Friday, July 31, 2020

Exhausting... Trex 500 is back up!

I had given up trying to get the Align 500 4-Blade Head to work. Coulda, but didn't wanna... was just becoming a debacle. So I went back to 2 blade. This meant returning to the 2-Blade head and replacing its swash follower arms. I ordered the same one's I always had, these. They are the same ones I have ordered for this same head in the past. Look at the fine print. The screws that secure it to the head are M2.5. Bothe the 4-Blade and this Tarot 2-Blade head have always used M3. I tried installing them and the screws wouldn't bite... that's when I discovered a problem. I am confident the part did not change specs! I verified that the previous ones were M3, and they are. I had to pull them off the 4-Blade head and install them mismatched ones on the 2-Blade head. I could not get the 2.5mm ID bearings out of the new ones. Jeez... 


The free bearing is from installed swash arm. The one I am holding is the new 2.5mm ID bearing.



This is the existing non-damaged swash arm with the 3mm ID bearing. I pulled it off the 4-Blade head along with its mismatched opposite arm. The plan had to have two matching red arms.



The mismatched swash arms with the M3 bolts securing them in place. I cannot find swash arms for 500 sized helis with M3 bearings. I could and tried to change the M2.5 bearings but I can't get the bearings out of the new arms. This sucks... but it works.

I then found that there is a bad vibration that wanted to shake the aircraft apart. Turns out there is a subtle bend in the main shaft. I then replaced that. She is now balanced, tracking well, and ready to fly again, with her mismatched swash arms. If I bend these I am screwed. Literally.

I was in a bad mood when I started. Imagine how pissy I am now!

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