The Official Chase 360 build thread and tips

[Dustin Mustangs]

Originally Posted by Luvmyhelis

Now you are actually ready to mount up your preferred battery as specified in section 7 and get the Chase 360's cog correctly configured. And the most simple method I know of to do this is to simply mount up the battery and hang the heli on its side while holding it by one of the main blades. If the heli hangs equally. The cog is correct. If not, it needs to be moved around. For this thread I simply pulled out one of my old 1300 35c 6s Voltz packs, which amazingly still is healthy after close to 300 plus flights and left sitting in the fridge for two years! Its other two mates didn't fare as well and each have a weak cell. But between them all I plan on building two complete 6s long packs. Three cells on each side end to end, long and thin. This should raise up my cog much higher yet.

Personally I like the velcro method to hold the packs in place, and then use a small battery strap to anchor them down. Most of you will probably use the supplied KDS velcro, but for my use I prefer a solid locking strap such as the smaller 450 size 6 cell Scorpions or equal. On this new skinny 6s pack though, the Kds velcro holds ok.

Hopefully I can get someone over here to show up and take a pic while the Chase is hung by one of its blades to give you a good look at how this is done. As simply picking it up from beneath the grips with a small 450 is sometimes hit and miss.

What are the dimensions of those packs as you have them split up? I wanted to run two of these in series and wasn't sure I'd be able to get the CoG right.

Awesome thread!

[Luvmyhelis]

Thanks! The packs are based off the Voltz 6s 35c. And measure out at roughly 25mm thick, 34mm wide, 140mm long.

[Luvmyhelis]

Originally Posted by IPDJBT

I wasn't trying to be critical or looking for errors, if that's how you took it. I'm already organizing my build although I don't even have the kit yet and as I was making notes of certain areas of the build I'd need to pay close attention to I got a little confused at that section of your write up.

BTW, how are you liking those servos so far? I have a set of those on my other 450 and they seem to perform pretty well.

A 380 - 420 stretch sounds awesome! I didn't think it would be doable on this bird.

Its ok, I didn't take it that way. Sadly my new (but sitting in storage for a long time) Yep esc gave up the ghost just as I was getting ready to field it yesterday. So I have a new one headed my way. So far so good on the servos, but only time will tell here.

[craigdieselmac]

I got an email from Allen at KDS and all the original owners should be getting some new parts.. Hopefully the gentleman I bought mine from will send them to me.. If not, Allen said they would send them to me for shipping cost only!

[IPDJBT]

Originally Posted by craigdieselmac

I got an email from Allen at KDS and all the original owners should be getting some new parts.. Hopefully the gentleman I bought mine from will send them to me.. If not, Allen said they would send them to me for shipping cost only!

How does this work? I just got my 360 today from HeliDirect. Do I need to register my purchase with KDS to get any future update parts?

[PeteStewardson]

Originally Posted by craigdieselmac

I got an email from Allen at KDS and all the original owners should be getting some new parts.. Hopefully the gentleman I bought mine from will send them to me.. If not, Allen said they would send them to me for shipping cost only!

Which parts are they updating?

[jolyboy]

Originally Posted by craigdieselmac

I got an email from Allen at KDS and all the original owners should be getting some new parts.. Hopefully the gentleman I bought mine from will send them to me.. If not, Allen said they would send them to me for shipping cost only!

Good news!! Hopefully they don't stuff it up.

[craigdieselmac]

They have a pulley that has a flange on both sides (I am assuming it is the main pulley/gear). I don't know if the new kits came with this or not. I don't know what else they have

[PeteStewardson]

Yeah the pulley missing the flange I think has turned out to be a non-issue, nearly everyone is having the belt running at the bottom of that pulley so the flange at the top isn't causing any problems.

[craigdieselmac]

I had to file down my pinion to get the first belt to come up on the first reduction pulley. I had about .5 mm exposed belt below the pulley and could not raise the pinion up enough to correct it. I am going to take it to a buddy of mine and have it turned on a lathe or machined down to smooth it out.. it is functional, just not pretty. My main belt has a little bit of exposed pulley below the belt so it is fine, just not centered.

[craigdieselmac]

helicopter is stunning though. I absolutely love the design.

[IPDJBT]

Originally Posted by Luvmyhelis

Here is the step involved I actually partially described in step 2. The KDS step 3 in the manual which is mounting the motor in place. I am sure in the newer kits that this step will be quite straightforward without nearly the work it took to get it correct in my first run version. So I described it in more detail in the earlier step to address this. As I am sure the new pinions provided with the kits will seat the belt at its correct height and the primary gear reduction system should fit like a glove.

Again, this is a great time to adjust the motor belt tension and get the pinion seated at the correct height on the motor shaft. And again, if you are going to inside route the wire as I did, make sure the motor wire exits towards the back so it can be tucked through the opening.

Again the basic motor mount pics. See the belt not right in the center of the white plastic reduction gear? Adjust the pinion on the motor shaft until this is correct.

I cannot get this belt to run in the center, instead it runs right on the edge of the plastic gear. The reason being I cannot move the motor pinion any closer to the mounting plate because the pinion itself will rub on the motor mounting screws. The chamfered slots in the motor mount plate need to be machined just a wee bit deeper so the motor screws will sit down in the slots further.

[PeteStewardson]

If you put the pinion in a dremel you can shamfer the bottom of the pinion to get it closer.

[Luvmyhelis]

Originally Posted by PeteStewardson

If you put the pinion in a dremel you can shamfer the bottom of the pinion to get it closer.

Exactly. Same with the pinion base itself. IF the parts are left stock, there is no way they will clear each other at the required height it takes to get the belt to run true at this point. I just used a cheapo $18 Harbor Freight drill and a file to mod both mine. You do not need exotic tools, just some common sense and basic stuff can do just about anything here.

[Andrillox]

I just added some washers to the bottom of the motor mount raising the whole thing by 1mm due to lack of tools as suggested by Luvmyhelis on his build write up and the belt runs in the middle now. I also made a plastic washer made out of a sim card from work which is .7mm in thickness to the top flange bearing so that it sits a little lower, therefore eliminating the play created by the motor mount lift. I originally thought this was the issue causing my belts to strip but even running dead center, the issue is still there.

[benj.calderon]

just a quick warning... I don't know if it's me but the ball links seem to be made out of butter! I broke two of them leaving half of the screw inside and trying to fix it I damaged the whole swash plate... my build is now waiting on helidirect to ship me a new one

So, before anything heat the ball links to soften the thread locker and then unscrew them. Trust me, it took almost no strength and they broke!

[Luvmyhelis]

Originally Posted by Andrillox

I just added some washers to the bottom of the motor mount raising the whole thing by 1mm due to lack of tools as suggested by Luvmyhelis on his build write up and the belt runs in the middle now. I also made a plastic washer made out of a sim card from work which is .7mm in thickness to the top flange bearing so that it sits a little lower, therefore eliminating the play created by the motor mount lift. I originally thought this was the issue causing my belts to strip but even running dead center, the issue is still there.

Nicely done!

The new gears soon being released by Kds should address this belt issue so we can all move on and enjoy what the heli should have been in the first place. Definitely what happens when someone less skilled and talented second guesses a true engineer's intent on any project.

[Luvmyhelis]

Next on my to do list was to quickly replace the non turnbuckle fbl grip links Chase supplied with some that actually work turnbuckle style. HeliOption makes servo to swash turnbuckle kits under $14 for the 450 align pro that fit the ticket. I sourced mine at HD but found out they dropped them right after I received and installed them on my own Chase yesterday. These are the perfect length and the balls fit like a glove.

While I was at it I modded my new HW 40a opto esc with a heat sink and additional wiring I needed to make this work right. I always wonder why the factory's think a thin metal plate will work as a sink for us hard cores? So I cut down a sink to fit my esc from a cheap $6 kit from HK that has several sizes and the heat tape also. On my Chase I have the separate Castle 10a bec, so I routed power wires through the esc from the main connections. Then installed new 2mm bullets, and installed bullets also for my HW phase sensor. Then heat shrink wrapped it all up. Works perfect!

Also final shots of my heli as finished. Next posts will be starting the mod section. A few of us are pursuing 12s. Finding an esc seems to be the bottle neck for this venture now that Castle has discontinued their 12s 40a capable smaller esc due to lack of sales. Also I am going to first install a 4 blade head that is designed to fit the 500 Align since they both share an 8mm main shaft in common. Then begin the stretch section, which will show guys modding the Chase how to setup their helis using up to 420 to 430mm main blades. Basically producing a super nimble ultra lightweight 500 on crack.

Somebody tell me what is wrong with that?

[craigdieselmac]

Found them at boomtown hobbies
http://www.boomtownhobbies.com/Heli_..._p/hptb002.htm

[Luvmyhelis]

I think those may be too long?