What did you do to your Blade 450 today?

[Bluebell]

It's amazing what warm weather with little to no wind can do for you! Especially if you are just trying to figure these beasts out!
From cold Alberta, to sunny, hot Arizona, I actually think I have a chance at flying, or getting these rotating beasts to do what I would like them to do!
For the very first time, I was able to run all 7 packs through the heli without dumping it in a snow bank, or worse..
Mind you, I was just hovering, but it was very enjoyable. Until I realized that I shouldn't have to keep holding the aileron stick over to the right! Trim you dummy! After that, it was allll - right!!! This is okay. I can do this. Took it home, re-looked at the swash plate, and yup, it wasn't level. It was tilted. Hence the trim on the aileron. Yeesh. Re-did the mech setup and can't wait to get 'er out and float around the park. It is really nice here. All the snowbirds have gone home, lots of empty space, clear blue skies, a nice cushy grass ball park, using training kit (otherwise the rear stabilizer would sink into the grass and the tail rotor would do some trimming!)
I made a quik trip to Superstition Hobbies here in Queen Creek AZ, great guys and lots of spares (just in case!!)
Looking forward to my next fly day, before golf tomorrow, with my ground crew (my wife naturally) and getting better at flying before I return north.
Thanks to John Salt (and Trevor) and their words of wisdom, and John's settings that have helped me immensely. It's darn warm here, +34 C today...
HUA!!

[Ramonster]

Originally Posted by Bluebell

It's amazing what warm weather with little to no wind can do for you! Especially if you are just trying to figure these beasts out!
From cold Alberta, to sunny, hot Arizona, I actually think I have a chance at flying, or getting these rotating beasts to do what I would like them to do!
For the very first time, I was able to run all 7 packs through the heli without dumping it in a snow bank, or worse..
Mind you, I was just hovering, but it was very enjoyable. Until I realized that I shouldn't have to keep holding the aileron stick over to the right! Trim you dummy! After that, it was allll - right!!! This is okay. I can do this. Took it home, re-looked at the swash plate, and yup, it wasn't level. It was tilted. Hence the trim on the aileron. Yeesh. Re-did the mech setup and can't wait to get 'er out and float around the park. It is really nice here. All the snowbirds have gone home, lots of empty space, clear blue skies, a nice cushy grass ball park, using training kit (otherwise the rear stabilizer would sink into the grass and the tail rotor would do some trimming!)
I made a quik trip to Superstition Hobbies here in Queen Creek AZ, great guys and lots of spares (just in case!!)
Looking forward to my next fly day, before golf tomorrow, with my ground crew (my wife naturally) and getting better at flying before I return north.
Thanks to John Salt (and Trevor) and their words of wisdom, and John's settings that have helped me immensely. It's darn warm here, +34 C today...
HUA!!

Yes sir Hope to fly with you before you go back to Alberta Im in Mesa WE get you snow birds at work all the time lol. Nice knowing 0ne that flys

[Ramonster]

Finally Got My 450 trimmed. Swash level. One thing to fix tomorrow...... the tail has a small wobble back and forth right to left and back again. this is my second crash with this heli. feeling good about it though.

[cmenning]

Went to the Austin Heli Fest this weekend. 15 seconds into the first flight I lawn-darted most spectacularly... Brought the Nano along as well, so at least I got to do SOME flying. Had a hell of a good time, though, as there were some great pilots and everyone was as friendly as can be.

The 450's a mess, though. Quick postmortem shows broken frame, landing gear, stripped main and tail drive gears, bent main shaft, broken main blades, bent tail spindle, broken tail blades, canopy (of course) and one of the canopy mounts. I'm also pretty sure one of the servos is toast - you can wiggle the servo arm about 3-4 degrees. And all that without even being thorough!

Trying to decide now whether to fix it or move on to something new. Was hoping to win the Mini Protos in the raffle, but no such luck.

[Ramonster]

Originally Posted by cmenning

Went to the Austin Heli Fest this weekend. 15 seconds into the first flight I lawn-darted most spectacularly... Brought the Nano along as well, so at least I got to do SOME flying. Had a hell of a good time, though, as there were some great pilots and everyone was as friendly as can be.

The 450's a mess, though. Quick postmortem shows broken frame, landing gear, stripped main and tail drive gears, bent main shaft, broken main blades, bent tail spindle, broken tail blades, canopy (of course) and one of the canopy mounts. I'm also pretty sure one of the servos is toast - you can wiggle the servo arm about 3-4 degrees. And all that without even being thorough!

Trying to decide now whether to fix it or move on to something new. Was hoping to win the Mini Protos in the raffle, but no such luck.

Sell it to me.lol

[jrwalte]

Originally Posted by cmenning

Went to the Austin Heli Fest this weekend. 15 seconds into the first flight I lawn-darted most spectacularly... Brought the Nano along as well, so at least I got to do SOME flying. Had a hell of a good time, though, as there were some great pilots and everyone was as friendly as can be.

That reminds me of the Central Alabama Fly in I went to a few weeks ago. Was maybe my 4th flight on the HD Cell and I was sure it was going to smack the ground. Everyone around me gasped as they all thought it was too. But I have the Bavarian Demon 3SX rescue and it leveled out inverted and stopped decent mere inches off the ground and then rocketed skyward. I know of at least two guys that said they were then convinced to get one

Unfortunately it didn't save me from my last mishap. It leveled out upright, but too much sideways and downward momentum and when the skids hit the ground, it tipped over. But if it wouldn't have leveled me out, I'd be replacing a lot more than just blades and some minor damage to linkage arms, bearings and main shaft.

[cmenning]

Sell it to me.lol

Ramonster, it's yours if you want it. Tried to send PM but wasn't able.

[NuCOTech]

I finally had nice enough weather to go outside with my ncpx and my 450. I don't mind slinging the nano around because if it hits the ground, it tends to be ok. So because of the nano, I finally had the balls to go inverted for the very first time on the 450. So at least I know I can successfully do that now. I've been extremely paranoid to do anything but hovering and piros with the 450 until now because if it hits the ground, their usually isn't going to be putting it back in the air right away.




I really need to get a sim. I'm tired of being scared to crash the 450 every time I plug the battery in, haha.

[Ramonster]

Originally Posted by cmenning

Ramonster, it's yours if you want it. Tried to send PM but wasn't able.

How much

[LubeMan1]

Just did my first tail in inverted hovering attempts...Did ok the first attempt, hovered for a bit then got it upright with no trouble, second attempt went a little longer inverted started to lose it flipped it upright about two feet off the ground side in regained control then set it down so I could stop shaking!!! Wow what a rush...Semi-Noob adrenaline!!

[Ramonster]

Originally Posted by LubeMan1

Just did my first tail in inverted hovering attempts...Did ok the first attempt, hovered for a bit then got it upright with no trouble, second attempt went a little longer inverted started to lose it flipped it upright about two feet off the ground side in regained control then set it down so I could stop shaking!!! Wow what a rush...Semi-Noob adrenaline!!

Nice! Keep it up. I wont do inverted close to the ground im way up there lol

[LubeMan1]

Originally Posted by Ramonster

Nice! Keep it up. I wont do inverted close to the ground im way up there lol

Believe you me, I did not intend on being that close to the ground!! just happened that way Lol.

[Ramonster]

Originally Posted by LubeMan1

Believe you me, I did not intend on being that close to the ground!! just happened that way Lol.

Lol thats funny. a couple of weeks I were inverted about 30 feet up in the air came down to about 20 then yup crashed. No worries

[LubeMan1]

Originally Posted by Ramonster

Lol thats funny. a couple of weeks I were inverted about 30 feet up in the air came down to about 20 then yup crashed. No worries

Wanna hear something even funnier?? Just went out to sort out a slight tail drift, just hovering to see which way it was drifting went to trim the tail in flight ( I know ...stupid) bumped the collective to full neg and slammed the heli in to the ground from about 10 feet...It bounced back up as I increased collective to about 15 ft I hit TH and it started to settle nice, so I thought "let's try to save it under power"....flipped TH off spooled up to full power with a wickedly fast piro, got outta shape and back into the ground she went...Damage= mains, feathering shaft, seesaw, landing gear, broke skid tab on frame. still have to check servos. Great day, LOL

Update: 2 servo stripped and canopy destroyed as well.

All parts ordered!!

[M&P_Hooligan]

botched an auto with mine last night broke a mixer arm off a blade grip so i converted it to FBL with a head i had laying around and a AR7200BX going to order the conversion kit in the next round of parts so it has the correct parts on it but for now its flying amazing

[helitack32f1]

I created black tail blades because I didn't want to order a set. By the way, Sharpies stink.

[LubeMan1]

Put 2 flights on the 450 today going back out for 4 more hopefully no repairs after...

[M&P_Hooligan]

Originally Posted by LubeMan1

Put 2 flights on the 450 today going back out for 4 more hopefully no repairs after...

mine decided it didnt need main blades anymore after about 3/4 of my first flight this morning, broke a spindle bolt and WOOF fell to the tarmac

BTW couldnt help but notice your location Escanaba in the moonlight was an awesome movie! im from Grand Rapids originally

[LubeMan1]

Originally Posted by M&P_Hooligan

mine decided it didnt need main blades anymore after about 3/4 of my first flight this morning, broke a spindle bolt and WOOF fell to the tarmac

BTW couldnt help but notice your location Escanaba in the moonlight was an awesome movie! im from Grand Rapids originally

Lol, ya funny movie I'm only an hour away from Eski, originally from Traverse City though. Put 4 more flights on later that evening kinda starting to beat on it, getting more confidence, the sim work over the winter is paying off.

[wqtaylor3]

Got mine out to budget replacements parts from a crash last year...my first ff attempt ended badly...debating on going to the align dfcetc with tarot fbl controller...drilling the shafts makes me nervous but I like the look of the dfc head...

Hopefully it'll save me some repair costs as my stock head is pretty well trashed will still need tail boom, main gear and main shafts though