servo

[andymichie]

have got a raptor 60 with futaba 6 eax 2.4 radio system, futaba servos and gyro, with an impulse lipo battery behind it for good measure, ive good as built it, all i need is to link the sevos in and set it all up, but arent sure where to start, any help is duly appreciated

[Aztek1701]

Hi Andy,

Setting the model up is a pretty involved process and if your unsure, the best bet is to either get somebody who has done it before or take it to somewhere like fast-lad and ask them to do it for you. However, here is a potted instruction. This will be easier if you have a pitch guage and a swashplate levelling tool.

Okay, start by creating a new model on your transmitter. Make sure that everything.... Trims ect are in the middle and the throttle and pitch curves are linear IE.. 0 25 50 75 100. Then remove the rotorhead but leave the swashplate on the machine.

What you do next is remove the servo horns from the servos then turn the Reciever on followed by the transmitter.. This commands everything to sit at the neutral point. Put the Throttle stick in the exact middle too. Once youve done that, figure out where your control linkages are coming in to the servo and then push the servo horn on the servo and see which one comes closest to 90 degees to the servo body (there are an uneven number of splines on the horn so only one will match). Once you have that.. Mark it in some way... Install the ball link to the controls to this arm.

Once this is done... find out what length the linkages should be and set them to that. Then attach the linkages and find a flat level surface. Next set the heli on that so that the top of the frame is level.. Do not check this by assuming that the skids are level (you may need to make the frame level by shimming the skids). At this point you can check that the swashplate is level (you can buy a swashplate leveler or a tiny spirit level will do also). If its not then adjust the servo to swash links by pulling off the ball joint and screwing them out or in Once its level, it depends whether you have eCCPM or not .if you have push eCCPM the throttle all the way up and check the level again... If its not level.. Adjust it this time by changing the endpoint value in your transmitter. Once level.. Stick all the way down and recheck the level.. Again adjust by changing the endpoints. Once the swash is level.. Then reattach the rotorhead and connect it to the swash. At this point put the blades back on and put the throttle exactly in the middle again. Now you should check the pitch of the blades.. It should be Zero (check the pitch by holding the blades at 90 degrees to the tailboom and sighting along the top of the guage to the flybar which shoul be held horizontal). If its not zero... make it zero by adjusting the short link from the mixing arm to the blade grip... One turn should equate to about 1 degree (if you need half a degree, adjust the long link from swash to the mixing arm). Once youve got zero on one blade, repeat the procedure for the other blade. Once they are both zero, pull the throttle stick full down and check that you have the right amound of -ve pitch (should be about -10 degrees, but the manual will tell you) Do the same with full up. If its not what you need either adjust the eccpm pitch travel or the pitch servo travel to get it where it needs to be. Check that nothing is binding and thats it done. The throttle servo gets set up in a similar way.. just make sure that the carb is Half open when you connect it to the throttle then adjust the travel on the servo until full down is IDLE (there will be marks on the carb for this) and full up is full throttle.

Setting the tail up is more tricky and the model will really need to be flown to set it.

Hope this helps... Azzy

[hawkman]

A good idea is to read the radio manual too, getting to know the menus and functions is worthwhile.

I dont know what servos you have but be careful of the tail servo if its digital like the 9254 type, you could need a stepdown transformer to get a lower voltage. Some servos dont like 6 volts for example, the 9254 needs 4.8volts.

Please let us know exactly what gear you have.

Rob

[andymichie]

thanx 4 the info lads, have already been told about the voltage issue, and already have a regulator fitted inline with the battery, soon as me little lady allows me, will give the copter a good look at,
and again, cheers

[hawkman]

If its the first heli you have ever flown then its worth making a training base.

Some people use the supplied training legs with some of the starter packages you can get.
I use a hoop, you can make one using plastic tube like that found at a plumbing store. You would need 15mm diameter, and enough to form a hoop just under the diameter of the main rotor. Use a couple of bits of cane to fasten across the skids, and lash these to the hoop.

You can remove the hoop anytime you want, its a great training aid as you get used to the heli. The slightest mistake can cost a lot of cash when learning to hover and landing and so on. I use a hoop on my gasser despite having many hours of flight time under my belt, its actually a good idea to use when checking out a new heli with a new gyro setup etc.

Rob