Hovering the N CPX out of the box (or: Why I'll Never Buy Helimax again)

[KevinPJF]

Hi all,

So, I had a heli-max Axe 100 CP. Crashed it a bunch. A BUNCH! Bought the sim, and a FP heli, became more familiar, and finally got to where I could hover it. Now, it shows signs of problems, so today, I picked up a Blade Nano CPX. I LOVE IT!! I have hovered it for two lipos now (eight minutes) with nary a problem. Here's a video of one of those sessions!!



Great!! I'm going to learn how to fly this one, rather than crash it!

Kevin

[HarryR]

Use some more EXPO so you have less trouble of holding the heli stationary. Try 35-40 expo on ELE , AIL and about 25-30% on Rudder. That will soften the center of your sticks.

Now, as you are pretty new.. Try this setting

NORMAL
Trottle 0-35-50-55-60
Pitch 0-25-50-75-100
EXPO as per this note.

This will tone your Nano down A LOT . You might be able to start flying around the room much easier.
So the first order for you after hovering is to learn the 4 positions ( tail in, tail left, nose in, tail right) Start with tail in and nose left and right . ONLY AFTER YOU ARE comfortable and are able to move easily between those 3, then go to nose in.

Have fun!

[KevinPJF]

Originally Posted by HarryR

Use some more EXPO so you have less trouble of holding the heli stationary. Try 35-40 expo on ELE , AIL and about 25-30% on Rudder. That will soften the center of your sticks.

Now, as you are pretty new.. Try this setting

NORMAL
Trottle 0-35-50-55-60
Pitch 0-25-50-75-100
EXPO as per this note.

This will tone your Nano down A LOT . You might be able to start flying around the room much easier.
So the first order for you after hovering is to learn the 4 positions ( tail in, tail left, nose in, tail right) Start with tail in and nose left and right . ONLY AFTER YOU ARE comfortable and are able to move easily between those 3, then go to nose in.

Have fun!

Outstanding! Did it, hovered another session and it did seem more stable. I'm digging this little dude!!

Now, can you explain, on an elementary level, what "expo" is, and what, in practical application, my changing those values did?

Thanks!
Kevin

[HarryR]

Originally Posted by KevinPJF

Outstanding! Did it, hovered another session and it did seem more stable. I'm digging this little dude!!

Now, can you explain, on an elementary level, what "expo" is, and what, in practical application, my changing those values did?

Thanks!
Kevin

In a nutshell, EXPO is used to reduce the sensitivity around the center of the sticks. This make the heli less responsive to the stick movements and you need to move the sticks a greater distance to have the same response / effect. It makes the heli less twitchy and thus more controllable for beginners like you and me.
What TX are you using?? Search the forum and you will find lots of suggestions on how to tone down the "twitchiness" of the helis. Then ,when you are getting used to it, you gradually reduce the EXPO to perhaps 20% or so, that seems to be a number that feels comfortable to most flyers.
I am still using the EXPO I gave you when flying indoors, it works to keep the heli away from the walls and the furniture. :0)

[KevinPJF]

Originally Posted by HarryR

In a nutshell, EXPO is used to reduce the sensitivity around the center of the sticks. This make the heli less responsive to the stick movements and you need to move the sticks a greater distance to have the same response / effect. It makes the heli less twitchy and thus more controllable for beginners like you and me.
What TX are you using?? Search the forum and you will find lots of suggestions on how to tone down the "twitchiness" of the helis. Then ,when you are getting used to it, you gradually reduce the EXPO to perhaps 20% or so, that seems to be a number that feels comfortable to most flyers.
I am still using the EXPO I gave you when flying indoors, it works to keep the heli away from the walls and the furniture. :0)

I have a DX6 (not a DX6i). It was pretty overwhelming when I first got it and started looking at the programming. I'm learning. There are still a couple of terms I don't get. I'm a WHY person, opposed to a what person. I mean, I'll do the "what," as in "adjust your expo as such and such," but eventually, I'm going to want to know what that does and how. If that makes sense. If I understand the why, the what comes much easier.

This is heli #6 for me. Two, a coaxial from Sports Authority and a FB from Radio Shack (I know, I know), the Blade 200 SR-X, Nano QX, and now this on. If you want, you can include an Estes quad nano my wife bought and kicks around every now and then.

I'm just pumped I have a collective pitch helicopter I can successfully hover. That Axe 100 CP almost had me giving up entirely.

Kevin

[mtwarych3@msn.com]

Para rescue?

You Stud!
Thank You for your service

JW
Semper Fi

[shawzie]

If your pumped now,wait until you learn to flip it and fly inverted!! Then you'll be over the moon lol such a great little heli. Glad you didn't give up after the Heli Max

[Dragonsbreath]

Nice job Kevin !!. The more you fly it the more you will love it. Next on your list will be a pocket full of batteries. This is no joke. I started out with the stock 25c batts and now have 5 of the 45c batts and a 4 port charger. Since you are in HI. you have almost year round flying. Waite till you take it outside and fly it, it is a whole new world and you will never want the day to end, this is why you need a lot of batteries !!!.

Have fun with it.

Dave

[CHUCKmfnNORRIS]

what i did to calm it down while learning how to fly it was to go into the travel adjust in my dx6i and lower the elev and ail. i kept the suggested throttle and pitch curves that were in the owners manual. i started down at 40% and after 6-7 flights i would turn it up 5% at a time. after 2 weeks i was able to raise it all the way back to 100%

[HarryR]

Originally Posted by KevinPJF

I have a DX6 (not a DX6i). It was pretty overwhelming when I first got it and started looking at the programming. I'm learning. There are still a couple of terms I don't get. I'm a WHY person, opposed to a what person. I mean, I'll do the "what," as in "adjust your expo as such and such," but eventually, I'm going to want to know what that does and how. If that makes sense. If I understand the why, the what comes much easier.

This is heli #6 for me. Two, a coaxial from Sports Authority and a FB from Radio Shack (I know, I know), the Blade 200 SR-X, Nano QX, and now this on. If you want, you can include an Estes quad nano my wife bought and kicks around every now and then.

I'm just pumped I have a collective pitch helicopter I can successfully hover. That Axe 100 CP almost had me giving up entirely.

Kevin

Without video... it never happened !!!

[HarryR]

Originally Posted by Dragonsbreath

Nice job Kevin !!. The more you fly it the more you will love it. Next on your list will be a pocket full of batteries. This is no joke. I started out with the stock 25c batts and now have 5 of the 45c batts and a 4 port charger. Since you are in HI. you have almost year round flying. Waite till you take it outside and fly it, it is a whole new world and you will never want the day to end, this is why you need a lot of batteries !!!.

Have fun with it.

Dave

Kevin, just give the heli 5 minutes cooling off period between each flight.. Your motor will last longer.... a lot longer.
Put your charged batteries in your right jacket pocket and when you take the (empty )lipo uit of the heli put that in your LEFT hand pocket. Now you know which one is charged and which is empty. That will prevent you from having crashes because you inserted an empty lipo in the heli and planned a 4 minute flight at 50 feet up.
This can happen especially when a cute young woman asks you for directions and you have brain overload when you have to insert a lipo!.

[KevinPJF]

Originally Posted by HarryR

Kevin, just give the heli 5 minutes cooling off period between each flight.. Your motor will last longer.... a lot longer.
Put your charged batteries in your right jacket pocket and when you take the (empty )lipo uit of the heli put that in your LEFT hand pocket. Now you know which one is charged and which is empty. That will prevent you from having crashes because you inserted an empty lipo in the heli and planned a 4 minute flight at 50 feet up.

I am too OCD to worry about that. I number my batteries and go in ascending order. Every time. If I wanna fly and #1 isn't charged, I don't fly until it is. LOL

Originally Posted by HarryR

This can happen especially when a cute young woman asks you for directions and you have brain overload when you have to insert a lipo!

I've been married for almost 28 years to my high-school sweetheart. I'm immune. Haha

Kevin

[heli227]

I'm still waiting for the shoe to take off.