Helicommand FBL systems

[Jamin_00]

Are there any guys out there that have used the lastest Helicommand systems.

I know Noel from Midlands is trying this Midland Helicopters Ltd RadioAccs_Autopilots one at the moment but anyone else.

I like the idea of that as it would help you prgress and push the boundries alot harder and further than you normally would.

Then there is this one Midland Helicopters Ltd VarUpgrades_Flybarless which is the same apart from the stabilization feature which some may prefer, maybe just because of the cost.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jjp58buPpYU"]YouTube - Erick Ehrstein mit HC3-SX[/ame]

Shame this vid is in German but it gives a good look at the unit.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31KCNeIrdRs&[/ame]

Looks interesting to say the least and maybe one to try out on something

[J-S-Q]

Not cheap at £442 though is it? I do like the idea of switchable self levelling though as it would give you a lot more confidence to try new things. The Skookum 720 has this feature for a fair bit less (although still not that cheap at about £350).

[Steve]

I see two videos - one showing someone doing 3D and one with a close up of a 35MHz transmitter with the sticks being twiddled followed by letting go and flicking a switch....... with the Tx aerial down!

Whatever these videos are trying to demonstrate, I can't see it for toffee.

Not having a go at the system, just the pointless videos.

[Jamin_00]

The first vid just shows a bloke flying with it and the 2nd shows the unit!

Hows that pointless?

[J-S-Q]

I see two videos - one showing someone doing 3D and one with a close up of a 35MHz transmitter with the sticks being twiddled followed by letting go and flicking a switch....... with the Tx aerial down!

Whatever these videos are trying to demonstrate, I can't see it for toffee.

Not having a go at the system, just the pointless videos.

It's only pointless because you probably don't speak German -but that's not exactly their fault now is it? lol

[coolice]

Hey.

Duncans been testing the HC3X Extreme version, which I was lucky enough to have a stir of the sticks with also.
It was working quite well for him, as usual he was using his favoured SL720 on the tail but when I last saw him they were trying the inbuilt tail gyro and finding it comes well.
Likewise they have since found some better settings since I tried the model which has improved it further last I heard.
This is fitted to his 700N for trialing.

Out of interest I read the other day Helicommand have issued a warning not to use them on twin shaft turbine models, apparently there have been some issues and two scale machines have crashed. Vibration is the main thought at present, but its being rectified asap.
.

[J-S-Q]

In my mind, it this would have to be quite seriously amazing to make me want to buy one when I could buy THREE Beast X units for the same price.

[J-S-Q]

In my mind, it this would have to be quite seriously amazing to make me want to buy one when I could buy THREE Beast X units for the same price.

Actually, I'm being a bit unfair by making the comparison with the self levelling version of Helicommand. So really it's more like two and a half Beast X's.

[Jamin_00]

In my mind, it this would have to be quite seriously amazing to make me want to buy one when I could buy THREE Beast X units for the same price.

Defo agree on this one but when i look at, it if i look at it like this, if i put it on my srimok one big crash could cost me more than the price of this unit so if i put one on there, the sx version that is, that could save me a small fortune and allow me to push with my fav heli

Not saying im getting one at all just thats the train of thought i had with it when i was having a convo with Noel about it.

[J-S-Q]

Defo agree on this one but when i look at, it if i look at it like this, if i put it on my srimok one big crash could cost me more than the price of this unit so if i put one on there, the sx version that is, that could save me a small fortune and allow me to push with my fav heli

Not saying im getting one at all just thats the train of thought i had with it when i was having a convo with Noel about it.

Yeah, I was only messing about really because actually I do like this self levelling idea very much. I've actually managed to not have any 'pilot error' crashes for over 18 months (just 2 mech failure crashes) BUT I've only managed to do this by being quite cautious with trying anything new until I've nailed it 100% on the sim so my progress has been steady but definitely a bit slower than I'd like. Certainly tempting to have a bail out switch so you can take a lot more risks with your flying. I was quite impressed when I saw the Skookum bail out feature in this thread:

http://www.rcheliaddict.co.uk/skooku...tml#post597108

[Lynx.1677]

I've seen and used the standard helicommand system on a 600E and hated it. It was just.......horrid. I found that the guy I flew with relied on it to get him out of any and all situations and to be honest he had very little authority on the heli. When it's a 600 sized that is scary. He then went out and bought a 250SE and learnt to fly properly, his skills literally went from night and day after getting the 250 even though he'd had the 600 w/helicommand on it for months.

I am sure others have had positive experiences with HC but I would never, ever recommend it to a newbie.

[J-S-Q]

I've seen and used the standard helicommand system on a 600E and hated it. It was just.......horrid. I found that the guy I flew with relied on it to get him out of any and all situations and to be honest he had very little authority on the heli. When it's a 600 sized that is scary. He then went out and bought a 250SE and learnt to fly properly, his skills literally went from night and day after getting the 250 even though he'd had the 600 w/helicommand on it for months.

I am sure others have had positive experiences with HC but I would never, ever recommend it to a newbie.

My guess is that you are talking about the original Helicommand system but I think this one is probably significantly different. RE: the self levelling, people have differing opinions but I'd definitely see it as a plus PROVIDING that you don't usually have it switched on all the time, just as a 'get out of jail (and save yourself a few hundred quid) card'. I've only just started trying inverted circuits with my real heli (having been doing them with no problems at all on the sim for aaaaages). I think if I had this bail out feature, I'd probably have been doing them for real easily 6 months ago.

[Jamin_00]

Apparently these systems have come a long way now but imo its a lot of money to try on a unit i know very little about.

My progress is also been slow due to not pushing hard either but im fine doing this it would just be piece of mind if i were to try something i could in relative safety, and i would try things knowing this system was in place.

[Steve]

The first vid just shows a bloke flying with it and the 2nd shows the unit!

Hows that pointless?

They are pointless because neither of the actually demonstrate what the point of the unit is, how it works or how it is better than it's competitors.

In the first video, someone is flying a heli. Wow! There is no way of knowing of the device is even fitted to this heli, and assuming it is, what is it actually doing that a competent pilot couldn't do anyway.

The second video again does not demonstrate what the unit does or how it does it and has such a simple error in the shot of the Tx 'supposedly' flying the unit that it makes it laughable and could stop any serious potential buyer from taking it seriously. I can see what it looks like from a static photo.

Apologies, but my comments are very generalised and also cover the multitude of 'top-end' 3D Master pilots who can regularly bee seen showing off new servos or gyros or whatever on YouTube clips, but again, I just don't see it. I cannot tell from these videos by some outstanding pilots how gyro 'X' is better than gyro 'Y'. It's just a great flight by a great pilot and they should get credit for that where it's deserved.

Surely, If these Helicommand people want to demonstrate their self-levelling system, the promotional video should show the heli flying a 3D routine with a corner image of the Tx from above, and show that when it goes pear shaped, the pilot lets go of the sticks or whatever the routine is and the heli rights itself. This is what I'd want to see in a promo vid. I want to see it working in real time on a real flight and demonstrating exactly what it is capable of. Then maybe, just maybe I'd be interested in buying it!

These manufacturers should put a bit more thought into how they promote their products and the intelligence of their potential audience/customers.

Like I said, not having a go at the unit as I'm sure it's fine, just got on a bit of a rant about these types of videos in general.

Sorry, I'll crawl back under my rock!

[Jamin_00]

I get exactly what your saying steve as that video of the guy flying could be a beastx or a vbar for all we know and your right, it might not appear to us as being any different to another.
But when WE fly these units thats when we can actually tell howbetter something is than another.

I cant find a video actually from HC demonstrating it properly to thepoint it proves to me what it does properly.