newbie help

[windakleena]

Been checking out the demo realflight and alos been on some online stores looking at the helis

My problem is this.

My cheap heli is cool etc BUT it only 'aws' left and right so it spins ..it wont pitch left or right of forward and back...I can only control the height from the power to the battery!

Very limited controls and this is why i am looking for a new heli

what will i have tolook for to avoid getting the same rubbish

6 channels ? and not 4?
NOT a 4-1 reciever?...help!!!!1


thanks

ps

would somthing like this be good enough to learn with?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/6CH-Electric-D...QQcmdZViewItem

[chaos]

I think the Blade CX is a good starter heli. It's very stable and parts are cheap. It does use a 4-in-1. It doesn't go very fast and it isn't for acrobatics but it's good to learn the basics.

[windakleena]

Thanks for the reply.

What is 401 and 6 channel jargon all about then please.

I will look further into buying a blade than.

[chaos]

"4-in-1" just means that you have 4 things in one box; a small plastic box a little bigger than a match box. Obviously any RC device needs to have a receiver, and that's one of the things in the box. Another thing in the box is a "gyro". This is used to help keep the heading constant. Two other things in the box are two separate motor control circuits.

The receiver tunes and amplifies the radio signal and separates it into one or more "channels". Each channel is some kind of control input, such as throttle or rudder etc. You may have seen 2-channel helis advertised, and maybe that's a ok toy but it just isn't really a righteous helicopter. As a minimum, you need 4 channels; one for yaw (controlling the heading of the heli), one for rotor speed (to control vertical motion), one for the roll axis (moving left/right), and one for the pitch axis (moving forward/backwards). The yaw channel is usually called "rudder", because the rudder is what it would be connected to on a airplane. The roll axis channel is usually called "aileron" because that's what it would be connected to on a airplane. The pitch axis channel is usually called "elevator" because that would be what it would be connected to on a airplane. The aileron and elevator controls change the tilt of the "swashplate" which in turn changes the pitch of the blades depending on where they are located in the circle; hence that's called "cyclic pitch". The rotor speed channel would be connected to the motor that runs the propeller on a airplane, so it's usually called the "throttle". That's the setup for a 4 channel radio.

The gyro isn't really a gyro anymore, for the most part anyway, but it more or less simulates a gyro. A real gyro is a spinning mass. A spinning mass, like a bicycle wheel, tends to hold its orientation in the plane of rotation. If it happens to be pointed north/south when it's started, then it wants to stay that way. If the heli turns, then this change of heading can be detected and corrected. So the heli can keep itself headed in some fixed direction until you command it to change. The gyro stays as it was, but the electronics allows the heli to have a orientation that's different in relation to the gyro, and when you remove the (rudder) control the heli will try to hold that new heading.

Today, most of the things called a gyro simulate a gyro. They're actually a small mass that's stuck to a piece of piezoelectric material that senses pressure due to angular acceleration, which happens if the heading changes, and the electronics then makes a correction to remove the change. Of course, the correction can't exist unless there is an error of some amount, and so the heading will in fact drift; contrary to the way a real gyro works. But also today there are "heading lock" devices that include an electronic integrator which sums up the total error and the correction electronics works to remove that error. This type of "gyro" can actually hold a heading pretty well. You can still get a real gyro but I don't see the point.

The other two devices in the box are the motor speed controllers and they convert the signal from the receiver to a voltage for the motors. There are 2 motors in the CX, one for the top blade and one for the bottom blade. These two rotors rotate in opposite directions to cancel the torque; which would otherwise spin the heli one way or the other. Other helis, single blade, use a tail rotor to compensate for torque, and some of these use an electric motor. Others use power from the main rotor via a belt or torque tube to drive the tail rotor. When you move the rudder control on the CX, it causes one motor to go a little faster and the other to go a little slower. This keeps the total lift about the same, but one motor produces more torque than the other and that causes the heli to yaw (turn, change heading) one way or the other.

The CX uses motor speed to control vertical movement. That's fine but it's a bit sluggish, which doesn't matter much unless you're trying to do acrobatics. Forget acrobatics with the CX. To me, it's a great learning machine, but that's it.

Another way to control vertical motion is via "collective pitch". This control changes the pitch of the main rotor blades all throughout the circle of rotation. This allows "instant" changes in thrust... don't have to wait for the motor speed to change. Once upon a time, the collective pitch was also linked to the throttle, so that as more or less load was placed on the rotor blades the power to the motor also changed to keep the motor speed constant. Today, that mechanical connection is replaced by another separate channel from the transmitter (TX). Hence, 5 channels. Additionally, some gyros can be remotely adjusted for mode or sensitivity, and that takes another channel, hence 6 channels. Some models have retractable landing gear, hence, 7 channels.

These helicopter contraptions are not really toys, they are real helicopters, just small. You have to learn to fly them, and that takes a bit of time. You need to go about it rather carefully, unless you have lotsa money. It would be nice if your first experience is somewhat pleasant, and of course that means not wrecking. It's a big help, in that regard, to spend a few more bucks to get some training gear. This will help keep you from tiping the thing over. If the blades hit anything you probably have some repair to do.

I suggest keeping the thing very close to the ground... actually on the ground, lightly, for long enough to keep it at a designated spot. It's best to practice on a smoothe surface, like a wood floor, so that it can easily slide around. The idea, at first, is to get it light on the ground, almost ready to leave the ground but not quite, and get used to just sliding it around and keeping the heading under control. If you just blast of and head for the sky the first time out of the box... unless you have a very good connection with the Creator, you're probably going to be buying replacement parts. There are two control sticks on the TX (transmitter) and you have to get used to using them correctly... which one does what, and this has to be automatic... and pretty quick... and just enough - not overcontrolling. It's technique, and it takes a while. At some point you will get used to driving this thing around with your thumbs and then you can go for a low hover, maybe a foot off the ground. Practice a LOT trying to stay over one spot, holding the heading away from you so that the controls are all "makes sense". When that works pretty well, try hovering while aimed left/right, and eventually, while aimed at you. Try to put yourself in the heli... think about directions to move the controls in relation to what it would be if you were in it. Stay low, and stay slow. Whenever anything gets out of hand, land. It's very important to be able to hover. If you come into contact with the ground while going sideways, the training gear will save you (if you're going slow), but you need to get that under control before removing the training gear. It takes time. Be patient. Practice regularly. Some days you will make stunning progress. Other days might be crap. That's the way the learn curve works, generally. Just keep on working at it.

[windakleena]

Thanks !!

Ihave managed to track down a shop that sells raptors.
I wont get on but the shop does seem to be ok enough to be able to class itself as more than just a toyshop.
I will pop over in the new year ( 20miles away)and have a chat and hopfully purchace a heli then or off ebay etc.
Idealy off the shop for after care service

Thanks for that reply..great help

I will carry on playing with my realflight demo in the meantime and start saving for the real software and heli