Tarot 450 Flybarless Rotor Head

I purchased a Tarot 450 Flybarless Rotor Head from CNC Helicopter, along with a Tarot ZYX 3-Axis Flybarless gyro, with which I am having a few issues. This rotor head is the best I have found at one helluva great price. I will buy this one exclusively from this point forward! In this blog post I take it apart, inspect, grease and Locktite it, then install it on my Frankenheli 450.

The head comes as seen here, without the control rods.

I took it apart. It uses the standard Align feather shaft arrangement on a 4mm shaft. I realize now that I failed to measure the length, so I can't say its a standard length, but given the design is otherwise that of an Align head, I don't think its anything but standard. I am soaking the closed ball bearings in silicone oil.

I love it when designers keep things simple. Here are the four closed ball bearing, all the same size!

Here in profile.

ip

One inside the grip.

One bearing on the head side. You can see the grip control horn here.

 I removed it and Locktited it; it has a short segment that is threaded, that inserts into the control horn, and it all screws into the grip. I Locktited both ends. Screw everything snug, but not gorilla tight. 

I used to use white lithium grease, but it dries and cakes up. I like TriFlow red grease on the thrust bearings and a little on the feathering shaft. I use silicone oil on all bearings and moving surfaces.

The thrust bearings have two sides, one side with a flat surface, the other concave to hold the grease. Grease the whole thing, but when you reinstall it make sure that the concave side faces the main shaft so that the centripetal force will not pull the grease from the bearing. Remember that there are tremendous loads on the thrust bearings in flight.

Make sure you get the order of the parts correct: screw (a little Locktite, remember just a whiff and keep it out of the bearing. Grease inactivates Locktite, so don't mix them), small washer, back thrust bearing plate (remember that with both sides of the thrust bearing keep the raceway, the bearing groove, against the bearings), bearing ring (concave side to the shaft), inner thrust bearing plate, thin larger washer.

The dampers are quite hard. A little grease.

A thrust bearing set about to be installed onto the feathering shaft.

The head is well constructed. In addition to the Jesus bolt (just across from my thumb), it has two screws, one on each side, just across from and under the swash stabilizer arm. The bottom hole of the rotor head is split allowing these screws to bring the sides tightly together on the shaft. The cheap ones often need to be stabilized as the Jesus bolt can't keep the head from teetering on the top of the main shaft. I like the long body and these tightening screws, great design.

The head all put back together. I always hold my breath when I tighten things up expecting things to bind, but everything remained smooth and snug!

One of the shaft tightening screws. I removed these and the Jesus bolt to install the head on the main shaft.

Removing the Jesus bolt.

Installing the rotor head onto the main shaft. In a moment I will realize I have the swash stabilizer arms going the wrong way and will remove them, spin them around, and re-Locktite them in place...

All installed with control rods in place. The gyro stand is empty awaiting the replacement Tarot ZYX 3-axis system to be installed.

This Tarot 450 FBL Rotor head is well constructed, well designed, tight and easly installed! Can't wait to put the FBL computer on and wind this thing up!

Tarot ZYX 3-Axis System: Strike 1

Last week I was chatting with Dick Ober, MCRCC club prez about my BeastX heli and how much I loved it. He mentioned he had bought a Taro ZYX FBL system and it was being installed and programmed for him by someone, on his Align 250. I had never heard of it, though I am familiar with Tarot. It is a FBL computer that is about $70! About 1/3 the price of the BeastX. So...I checked out the Tarot ZYX system online and it seemed to be well received. I was a bit worried about programming it, the way it was designed compared to the BeastX, whose programming is very easy, but this vid made it seem rather straight forward. I ordered a Tarot ZYX 3 Axis FBL system from CNC Helicopter last week. They are a quick shipper of great products, and I have ordered a lot from them. At the time I ordered just the computer, but later that evening found the generic FBL head I had ordered on eBay was a POS (I had another one just like it that was a great head, so this was a surprise. Looked fine, I took it apart and could not get it back together without binding as the feathering shaft seemed short: There's something screwy with either the grip bearings seating or the whole thing), so I went back to CNC Helicopter and ordered the Tarot FBL rotor head. I should have ordered both at the same time as was kinda hoping that CNC would give me the package price with a refund (I didn't ask for it, but they sent both in the same mailing bag...), but they didn't. Oh well, my bad.

The kit arrived yesterday, quick shipping! I checked it out this morning and noticed that the set button was a hole... I passed a paper clip and it met no resistance, nothing there. I tried installing it. I connected the ZYX to the receiver only, with the provided cables, turned on the transmitter (I had zeroed everything) and powered on the heli, then held the aileron stick left or right (tried both), all three lights came on, and the went out, and the red light came on steady. It never went into programming mode. I tried several times. So, no set button, but it didn't matter because it never went into programming mode. I even tried using the rudder stick.

This is a big disappointment. I contacted CNC Helicopter and am waiting to hear from them. I wish they had a phone number... but had to settle for an email. I suspect they will have no problem trading devices, but this is going to eat up another week or more!

I like the Tarot FBL Head on first inspection. I have to take it apart to grease and Locktite it, but this thing looks very sturdy. Unlike most FBL heads, the swash stabilizers are connected directly to the base of the head instead of on an adjustable link that is secured to the shaft separately. Positioning the adjustable heads isn't difficult, but one less thing to come loose.

I was pretty excited when it arrived. I wasn't sure that the whole low price-low quality curse would apply as Tarot makes very good Align compatible parts, like that remarkable FBL Head. I am a little more skeptical how this is going to work out, but really want to give it a try!

Keep tuned for updates!

UPDATE: Within a couple of hours XMHobbies/CNCHelicopter has a new one on its way. Running out now to mail them back the bad one. Stay tuned. Thanks, Jeff, at CNC Helicopter! One thing I didn't mention until I remembered to email Jeff about it... When I opened my box the device was "missing" having fallen behind its holder and was rattling around in the box. I wonder if that's how it got damaged?

RC Pilot Magazine

I received a promo email from Tower Hobbies about the newly launched RC Pilot Magazine, and thought I'd check it out. After going through the premier issue, available for free, I easily decided to subscribe. A project of Michael Kranitz, one of the cofounders of RC Universe, this webzine is amazing in its premier issue, and has three other issues since. In the premier issues I found really well written pieces exploring the personalities of our hobby, pilot, airplane, and heli stories, videos that a expertly done, with beautiful photos, in a format that is designed well for the screen. RC Flightdeck lists on an intactive map dozens of fly in's, rc events and shows, with information about each, and when needed online registration for the event. Even the ads are fun, many production videos by manufacturers (loved the short one for Realflight!). This clearly is designed from the ground up as an interactive experience. From what I have seen so far this is hands down the best emag out there. Period. Eye candy, brain candy, and rc addiciton fix! Every page was another wow!

As I write this the current iPad app (you can read the mag on a computer too) allows me to download the issues prior to April's issue, which requires an updated app that Michael tells me is done, awaiting final approval by Apple, and is expected to be released soon.

Get a subscription now and get a free RC Pilot T-shirt! I got the thumbs one coming.

 

Cornell Died-ed

Level flight, total electronics failure. Slow right roll into a high speed dive into the Southern Ents. The breast of the wing is 30 feet up in a tree with part of the wing, the other is missing. No idea where the receiver is. Recovered the tail in a bush beneath the tree, the nose beeping 10 feet away. Buried in the toxic effluent from the waste dump that our field sits on. Into which I sunk knee deep to recover these pieces. After forging through the poison ivy. And avoiding the rattlers. Afterwards, no ticks.

Curiously, I don't give a shit. It was jinxed from day one. I'll salvage what I can of the electronics (saved the pack) and when I get the itch, I'll build the NIB one.

Hangar 9 Sopwith Maidened!

Well, the day finally came. I wanted her first flight to be on a calm day so I could flynher without distractions, and yesterday was that day. She fills my Lexus CT200h, so only the Stearman and a coulle helis got to come out to BMF.

Kenny Chanlder helped me set her up, preflight her, and spot her on the runway. I was a little nervus, but I had pschologically gotten to the point I was going to fly her if I had to throw her pieces into the wind. She has a bigger engine an prop, and I had learned a few things with mynfirst two maiden attempts. I throttled her up, worked her stering down the runway, pulling bak the stick, and she took off with a lot of left rudder to overcome the torque roll! I got it off as fast as I could and she straightened out after a brief flirt with a left turn, but she was flying! Kenny was yelling, 'CLIMB, CLIMB!" as I was thrilled she didn't turn into the ground, and was focusing on keeping her level. She climbed out with a lot of work, and it took several passes to get her trimmed out. Despite her twisty wing, she flew awesome! She has power to spare and I stated settling down. She doesn't meed a lot of elevator ofr rudder range of motion, but she needs all of her ailerons. And man is she loud with the wind whipping through the rigging! She handles well, though sometimes she ignores a comand pereferring to fly the wind, then suddenly changing her mind. She is heavy and flies like it. I find she does awesome at half throttle flying scale, with scale aerobatics. Landing her is somehting I need some work on. She needs to land on her mains and roll out without tipping head over heals. Getting her butt down too early can lead to some nasty ground handling, something done carefully with this skid tail dragger. All in all, she's a blast, and I enjoyed several flights before calling it a day! But man, she takes up the whole car and so there are few other aircraft on days I take her out to play...

450 Revival

It would have been a great picture... My Erazor 450 came down hard in wet Mississippi mud, and was half buried. Somehow I failed to take one, probably because I was sinking ankle deep in that mud. I had to take it completely apart, and I mean right down to screws and bearings, to get them mud out. One servo died in the crash, but the electronics all survived. I put it all back together again last night reoiking anything that moved, rest her CCPM, and flew her again this morning! From flight, to crash in thick mud, to unbuilding and cleaning to rebuilding, to resetting the CCPM, to flight testing, all in a day!

Those following my Align GP 780 tail wag problem might be intested that the Erazor's GP 780 has been working fine since I worked her and addressed anything that might cause vibration. I thought she was a clean machine before, but now, especially after yesterday's rebuild, she's an enginnering marvel. The GO 790 gyro came in from mhein18 the other day. I put it on the Frankenheli, and the was a wag. I went back and changed the tail shaft, which I found ever so slightly bent. I also put a new head on it, fresh out of the box, since the used EXI head was pretty loosy-goosy. I snugged things up, cleaned things out, and bang, no wag!

So pretty excited that both of my 450 flybar helis are revived. My EXI 450 flybarless is still awaiting parts. It too should be up soon. Today I found out some electircla provlems I was having yesterday with the HDX 500 were from a failing and now failed BEC. Ordered a new one from HeadsUpRC today, so I think barring another crash, I will soon have all of mynhelis up at the same time!

 

If its not one thing its another...

I took the Erazor up after really working the main rotor and tail rotor mechanisms over, cleaning and lubricating everything. I decided to put the Align GP 780 gyro back on it, and whatta ya know... its working without the wag! I flew it at BMF today and got a couple good flights in, and the tail held perfectly, except when the whole heli would have a split second seizure. Did this every few minutes, quick, then back to normal. Sometimes it was yaw. mostly it was pitch that would suddenly change, once throwing it to the ground in full neg pitch. Sometimes it was a partial roll. I changed out the reciever to one I know is good, and its not the problem. I changed the ESC/BEC at home and in my last hop in the driveway the problem did not occur again. I think I have outed these recent gremilins. Tomorrow I will be back at BMF and flying the crap out of it!

I spun up the HDX 500 and the minute I did the main gear threw teeth... This was after taking the one way bearing out and deep cleaning it. I took the motor out and checked the pinion and its good. I reset it to make sure it meshes well without being tight or loose, and its fine. I fired up the heli without the blades and no lost teeth, no unusual sounds or anything. I had changed the ESC from soft start to very soft a while back. I don't remember when, and I am not certain that I did... but I noticed that the startup stutters in very soft start. Not sure that causes the teeth grinding... I set it to soft start and it doesn't stutter. I wonder if this was the problem? Shouldn't be, but I got nothing else...

Flew the C-47, the Ultimate, and remaidened the eHawk glider. Its an odd bird... doesn't fly smoothly, but she flew well. I will need to take it up again soon. Landing was a mess... tip stalled, needs to come in hot. I am going to set up flaperons.