Co Co Lama Speed Limit

[maxbladeflash]

Howdy Rotorheads- just wanted to post a warning about getting the Co Co Lama going too fast in forward flight...I guess this might apply to any coaxial setup. After about a week of practice indoors in the house with hovering and maneuvering I finally got up the stones to take it to a larger venue to try some actual flying around. Our church has a rather big Community room with really high ceilings and was perfect for the initial attempt. Very successful and enjoyable battery discharge, but mostly just short stabs with the cyclic to get it to change directions and slowly move from one place to the other. It didn't "fly" me as much as I thought it would. Great confidence builder...but this is the "BEWARE" part of the equation. Calm day yeserday, so I leaped at the chance to take the CCL out in the back yard for some more advanced practice. First several minutes were just fine, so I boldly started picking up the forward speed and making turns, ascents and descents. Really had myself thinking I was becoming a good stick when the heartbreak of disaster reached up and smote my little heli to the ground....again. I think my mistake was expecting this thing to exhibit some small bit of advance warning to slow it down before doing anything unexpected. It doesn't. With about 3/4 forward cyclic and moving moderately along it just completely lost lift and dove into the ground. Busted up pretty good, but still repairable, which I did using parts from my first CCL major catastrophe. Don't plan to replace the tail boom this time...just taped a soda straw onto the back so I can see which direction it's going in. Still flies just fine in this configuration. I guess it's time to move up to a conventional heli that doesn't get all pi$$ed off when it's asked to fly forward with any speed. Hope this saves someone else from the misery of the learning curve.