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The Electric Helicopter Beginner’s Guide v16
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pdf about electric helicopter guide in pdf file, you can learn about maintaining, servicing, repairing, the r/c helicopter
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Content Preview
The Electric Helicopter Beginner's
Guide v16
Toshiyasu Morita
The Electric Helicopter Beginner's Guide v16
Toshiyasu Morita
Mark Pearson
Copyright © 2000-2005 Toshiyasu Morita
Table of Contents
Preface .................................................................................................................. xii
1. Things You Should Know ......................................................................................1
1.1. Helicopters require a SIGNIFICANT TIME COMMITMENT ............................1
1.2. Repairs are expensive ................................................................................1
1.3. Hovering is difficult to learn .........................................................................1
2. First Helicopter Selection Guide .............................................................................2
2.1. Classification of helis used in this guide .......................................................3
2.2. Overview of selected machines ...................................................................4
2.2.1. Lite Machines Corona ......................................................................4
2.2.2. Ikarus Fixed Pitch Piccolos (Fun or ECO) ..........................................4
2.2.3. Ikarus Collective Pitch Piccolos (CP upgrade/Pro) .............................4
2.2.4. Ikarus ECO Lite ...............................................................................5
2.2.5. Ikarus ECO 8 ..................................................................................5
2.2.6. Ikarus ECO 16 ................................................................................5
2.2.7. Ikarus Viper 70/MS Composit Stinger 3 .............................................6
2.2.8. Feda Skylark/Century Hummingbird/GWS Dragonfly .........................6
2.2.9. JR Voyager E ..................................................................................6
2.2.10. Kyosho Concept EP - discontinued? ...............................................7
2.2.11. Mikado Logo 10 .............................................................................7
2.2.12. Mikado Logo 20 .............................................................................7
2.2.13. MS Composit Hornet FP ................................................................8
2.2.14. MS Composit Hornet CP ................................................................8
2.2.15. MS Composit Hornet II ...................................................................8
2.2.16. Maxir SE .......................................................................................8
2.2.17. Robbe Eolo-R22 ............................................................................9
2.2.18. Quick Quick EP 10 ........................................................................9
2.2.19. Quick Quick EP 16 ........................................................................9
2.2.20. Zoom 400/Shogun 400/Zap 400 ................................................... 10
2.2.21. Align T-Rex 450X ........................................................................ 10
2.2.22. Align T-Rex 450XL HDE/CDE ....................................................... 10
2.2.23. ARK X-400 .................................................................................. 11
2.2.24. Hirobo XRB SR (Sky Robo) .......................................................... 11
2.3. Summary of helicopter sizes ..................................................................... 11
3. Recommended Configurations ............................................................................. 13
3.1. Beginner configurations ............................................................................ 13
3.1.1. Corona - brushed configuration ...................................................... 13
3.1.2. Corona - brushless configuration .................................................... 13
3.1.3. FP Piccolo - brushed + Piccoboard ................................................. 13
3.1.4. FP Piccolo - brushed - separates .................................................... 14
3.1.5. FP Piccolo - brushless - separates .................................................. 14
3.1.6. GWS Dragonfly - brushed - separates ............................................. 14
3.2. Intermediate configurations ....................................................................... 15
3.2.1. CP Piccolo or Pro - brushless - separates ....................................... 15
3.2.2. Logo 10 - brushless ....................................................................... 15
3.2.3. ECO 8 - brushed ........................................................................... 15
3.2.4. ECO 8 - brushless ......................................................................... 15
4. Brushless Motor Upgrade Paths ........................................................................... 17
4.1. Corona upgrade paths .............................................................................. 17
4.1.1. Corona motors usable in an ECO 8 ................................................ 17
4.1.2. Corona motors usable in a Eolo ...................................................... 17
4.1.3. Corona motor usable in a Voyager E .............................................. 18
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4.2. Piccolo upgrade paths .............................................................................. 18
5. Helicopter Parts Selection .................................................................................... 20
5.1. Gyros ...................................................................................................... 20
5.2. FMA Copilot ............................................................................................. 23
5.3. Tail (rudder) servo .................................................................................... 23
5.4. Swashplate (Cyclic) servos ....................................................................... 24
5.4.1. Corona/ECO 8/16 choices .............................................................. 24
5.4.2. Logo 10 choices ............................................................................ 25
5.4.3. Summary ...................................................................................... 25
5.5. Receiver .................................................................................................. 25
5.6. Motor ....................................................................................................... 26
5.6.1. Motor size ..................................................................................... 26
5.6.2. Motor weight ................................................................................. 26
5.6.3. Motor efficiency ............................................................................. 26
5.6.4. Motor rated RPM ........................................................................... 27
5.6.5. Motor Quality ................................................................................ 27
5.6.6. Shaft diameter and available pinion sizes ........................................ 27
5.6.7. Cooling options ............................................................................. 27
5.6.8. For the Corona .............................................................................. 29
5.6.9. For the FP Piccolo ......................................................................... 29
5.6.10. For the CP Piccolo main motor ..................................................... 30
5.6.11. For the Hummingbird FP/CP, GWS Dragonfly main motor .............. 30
5.6.12. For Piccolo, Dragonfly, Hummingbird tail motor ............................. 30
5.6.13. For the Hornet CP ....................................................................... 30
5.6.14. For the Maxir SE ......................................................................... 31
5.6.15. For the Zoom 400 ........................................................................ 31
5.6.16. For the Align T-Rex 450X/450XL .................................................. 31
5.6.17. For the ARK X-400 ...................................................................... 31
5.6.18. For the Voyager E ....................................................................... 32
5.6.19. For the Robbe Eolo ...................................................................... 32
5.6.20. For the ECO 8 ............................................................................. 32
5.6.21. For the ECO 16 ........................................................................... 34
5.6.22. For the Viper 70 ........................................................................... 34
5.6.23. For the Logo 10 ........................................................................... 34
5.6.24. For the Logo 14 ........................................................................... 35
5.6.25. For the Logo 20 ........................................................................... 35
5.6.26. For the Quick EP 10 .................................................................... 35
5.6.27. For the Quick Sweet 16 EP .......................................................... 36
5.6.28. Summary .................................................................................... 36
5.7. Pinion ...................................................................................................... 37
5.7.1. Pitch to module conversion ............................................................ 37
5.7.2. Common pitch equivalents ............................................................. 37
5.7.3. Shaft Sizes ................................................................................... 37
5.8. Wire ........................................................................................................ 41
5.9. Battery connectors ................................................................................... 42
5.10. Motor connectors ................................................................................... 43
5.11. Main motor ESC ..................................................................................... 44
5.12. Tail motor ESC ....................................................................................... 46
5.13. Revo mixing ........................................................................................... 47
5.14. BEC (battery eliminator circuit) ................................................................ 47
5.15. Batteries ................................................................................................ 48
5.16. Main rotor blades ................................................................................... 50
5.17. Modifications .......................................................................................... 50
6. Support Equipment ............................................................................................. 52
6.1. Pitch gauge ............................................................................................. 52
6.2. Blade balancer (optional) .......................................................................... 52
6.3. Paddle pitch gauge (optional) .................................................................... 52
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6.4. Prop balancer (optional) ............................................................................ 53
6.5. Tachometer ............................................................................................. 53
6.6. Ball link pliers ........................................................................................... 53
6.7. Submini needle nose pliers ....................................................................... 54
6.8. Battery chargers ....................................................................................... 54
6.9. Field battery (optional) .............................................................................. 55
6.9.1. Calculating field battery capacity ..................................................... 55
6.9.2. Choosing a field battery ................................................................. 56
6.10. Field battery charger (optional) ................................................................ 57
6.11. Portable generator (optional) ................................................................... 57
6.12. Digital voltmeter ..................................................................................... 57
6.13. Transmitter tray ...................................................................................... 58
7. Simulators .......................................................................................................... 59
7.1. FMS ........................................................................................................ 59
7.2. Piccofly with Game Commander ............................................................... 60
7.3. Easyfly .................................................................................................... 61
7.4. Aerofly Professional ................................................................................. 61
7.5. Aerofly Professional Deluxe ...................................................................... 62
7.6. Realflight G2 w/USB Interlink .................................................................... 63
7.7. Realflight G3 w/USB Interlink .................................................................... 64
7.8. Reflex XTR simulator w/USB interface ....................................................... 64
7.9. PreFlight Simulator ................................................................................... 66
7.10. Helicopter simulator for the Mac .............................................................. 66
7.11. Summary ............................................................................................... 67
7.12. Simulator practice ................................................................................... 68
8. Transmitters ....................................................................................................... 69
8.1. Suitable helicopter transmitters ................................................................. 69
8.2. Special transmitter notes .......................................................................... 70
8.2.1. Hitec Eclipse 7 with 90 CCPM ........................................................ 70
8.2.2. Hitec Eclipse 7 and yaw rate gyros ................................................. 72
8.2.3. Hitec Eclipse 7 bug ........................................................................ 72
8.2.4. Futaba 7C bug .............................................................................. 72
8.3. Transmitter hand position ......................................................................... 72
9. Helicopter Construction ....................................................................................... 73
9.1. General tips for all helicopters ................................................................... 73
9.1.1. Building ........................................................................................ 73
9.1.2. Threadlock .................................................................................... 73
9.1.3. Gear lubrication ............................................................................. 73
9.1.4. Frame assembly ............................................................................ 73
9.1.5. Stripped threads ............................................................................ 73
9.1.6. Breaking-in motors ........................................................................ 74
9.1.7. Carbon dust .................................................................................. 74
9.1.8. Capacitors .................................................................................... 74
9.1.9. Motor diode ................................................................................... 75
9.1.10. Ball links ..................................................................................... 75
9.1.11. Motor shaft .................................................................................. 75
9.1.12. For the Piccolo: ........................................................................... 75
9.1.13. Canopy painting .......................................................................... 75
9.1.14. Tail servo .................................................................................... 76
9.1.15. Mounting component ................................................................... 76
9.1.16. Ball in swashplate ........................................................................ 76
9.1.17. Removing CA glued joints ............................................................ 76
9.2. Specific tips for LMH Corona only .............................................................. 76
9.3. Specific tips for all Piccolo (Fun/ECO/CP upgrade/Pro) ............................... 77
9.4. Specific tips for fixed pitch Piccolo (ECO/Fun) only ..................................... 78
9.5. Specific tips for collective pitch Piccolo (CP upgrade/Pro) only .................... 78
9.6. Specific tips for the MS Composit Hornet II ................................................ 78
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9.7. Specific tips for Ikarus ECO 8/16 only ........................................................ 80
9.8. Specific tips for Logo 10 only .................................................................... 83
10. Helicopter Electronics Mounting/Wiring ............................................................... 85
10.1. Channel assignments ............................................................................. 85
10.1.1. Futaba/Hitec transmitters ............................................................. 85
10.1.2. JR transmitters ............................................................................ 85
10.2. Component placement ............................................................................ 86
10.3. Wire routing ........................................................................................... 86
10.4. Soldering technique ................................................................................ 87
11. Post-Construction/ARF Checklist ....................................................................... 90
12. Helicopter and Transmitter Setup ....................................................................... 91
12.1. Balancing the heli - forward/aft ................................................................ 91
12.2. Balancing the main rotor blades using the KSJ-528 blade balancer ........... 91
12.2.1. Step one: Matching the CG .......................................................... 91
12.2.2. Step two: Matching the weight ...................................................... 92
12.2.3. Step three: Optimizing tape usage (optional) ................................. 92
12.3. Adjusting the blade grip bolts .................................................................. 92
12.4. Flybar paddle setup ................................................................................ 93
12.5. Tail belt tension setup ............................................................................. 93
12.6. FP & CP helicopter swashplate setup part 1 - swashplate type .................. 94
12.7. CP helicopter swashplate setup part 1 - servo setup ................................. 94
12.7.1. Servo reversing ........................................................................... 94
12.7.2. Servo centering ........................................................................... 94
12.7.3. Swashplate leveling ..................................................................... 94
12.7.4. Swashplate travel ........................................................................ 95
12.8. CP helicopter swashplate setup part 2 - collective pitch setup ................... 95
12.9. CP helicopter swashplate setup part 3 - cyclic setup ................................. 95
12.9.1. For transmitter mode 2 (US & Europe) .......................................... 95
12.9.2. For transmitter mode 1 (Asia & Europe) ........................................ 96
12.10. FP helicopter swashplate setup - cyclic setup ......................................... 96
12.10.1. For transmitter mode 2 (US & Europe) ........................................ 96
12.10.2. For transmitter mode 1 (Asia & Europe) ...................................... 96
12.10.3. For both transnmitter modes ....................................................... 96
12.11. Transmitter throttle hold setup ............................................................... 97
12.12. Transmitter exponential setup ............................................................... 97
12.13. Transmitter throttle setup ...................................................................... 97
12.14. ESC programming ................................................................................ 98
12.14.1. Castle Creations ESC Parameters for the MAIN motor ................. 98
12.14.2. Castle Creations ESC Parameters for the TAIL motor .................. 99
12.14.3. For the Schulze 12.46e and 18.46K ESCs ................................... 99
12.15. Transmitter Throttle Curve setup ......................................................... 100
12.16. Tail rotor pitch servo setup .................................................................. 100
12.16.1. For heading hold gyros ............................................................. 101
12.16.2. For all helis .............................................................................. 101
12.17. Gyro setup - variable pitch tail rotor ...................................................... 101
12.17.1. GY240 setup ........................................................................... 101
12.17.2. GY401 setup ........................................................................... 102
12.17.3. Non-Futaba Heading Hold gyro setup ....................................... 103
12.17.4. Yaw-Rate Gyro setup ............................................................... 104
12.18. Gyro setup - fixed pitch tail rotor .......................................................... 104
12.18.1. GY240 setup ........................................................................... 104
12.18.2. Yaw-Rate Gyro setup ............................................................... 106
12.19. Transmitter tail setup - both fixed and variable pitch .............................. 106
12.20. Adjusting main blade pitch .................................................................. 107
12.21. Blade tracking - CP helicopters ............................................................ 108
12.22. Blade tracking - FP helicopters ............................................................ 109
13. R/C Heli Rules & Tips ...................................................................................... 110
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13.1. The proper way to carry a heli ............................................................... 110
13.2. Avoid pointing the transmitter antenna at the helicopter .......................... 110
13.3. The blades are traveling at high velocity! ................................................ 110
13.4. Always disconnect the battery when working on the helicopter ................ 111
13.5. Liability insurance ................................................................................. 111
14. Learning to Fly an R/C Helicopter ..................................................................... 112
14.1. The skills required ................................................................................ 112
14.2. Making the learning process easier ........................................................ 112
14.2.1. Hover no higher than eye level ................................................... 112
14.2.2. Paint your canopy a bright color or leave it white ......................... 112
14.2.3. Use white blades ....................................................................... 113
14.2.4. Use a heading hold gyro. ........................................................... 113
14.3. Minimize downtime; maximize practice time ........................................... 113
14.4. Divide the learning process into smaller, easier steps ............................. 113
15. Hovering Technique ........................................................................................ 115
16. Helicopter Power-On/Power-Off Procedure ....................................................... 116
16.1. Helicopter power-on procedure ............................................................. 116
16.2. Helicopter power-off procedure ............................................................. 116
16.3. Safety notes ......................................................................................... 116
17. Tail-In Hovering .............................................................................................. 118
17.1. Preparation .......................................................................................... 118
17.2. Tail-in hovering - Phase 1 ..................................................................... 118
17.3. Tail-in hovering - Phase 2 ..................................................................... 120
18. Side-In and Nose-In Hovering Orientations ....................................................... 122
18.1. To translate into a left side-in hover ....................................................... 122
18.2. To turn into a left side-in hover .............................................................. 122
19. Additional Orientation Exercises ....................................................................... 123
19.1. Introduction .......................................................................................... 123
19.2. 90 degree yaw ..................................................................................... 123
19.3. 180 degree yaw .................................................................................... 123
19.4. 45 degree nose-in orientations .............................................................. 123
19.5. Single pirouette .................................................................................... 124
19.6. Multiple slow pirouettes ......................................................................... 124
20. Forward and Backward Flight ........................................................................... 125
20.1. Idle-up mode setup for forward flight ...................................................... 125
20.2. Entering & exiting fast forward flight ....................................................... 125
20.3. Banked forward turns ............................................................................ 125
20.4. Figure eights ........................................................................................ 126
20.5. Backwards flight ................................................................................... 126
20.6. Banked backwards turns ....................................................................... 127
21. Backwards Exercises ...................................................................................... 128
21.1. Backwards remote half circles ............................................................... 128
21.2. Backwards remote full circles ................................................................ 128
21.3. Backwards tail-in figure-eight ................................................................ 128
21.4. Backwards nose-in figure-eight ............................................................. 128
22. Additional Upright Exercises ............................................................................ 129
22.1. Pirouetting remote circles ...................................................................... 129
22.2. Pirouetting figure eights ........................................................................ 129
23. How Helicopters Work ..................................................................................... 130
23.1. From the user to the transmitter ............................................................. 130
23.2. From the transmitter to the lower swashplate ......................................... 131
23.2.1. Mechanical Mixing (mCCPM) ..................................................... 131
23.2.2. Electronic Mixing (eCCPM) ........................................................ 131
23.2.3. non-CCPM ................................................................................ 132
23.3. From the upper swashplate to the rotor head ......................................... 132
23.3.1. The Bell control system .............................................................. 132
23.3.2. The Hiller control system ............................................................ 133
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23.3.3. The Bell-Hiller control system ..................................................... 133
23.4. The rotorhead ...................................................................................... 134
23.5. Basic helicopter aerodynamics .............................................................. 135
23.5.1. Dissymmetry of lift ..................................................................... 135
23.6. How gyros work .................................................................................... 136
23.6.1. The functions of the tail rotor ...................................................... 136
23.6.2. Yaw rate gyros and how they work .............................................. 137
23.6.3. Heading hold gyros and how they work ....................................... 138
23.6.4. The difference between yaw rate and heading hold gyros ............. 138
23.7. GY-series gyro technical info ................................................................. 139
23.7.1. GY401 setup ............................................................................. 139
23.7.2. GY240 setup ............................................................................. 141
23.8. Yaw-rate gyro technical info .................................................................. 142
23.9. How ESCs work ................................................................................... 142
23.9.1. For fixed pitch helicopters .......................................................... 143
23.9.2. For collective pitch helicopters .................................................... 143
24. Battery Care & Maintenance ............................................................................ 144
24.1. Nickel-cadmium (NiCad) batteries ......................................................... 144
24.2. Nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) batteries .................................................... 144
24.3. Lithium polymer (LiPo) batteries ............................................................ 144
24.4. NiCad/NiMH/LiPo Battery disposal ........................................................ 145
24.5. Solderless power tube (SPT) battery packs ............................................ 145
25. Tweaking Helicopter Twitchiness ..................................................................... 146
25.1. Reduce the headspeed (CP helis only) .................................................. 146
25.2. Reduce the swashplate mixing .............................................................. 146
25.3. Increase exponential on aileron/elevator ................................................ 146
25.4. Add flybar weights ................................................................................ 146
26. Your First Major Crash .................................................................................... 147
27. Maintenance & Crash Repair ........................................................................... 148
27.1. Brushed motors w/carbon brushes ........................................................ 148
27.2. Main rotor shaft bearings ...................................................................... 148
27.3. Tail rotor shaft bearings ........................................................................ 148
27.4. Tail belt tension .................................................................................... 148
27.5. Battery retaining o-rings ........................................................................ 148
27.6. Main rotor blades ................................................................................. 148
27.7. Corona specific maintenance ................................................................ 148
27.8. Piccolo specific maintenance ................................................................ 149
27.9. ECO 8/16 specific maintenance ............................................................. 149
28. Troubleshooting Common Problems ................................................................. 150
28.1. Vibration problems ............................................................................... 150
28.1.1. Excessive vibration (entire heli) .................................................. 150
28.1.2. Excessive vibration (tail only) ..................................................... 152
28.2. Tail control problems ............................................................................ 152
28.2.1. Tail jerks around when spooling up with HH gyro ......................... 152
28.2.2. Tail wags (hunts) constantly with HH gyro ................................... 152
28.2.3. Tail swings 30-90 degrees abruptly then rights itself .................... 153
28.2.4. Tail servo responds in one direction only ..................................... 154
28.2.5. Tail drifts as battery discharges .................................................. 154
28.2.6. Tail motor runs at low throttle ..................................................... 154
28.2.7. Tail servo creeps or does not recenter ........................................ 154
28.2.8. Tail servo travel is unequal ......................................................... 154
28.2.9. Tail motor has insufficient tail thrust ............................................ 154
28.3. Throttle/ESC problems .......................................................................... 154
28.3.1. Motor ESC will not arm, or motor runs at zero throttle .................. 154
28.3.2. Lost throttle control .................................................................... 154
28.3.3. Motor does not start turning till about 40% throttle ........................ 155
28.4. Other problems .................................................................................... 155
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28.4.1. Heli twitches randomly in roll/pitch/yaw ....................................... 155
28.4.2. Short flight times and/or not enough power .................................. 155
28.4.3. Random radio interference glitches ............................................. 156
28.4.4. Slight tilt to the right (or left) ........................................................ 156
28.4.5. Unstable hover or wobbling ........................................................ 156
28.4.6. The blade tracking becomes worse at higher head speeds. .......... 156
28.4.7. Cyclic servos wiggle around ....................................................... 156
29. Useful Equations ............................................................................................. 157
29.1. Calculating headspeed ......................................................................... 157
29.2. Estimating amperage draw .................................................................... 157
30. Electric Helicopter & Parts Vendors .................................................................. 159
31. Glossary ......................................................................................................... 166
x
Guide v16
Toshiyasu Morita
The Electric Helicopter Beginner's Guide v16
Toshiyasu Morita
Mark Pearson
Copyright © 2000-2005 Toshiyasu Morita
Table of Contents
Preface .................................................................................................................. xii
1. Things You Should Know ......................................................................................1
1.1. Helicopters require a SIGNIFICANT TIME COMMITMENT ............................1
1.2. Repairs are expensive ................................................................................1
1.3. Hovering is difficult to learn .........................................................................1
2. First Helicopter Selection Guide .............................................................................2
2.1. Classification of helis used in this guide .......................................................3
2.2. Overview of selected machines ...................................................................4
2.2.1. Lite Machines Corona ......................................................................4
2.2.2. Ikarus Fixed Pitch Piccolos (Fun or ECO) ..........................................4
2.2.3. Ikarus Collective Pitch Piccolos (CP upgrade/Pro) .............................4
2.2.4. Ikarus ECO Lite ...............................................................................5
2.2.5. Ikarus ECO 8 ..................................................................................5
2.2.6. Ikarus ECO 16 ................................................................................5
2.2.7. Ikarus Viper 70/MS Composit Stinger 3 .............................................6
2.2.8. Feda Skylark/Century Hummingbird/GWS Dragonfly .........................6
2.2.9. JR Voyager E ..................................................................................6
2.2.10. Kyosho Concept EP - discontinued? ...............................................7
2.2.11. Mikado Logo 10 .............................................................................7
2.2.12. Mikado Logo 20 .............................................................................7
2.2.13. MS Composit Hornet FP ................................................................8
2.2.14. MS Composit Hornet CP ................................................................8
2.2.15. MS Composit Hornet II ...................................................................8
2.2.16. Maxir SE .......................................................................................8
2.2.17. Robbe Eolo-R22 ............................................................................9
2.2.18. Quick Quick EP 10 ........................................................................9
2.2.19. Quick Quick EP 16 ........................................................................9
2.2.20. Zoom 400/Shogun 400/Zap 400 ................................................... 10
2.2.21. Align T-Rex 450X ........................................................................ 10
2.2.22. Align T-Rex 450XL HDE/CDE ....................................................... 10
2.2.23. ARK X-400 .................................................................................. 11
2.2.24. Hirobo XRB SR (Sky Robo) .......................................................... 11
2.3. Summary of helicopter sizes ..................................................................... 11
3. Recommended Configurations ............................................................................. 13
3.1. Beginner configurations ............................................................................ 13
3.1.1. Corona - brushed configuration ...................................................... 13
3.1.2. Corona - brushless configuration .................................................... 13
3.1.3. FP Piccolo - brushed + Piccoboard ................................................. 13
3.1.4. FP Piccolo - brushed - separates .................................................... 14
3.1.5. FP Piccolo - brushless - separates .................................................. 14
3.1.6. GWS Dragonfly - brushed - separates ............................................. 14
3.2. Intermediate configurations ....................................................................... 15
3.2.1. CP Piccolo or Pro - brushless - separates ....................................... 15
3.2.2. Logo 10 - brushless ....................................................................... 15
3.2.3. ECO 8 - brushed ........................................................................... 15
3.2.4. ECO 8 - brushless ......................................................................... 15
4. Brushless Motor Upgrade Paths ........................................................................... 17
4.1. Corona upgrade paths .............................................................................. 17
4.1.1. Corona motors usable in an ECO 8 ................................................ 17
4.1.2. Corona motors usable in a Eolo ...................................................... 17
4.1.3. Corona motor usable in a Voyager E .............................................. 18
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4.2. Piccolo upgrade paths .............................................................................. 18
5. Helicopter Parts Selection .................................................................................... 20
5.1. Gyros ...................................................................................................... 20
5.2. FMA Copilot ............................................................................................. 23
5.3. Tail (rudder) servo .................................................................................... 23
5.4. Swashplate (Cyclic) servos ....................................................................... 24
5.4.1. Corona/ECO 8/16 choices .............................................................. 24
5.4.2. Logo 10 choices ............................................................................ 25
5.4.3. Summary ...................................................................................... 25
5.5. Receiver .................................................................................................. 25
5.6. Motor ....................................................................................................... 26
5.6.1. Motor size ..................................................................................... 26
5.6.2. Motor weight ................................................................................. 26
5.6.3. Motor efficiency ............................................................................. 26
5.6.4. Motor rated RPM ........................................................................... 27
5.6.5. Motor Quality ................................................................................ 27
5.6.6. Shaft diameter and available pinion sizes ........................................ 27
5.6.7. Cooling options ............................................................................. 27
5.6.8. For the Corona .............................................................................. 29
5.6.9. For the FP Piccolo ......................................................................... 29
5.6.10. For the CP Piccolo main motor ..................................................... 30
5.6.11. For the Hummingbird FP/CP, GWS Dragonfly main motor .............. 30
5.6.12. For Piccolo, Dragonfly, Hummingbird tail motor ............................. 30
5.6.13. For the Hornet CP ....................................................................... 30
5.6.14. For the Maxir SE ......................................................................... 31
5.6.15. For the Zoom 400 ........................................................................ 31
5.6.16. For the Align T-Rex 450X/450XL .................................................. 31
5.6.17. For the ARK X-400 ...................................................................... 31
5.6.18. For the Voyager E ....................................................................... 32
5.6.19. For the Robbe Eolo ...................................................................... 32
5.6.20. For the ECO 8 ............................................................................. 32
5.6.21. For the ECO 16 ........................................................................... 34
5.6.22. For the Viper 70 ........................................................................... 34
5.6.23. For the Logo 10 ........................................................................... 34
5.6.24. For the Logo 14 ........................................................................... 35
5.6.25. For the Logo 20 ........................................................................... 35
5.6.26. For the Quick EP 10 .................................................................... 35
5.6.27. For the Quick Sweet 16 EP .......................................................... 36
5.6.28. Summary .................................................................................... 36
5.7. Pinion ...................................................................................................... 37
5.7.1. Pitch to module conversion ............................................................ 37
5.7.2. Common pitch equivalents ............................................................. 37
5.7.3. Shaft Sizes ................................................................................... 37
5.8. Wire ........................................................................................................ 41
5.9. Battery connectors ................................................................................... 42
5.10. Motor connectors ................................................................................... 43
5.11. Main motor ESC ..................................................................................... 44
5.12. Tail motor ESC ....................................................................................... 46
5.13. Revo mixing ........................................................................................... 47
5.14. BEC (battery eliminator circuit) ................................................................ 47
5.15. Batteries ................................................................................................ 48
5.16. Main rotor blades ................................................................................... 50
5.17. Modifications .......................................................................................... 50
6. Support Equipment ............................................................................................. 52
6.1. Pitch gauge ............................................................................................. 52
6.2. Blade balancer (optional) .......................................................................... 52
6.3. Paddle pitch gauge (optional) .................................................................... 52
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6.4. Prop balancer (optional) ............................................................................ 53
6.5. Tachometer ............................................................................................. 53
6.6. Ball link pliers ........................................................................................... 53
6.7. Submini needle nose pliers ....................................................................... 54
6.8. Battery chargers ....................................................................................... 54
6.9. Field battery (optional) .............................................................................. 55
6.9.1. Calculating field battery capacity ..................................................... 55
6.9.2. Choosing a field battery ................................................................. 56
6.10. Field battery charger (optional) ................................................................ 57
6.11. Portable generator (optional) ................................................................... 57
6.12. Digital voltmeter ..................................................................................... 57
6.13. Transmitter tray ...................................................................................... 58
7. Simulators .......................................................................................................... 59
7.1. FMS ........................................................................................................ 59
7.2. Piccofly with Game Commander ............................................................... 60
7.3. Easyfly .................................................................................................... 61
7.4. Aerofly Professional ................................................................................. 61
7.5. Aerofly Professional Deluxe ...................................................................... 62
7.6. Realflight G2 w/USB Interlink .................................................................... 63
7.7. Realflight G3 w/USB Interlink .................................................................... 64
7.8. Reflex XTR simulator w/USB interface ....................................................... 64
7.9. PreFlight Simulator ................................................................................... 66
7.10. Helicopter simulator for the Mac .............................................................. 66
7.11. Summary ............................................................................................... 67
7.12. Simulator practice ................................................................................... 68
8. Transmitters ....................................................................................................... 69
8.1. Suitable helicopter transmitters ................................................................. 69
8.2. Special transmitter notes .......................................................................... 70
8.2.1. Hitec Eclipse 7 with 90 CCPM ........................................................ 70
8.2.2. Hitec Eclipse 7 and yaw rate gyros ................................................. 72
8.2.3. Hitec Eclipse 7 bug ........................................................................ 72
8.2.4. Futaba 7C bug .............................................................................. 72
8.3. Transmitter hand position ......................................................................... 72
9. Helicopter Construction ....................................................................................... 73
9.1. General tips for all helicopters ................................................................... 73
9.1.1. Building ........................................................................................ 73
9.1.2. Threadlock .................................................................................... 73
9.1.3. Gear lubrication ............................................................................. 73
9.1.4. Frame assembly ............................................................................ 73
9.1.5. Stripped threads ............................................................................ 73
9.1.6. Breaking-in motors ........................................................................ 74
9.1.7. Carbon dust .................................................................................. 74
9.1.8. Capacitors .................................................................................... 74
9.1.9. Motor diode ................................................................................... 75
9.1.10. Ball links ..................................................................................... 75
9.1.11. Motor shaft .................................................................................. 75
9.1.12. For the Piccolo: ........................................................................... 75
9.1.13. Canopy painting .......................................................................... 75
9.1.14. Tail servo .................................................................................... 76
9.1.15. Mounting component ................................................................... 76
9.1.16. Ball in swashplate ........................................................................ 76
9.1.17. Removing CA glued joints ............................................................ 76
9.2. Specific tips for LMH Corona only .............................................................. 76
9.3. Specific tips for all Piccolo (Fun/ECO/CP upgrade/Pro) ............................... 77
9.4. Specific tips for fixed pitch Piccolo (ECO/Fun) only ..................................... 78
9.5. Specific tips for collective pitch Piccolo (CP upgrade/Pro) only .................... 78
9.6. Specific tips for the MS Composit Hornet II ................................................ 78
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9.7. Specific tips for Ikarus ECO 8/16 only ........................................................ 80
9.8. Specific tips for Logo 10 only .................................................................... 83
10. Helicopter Electronics Mounting/Wiring ............................................................... 85
10.1. Channel assignments ............................................................................. 85
10.1.1. Futaba/Hitec transmitters ............................................................. 85
10.1.2. JR transmitters ............................................................................ 85
10.2. Component placement ............................................................................ 86
10.3. Wire routing ........................................................................................... 86
10.4. Soldering technique ................................................................................ 87
11. Post-Construction/ARF Checklist ....................................................................... 90
12. Helicopter and Transmitter Setup ....................................................................... 91
12.1. Balancing the heli - forward/aft ................................................................ 91
12.2. Balancing the main rotor blades using the KSJ-528 blade balancer ........... 91
12.2.1. Step one: Matching the CG .......................................................... 91
12.2.2. Step two: Matching the weight ...................................................... 92
12.2.3. Step three: Optimizing tape usage (optional) ................................. 92
12.3. Adjusting the blade grip bolts .................................................................. 92
12.4. Flybar paddle setup ................................................................................ 93
12.5. Tail belt tension setup ............................................................................. 93
12.6. FP & CP helicopter swashplate setup part 1 - swashplate type .................. 94
12.7. CP helicopter swashplate setup part 1 - servo setup ................................. 94
12.7.1. Servo reversing ........................................................................... 94
12.7.2. Servo centering ........................................................................... 94
12.7.3. Swashplate leveling ..................................................................... 94
12.7.4. Swashplate travel ........................................................................ 95
12.8. CP helicopter swashplate setup part 2 - collective pitch setup ................... 95
12.9. CP helicopter swashplate setup part 3 - cyclic setup ................................. 95
12.9.1. For transmitter mode 2 (US & Europe) .......................................... 95
12.9.2. For transmitter mode 1 (Asia & Europe) ........................................ 96
12.10. FP helicopter swashplate setup - cyclic setup ......................................... 96
12.10.1. For transmitter mode 2 (US & Europe) ........................................ 96
12.10.2. For transmitter mode 1 (Asia & Europe) ...................................... 96
12.10.3. For both transnmitter modes ....................................................... 96
12.11. Transmitter throttle hold setup ............................................................... 97
12.12. Transmitter exponential setup ............................................................... 97
12.13. Transmitter throttle setup ...................................................................... 97
12.14. ESC programming ................................................................................ 98
12.14.1. Castle Creations ESC Parameters for the MAIN motor ................. 98
12.14.2. Castle Creations ESC Parameters for the TAIL motor .................. 99
12.14.3. For the Schulze 12.46e and 18.46K ESCs ................................... 99
12.15. Transmitter Throttle Curve setup ......................................................... 100
12.16. Tail rotor pitch servo setup .................................................................. 100
12.16.1. For heading hold gyros ............................................................. 101
12.16.2. For all helis .............................................................................. 101
12.17. Gyro setup - variable pitch tail rotor ...................................................... 101
12.17.1. GY240 setup ........................................................................... 101
12.17.2. GY401 setup ........................................................................... 102
12.17.3. Non-Futaba Heading Hold gyro setup ....................................... 103
12.17.4. Yaw-Rate Gyro setup ............................................................... 104
12.18. Gyro setup - fixed pitch tail rotor .......................................................... 104
12.18.1. GY240 setup ........................................................................... 104
12.18.2. Yaw-Rate Gyro setup ............................................................... 106
12.19. Transmitter tail setup - both fixed and variable pitch .............................. 106
12.20. Adjusting main blade pitch .................................................................. 107
12.21. Blade tracking - CP helicopters ............................................................ 108
12.22. Blade tracking - FP helicopters ............................................................ 109
13. R/C Heli Rules & Tips ...................................................................................... 110
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13.1. The proper way to carry a heli ............................................................... 110
13.2. Avoid pointing the transmitter antenna at the helicopter .......................... 110
13.3. The blades are traveling at high velocity! ................................................ 110
13.4. Always disconnect the battery when working on the helicopter ................ 111
13.5. Liability insurance ................................................................................. 111
14. Learning to Fly an R/C Helicopter ..................................................................... 112
14.1. The skills required ................................................................................ 112
14.2. Making the learning process easier ........................................................ 112
14.2.1. Hover no higher than eye level ................................................... 112
14.2.2. Paint your canopy a bright color or leave it white ......................... 112
14.2.3. Use white blades ....................................................................... 113
14.2.4. Use a heading hold gyro. ........................................................... 113
14.3. Minimize downtime; maximize practice time ........................................... 113
14.4. Divide the learning process into smaller, easier steps ............................. 113
15. Hovering Technique ........................................................................................ 115
16. Helicopter Power-On/Power-Off Procedure ....................................................... 116
16.1. Helicopter power-on procedure ............................................................. 116
16.2. Helicopter power-off procedure ............................................................. 116
16.3. Safety notes ......................................................................................... 116
17. Tail-In Hovering .............................................................................................. 118
17.1. Preparation .......................................................................................... 118
17.2. Tail-in hovering - Phase 1 ..................................................................... 118
17.3. Tail-in hovering - Phase 2 ..................................................................... 120
18. Side-In and Nose-In Hovering Orientations ....................................................... 122
18.1. To translate into a left side-in hover ....................................................... 122
18.2. To turn into a left side-in hover .............................................................. 122
19. Additional Orientation Exercises ....................................................................... 123
19.1. Introduction .......................................................................................... 123
19.2. 90 degree yaw ..................................................................................... 123
19.3. 180 degree yaw .................................................................................... 123
19.4. 45 degree nose-in orientations .............................................................. 123
19.5. Single pirouette .................................................................................... 124
19.6. Multiple slow pirouettes ......................................................................... 124
20. Forward and Backward Flight ........................................................................... 125
20.1. Idle-up mode setup for forward flight ...................................................... 125
20.2. Entering & exiting fast forward flight ....................................................... 125
20.3. Banked forward turns ............................................................................ 125
20.4. Figure eights ........................................................................................ 126
20.5. Backwards flight ................................................................................... 126
20.6. Banked backwards turns ....................................................................... 127
21. Backwards Exercises ...................................................................................... 128
21.1. Backwards remote half circles ............................................................... 128
21.2. Backwards remote full circles ................................................................ 128
21.3. Backwards tail-in figure-eight ................................................................ 128
21.4. Backwards nose-in figure-eight ............................................................. 128
22. Additional Upright Exercises ............................................................................ 129
22.1. Pirouetting remote circles ...................................................................... 129
22.2. Pirouetting figure eights ........................................................................ 129
23. How Helicopters Work ..................................................................................... 130
23.1. From the user to the transmitter ............................................................. 130
23.2. From the transmitter to the lower swashplate ......................................... 131
23.2.1. Mechanical Mixing (mCCPM) ..................................................... 131
23.2.2. Electronic Mixing (eCCPM) ........................................................ 131
23.2.3. non-CCPM ................................................................................ 132
23.3. From the upper swashplate to the rotor head ......................................... 132
23.3.1. The Bell control system .............................................................. 132
23.3.2. The Hiller control system ............................................................ 133
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23.3.3. The Bell-Hiller control system ..................................................... 133
23.4. The rotorhead ...................................................................................... 134
23.5. Basic helicopter aerodynamics .............................................................. 135
23.5.1. Dissymmetry of lift ..................................................................... 135
23.6. How gyros work .................................................................................... 136
23.6.1. The functions of the tail rotor ...................................................... 136
23.6.2. Yaw rate gyros and how they work .............................................. 137
23.6.3. Heading hold gyros and how they work ....................................... 138
23.6.4. The difference between yaw rate and heading hold gyros ............. 138
23.7. GY-series gyro technical info ................................................................. 139
23.7.1. GY401 setup ............................................................................. 139
23.7.2. GY240 setup ............................................................................. 141
23.8. Yaw-rate gyro technical info .................................................................. 142
23.9. How ESCs work ................................................................................... 142
23.9.1. For fixed pitch helicopters .......................................................... 143
23.9.2. For collective pitch helicopters .................................................... 143
24. Battery Care & Maintenance ............................................................................ 144
24.1. Nickel-cadmium (NiCad) batteries ......................................................... 144
24.2. Nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) batteries .................................................... 144
24.3. Lithium polymer (LiPo) batteries ............................................................ 144
24.4. NiCad/NiMH/LiPo Battery disposal ........................................................ 145
24.5. Solderless power tube (SPT) battery packs ............................................ 145
25. Tweaking Helicopter Twitchiness ..................................................................... 146
25.1. Reduce the headspeed (CP helis only) .................................................. 146
25.2. Reduce the swashplate mixing .............................................................. 146
25.3. Increase exponential on aileron/elevator ................................................ 146
25.4. Add flybar weights ................................................................................ 146
26. Your First Major Crash .................................................................................... 147
27. Maintenance & Crash Repair ........................................................................... 148
27.1. Brushed motors w/carbon brushes ........................................................ 148
27.2. Main rotor shaft bearings ...................................................................... 148
27.3. Tail rotor shaft bearings ........................................................................ 148
27.4. Tail belt tension .................................................................................... 148
27.5. Battery retaining o-rings ........................................................................ 148
27.6. Main rotor blades ................................................................................. 148
27.7. Corona specific maintenance ................................................................ 148
27.8. Piccolo specific maintenance ................................................................ 149
27.9. ECO 8/16 specific maintenance ............................................................. 149
28. Troubleshooting Common Problems ................................................................. 150
28.1. Vibration problems ............................................................................... 150
28.1.1. Excessive vibration (entire heli) .................................................. 150
28.1.2. Excessive vibration (tail only) ..................................................... 152
28.2. Tail control problems ............................................................................ 152
28.2.1. Tail jerks around when spooling up with HH gyro ......................... 152
28.2.2. Tail wags (hunts) constantly with HH gyro ................................... 152
28.2.3. Tail swings 30-90 degrees abruptly then rights itself .................... 153
28.2.4. Tail servo responds in one direction only ..................................... 154
28.2.5. Tail drifts as battery discharges .................................................. 154
28.2.6. Tail motor runs at low throttle ..................................................... 154
28.2.7. Tail servo creeps or does not recenter ........................................ 154
28.2.8. Tail servo travel is unequal ......................................................... 154
28.2.9. Tail motor has insufficient tail thrust ............................................ 154
28.3. Throttle/ESC problems .......................................................................... 154
28.3.1. Motor ESC will not arm, or motor runs at zero throttle .................. 154
28.3.2. Lost throttle control .................................................................... 154
28.3.3. Motor does not start turning till about 40% throttle ........................ 155
28.4. Other problems .................................................................................... 155
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28.4.1. Heli twitches randomly in roll/pitch/yaw ....................................... 155
28.4.2. Short flight times and/or not enough power .................................. 155
28.4.3. Random radio interference glitches ............................................. 156
28.4.4. Slight tilt to the right (or left) ........................................................ 156
28.4.5. Unstable hover or wobbling ........................................................ 156
28.4.6. The blade tracking becomes worse at higher head speeds. .......... 156
28.4.7. Cyclic servos wiggle around ....................................................... 156
29. Useful Equations ............................................................................................. 157
29.1. Calculating headspeed ......................................................................... 157
29.2. Estimating amperage draw .................................................................... 157
30. Electric Helicopter & Parts Vendors .................................................................. 159
31. Glossary ......................................................................................................... 166
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