Daily chat. Talk about about MX/X400s

[kenpsych]

I work in an elementary school and got to demo my RC hobby for the local Cub Scouts. It was quite fun. I flew my Mini Super Sporster EP and then took out the heli. The boys really enjoyed it! I took a poll at the end of the demo and the group favored the heli. Go figure! :mrgreen:

[kenpsych]

So I've been running the some new Align 2100 16c 3s batteries and the MX runs quite well, seems like more power. Even better, the blades are back into alignment. I wonder if the older batteries were not putting out enough amps for good head speed, thus causing a tracking problem.

Hello all,

the past weeks were very good in terms of getting to know better my MX-400 Pro and adjusting it to the point where it not only hovers but is also capable of flying. I now moved outside to our local park, still practicing hovers. Unfortunately last Wednesday after having suffered from some interference at the park I took the heli after office inside our office's garage to see if I got the same problem, and after some good flying I got too close to a column with the main rotor hitting it. The result was a bent tail shaft, broken main rotor blades and damaged carbon tail blades . Needless to say I was upset but still happy because of the damages were not dramatic.

Since our LHS does not have the necessary spares and some of them are too expensive, I took the plunge to upgrade the MX with the parts I described on a previous message. I have a new TRex still in its box so I decided to use the tail rotor assembly and a Align tail boom I bought some days ago. I plan to keep the TRex tail rotor until receiving the new tail shaft. Anyway the heli looks cool with the larger Helimax carbon blades and the longer tail. I will change the original paddles with carbon fiber ones just for the looks.

My main concern is now to determine if the stock rotor head will withstand the greater efforts of the larger blades. Motor and ESC will also be changed from the stock ones to the Align BL430 and its corresponding ESC. Which pinion would be suitable for a novice pilot? I think a smaller teeth count would make it less complicated to fly; also the Helimax carbon blades are wider in chord compared to the Align ones, how does this affect the overall flying characteristics of the heli?

Cheers,

Carlos A. Cordova
QUITO - ECUADOR

[StatiC]

11 tooth is the smallest pinion align makes for the 430L. The 9,10,11 tooth that can be ordered are for the smaller shaft motors. WIth the extended boom and the Align 325 wood blades I get about 2600 RPM with the Jazz ESC at 62% throttle. I can't get the 325 wood blades to track though. The tracking problem might have something to do with needing to modify the spacers on the 325 wood blades though(I put the helimax wood blade spacers on the 325 pro blades)..

I plan to buy the 315 carbon blades at some point from helimax since they come with the spacers that are needed. Probably be another week for that though.

[Raven_darkcloud]

The 430 3550kv with 11t is a sweet setup. The trex se tail blades are great for tail controll. And the claw like tip looks sweet. they are light stiff and can take a beating. The fact that they only cost $3.99 usd. also makes them a nice fit.

On another note I just got back from the funfly in brooks, what a sweet weekend. Curtis Youngblood gave us a jaw droping show, thabks Curtis, playing with some short trees along side the feild. I was having gyro and bat problems but still had fun. Looks like I need to get that 401 and 877 servo. The vid cam was not wanting to work so I didnt get any vids.
Sunday morning was cold and I didnt want to get out of the sleeping bag. Next year in june I might compeat but this weekend the heli and I just didnt have our game together. The unlimited drags got dominated by a trex 600 . Best of all me and my heli walked away unharmed. :mrgreen:

[helisforfun]

Originally Posted by xStatiCa2

11 tooth is the smallest pinion align makes for the 430L. The 9,10,11 tooth that can be ordered are for the smaller shaft motors. WIth the extended boom and the Align 325 wood blades I get about 2600 RPM with the Jazz ESC at 62% throttle. I can't get the 325 wood blades to track though. The tracking problem might have something to do with needing to modify the spacers on the 325 wood blades though(I put the helimax wood blade spacers on the 325 pro blades)..

I plan to buy the 315 carbon blades at some point from helimax since they come with the spacers that are needed. Probably be another week for that though.

I use the 325 and the 315's from align as well had tracking issues using spacers seems everytime I folded the blades then straighten them out the tracking would change my spacers were not truly flat one side thicker than other I have the aluminum head block and put the plastic align grips and spindle no more tracking issues. Bought the kit that comes with the bearings, spacers and screws works fine with the helimax head. Hope this helps.

[kenpsych]

Can someone tell me where I can find the right socket size for the main blade grips. I recent bought alloy grips and can not fit my sockets indside the grips. Thanks!

[helisforfun]

Originally Posted by kenpsych

Can someone tell me where I can find the right socket size for the main blade grips. I recent bought alloy grips and can not fit my sockets indside the grips. Thanks!

5.5 mm got mine at LHS in the car section made by power racing

[kenpsych]

Originally Posted by helisforfun

5.5 mm got mine at LHS in the car section made by power racing

Cool, thanks! :glasses2:

[Raven_darkcloud]

Warped my maingear. Got a microheli one on the way, the stock one didnt stand well to the larger blades and high torq of that 3550kv. Its not unflyable but I dont want to risk it. Also I'm giving the megapower lipos a run over. Giving that like most of you I cant shell out for a bunch of tp's or flightpower packs at 79 or so a pop, I thought looking at some of the cheaper bats and reporting on them could help. I know e-powers are good for the price, walkeras and the rc-expert ones suck. Eflights are ok but I only get like 200 cycles out of'm. Thats befor they start to dye off. My little blade cx has ben flown,,,,,,,, well lets say the lipo is on its last leg (something like 250 or more flights) was going to try the dn bats but out of stock. What I got on the way is a 2100 15c (ohh how I long for the new tp 2200 25c packs )
Next new parts will be the good type 5 or ceramic bearings. After ummm, oh hell I lost count, alot of flights my 400 is geting some slop parts due to well use. Any one put better bearings in there 400 yet?

[kenpsych]

So far, I like the Align 2100 3s bats from GrandRC. a pair for $110 shipped, not bad. I had a bad experience with Common Sense Batteries. They lasted a good three months and then thats it. Not good. $130 for the pair, gone. That's some expensive fuel...

[Raven_darkcloud]

ya when I can get 3 or 4 of the ones I got for that price.
I'm also thinking of trying a 450th motor @ 3000kv.
Found a new trick for flying in grass, the small foam tubing you put on pvc pipes to keep them from freezing. Put it on the skids and zip tie it on, no more hanging up on grass.

[kenpsych]

I'm grounded again. Where can I get replacement blades or a crash kit for the head? Grandrc is out of stock and I refuse to pay Tower's prices and shipping!

[helisforfun]

Originally Posted by kenpsych

I'm grounded again. Where can I get replacement blades or a crash kit for the head? Grandrc is out of stock and I refuse to pay Tower's prices and shipping!

Check out this site they have hellimax parts look at there price pluss free shipping and if its your first time ordering save 5% more

http://www.advantagehobby.com/


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[Raven_darkcloud]

This weekend I bought the full alumi head for my 400. I'm not big on the red thats offerd for the 400 so I have align parts in gunmeatal grey. Wow the differance thats made by having alumi parts is incredable. I now have no slop in my head at all, did have much on the plastic but this is sweet. I will post pics later as I'm at work now.

[helisforfun]

Glad to here its working I was tempted by the gun metal garay but I already had the red swash and button so I orderd the rest of the head in red should have by the end of the week hope this cures the slop on the flybar. I made sure to get the new aluminum head with the bearings. but still using the plastic align grips.

[Raven_darkcloud]

I have setup one of the ark alumi heads befor and yes its slop free. Just remember to carefully put a small amount oflocktite in the treads of the seesaw.

[helisforfun]

Well went to the field yesterday tried to do a flip I had succsefuly done this for the first time on the previous sunday hovered about 20ft pulled back thumbs froze watched it land inverted hit throtle hold and went to pick up the pieces Damage fly bar, mixing lever, two servos striped main gear, canopy cracked, Bent main shaft, broken spindle. went home and in the mail box was the new aluminum head parts. Time to rebuild.

[kenpsych]

So I installed a new main shaft and I still see "walk" in the head. Now this is observed during slow turning of the motor, with blades on. Could the main head be bent? This is an all metal head.

[helisforfun]

The new head. I think I put it together right ?