MM Mod easy fine tuning: use trim on rudder to find the perfect balance!

[Blade Scraper]

Finally did the MM mod today after replacing broken blade grips, notched blades, and a bent servo push rod and tail rotor. Hovers much better, but still needs a couple clicks of left trim on the rudder to correct a yaw to the right. I used the standard 3 & 1 turns after the repairs were done. Test flight was on the LP4DSM simply because it happened to be within reach.

Noticed the piro is terrible: extremely slow and it will not piro in hover. I may need to experiment more on the servos, or simply tweak it. I couldn't recall how tight the blades should be on this one, its been awhile since its gotten much use, so once they were tight enough to be 'stiff' I backed the screws off enough that they could move freely but not 'flop.' Which is a little stiffer than the correct setup for the mSR (where they should be able to flop), so that may need an adjustment too.

Its set aside for now after testing it by putting a couple lipos through it. Tomorrow I'll try tweaking it further and set it up in my DX6i with whatever recommended settings are posted here.

Its definitely improved over where it was pre-MM mod, but not yet where I think it could be with some more time spent fine tuning it. This mod really does make a huge difference though, and I'd kick myself for not doing it sooner except that the flight time not spent with this shelved was spent on my mSR, and I'm very pleased with how my mSR flies and how well I fly it now compared to when I first bought it (and I fly it well enough with the LP4DSM that I'm not even going to bother using the DX6i for it - paired with the RTF controller, its travel ready while my programmable radio can be used for Phoenix and the mSR X).

[jrman83]

It sounds like standard swahplate leveling. Is that what this is? I did both of my MSR-x couple of months ago when I brought them out of storage and both fly like a dream - sort of

[Blade Scraper]

Originally Posted by jrman83

It sounds like standard swahplate leveling. Is that what this is? I did both of my MSR-x couple of months ago when I brought them out of storage and both fly like a dream - sort of

Not exactly. It strikes me more like Blade levelled the swash during the factory assembly and in doing so, introduced undesirable flight characteristics that this mod fixes - and when its done, the heli flies much better but without the swash being level any more.

That's my impression anyway - it has a very pronounced tilt at hover now, but hovers and flies much better. Still needs some tweaking, though, that I haven't done yet.

I think the swash tillt may be a consequence of it replacing via gyro and firmware, the flybar on the mSR, with the swash tilting to offset the torque produced by the tail rotor. You wouldn't see this on a CP heli, but a CP heli won't hover hands free like the mSR X can (or can come very close to). That's just my own guess, at any rate.

In its own way it complements the mSR well. This is more challenging to fly, which introduces its own fun factor. But the mSR is much more stable in the air (it will hover hands free), even accounting for the pendulum effect of the flybar (which you adapt to eventually by simply reversing direction so that the pendulum momentum is used to launch it into a smooth 180 turn 'on a dime'). And the mSR can piro like a champ - both in a stationary hover and in forward flight.

But the mSR is an easy flier once you're used to it. And with the challenge gone, it loses that role to take up a new one as a no stress relaxing heli to slow cruise inside with. But something still has to step up to reintroduce the challenge to keep it interesting. For now at least, the mSR X is filling that role pretty well outside of practising CP on the sim. Not a lot of options this far north for flying in the winter months.

[jrman83]

I gave up on my MSr back when the "X" came out, although one sits on my shelf in working order.

You could try a CPS. It's not too bad. Also could try a V977. Put it in 6g mode and it is more stable than my CPS in stability mode. Just have to get over the sound of brushless power. And it will hover "near" hands free in 3g/3D, low rate, mode. Good heli to get to CP for me. The translation in feel to the 230s is similar - to me, although not much time on my 230s.

[Blade Scraper]

Originally Posted by jrman83

I gave up on my MSr back when the "X" came out, although one sits on my shelf in working order.

You could try a CPS. It's not too bad. Also could try a V977. Put it in 6g mode and it is more stable than my CPS in stability mode. Just have to get over the sound of brushless power. And it will hover "near" hands free in 3g/3D, low rate, mode. Good heli to get to CP for me. The translation in feel to the 230s is similar - to me, although not much time on my 230s.

A v977 tops my excitement list right now. Just read so many good things about them and have watched a lot of vids showing off what they can do also.

I blew my heli budget today on Chase 360 completion electronics. Went deeper on the orders I placed today than originally intended, but once everything arrives I'll be able to build it close to completion (will only need a receiver and blades).

Next round of ordering won't be until the second half of February and I'm not sure yet what'll be on that order. I've been very off and on with the hobby for big chunks of time over the past 3 years, and it seems like I've been racing to make up the lost time over the last 3 months.

The good news at least is that the most expensive stuff I wanted I now have, or have already ordered. I'll have about a solid month of building (first kit heli), simming, and taming and tweaking my mSR X before I decide which things remaining on the wish and need (to complete the Chase) to order next month.

A v977 tops the list as my summer yard flier and real life CP trainer beyond the sim. With my current micro helis being mostly indoor or more sentimental value than for flying (120 SR), the v977 will likely get the heaviest use this summer. I'd thought about an inbetween heli to bridge the size gap between the v977 and Chase 360, but there's really nothing out there right now that has the appeal to pull the trigger on it.

Nothing RTF anyway. Maybe a less expensive kit next winter based around an Oxy 2 and micro iKon. And maybe a plank for the summer just to mix it up a bit.

I still have to work the kinks out of my mSR X. Does yours piro well at all? An mCP X tail boom is a cheap mod I've read good things on to further improve the mSR X's flight characteristics. Maybe something to add to next month's order. I still need a new frame for rebuilding my 120 SR. One winter project is to get them all back up and working as near perfectly as possible without going after-market (all are still 100% stock).

[jrman83]

One of mine had the mCP boom on it and it did fly a little better until I crashed outside flying in the wind, although can't really blame the wind. I replaced with the standard boom. This one also has metal swash/grips from RKH. Overall it flies much better than the other I have that is completely stock. I like the MCP boom but at the time I replaced it I couldn't remember why I had done it since it was nearly 4yrs ago, lol, and now it has the standard boom. I miss the mCP boom.

It piros okay in the direction of the lean/list. Go against it and your better be ready on the stick. Not impossible but will test your reactions.

I have 2 120SRs also. Funny that one also has the metal mods from RKH just like my mSR-x guys. I am about done flying these. They don't do well outside unless very calm and inside is a little small for me. Since I am flying outside I'd much better do so with my 200SRXs if was flying FP. One thing about the batteries for your 120, they will work perfectly in a V977 if you change the connectors out to JST, which is something you want anyway to get away from the trash charger they send with it. Works okay, just doesn't provide a good charge sometimes and the BL motor does not like a not so fresh battery. I was happy about that since I had just bought 6 new batteries for my 120s and then started thinking about de-commissioning them.

[Blade Scraper]

The blade grips were the only upgrade that really tempted me, and just for the mSR X, because the mSR X can really chew through the stock grips. The same grips on the mSR will survive countless crashes before one eventually breaks.

My most recent flight on the mSR ended with a strange crash: I hit the wall while doing piros with it (that part is not strange), and when I picked the heli up noticed that the grips had completely separated in the crash - but nothing was broken and the screws hadn't budged, though they were no longer screwed into the opposing grips. They screwed back together fine and no damage anywhere. Just weird.

All of my old Blade micros are nearing some state of semi-retirement. I fly the mSR now and then because its the one best suited to my indoor space, but its down to a lipo or 2 every other week. My mSR X is the current focal point for indoor flight, but that's more to do with getting used to a twitchier heli in the same space in preparation for a small CP substitute. My 120 SR rarely gets flown - no flights last summer at all.

I recently replaced my mSR/mSR X lipos with the new ones released for the Nano CPS (my old ones weren't holding much of charge any more). My 120 SR lipos are likely pretty near death too. I don't anticipate it seeing much future flight time, but to have the option to fly in the yard this summer, I'll buy a new lipo for it with the new frame it needs for the rebuild.

Even though they aren't as fascinating as they once were, all of them still hold a sentimental place for me to keep them in good repair at least: each of those helis had a role in the transition from the first impulse coaxial buy to (beginning with the 120 SR) developing an interest and enthusiasm that's grown in the years since, despite some off periods here and there.

Were it not for the confidence gained, and enjoyment to push farther, from those helis, no sim program would have arisen to follow as CP/3D prep, and it was in the regular tear downs and rebuilds and tuning that gave the confidence to tackle a Chase 360 kit.

February may bring a new micro ordered through Banggood. With January's heli budget spent to get most of what the Chase 360 needed to finish it, I'll likely commit then to a new heli to begin testing indoors. On size, the HCP60 is the best fit, while a v977 is a better heli but one better suited to the backyard as indoor space is too small.

The HCP60 almost made yesterday's Banggood order (for KST servos), but I hesitated before ordering and used that money instead for an MKS DS95i ordered separately from Rotor Quest where I also ordered the FBL (Micro Beast Plus). Decided to stay focused on finishing the 360 first, then re-visit my new micro options next month. Prices on these helis are so good its not hard for me to justify both: an HCP60 to try inside and a v977 (or XK 110 - most parts are interchangeable) to be a summer yard flier.

[Turbojoe]

I got my well used MSRX probably close to a year ago. Kind of as a novelty. It was pretty crappy until I did the MM mod and that got it at least flyable. Added a MH alloy swash and MSR blades. It got a little better but it still had the wicked "get the hell out of the way!" left turn problems. I was bored at work yesterday and read through this and a few more threads and decided to attack and tame the possessed little bird when I got home.

I zeroed all trims in the TX and had no active mixes. Did a whole mess of quick hops making little linkage and CG adjustments along the way. Finally got it so tame that I safely landed it on the face of the TX 2 out of 5 tries! Now I can zoom it all over the living room. Left turns still aren't quite as smooth and controlled as right turns but they're SO much better now and figure 8's are a blast.

My 180CFX is too big for the living room and the MCPX is borderline but the MSRX is perfect. Now that I finally got that left turn problem figured out this one is going to be getting a LOT more air time now.

Joe