Flybarless: Heavy or light blades?

[GravityKills]

Hello,

did anybody compare different blades on a flybarless heli? Ideally Radix stickbangers vs. normal ones.

What I'm interested in is excessive bounce, and how much cyclic bogs the engine in fast flips and rolls.
I suspect that stickbangers might perform better than standard Radix, simply because they drain less power on cyclic input.

Conventional wisdom tells us to use heavier blades for FBL, but the reason for that may be bounce, not power.

[Tim Procter]

Conventional wisdom tells us to use heavier blades for FBL, but the reason for that may be bounce

Spot-on.

I have tried lots of blades from Align 690D to Radix 710SB to SAB Red Devils.

The best solution is dedicated "Flybarless Blades" such as Edge whick work 100% good IMO.

Stopped all the elevator bounce and totally transform the heli.

Edge are bringing out some 713mm Flybarless blades this next week in the shops I have been told, Will be giving those a try over the current 693mm blades I am using now.

I have here a set of Radix 710mm normal blades "ie" not stick bangers I am trying this afternoon. Will let you know how they work.

[Ashley Davis]

The problem with stick banger blades is the CG is too far forward which makes them unstable in flight. This unstability leads to the elevator bounce or nodding effect. You need neutral CG blades which have the CG on the bolt hole (ie. stable blades) in order to get nice flight manners on flybarless. Stick bangers just aren't needed on flybarless as their job is to bite harder in flight to overcome the flybar stability and gyroscopic effect as well as being lighter to reduce the gyroscopic effect, flybarless doesn't have a flybar so that lightness and forward CG isn't needed, the heli can flip very fast using a CG neutral blade with no flybar to overcome.

[ChrisB]

I have used several different blades on the V Bar 430mms,550mms and 600mms and TBH because the V Bar optimises to them(if activated) i can feel no noticable difference between different sets/makes.

Agree that the 3g is very choosy on blades though,at least on its current firmware.

[Tim Procter]

I have used several different blades on the V Bar 430mms,550mms and 600mms and TBH because the V Bar optimises to them(if activated) i can feel no noticable difference between different sets/makes.

That's interesting Chris and certainly a positive note over the 3G unit..

Agree that the 3g is very choosy on blades though,at least on its current firmware.

That's for sure.

Sooner this problem is sorted the better IMO.

[ChrisB]

Optimizer info Tim,works really well.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pkuEcrtFOI]YouTube - VBar 101 Episode 22 - Optimizer[/ame]

[Asid]

The problem with stick banger blades is the CG is too far forward which makes them unstable in flight. This unstability leads to the elevator bounce or nodding effect. You need neutral CG blades which have the CG on the bolt hole (ie. stable blades) in order to get nice flight manners on flybarless. Stick bangers just aren't needed on flybarless as their job is to bite harder in flight to overcome the flybar stability and gyroscopic effect as well as being lighter to reduce the gyroscopic effect, flybarless doesn't have a flybar so that lightness and forward CG isn't needed, the heli can flip very fast using a CG neutral blade with no flybar to overcome.

We discussed that very topic with Curtis Youngblood on episode 1 of the new podcast: here

I fly 710 Radix non SB and find them very good. No pitching or bounce

[LaurenceGough]

I have used several different blades on the V Bar 430mms,550mms and 600mms and TBH because the V Bar optimises to them(if activated) i can feel no noticable difference between different sets/makes.

Agree that the 3g is very choosy on blades though,at least on its current firmware.

+1 I'm sure V-Bar doesn't bounce no matter what blades you chose but flight performance is effected by blades such as stability during a hover, FFF, collective response, cyclic response and auto performance.


Can't go wrong with special FBL blades such as the Edge ones. Other than that I think heavier blades are a better choice, depends what you're after though.