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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2011 16:28:49 GMT
Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiits heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere! Charging up now and I'm out for some AAs to feed the remote...
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2011 18:02:18 GMT
Great!!! The picture looks fantastic. That's a really sensible heli, Chris.
It looks really well built and is a bit of a good looker too. Two sets of blades means that it'll be stable so you'll be able to get loads of indoor orientation practise in.
It's not so easy when the nose is pointing at you. That's the time when you turn left and it goes right ...... into the wall, because you forgot!!
Seriously, that looks perfect for a first heli.
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toad
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Post by toad on Nov 24, 2011 19:17:14 GMT
That looks a cracking Heli Chris. A few hours have passed... Have you had a go yet?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2011 22:05:40 GMT
Yep, had my first play. RTF it is not, took me all the first charge to settle the trim, there was no way initially, I had to adjust the FW/BW bars from lowest setting to the highest in order to put the remote trim in the correct range. It does a pretty stable hover, even just a few inches off the ground, on full battery charge but this wanes quite soon, approx. half way through charge time. I did try a quick bit of banking, that's mad, it runs at triple speed! A little bit of bumping about coupled to learning, it's actually good fun learning its ways. I do find the charged time too short though, around the 5min. mark but maybe that keeps you keen too I also had too many obstructions in the restaurant to really let rip!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2011 22:21:31 GMT
Now imagine a big 'un giving gale force winds in the room!!! Plus the fact that if it wanders, it wanders more distance quicker.... so it's a completely different ball game. Chris, if the trims are way off, they can be adjusted via the connecting rods to the swash plate so that your remote stays roughly in the middle. However, you may need to fly a bit longer to determine exactly what's going on. Can spare batteries be bought? 4 is a good number to have. Enough for about half an hour flying. (with gaps for cooling) Glad you're getting it off the ground from the start.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2011 18:52:07 GMT
Ian,
Regarding the trim, that's what I did and fooled you with my laymans terms ;D
I've managed some better "flying moments" today and have definitely perfected the mid-air catch rescue!
My best moment today was successfully taking off from one table, flying across most of the restaurant and landing on another table. That's when the video should of been running...
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toad
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Post by toad on Nov 25, 2011 22:23:57 GMT
Sounds like you're learning fast So how are you liking it Chris?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2011 23:08:32 GMT
Excellent fun Ian. My only gripe, as the other guys have said about the cheapies, is flight time. Max 5 mins with only a max of 3 of those with full control, once the battery starts depleting things become a tad unpredictable
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Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2011 9:32:35 GMT
I have loads of batteries which I keep changing. My weirdest heli for flying time is the Blade cx3. It's a foot long. A coaxial so it's really stable (although not as stable as the little mcx2) and it's pretty heavy. Yet it flies 10 - 12 minutes. I don't fly until the batteries stop since it can damage them but with cx3, if it dropped, it's own weight would break it. I know short times are annoying, Chris, but for battery life it pays to not always run to the limit. I've occasionally run a flying attack on the wife during an advert on tv and then stuck the battery on the charger!! What is amazing is how fast the big batteries drain on things like the Sky Taxi, big, beefy battery and you get all of 6 minutes and when it comes out, it's pretty warm. One thing that can save you a lot of money in the long term though Chris is sheer patience. The helicopter that I have the most problems with is the 120 sr which is a single bladed heli but just over a foot long so it's slightly intimidating in a house. I guess I'd be flying that much the same a s a beginner on a coaxial like yourself. However, I have had it a while now and for a really long time, I've literally been practising take off and landing over and over. I've been really learning what it does as part of its flight characteristics. Following that, I worked at absolute stillness in hover. (That gives you a brilliant landing actually) I've been extending the length of the hover and then I started to very slowly go forwards and then grab it!! I soon found on turns, it not only went round but would shoot forwards on right and backwards on left, so I realised that I would need to learn to compensate. Once I had a take off - hover - forward - land. I started to work on turns which are a bugger on a single blade big 'un. This is where the MSR and the 120 sr (Similar design but difference in size) really start to show big differences. So I slowly worked on left and right turns while trying to hold her still. I then walked around the room behind it going in big circles and if anything went wrong, I just grabbed it. Only today have I started to send it around the room without following it so I can now take off, hover, go round the room, hover, land. Very small steps at a time or else you end up meeting the situation where you kind of panic and smack it badly so you have a damaged heli which isn't flying properly. So far, I've smacked the tip of one of the blades which took a small chip out, on the tv stand legs. (It was on the floor and spun) So I replaced them in seconds. That's the only thing I've done to it. The reason is sheer bloody mindedness and patience. The MSR has been smacked all over the place, but that can actually take it and I have learned a lot on that which has transferred to the 120 sr. I can fly that so slowly now it's like a coaxial to me. The Sky King has had blade slaps but no crashes, so no big deal there. Patience really pays off and then it becomes a real learning curve and you will start to yearn for something more difficult to fly!!! I'm moving on to flybarless very soon, but will keep up the practise on the 120 sr until I've got a real grip of it. The problem with the 120 is that it is actually the fastest heli I have. It's like it's on steroids and one wrong twitch and off she goes like a racehorse!! That's probably how you feel with your new heli!! One thing with coaxials - they are absolutely fantastic to work with the nose facing you so that you can work on left/right orientation - your mind has to slip into backwards. It's a really absorbing interest and I'm glad you're enjoying yours. Just don't take chances before you're ready though!!!! That Falcon heli is a real good looker. I wonder whether they make bigger single blades?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2011 23:22:49 GMT
Although only 20 or so charges in I'm already getting battery fade. This means I now have about 2 mins MAXIMUM of fully controllable flight. (fixed battery) One thing this fella will not do is hover stably at height, low is no problem but once you get above waste height it needs constant adjusting. I reckon it's probably too cheap and not fully up to the job. Despite that I've been having a lot fun with it and it has survived plenty of crashes but I don't think I could recommend it. I've been dropping lots of hints for xmas
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2011 7:35:11 GMT
It's unusual for them to become less stable higher up, Chris. It's normally the other way round.
I'm not sure if it's a USB charger type, but the battery thing can be quite a problem. The batteries they put in them always seem to be 'just' up to the job when new. I guess it's a cost thing. I found some of my old Bladez helis were like that.
This is why Mike and myself rave about the Blades. Good to fly and you just alternate batteries. I have more than 20 and none have died yet. I also resist taking them right down to where the heli stops since their charge is pretty low at that point.
I've been flying the mcx2 since September with no problems so far.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2011 14:43:43 GMT
I tried the NiCad battery trick on it.
Wrapped it up (the whole whirly), shoved it in the fridge overnight, thawed it, charged it.
It's back to normal charge time! I thought Li didn't do that?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2011 16:35:56 GMT
Crikey. Cooling the battery off and then letting it warm up can bring them back to life? I never knew that!!
What a handy tip.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2011 19:43:18 GMT
Ian, It's only supposed to work on NiCads suffering from "memory effect". It was a long shot on the Falcon and I'm surprised it worked
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2011 20:12:16 GMT
Well, it's nice to know, Chris. If any of mine start failing, I'll try it. It's worth a go.
I've had hours of flying out of my batteries. I use a timer on my Ipod so that I don't run completely flat. I cut a minute off it's maximum and use the last bit to land.
Sometimes I cut two or three minutes off before a recharge. Especially with the big helis because those batteries are very large and I just wouldn't want a Sky Taxi or a Blade CX3 come hurtling down with no power.
The tiny ones just take it in their stride, but the big ones wouldn't survive one crash.
I'm glad you got it working again though. The only thing is, it may stop the wife getting you a quality one!!
I must admit, I like the look of yours and it would probably be possible to modify it so it took Blade batteries which would make it rather spectacular. Blade sell connection bits and it would be just a question of finding a spot to fix the battery and disconnect.
It's the one thing that puts me off all of the cheaper models. I take half a dozen batteries and fly for longer periods which is something you can't do with these things. They fly fine, it's just the power arrangements I don't like.
I wonder whether it could take another set of skids with a battery holder; even if the skids are superglued in place. Then it's just a wire into the motor and out to the battery which would rest under the skids like the Blades.
You'd get a lot more flying out of the heli then.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2011 22:47:12 GMT
I like your thinking Ian and I'll look into it. Access to the battery is quite quick, I'll check the batteries and see if they'll fit tucked up into the existing skids.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2011 13:48:26 GMT
Is it still working ok, Chris? The battery problem is because it gets too close to running completely flat. It kind of knackers them. Some of mine are starting to fade so I'll try that fridge trick!!
I now try to fly 80% of total time to flat, so if it goes for say, 7 minutes, I run for 5 - 6 minutes before charging again.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2011 20:17:41 GMT
She still flys Ian! I've had less chance of late but still enjoy it.
I now recharge as soon as I notice a slight drop in take off power. The battery seems to be holding up for now.
PS
I read your comments on the remote controller with interest, as I feel that is the weak spot on the falcon, the controls feeeling very floppy and rough compared to previous RC cars I've had. 'spose something has to give at the price!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2011 20:24:52 GMT
Chris, did you just leave the heli in the fridge overnight? (about what? 4 degrees?)
Also, did you put it in with the battery flat?
I'm really curious about how you got it to work again.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2011 20:37:48 GMT
Ian,
Battery should be spent. Wrap it up so no moisture can get inside the package.
Pop it in the fridge over night (I used a commercial one which is set to 2C.)
The next day you remove the battery from the packet and defrost thoroughly, i.e. min. = same time spent in fridge.
As I said before, this should not work on lithium batteries but did in my particular case.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2011 21:09:39 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2011 21:32:33 GMT
That looks lethal, Alex. A flying truck? Good grief!!!!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2011 17:47:51 GMT
I've tried the fridge trick. No difference. Would a freezer be better?
Does anyone know a way of getting Lipos to fully charge up again? Some of my batteries are starting to drop power more quickly now.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2011 23:35:08 GMT
The freezer will probably kill it stone dead I found this which may be of interest.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2011 16:39:06 GMT
I had a very dodgy moment this morning with the Falcon, thought I'd lost it for sure. I took it outside as the weather seemed dead still. Happily buzzing around on the terrace when, what must have been the softest wiff of wind carried it out over the wall and above the river No way was it coming back, heading further away and downward. I hit the power to give myself a few seconds thinking time, of course! Go with the flow, flew off to the other side of the river, which is thankfully on the small side, and managed a soft crash on the opposite bank. Just left a quick dash to the bridge and back along to the crash site. It looked OK and when I returned inside it flew fine too PHEW!
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