Confused! MIxture or Pitch?

[MotherGoose]

HI guys, made it back safe. The engine seems to be running fine, but vertical still lacks. Now totally re-doing the pitch/ throttle setup. To be safe, going with:

Nor: -2 ; +4; +8
Hold -9 ; 0; +9

Please let me know if i'm looking for trouble with the Normal mode, or should I set the Norm to -7; 0; +7. Will only be flying tomorrow afternoon (about 10:00 in your time -15:00 UTC)
Hold thumbs!!

Regards Frikkie

[hawkman]

Thats what simulators are for....I use TruFlite 3D which is not too bad.....would love to get G3 or even Reflex XTR....I used two very basic sims before flying a real model Heli....glad I did because it saved time, money and sanity:-) the bonus of a 'real' sim is that autos can be practised at leisure.....I might be able to pull off an auto now and limit damages.....but preserving head speed is sooooo crucial.

I am going to review my pitch settings soon......going to set them up as +7 0 and -7 for all modes......once you get used to normal flight do try inverted flight....keep it high though.....broke my Hawk the other day when my engine failed...it bogged down...I never heard it fail.....next thing my poor little bird dropped so fast.....landed on its tail which destroyed the boom and everything on it....I doubt I would have pulled off an auto while inverted......I have tried on the sim and have had success...but I was way too low in any case.

I was messing around this morning using head loaders.....I was re setting the main needle and low end needle.....try this:

when the heli engine is idling, pinch the fuel line about 3 to 4 cms back from the carb....count the seconds till the engine starts to rev up before dying out....if you get 2 to 3 seconds then thats about right. The idle needle affects from low stick to hover.....Heli carbs are a bit different to plank carbs....the complexity is not much but there are subtle differences.

The main needle can only really be set with headloaders......max power and then you can adjust....I screw in till the revs drop...then screw out till it drops again...then screw in slowly till the revs pick up....its then set about right...you might need to tweak things at the field.....headloaders are a good bit of kit but cant replicate the exact loads placed by the blades.

Once things are set up you should be good to go.

Rob

[MotherGoose]

Rob, need to speak to you, if you don't mind, email me fvanz@ananzi.co.za, i dont understand how the personal messages in this page seem to work.

Thanx Frikkie

[hawkman]

I would, personally, revise the pitch settings...-2 is ok for beginners in that they are not too high when first hovering etc....if the collective is slammed down too hard the heli will still drop fairly gently....compared to minus 7,8 or 9 degrees.

It sounds like you are comfortable with forward flight...you even pulled off an auto....so I would have the same pitch range for all modes. You will definately like the difference.

My reasoning is this: are you going to switch onto throttle hold if your engine fails in order to get enough negative pitch? negative pitch can save the day....say the engine bogs and dies....and your rotor speed is too low...your heli will crash because -2 degrees is not an awful lot.

There is a technique in the 'flare' of an auto....in that you pull back to approach your chosen landing spot (if you get time to choose) as the helis nose is raised the air rushing though the rotors will add speed to them....I dont know if -2 degrees will do that. -6 or -7 degrees might be better.

If you do re arrange your pitch settings then take it easy at first, especially when landing and then letting the collective all the way down......that head speed coupled with enough negative pitch could spell trouble.....just ease the power off gently.

Are there many Helis flyers in SA? I live in the Falkland Islands which is not that far from you.....just on the other side of the Atlantic. I am basically the only heli flyer here.....which is quite cool but it would be really good if there were one or two others.

Rob

[xcellpro6]

Originally Posted by MotherGoose

HI guys, made it back safe. The engine seems to be running fine, but vertical still lacks. Now totally re-doing the pitch/ throttle setup. To be safe, going with:

Nor: -2 ; +4; +8
Hold -9 ; 0; +9

Please let me know if i'm looking for trouble with the Normal mode, or should I set the Norm to -7; 0; +7. Will only be flying tomorrow afternoon (about 10:00 in your time -15:00 UTC)
Hold thumbs!!

Regards Frikkie

Hi Frikkie

My name is Darren and i am based in Hartbeespoort just west of the mother city Pretoria. Been flying rc helis on and off since 1991. You are lucky to be flying at the coast. Our field is at 5000 feet above sea level and the air is much thinner but we fly. Hawkman posted this link a while ago http://com-pany.com/mastech.html and i found it most helpful with setting up my new Sceadu evo with os 50 sxh. Read and study the Mas Technique it works for me. What nitro content are you using? We use Morgan fuel Coolpower LV Low vicosity. the nice thing is it smokes plenty and lots of power.

Main needle 1 and 1/2 turns open

Kindest regards

darren
add me to your MSN Messenger if you use it xcellpro6@hotmail.com

[jahatton]

Hi Mothergoose, setting the engine and pitch were my nightmare when I first started out. I have the Century Raven with an OS 46FXH. I had a pro set the radio and heli up and then it was my baby to start flying. I had about 3 years of flying the real flight g2 sim and about 25 years of r/c planks.
Setting the heli was my WEAK area especially the engine! On the 5th flight I leaned the engine out and while hovering about 50 feet away the heli sort of didn't respond when I gave it more power...... the engine quit and fell tail first to the ground! It cost me $350. canadian to repair it. Now I learned something about engine sounds. When I lean out the engine I keep it close to me and hover it about 4 feet off the deck. As I give it more power it either climbs normally or it stays the same height and just sounds odd, thats when I put it on the ground and open it or it will quit. If it quits let it float to the ground with a slow input of positive collective.
I also had a problem when I give it full throttle (collective at +10) it would bog down and when entering the hover it would bog down then clear as the throttle moves forward.
I leaned the bottom end out and dropped the collective to +8.5 and -1 or -2
for auto in Normal mode.
You problably are a pro at this already? this thread is quite old.
Hope to hear your progress!
Jim