470 Manual Errata / Build Tips

[yakky]

Just finished building my kit, some notes I scribbled down are below. The kit went together well, only one screw head got a little stripped on tightening. Was nice the the threadlock and grease is included.

IMO the biggest screw up in the manual is they don't tell you to mount the linkage rod guides before you put the tail case on. Parts are strewn about all about the bags in general. They have you put the belt in way a few pages before it is needed.

Not a bad build but it certainly has a way to go before its an Oxy or Goblin.

Manual Errata

Page 7, step 2
- Linkage rods and ends are in 470HZ1
Page 8/9 Step 2/1
- Longer set of frame mounting screws can be loosely fitted, they will be used later for the boom brace
Page 11, Step 2
- The belt is not needed here and will only get in the way, you'll need it for page 13
Page 12, Step 1
- Servo mount can accommodate mini or micro servos, has breakout tabs for mini.
Page 13
- Put the socket collar screw in the wrong side of the main shaft sleeve for fitment/assembly, then reverse when you have everything set, the threads will keep it from falling out
Page 14, step 1
- Put on tail boom/linkage guide clamps on here, after P14/Step 2, there is no way to get them on
Page 16
- Zip ties for rod guides are with the main blade support foam and misc parts

General Tips

- On the LP, check the tail belt for flashing that may cause clicking
- Ball links, like in all Align kits, are tough to thread, consider putting links in a drill or using a tap
- Consider assembling with only one frame side on
- Stretch the belt out before starting the build so it is nice and flat
- Get dental floss to help fish the tail through the boom

[Andy from Sandy]

The one thing Align should do is not show head assembly until after the frame has been squared up with the main shaft.

I like to check the main shaft fits all three bearing blocks which is so much easier without the head.

During setup procedure I still like to check the swash is level with a leveller so again no good with the head in place.

Head assembly for me therefore comes after initial setup of levelling the swash.

I suspect the screwup with the tail control rod guides is because it was an after-thought as not required with the LM kit.

Very useful tips for someone new to Align.

As the build is very similar to 450L with a belt most of this is auto pilot. It was obvious I had to put the guides on before the tail case so never gave it much thought really.

[yakky]

Add check plastic tail pulley for flashing that may cause clicking sounds.

[Squier250]

So my manual, states that I should put the tail servo ball on the first hole. I herd that won't work and we should just use the second hole, is that correct? On the manual, for the cyclic servos it shows how far the ball should be from the center in mm. Do we have a spec for the tail ball? I'm not using stock servos.

[Andy from Sandy]

I am going to say 8.5mm for ball position for tail servo. Seems to work and gives good figure for v-bar.

[Squier250]

alright that sounds great thank you.

[Squier250]

So in the manual it shows the linkage being installed with the "A" facing the ball, I was told that the A should always face to the out side or away from the ball. How did everyone go about this, sorry if these are silly questions, this is my first build and first Align.

[rlane4osu]

Originally Posted by Squier250

So in the manual it shows the linkage being installed with the "A" facing the ball, I was told that the A should always face to the out side or away from the ball. How did everyone go about this, sorry if these are silly questions, this is my first build and first Align.

A should face out (opposite the threads) I think you could force it on the other way but it might be a little more difficult.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

[Squier250]

Right on, thank you. Yeah I remembered I have dial calipers, so I checked them and sure enough the A side has a smaller hole. This thing is coming along!!

[oldben]

Great tips, all! FYI- Enterprise Hobby has posted a set of build videos for the 470LM. Note on tail ball: you can't get the nut on with the ball in the first hole. EH says to use the second hole. I'm looking for suggestions on where to mount the remote RX. Using BeastX and Spektrum remote. I know a lot of folks just mount on one side or the other, but is that sufficient? The Beast only allows for a single remote. Should I be concerned about signal loss with only one sat? Thanks..

[Torqueshaft]

I'm at about the same stage and working myself through the videos. One thing I noticed from the video he puts the ball in the end outer hole on the servo arms on aileron and pitch but on the second inner hole on the elevator. Is this right? I put all of mine on the second inner hole.

Chris.

[yakky]

Originally Posted by oldben

Using BeastX and Spektrum remote. I know a lot of folks just mount on one side or the other, but is that sufficient? The Beast only allows for a single remote. Should I be concerned about signal loss with only one sat? Thanks..

Depends on how far away you fly. Beast says to run a receiver and sat on anything bigger than a 450. If you don't want to run a full receiver, LemonRx has a diversity sat that might be a good in between.

[Andy from Sandy]

One thing I noticed from the video he puts the ball in the end outer hole on the servo arms on aileron and pitch but on the second inner hole on the elevator. Is this right?

I have not watched the videos but the cyclic servos should have the ball the same distance from center. You normally pick 3 identical servos and the spacing at the swash is equal at all the points.

[Number]

What Andy said is correct, and while the video may have been a simple mistake and he meant to put it on the same hole, there could actually be some merit to putting it one hole out.

On a 120 degree swashplate, the rear servo (or whichever is the middle) has to move faster to do elevator movements. This is because in reverence to the pivot point (the swash ball and main shaft) the middle servo is actually significantly further away.


140 degree swashplates fix this by having the two side balls further forward, making the distance to the main shaft identical to the center servo.



For this reason, putting the center servo ball further out could actually compensate, because the further out the ball is, the further the ball and link and therefore that part of the swash will move for the same given servo movement. Of course, it will also affect collective in some way (making the heli tilt forward on positive collective or backward on negative), so generally you will want to have them on the same hole.

[Squier250]

so back to the satellite thing. Im running ikon, I put it inside the frame under the main shaft, on top of the gyro mount. I have my satellite mounted under the gyro mount inline with the ikon and the main shaft. The antennas stick out of the frame, I'm hoping this works ok. Although, i am also thinking of getting the second satellite just to be safe, and maybe using the top gyro mount for the second satellite

[Andy from Sandy]

generally you fly the model higher than yourself so underneath will be in view. When you role the model toward you the one on the gyro tray will be in view. You should be okay.

I would say just one satellite is not enough.

[Number]

I've always flown 450s with a single satellite and never had any issues. I use 2 on 500 or bigger.

Before I switched to Futaba I had the satellite on the bottom tray, with the antennas sticking out.

as seen here:

[Andy from Sandy]

I don't and never have flown Spektrum. The antennas on a satellite form just one aerial so you have no diversity when using only one.

With Futaba and Mikado VLink the two antennas is diversity.

Now seeing how some have aerial placement compared to what is advised by the manufacturer and never having a problem I guess I should just stay quiet. lol.

[Number]

Right, it's a dipole antenna. No diversity. Satellites were never designed to be used alone, they were designed to be used in addition to a normal receiver. Of course since it's just a PPM receiver it works fine as a receiver. We've adopted it because its much easier than a 6 cable hookup to the FBL and Spektrum doesnt have S.Bus receivers.

It is just a normal PPM receiver though, non-diversity. Nothing inherently wrong with that. The reason one would use two satellites is to prevent/reduce the chances of carbon fiber shadowing due to the frame sides. Having one on each side will reduce the chances of it happening to a serious degree.

A 450 is so small the chances of it happening are very small, and since you generally don't fly a 450 very far away the chances are further reduced. At that point the only serious risk is a satellite cable failing, which is not uncommon with the crappy Spektrum cables. However Protek and Experience have better cables that don't break. So then the risk is hardly different from running a Futaba receiver with only one S.Bus cable.

As far as your last comment, like I said satellites were never intended to be used alone, so.... Whatever works I guess!

[yakky]

Originally Posted by Andy from Sandy

I don't and never have flown Spektrum. The antennas on a satellite form just one aerial so you have no diversity when using only one.

With Futaba and Mikado VLink the two antennas is diversity.

There are several Spektrum compatible satellite receivers that ARE in fact diversity. There are also Spektrum compatible satellite receivers with just one wire/antenna. The number of wires coming out of the unit isn't an indication if it has diversity or not.

One wire, no diversity:

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/orangerx...-receiver.html

Two wires, diversity:

http://www.lemon-rx.com/index.php?ro...product_id=135

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/orangerx...-receiver.html