Blade CP - The GOOD setup - Your mileage may vary

[NotEnoughTime]

Originally Posted by cold duck

I noticed you are using the G90 in digital mode along with the stock servos. Since no servo is connected to the gyro, what does the digital mode do over the standard mode? Will using the digital mode harm anything? I am using a DX6 radio along with a AR6000 receiver. Thanks.

I would also like to know to the effect of running the gyro in digital mode rather than standard mode because of us using a esc to control the tail instead of a servo. I use the CC Phoenix 10a and Feigao tail motor.

[WickedDragon]

Hello, Mr Duck and Hey Jeremy.

You can mix and match between digital and analog. The fact that you're using analog servos on the collective/cyclic doesn't affect the esc or tail servo. The ESC is accepting digital input from the gyro as would a digital tail rotor servo would. The end result is much finer and consistant control for the device. Basically you can count dots more accurately than you can count waves.

[motoxaust6]

hey,
i got a blade cp pro with a brushless main motor and a dd tail setup and i was wondering whether it is worth it to go out and buy a new radio instead of using the eflite one.

[cold duck]

It will fly so much better using a DX7 radio and receiver, but it will cost a pretty penny. However, with a DX7 radio, you will be able to fly any 2.4 Ghz DSM2 aircraft and that is priceless!

[motoxaust6]

wow, definitely right about the pretty penny. In the manual it recommends a dx6 which is about $150 less than the dx7. Is there significant difference in performance between the dx6 and dx7?

[cold duck]

I have the DX6. It is a very nice radio, but is almost obsolete these days. Why? Because it does not support the DSM2 technology like the DX7. With DSM2, the TX can bind and fly any bird with a DSM2 receiver. The DX7 supports 20 models instead of 10, has a flight timer, and more advanced features than the lowly DX6. If you are going to do it, then do it right. Get the DX7 or at the least, the DX6i; but do not buy a DX6!

On the other side of the coin, if you want a bargain radio and you don't care about the DSM2 technology and don't mind the limitations of the DX6, then by all means buy one. But take it from me, you will not regret buying a DX7 or DX6i. IMHO, a good computer radio is priceless for our heli hobby. Good luck!

PS - Most of the new birds coming on the market today have a Bind-n-fly version; meaning if you already have a DSM2 radio like the DX7; you simply bind the radio to the model and fly. You don't have to buy any xtals or crappy receivers. Priceless! I bought my DX6 just after the DX7 came out. I thought I would save some dough and went for the DX6. Now I am regretting that decision big time. Don't make the same mistake.

Good luck!

[WickedDragon]

+1 on the radio. Arguably the best upgrade you could make in regard to a Blade.

[motoxaust6]

alright
i got the dx6i and i can't wait to try it out, but i have a problem.
I'm plugging all of the servos and stuff into the new ar6200, but i don't know what to do with the rudder leads. I have g90 gyro on it and there are 2 leads coming out of it, one having 3 wires and the other only having 1. Does anyone know where to plug these two leads in?

[WickedDragon]

3 wire plug into the rudder channel; the single wire connector goes into the gain channel (usually ch5); but I'm not sure on a Spectrum.

[bpd964]

+1

[helidude3]

Do you guys know if it would be OK to use a 1320 mah pack on a cp pro with the setup, I can never balance it with the stock battery.

[WickedDragon]

I fly 900's, 1320's and even 2200's on mine all of the time. Obviously the additional weight impairs performance, but the 1320's still "pop" nicely.

BTW.... a 2200 mAh battery will tame a Blade down a whole bunch. It also slows the throttle response, but for hover practice, mellow flight and newbies.... not a bad way to stabilize things.

[WickedDragon]

Well here it is folks …… after 4 year of futzin’ and fussin’, trail and error and error and error …… the Phase4 Build Log for my E-flite Blade CP as it transforms into the DragonBlade CP Extreme.

Thanks to all that have provided input and advise ; the result is what I believe to be the definitive build for those pesky lil Blades! DISCLAIMER: These are my experiences, findings and opinions. Like they said in the beginning…. YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY!

The only real constraints were to retain the flybar and motored tail. Phase1 provided just a more robust heli; (i.e. better, stronger, faster; less breakage, after all this is an entry level ARF Heli, right?), Phase2 added brushless, separates, new Tx/Rx and a GY401. Phase3 added the reworked Fraken-rotorhead and aluminum blade grips, the 2100T and a new wiring layout. (Unfortunately, FlightTech is gone and some of the products that were used are no longer available. I’m in the process of finding viable replacement suggestions for these parts.) The Phase4 build was done to develop a test platform for the belted tail version that’s in progress and has ended up a really awesome version of what it was supposed to be.

Just a little background…. mind you this started after the self-destructing Venom NR3D incidents (yes, plural! ) and a replacement bone stock Blade CP. It was a beautiful calm fall evening and I had just managed to get through an entire NiCad battery pack on the previous flight without causing any damage. On to pack #2. While in unintentional, semi-controlled FFF, with training balls… I hit a fence post. Blades, blade grips, flybar, flybar frame, main shaft, frame, all 3 servos, tail rotor and motor, canopy, landing gear…. In one shot! Get this, the tail boom didn’t break and the feathering shaft wasn’t bent, go figure!


So Phase1 Features

FlightTech (Purple that’s really pink) frame. The frame kit also includes the dual tail motors.
E-flite Aluminum Swashplate
Servos were generously replaced with the 1-year warranty.
Heli-Direct Plasti-blades
Adjustable Tail Boom Supports
Beaded tail strut

Phase1 (Photo courtesy of my daughter, Kaytlin)




I scored my first hover with this bird! These mods provided a significant improvement to the airframe and only a minor weight increase.

The GOOD….
Increased tail motor life. After changing to the dual motor, I never burned one up.
“Unbreakable” skids and ingenious assembly.
Improved cyclic control.

The BAD…
Physical tail wag… the tail boom wood flex with rudder input resulting in a whip effect during hard rudder. Inadequate tail boom bracing.
Servo movement. The servos would move the plastic mounts causing erratic cyclic input to the Swashplate.

The SHORTCOMINGS…. (Same ol’ complaints)
Poor tail hold and authority.
Head slop
No “pop”; a real toad!
4 in 1



Chapter 2 coming soon...... Same Heli Channel!

[WickedDragon]

Phase1A ended in complete failure! I installed the HDX300 V1 head. It was incredibly large, heavy, very difficult to adjust and completely impossible to balance. The initial full spool up tore the main shaft mast right out of the frame.

Back to where I was at Phase0; a pile of parts! This is where FlightTech really amazed me. The frame had a lifetime guarantee, Andy’s feeling was that if you were willing to spend that much on a high quality part, it should last and you shouldn’t have to pay for it ever again! Impressive, huh? I miss FlightTech!

Andy also introduced me to the FlightTech head and feathering shaft. We had a conversation about the Century Auto-rotation main gear too.

So Phase2 features….

A brandily new BLUE FlightTech Frame
E-flite Bell-Hiller Rotorhead
HDX300 Flybar Frame Pushrods (modified)
Century CNE-250 Auto-Rotation Main Gear
E-flite Hacker 4900Kv Brushless
Castle Creations Phoenix35
HPI RS4 9T Pinion
Custom CF Tail Fins
Functional Canopy Ducts
CF Servo Mounting Plates

After crushing the 4in1 during a hack…..
Futaba 7CHP & R146i
Futaba GY401
Deans Mini-Antenna
Castle Creations Pixie7 ESC

Phase2A added…

Custom Battery Tray
FlightTech Rotorhead
FlightTech Hardened Feathering Shaft
E-flite Park 370 4100Kv Inrunner Brushless
Castle Creations Phoenix25
The Deans Plug Switch
E-Sky CF Main Blades
E-flite CF Tail Rotor
E-flite Blade Grip Modification

Phase2 & 2-A: The SuperBladeCP ; where things really started to happen. A lot of the quirky flight characteristics could be tuned out with the radio. Power, Lots of power! No glitches on the mains! I could actually hover without breaking a sweat! I’ll go through the detail on the mods in the Phase4 description.

The GOOD….
Heli looks whole bunches better.
Power!
Amazing improvement in tail authority. Gyros are cool!
Improved and smoother head response for both collective and cyclic.
No more glitches on the mains due to power because on the auto-rotation main gear.
Better tail boom struts
Better cooling
Eliminated servo movement

The BAD…
S75 Servos
Still demonstrating somewhat unstable flight behavior
E-flite Bell-Hiller Blade Grips are at best FRAGILE!

The SHORTCOMINGS…
Crap batteries
Continued Tail failures (even tried the EDF tail here)
Blade Grip modifications work & FlightTech head made improvements, but cyclic should be more responsive.

Chapter 3 in progress!

[Epoweredrc]

how the heck you fit a 2200mah lipo on that heli? i am guessing the canopy will not go on with it.

[WickedDragon]

No. The canopy fits. Because of the Rx & ESC mount be raised on the frame the battery tray is 1/8" or so higher. The 2200 slide right in there. I'll include a picture with the 2200 in the next installment. Been a touch busy with a SJM.

[rrthorn]

I am using the same brushless main motor ( eflite 370) and tail DD brushed motor as rstacy.... can someone please give me the correct way to program the Spectrum DX7 trans so I can start up in normal mode without the tail spinning and then go up to stunt ( idle 1 & idle 2) mode. Thanks for your time and help.

[Epoweredrc]

Originally Posted by rrthorn

I am using the same brushless main motor ( eflite 370) and tail DD brushed motor as rstacy.... can someone please give me the correct way to program the Spectrum DX7 trans so I can start up in normal mode without the tail spinning and then go up to stunt ( idle 1 & idle 2) mode. Thanks for your time and help.

make sure your rudder trim and subtrim are on zero.. you will need some right trim to hold it ( i think right maybe left i get confused ) make sure you have your rudder trimed for ST1 and two i just learned with the dx7 you change the normal to St 1 and 2 your trims have to be the same for all flight mode as in ( elv,ail,rudder) but most time you need more rudder corection in ST1 and 2 cause more RPMs. my motor doesnt seem to change but maybe its getting wore out.

[WickedDragon]

Phase 2A was a much needed success. After the nightmare up, back, left and boom take off sequence with 3 (yes 3 ..... ) Venom Night Ranger 3D's, the frustration with this &^#&^@%# &$@^@^ piece of &@*..... had me doubting whether I had really learned anything or not and should be sticking to RC trucks! My heli was actually behaving how real RC helicopters do in all of the "Learning to Fly" write ups....you know the ones that you think don't mean anything because heli sure doesn't do that....... I was even playing with governor mode and tweaking the setup. Get this.... I was actually thinking that I was done upgrading! Yeah okay!

BTW..... A Castle Creations Pixie7 ESC was added for the Dual Tail in Phase 2A.

Enter..... the tail rotor failures. The dual tail that was working so well..... not so much, anymore. This was when I found out a single tail motor on a dual motor setup does NOT have enough power to spin the rotor & a dead motor..... broken connections, bent shafts, loose bushings..... the same problems as with the single motor tail and twice the money for 2 motors! DD here we come.

Phase 3 added...... (lets just say due to a necessary re-build)

The GWS DD tail setup
Hitec HS-55's

The GOOD....

• All of the good stuff from Phase 2 & 2A
• Tail hold.... an amazing concept..... truly!
• NO MORE E-flite SERVOS...EVER!!!!

The BAD.....

• The GWS tail box is fragile.... very fragile.

I was actually becoming attached to my little heli at this point. I could keep it in the air and under relatively loose control for entire battery packs. Pretty novel given my more recent attempts at flying! I continued fine tuning and became increasingly confident. I got a little loose hit the GWS tail fin which took out....... the tail. I was trying to climb out so it was spinning........ can you say chicken dance! I knew you could. (Phase 0 again).

Phase 3a added....

• A reassembled heli
• Two interchangeable tails

• 40mm Ducted Fan
• DD tail using the stock tail box.

The GOOD......

• The DD tail was working just fine.
• I have a heli again.

The BAD....

• The DF tail Everything that could did. We'll leave it at that.
• I don't have a flying heli anymore.

The belted tail conversion kits were getting popular and I started looking into some possibilities. I liked and purchased the Freestyle Hobby Kit and started planning for the conversion which included the improvements from my past attempts.

Phase 4 is everything I wanted to do to a Blade CP short of the belted tail conversion. The frame mods and electronics placement are done primarily to accommodate the the conversion.

Phase 4 added......

• CC P10 / Medusa DD tail.
• LogicTech 2100T Gyro
• Adjustable Rx/ESC tray
• FSH CF Battery tray & custom mounting
• TRex Tail Boom Braces
• TRex Ball links for Servo Links
• Servo/Anti-rotation Bracket
• Component brackets

Phase 4 has been plagued with mishaps. Spool up tests produced only damage and grounded the heli through the winter. I've got it back together and it awaits... what, like it's.... 14th maiden flight!

I'll be starting the full build log soon. It will cover exactly what I'm using now, why I'm using it and what it did/does to make me keep using it.

Glad to hear you folks enjoy my ramblings!

[boomer6]

Can`t wait for the Full Build Log! Alot of very useful information....thanks for taking the time to share it with us.

John