After the lengthy task of assembling your model, from the myriad collection of little plastic bags of nuts and bolts, there still remains the often daunting task of setting up the radio installation so that all the servos and settings are "pretty close to the mark" prior to starting it up for the first time.

This is a quick and simple guide to setting up the servos and the transmitter settings that should get your model flying well enough to start doing some delicate trim adjustments.

If you are able to twist someone's arm to check all settings, then this is highly recommended, even better if you can persuade a volunteer to perform a test flight.

Setting up Servos and linkage rods :

The reference starting point for all adjustments is CENTER STICK. This means, set transmitter trim controls to center position, and set the throttle/collective joystick to mid position (leave the throttle trim fully down at this stage). Turn on the Tx (transmitter) and the Rx (receiver). The servos should now move to their center positions.

Cyclic Servo initial setup :

1. Move the left/right cyclic (aileron) control to the left. The swash plate should tip down at the left (port) side, and similarly, moving the stick to the right tips the swash plate down on the models right (starboard) hand side. If the servo works back to front see REVersing under FF7 setup.

2. Move the front/back cyclic (elevator) control forward. The swash plate should tilt down at the front. REVerse the channel if it goes the wrong way.

3. Let the cyclic joystick rest in its center position, and check both the aileron servo linkages, and elevator servo linkages, for the following...

a. the servo horn should make an angle of, roughly, 90 degrees with the servo linkage rod. If it doesn't, undo the servo horn from the servo, rotate it to the next spline, and check again.

The servo horn arms are all set at different angles to the spline, so if one arm doesn't make the correct angle, try the others.

b. Secondly.. the swash plate should be level. If not, adjust the elevator servo linkage rod length so that the swash plate is level front to back, and the aileron servo linkage rod length so that the swash plate is level side to side.

Collective (pitch) servo initial setup :

1. Move the throttle/collective joystick from half to its bottom position. Observe the rotor blade holders. They should tip down at the front .. this means LESS pitch on the main rotor blades. On CONCEPT helicopters, less collective moves the mixing arms UP the mast toward the rotor head. If the direction is wrong REVerse the pitch channel. (Channel 6).

2. At half throttle/collective stick position.. the linkage rod should be around 90 degrees angle to the servo horn. If not, rotate the servo horn and re-check. The length of the servo linkage rod will be that required to achieve an alignment condition shown in the construction manual.

For CONCEPT helicopters, this position should see the pitch lever arm at right angles to the mast on 60's, and on 30's the pitch lever arm is vertical. Also at half stick, the four mixing arms are usually parallel to each other.

Rudder servo initial setup :

1. Return the throttle to center position. Adjust the rudder servo horn position on the servo splines such that it makes a right angle with the rudder linkage rod.

2. For CONCEPTS, the length of the rudder linkage rod is adjusted to give a vertical alignment of the intermediate lever arm on 60's. For 30's its a case of securing the linkage rod to the push pull rod at such a position as to give alignment of the tail rotor lever arm. (This sounds a mouthful, but is easier to visualize when you have the assembly manual to refer to.)

3. Note that the tail rotor blades will now have some pitch. This is the amount of pitch needed to offset the torque of the motor at hover.

Depending on which brand of helicopter you have, the following explanation may need to be reversed in sense, but for CONCEPT helicopters.... this amount of pitch on the tail rotor blades is trying to turn the nose of the model to the RIGHT.

(This is because CONCEPT's have clockwise rotating main rotors, which means that the model is trying to rotate anti-clockwise, or nose to the left, if it weren't for the tail rotors.)

4. Move the rudder control to the RIGHT. The pitch on the tail rotor blades should INCREASE. From center position, move the rudder control to the LEFT, the pitch on the tail rotors should DECREASE, and pass through zero pitch, and in fact will end up a little the other way. If the direction is wrong, the channel will need to be REVersed.

Throttle servo initial setup :

. As before, at half throttle position, the servo arm should be at right angles to the linkage rod, which should be at right angles to the carburetor lever arm. These angles are only approximate, as some linkage rods have to be bent to clear the muffler or manifold.

2. You need to know which way the carburetor arm moves to close, and which is open. Inspect this before assembling the motor to the model. For OS motors, the carb arm rotates CLOCKWISE to shut off, and anti-clockwise to open. Check that the carb rotates clockwise when the throttle is reduced to zero stick.

3. The throttle channel on the Tx may need ATV (see later). With the throttle trim at zero (i.e. fully down) and the joystick also fully down, ATV the throttle channel (ch 3) so that you can just detect the linkage rod trying to bend the carb lever arm. You now know that you can shut down the engine from the Tx. At full throttle, ATV ch 3 for full opening of the carb (i.e. fully anti-clockwise).

This article was contributed by Jeff Law, Many Many thanks goes out to Jeff.