Big Stick Ain't Ugly No Mo'!

Me and the RCGF-USA 10cc Big Stick flew the crap out of each other today! Dialed in differential for the ailerons and increased the limits on the ailerons. We are getting along just fine! Fast, slow, high, low. I did have to tune her again to keep the idle from stalling. Hopefully for the last time.

Align Trex 600efl Heli Project

About 2.5 years ago I accidentally bought a Trex 600efl Super Combo without the electronics for about 1/3 of the Super Combo price. At the time I didn't know that stripping the electronics out to sell separately was a thing on eBay, but shortly after I bought it I read the rather clear print indicating that it was sold that way. It took another year or so before I bought all the electronics at once because I could. That was over 2 yrs ago. I picked up the Spektrum AR7200bx Flybarless BeastX with a Spektrum DSMX 7 channel receiver, all Align Digital servos DS615s on the swash and a DS655 on the tail. A Castle 80A HV ESC for the Scorpion HK-3536-510kv motor.

I've opened the boxes a couple of times, but never committed to the build.

This morning I brought out the boxes from the corner where they have been gathering dust and set out the parts for inventory. There was a moment of panic when I thought the seller had removed the rotor head and swash plate. I looked everywhere, no bag of parts for the head... I was pissed, I should have opened the box completely a couple of years ago, or did I? I couldn't recall, but if I had surely I would have noticed the missing parts. I looked online, and I was going to be out about $100 at least. I just didn't feel like spending the money, having just dropped a lot on the 26cc engine and the Waco F5C (more on that later).

I went to toss out the boxes and it just felt wrong, so I reopened it and as I went through the smaller boxes in the kit, I found it. It was in the box marked clearly for the 3GX, and on the edge something about the head. There is was. Happy dance!  It would turn out that the only thing I am missing is the 13T pinion and the mounting screws for the motor, as these were likely in the bag containing the original motor. I ordered a helical 13T pinion from the boys at AMainHobbies for $8.

So I started the build.

Took apart and rebuilt the rotor head with Locktite. The main bearings were well greased.

The frame comes in many pieces and connectors, screws and bars. I have the frame ready for installation of the servos, and will build and install the tail assembly tomorrow. I will likely install the electronics, awaiting the pinion before being able to install the motor. This is going faster than I expected.

Yesterday and the day before I installed the new tail control assembly on the Trex 500e, and completed the see-saw installation on the Trex 600e, and replaced the receiver on the Frankenheli 450 with an HK Orange DSM2. All of my existing heli's are flight ready except for one 450 that needs some programming and its tail belt to be replaced.

Tomorrow, we build some more.

BANG! Trigger pulled Waco F5C

Probably the most beautiful plane out there, today I ordered my Phoenix Models F5C Waco from Tower Hobbies!  I am working on getting a used RCGF 26cc gas engine for her.  It will take me a bit to get all of the other requried parts. PSYCH!

Trex 600 Cage fixed, Sukhoi Perfected

Good day.

The parts for the Trex 600 flybar see-saw came in from HeliDirect today. Easy install. I pulled the build guide out and realized I had built the head incorrectly last time, having several linkages reversed. In addition to rebuilding the flybar cage I reorganized the linkages. The head is back together. Time to check the CCPM and fly.

This afternoon I took the 10cc Sukhoi out and she flew great. Put in some aileron differential, brought down the idle. Impracticed landings and got a couple good long flights in before the Bedford Soccer team areived and I had to leave.

A good day indeed.

Trex 600 Flybar See-Saw Arm Issue

I took the Trex 600 Flybar up today. It seemed odd that I could not get the tracking of the main blades to hold in flight, they went way off one another, but at zero pitch they matched. During the flight I suddenly developed very wishy-washy control and auto'd her to a lamding.

On inspection of the head she had thrown the see-saw screw and flange bearing... This was the same thing that happened before and I thought repaired. I took the entire flybar cage apart and found that theatttachment for see-saw screw that secures the flange bearing is stripped. It barely holds the screw. It seems snug, but a gentle tug pulls it. I need to replace the see-saw.

Parts for the flybarred Trex 600 main rotor system are getting very hard to find. You can't find a replacment head. Even HeliDirect is NIS for many of the parts, but I did find a new see-saw, but got the last of their replacment flange bearings. I am about to start the build on my Trex 600 EFL, so really dont want to conver this one to flybarless. I really like the old school flybarred heli.

I'm not afraid of no wind...

But flying, that still scares me.

I flew more flights than ever today in a light gusty wind out at Joppa that grounded a pair of Timber drivers for whom it was too much. I took the 30cc MXS-R up and trimmed her out a bit. She still rolls with full elelvator at high rates, even though I now have the elevators tracking precisely. I need to learn to throw in a aileron mix on my DX8 to take the right roll out. Its kinda disorienting when she comes out.

Clearly have my landing mojo back, all perfect.

But I still shook like a leaf and held my breath for the entire first few flights...

Replaced Prop Hub Assembly

Flying with Gary Hoffman the other day out at Joppa Field as he was helping me get my windy day mojo back, I mentioned that I had snapped off a prop mounting screw in the prop assembly hub of my DLE 30. He noted this was an easy fix, about $20. Later he sent me link for the part ffrom Valley View, $21. I ordered it and today in 20 minutes it was installed.

Old prop hub assembly off. Took some oomph...

New prop hub assembly on.

That was easy!