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Post by PinkFloyd on Nov 16, 2011 22:58:17 GMT
Note how she "yawed" like a mad yawing thing..... erm, that is indicative of either BAD control or a knackered battery..... I reckon it's the battery
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Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2011 23:01:19 GMT
I've not had anything that violent on mine. If it did that in my front room, it would take the furniture out!! Did you smack it?
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Post by PinkFloyd on Nov 16, 2011 23:03:28 GMT
I must admit... now that I have found a "zone" for the bigger helicopters (the cold workshop) I am enjoying them more..... that will be my zone, from here on in, plenty of space and no danger of crashing into anything valuable (apart from a load of NOS valves and shit)..... I'd love to take that crappy old subwoofer out with a large blade
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Post by PinkFloyd on Nov 16, 2011 23:11:57 GMT
I've not had anything that violent on mine. If it did that in my front room, it would take the furniture out!! Did you smack it? No no... It was a gentle clattering of the blades.... no way am I going to destroy my flying walrus You'll know what I mean when I say it was a controlled crash landing..... I still think they are unsuitable for indoor use and TOTALLY unsuited to the British outdoor climate..... I'll be getting back into the smaller stuff, they are faster, more fun and you can fly them inside a cardboard box... these big things are just too precarious and unpredictable for indoor usage (IMO).
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Post by PinkFloyd on Nov 16, 2011 23:56:28 GMT
Good perceived value, YES, but I'd rather one small pistachio over a sackload of stale nuts
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2011 8:49:33 GMT
Oh that's a shame. I'm quite enjoying it. It is too big for yer normal front room, but I will be using it outdoors to start flying at a bigger distance. I'm using a CX3 indoors which is a nice size.
It's a different beast outside. Not as frightening since it's not so close but still reacts to side winds quite strongly. Better than the MCX2's though!! (and you can see it!!)
Getting a good 8 minutes too which is surprising for a big fat thing like this.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2011 17:35:50 GMT
I contacted Ansmann direct, Mike and they're going to replace my battery. No questions. All they ask is the company that we bought them from to contact them and they'll send it out.
That was worth it then.
Mike, I'm really chuffed with the Sky Taxi. I took it outside tonight at dusk and it was beautiful. Straight up, no fuss. Extremely stable and just floated high up there. In fact, it looks incredibly real up in the sky. It handles more like a real helicopter in that it doesn't overeact like tiny ones and the response is slightly 'delayed' and steady. The draft when it goes over your head is amazing from 10 - 20 feet above your head!!! It must be creating a massive wash, so indoors the hovering troubles where it tends to rise on a pocket of air and suddenly go back down must be coming back from the incredible backwash from furniture and walls. Once it's in the sky, it's rock steady and stays up there.
On fast forward, it does a nose tilt and looks amazing and even slightly banks on turns. It's really stable and the problem with the trim completely goes up in the sky. I found myself putting everything back to the centre when it was high and it was fine.
Slightly crap landing because I couldn't judge how far up it was from the ground and I cut the power too quickly so it bumped down, but was OK.
First real flight up in the sky doing circles and moving around rather than just hovering.
It's a really lovely thing to fly outside. Feels a lot smaller as well. I just put it up to about 40 feet. (two houses up) before I started to lose my bottle and gingerly brought it down.
Weather permitting, I'll start some longer distance flying now. Dusk is a good time since the winds drop. It was flat as a pancake here tonight.
So, good news - new battery on the way and it flies like a dream outside. (Even if you're a careful flyer like me!!!!)
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Post by PinkFloyd on Nov 17, 2011 23:15:06 GMT
Excellent Ian! I was out today so didn't have an opportunity to phone about the battery but will do so tomorrow. I'd imagine she would be great outdoors and should have really tried this afternoon but took the Nine Eagles up into the sky instead.... if it's calm tomorrow evening I may set the camera up and do an outdoor flight with the SkyWolf.... I bet you'll notice a big improvement with the new battery
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Post by Deleted on Nov 18, 2011 21:21:57 GMT
It's a great fly outside and stunning to watch up there. Getting it down safely is a slow business though. No letting it down like a lightweight Blade heli. I found it better to bring it down and do a low level hover before going to ground. It slows the descent down since it's very easy to topple on grass and then the blades will smack.
New battery is now winging its way here. Ansmann in Germany are sending a new one to me direct since they're not available in UK.
All they asked was for the seller to confirm that I'd bought it recently. Great news and very quick response.
I really like the Sky Taxi. It's a size thing and being outdoors. The little ones are great inside, but I have to admit, I like flying helis in open space where there's a lot more freedom.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Nov 18, 2011 23:43:45 GMT
New batteries on their way
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Post by PinkFloyd on Nov 22, 2011 21:44:11 GMT
Took her outside for a flight two days ago and was happily hovering at about 100 feet when there was a loud "CRACK!" and she plummeted down from the sky. I dropped the transmitter, ran across the lawn and managed to catch her..... erm.... it would appear those blades had made contact with each other..... The metal flybar was bent, two of the blades were chopped in half and one of the ball joint links connecting to the swashplate was broken (snapped off)..... I want to get rid of this thing as soon as possible! One minute it's flying away quite the thing and the next it's plummeting from the sky in pieces? Sorry but that is just NOT good! The spares are a NIGHTMARE to source "if" you can get them... just where the hell do I source a new flybar and a ball joint linkage? Fitting the parts will also be an absolute pig as you have to totally strip this helicopter down (the canopy doesn't lift off) this is more of a "drop the engine" out of the housing type of affair. The design is not only flawed, it's bad.... no way should there be blade clatter causing this type of damage.... I will be sticking to the small "reliable" brands from here on in... this thing is just way too random for my liking. Question is, is it worth repairing or is that just throwing good money after bad? I'll ring Ansmann tomorrow and see if they can send me the flybar and link.... if not then I've just blown £60 on a large heap of self destructing junk
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2011 21:58:56 GMT
That's bad news, Mike. Maybe a gust of wind disrupted the blades? That's the biggest thing I don't like about those blades, they will clatter very easily. I have been screwing them down a bit tighter which lessens that a lot. They spin so fast that they do actually straighten even if they're held quite tight and the heli behaves a bit better imo too. You don't get the forward/lag that you can get with loose blades where one is ahead of itself while the other is behind. Tightening them down stops this and can help the flight characteristics. The CX3 has fixed blades so there is just no clatter at all and none of the lagging/rushing of the individual blades. I'm finding the big coaxials fly very different to the little ones. They need a bit more holding them in position. Both the Sky Taxi and the CX3 take a considerable amount of holding to keep them still in the air. The CX3 is nice because it's actually ok to fly indoors although it's fairly large. 10 - 12 minute flights too. Mind you, if my Sky Taxi came down from 100 feet, I would run the other way, Mike!! I wouldn't be catching it. Jeez, you took a chance there. The flybar (I think) is this one: www.apexmodels.com/gbu0-prodshow/403000015.htmlor www.wheelspinmodels.co.uk/i/55414/Part number 403000078 The swashplate: www.wheelspinmodels.co.uk/i/55420/Part no. 403000084 If you do take the body off, you could also put a new one on: www.wheelspinmodels.co.uk/i/55436/I have found that you need to be careful with it. All of these bigger ones are very fragile. Even the Blade CX3 which is just over a foot long wouldn't survive a crash. It seems all of the enclosed models mean thatyou have to drop the engine out to get at them. The CX3 has to have the blades and flybar taken off so that it comes out from the bottom of the bodywork. I can see why they just stick a front on and a boom at the back. I guess that's the beauty of the little buzzy ones. They take a lot of abuse whereas the big ones won't take any, so it's basically flying with real care at all times!! Even the Big Lama suffers that damned clatter. Give it a send off out to sea at 100 feet and let her go down!! Film it though. Burial at sea!! Mine's still going strong and haven't banged it yet. (touch wood) I can see it taking a dive though!!
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Post by PinkFloyd on Nov 22, 2011 23:00:30 GMT
Not a chance Ian... it was more a case of a split second "damage limitation" decision.... I cut the throttle and dropped the transmitter, ran about 15 yards and managed to catch it with my jacket (a cradled catch / hands in pockets turn jacket into a cradle).... I could have easily typed something "spectacular" but it was as simple as that... a split second reaction and an improvised catch.... fekkin' waste of time as it had pretty much destroyed itself in the air, a full on impact / smashed canopy type crash would have "at least" given me something to talk about NOPE....I can now see what Sam is getting at.... the "conditions" in the UK make large helicopters a hit or miss affair.... much better with the indoor varieties and GOOD quality indoor varieties too! I have now bought SEVEN MiniX helicopters (two for myself and 5 for a guy in the bike shop) and only ONE of them flies as it should.... the others have either suffered from bad batteries or wonky builds.... it doesn't PAY to go CHEAP, you end up throwing good money after bad. I would rather pay £90 for an MCX2 / MCX that lasts (reliable / always flies the same) than 10 x £19.99 for a series of crap helicopters that last 5 minutes.... you get what you pay for.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2011 23:21:42 GMT
The mcx2 is the smoothest flier I have. Mine both have booms on the back now and I did your little snip trick to the battery holder. Both as smooth as a baby's bum.
I even take them outside. Normally at dusk when the wind is down. I take it very easy with the Sky Taxi. That's too easy to drop.
My MSR has taken a few bangs now but that's the one I work on to hone the flying skills.
I use the McX to work at nose in stuff. Try flying a circle, nose pointing at you all the time. Very hard even on an MCX let alone the MSR and the stability problems with the single blades.
Sky Taxi is just hover and slow flight.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Nov 22, 2011 23:31:42 GMT
The mcx2 is the smoothest flier I have. Mine both have booms on the back now and I did your little snip trick to the battery holder. Both as smooth as a baby's bum. I even take them outside. Normally at dusk when the wind is down. I take it very easy with the Sky Taxi. That's to easy to drop. My MSR has taken a few bangs now but that's the one I work on to hone the flying skills. I use the McX to work at nose in stuff. Try flying a circle, nose pointing at you all the time. Very hard even on an MCX let alone the MSR and the stability problems with the single blades. Sky Taxi is just hover and slow flight. A modded MCX may be flying in your general direction one of these days
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2011 8:19:06 GMT
Wouldn't it be nice if they made a bigger version of the MCX range? - say CX size - about a foot but lightweight. The CX3 is pretty heavy but the MCX's are like feathers so they are great flyers.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Nov 23, 2011 9:28:34 GMT
Wouldn't it be nice if they made a bigger version of the MCX range? - say CX size - about a foot but lightweight. The CX3 is pretty heavy but the MCX's are like feathers so they are great flyers. Ian..... as a thank you for the Nine Eagles I have ordered a Blade MCX and custom "extreme" swashplate for you I'll fit the swashplate and "lube" the central rod with some teflon... get her tuned up and send her to you.... you'll be able to bind her onto your Spectrum transmitter?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2011 10:17:01 GMT
Wouldn't it be nice if they made a bigger version of the MCX range? - say CX size - about a foot but lightweight. The CX3 is pretty heavy but the MCX's are like feathers so they are great flyers. Ian..... as a thank you for the Nine Eagles I have ordered a Blade MCX and custom "extreme" swashplate for you I'll fit the swashplate and "lube" the central rod with some teflon... get her tuned up and send her to you.... you'll be able to bind her onto your Spectrum transmitter? Oh Mike, you don't owe me for that!! I did think that it could be difficult for you to get one so if you need another, let me know 'cos I know you don't want to deal with them. Come to think of it, I could send you another transmitter if you got a BNF version which is pretty cheap!! The one thing I really like about the transmitter is the fact that it has a sub-trim. They should do that with all of them. BTW, I tightened the blades down fully on the Sky Taxi and that keeps the slapping under control!! I've had a few slaps so I put on new blades today and screwed them down tight. Result, the heli flies fine but better, the blades don't smack so easily and when you power down, they stay in position. I can't feel much difference in flight. So, if you decide to fix the Wolf, try tightening them down, Mike. That blasted blade strike can even happen if you land heavily. It's quite important to come down slowly and keep the blades spinning on the ground before powering down. That keeps them straight. I reckon just a tiny breeze could disrupt it quite a lot and could easily have caused your fall out of the sky. I'm going to perhaps have a look around for something heavier than the stock blades. I don't know what the Lama ones are like and what the fitting is, but perhaps a change of blades may help and you never know, it could fly better, although mine seems to float nicely as long as there is absolutely no breeze.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2011 19:34:41 GMT
Ansmann sent the new battery ........ only this one is a year old!! Seems they take no notice of battery life. This one is dated 1st November 2010. Oh well, a bit better than two and a half years.
So much for German efficiency. Next heli will be Japanese or Chinese then.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Nov 28, 2011 22:45:10 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2011 22:52:29 GMT
What d'ya reckon? Trend setter? Pioneers or just plain mutters?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2011 17:54:13 GMT
Aha - just when you thought I'd crashed it!!!
I've been tampering with it today and the trims were a LONG way off which is why I was struggling to hold it lower down.
The weird thing is that the trims seem to have less effect higher up. I have absolutely no idea why.
So today, I got all 5 batteries out and had a blast with it in a gymn. Instead of moving trims about, I moved the push rods and started counting and then back and then forward until she held still low down.
It turns out that mine was pushing hard to the right so I had to set the trim hard left. It was also going backwards slowly as well. The other thing I found close to the ground is that if the Aileron is set too far right, the heli tends to yaw left and then evens out further up. So if you adjust low to the ground, it's wrong further up. However, if the aileron is set right at the ground, the yaw stays constant all the way up so it's way more controllable. In fact, it's very sensitive to small adjustments on the remote.
This sells at £60 and I'd buy another one disguised as the black version if I could get it BNF for £40.
It's not a heli for the faint hearted but I'm really enjoying it and the challenge it gives.
If you think about single blades, if they turn left they tend to go backwards and the Taxi does the same. So if the trim is wrong and it yaws left, it keeps trying to go backwards as well!!
ie; it was all over the place and that coupled with ground effect made for a scary take off and a difficult hover. The combo of ground effect and bad trimming is a killer.
I got really down to getting those push rods in the right place with the trims dead centre. It's definitely worth doing so the heli really becomes RTF, as it should have come out of the factory.
By the time I'd finished - bingo. She holds in the air like any other coaxial, low down and further up it still stays. The trims seem to have more effect lower down for some reason. It doesn't really make much sense but now it's flying like a beginner's heli.
They really need to tell people that RTF is a load of nonsense. These things are definitely not RTF and have to be set up properly or else they are lethal.
The Sky Taxi is now flying like silk and I'm sending it round the room, albeit very slowly because of the sheer size.
There is something I really like about this heli. It has a real beauty in flight and in the sky looks frighteningly realistic.
I'll be gobsmacked when I crash it because I have grown rather fond of it in spite of its foibles etc. However, they all have them really to a greater or lesser degree. You just have to learn them.
The Taxi has the same forward/backward movement that you get from single blades on right and left turns. It seems to me that the bigger helis are more prone to this effect. So if it goes right because it's not trimmed correctly, it yaws left at ground level in its backwash and then tries to go backwards because it's yawing left. So you end up juggling with the sticks to get it into the air and once up and away from the backwash, it's rock steady!! Once the trims are right, it's rock steady wherever it is.
I've taken to using a round rubber heli mat on the floor for take off. The ground surface does have an effect; especially outside so by using a mat, you get one constant on take off which is much better. I've now got all my helis to be a bit more consistent on take off because of the mat so I can get a nice smooth ascent without throwing them up to avoid ground effect as so many heli fliers seem to do. If you get them going up smooth and straight, they fly so much better from the start. Same for the big Taxi.
It's a bit scary in the house because of its size. As soon as you turn right, this massive machine lurches forwards towards a wall which isn't that far away due to its length, so you end up permanently holding it back.
I still think that this was well worth £60 and it's also better with the Buzzflyer batteries which have more kick in them.
The Ansmann batteries just don't have the same power.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2011 20:31:38 GMT
I took the Sky Taxi to a dance studio and flew it like an MCX. It has really settled into a nice hei. Being coaxial though, it's definitely more suited to being indoors and just needs a lot of space. Once you have a load of space to fly in, it's a doddle.
The worst thing about flying in the house is you have to hold it as still as you can because it's so big, so you end up pulling it away from walls and furniture rather than actually flying.
I sent it round the studio with ease and it looks really sleek and pretty life-like. It manages like a big heli and turns/manouvres make it kind of continue more than a little one does, so if you tuen, it can kind of skid on the bend. If you sent it round fast, it even leans a bit as well.
I think I'll try the sr120 like this. Much easier when you have a good space - a bit like flying a small heli in a house.
It's probably more sensible getting the scale to room size right. In that sense, I think the CX3 is probably a more sensible size limit for a room in a house.
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Post by longboarderuk on Jan 9, 2012 21:46:12 GMT
Hi guys, have been reading this post with interest, I am on the edge of parting with 60 quid for Sky Taxi, it looks beautiful! All I am looking for is something to cruise slowly outside on a quiet day, also as a tech manager of a big multiplex Cinema I can fly it in some of the huge auditoriums and not worry about the wind, good for practising!! So I'm torn between two machines either the sky taxi or this T23 Thunderbird also £60 www.rctoysdirect.co.uk/index.php?page=product&menu=categ&category=Helicopters&product=16&h=T23%20THUNDERBIRD. I guess they will both suffer from potential blade smacks which is a worry but after reading your posts I can at least try to minimise the chances of this happening , just wondered what you guys think of the T23, worth a shot or does the Sky Taxi look like the best punt Edit- just realised the T23 is only 3 channel so guess that makes the sky taxi my best option!, although this video of the T23 in flight looks cool m.youtube.com/#/watch?desktop_uri=/watch?v=QUJHwonhph0&v=QUJHwonhph0&gl=GB
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2012 22:09:37 GMT
Hi,
I have sets of blades ready for the Sky Taxi in readiness for an accident.
In all honesty, indoors, you won't easily get it unless you put it down too fast or topple it on the floor.
The Esky Big Lama looks lovely if you want a big 'un and a smaller more manageable one - the Blade CX3.
Just one thing - have you flown helis before? If not, the sheer size of the Taxi or Big Lama is difficult to overcome when you first meet it. The blades spin pretty fast and it can wobble in the air if you don't hold it. The ensuing panic can cause unbelievable damage because, if you drop it once, it will break very easily due to its weight.
You have to have the bottle to rev those blades until it just gets light on the wheels and then push it up pretty quick or else it will fall over on the ground.
If you're a beginner, I really would recommend a little Blade MCX2 or MCX. They are small and tough and you can throw them around.
Although I occasionally take the Taxi outside in the garden and can send it quite high, I'm always very careful of a hint of a problem because it's big.
I've also sent the MCX2 high up and it's fine as long as there is no wind. It's not as scary since if it fell from 50 feet or more, it's just a 1 ounce piece of plastic. The Taxi is a bit lethal!!!
Having said that, I enjoy flying it and Mike's not as keen. I fly mine in a big hall or in the garden when the weather is totally flat. (dusk is a good time)
You also need a flat surface to take off from and land on or else, once again, it can topple and destroy the blades.
I'd personally stick with 4 channel.
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