years ahead (of any human I know) when it comes to flight characteristics, as I say..... he understands every single aspect and can explain WHY so and so does what it does and can also tell you the solution if something isn't doing what it's supposed to do. Anyhoo...... here's a few pics, I will go over every part of the machine to make sure it is all optimal before fitting the carbon fibre tail boom:
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