first flip/loop (mcpx)

[Chrisrw]

MCPX My first loop (or is it called a flip?)
I had a few practices on Phoenix and it looked quite staight forward to flip (im guessing its not a roll as im starting from a hover not foward flight).
Wasn't shure if it would translate straight to real life but to my supprise it did!
Just done two batteries and lots of flips. Only crashed twice (tried a side roll but was too slow and forgot to idle up on the second battery forward roll!) Even the way the way the mcpx headspeed drops when increasing pitch is quite lifelike.
Now just have to actually learn how to fly!
Can just about manage a messy circuit - still struggling with any of the 8's.
I know I was warned how addictive this would become but I wasnt really prepared for it to take over my life quite as much as it has!

[Chrisrw]

Does anyone know if increasing the servo range (in the tx) makes any difference and could make a side roll esier?
A the moment i would need to be very high to make it all the way around (I seem to be applying enough neg pitch its just seems like the aileron travel is less than the elevator?)

[DaveJones]

Congrat's I remember the buzz of my first loop and realising my heli's wont fall apart if they go upside down.

I have a mk1 MCPX and gave up trying to loop or flip it, just doesn't have the power any attempt just bogged the rotor and it falls out the sky. Good recovery practise but that's about it. Much much easier to do with my 500, maybe the newer brush-less versions are better.

At the risk of sounding boring I would advise you to keep at perfecting circuits, lazy 8's and any orientation hoovering, without the basics everything else is harder/impossible and more costly when you get to bigger heli's. My McpX was absolutely invaluable at teaching me these basics, in my mind that's what these micro heli's excel at.

[Chrisrw]

Thanks Dave,
Yes, I realise I have a long way to go! I struggle to get out to practice much as I have two young kids to look after but I am taking every oportunity I get. The Sim helps alot, but it can't replace real stick time. The only reason for trying a flip was as a little reward for all the sim and hovering I have been doing the last week or so. Plus, it's given me little more confidence on the mcpx - if I can recover from a bad flip then I hope I can recover from a circuit gone wrong! (although as I'm finding on the sim, thats not nessesarly the case as a bad cicuit can end set me flying off at some speed - more so than out of a flip).
I have the mcpx v2 - which is also clearly underpowered, but seems to flip ok - you do notice quite a drop in headspeed when pulling on the collective but maybe for a beginner that's not the end of the world as it slows things down a bit!
Back to some basic circuit flying and slow piro's for me now then....

[French Paul]

Thanks Dave,
Yes, I realise I have a long way to go! I struggle to get out to practice much as I have two young kids to look after but I am taking every oportunity I get. The Sim helps alot, but it can't replace real stick time. The only reason for trying a flip was as a little reward for all the sim and hovering I have been doing the last week or so. Plus, it's given me little more confidence on the mcpx - if I can recover from a bad flip then I hope I can recover from a circuit gone wrong! (although as I'm finding on the sim, thats not nessesarly the case as a bad cicuit can end set me flying off at some speed - more so than out of a flip).
I have the mcpx v2 - which is also clearly underpowered, but seems to flip ok - you do notice quite a drop in headspeed when pulling on the collective but maybe for a beginner that's not the end of the world as it slows things down a bit!
Back to some basic circuit flying and slow piro's for me now then....

Hey
I also learnt to fly with an mcpx and a quick tip to help stop the bogging is restricting the pitch travel to 75% both positive and negative.
the mcpx is also a great heli for learning to control collective inputs as you'll get great results or you won't, i dont find this so much of a problem on bigger helis as they have reasonable power to cope with fast inputs.
hopefully you'll get some results from the pitch travel reduction and enjoy progressing a bit easier as i did.
if you can't find the travel adjustment in your tx just give us a shout.
That's if your using a dx6i or above.

[Chrisrw]

Yup - I'm using the dx6i so i'll give that a go. I think I have already started to manually limit my use of the stick to +/- 75% anyway as anymore and it sounds like it's going to stop!!

[French Paul]

I would say you may have a motor problem then.
I now use the hp07 upgrade which needs a seperate esc soldered to the board with 600mah 70c lipos which give me 6 minutes flat out and it's very hard to bog out.
that coupled with an sr120 tail motor and plantraco prop it holds superb.
the little niggles with these things are usually from wear and tare so your motor may have had it's day as they don't last long.

[Chrisrw]

Paul - I think the motor is ok - I was just saying that I was probably limiting the stick movement subconsciously anyway due to the bogging. I have a nano now as well (another eBay barging) and that seems to need similar pitch limiting. The nano is really great as I can fly that just around the modest grounds of our house (garden/drive) where you would need a field for a 450! Haven't tried inverting just yet - going to wait till I can get it over a large grassy area at least for the first attempt!
Back to trying to get a grip with the 8's for me now anyway...

[French Paul]

Paul - I think the motor is ok - I was just saying that I was probably limiting the stick movement subconsciously anyway due to the bogging. I have a nano now as well (another eBay barging) and that seems to need similar pitch limiting. The nano is really great as I can fly that just around the modest grounds of our house (garden/drive) where you would need a field for a 450! Haven't tried inverting just yet - going to wait till I can get it over a large grassy area at least for the first attempt!
Back to trying to get a grip with the 8's for me now anyway...

I only say because it sounds like it's struggling as mine was when it had had its day and someone suggested I change to a new motor, which when broken in after 10 flight's hovering had double the power back.it made a huge difference to mine.
My little nano had the same issue even after breaking in properly but again got a new motor and that one was fine.most guys seem to get the plug and play brushless kit for the nano from eflight as a lot of new standard motors have been faulty from the start,which is hard to tell until you see how they don't bog much with a good one.
yes it still needs to have the pitch travel restricted in any case but its a superb tool to have, I taught a friend to hover and do small circuits in an afternoon with mine but he was a quick learner.
I learnt everything with nanos and mcpx's and I still do today!
The 8's are a great practise circuit for these nippy,twitchy birds!
Anyways, merry xmas

[Chrisrw]

I plan on doing the brushless conversion on the nano - just thought I'd get a few more hours on it first!
I guess that should make a big difference. It seems to get worse after a few mins (I was thinking this could be the cells but they are good 220mah 25c miniaviation ones so not sure). I guess it could just be the motor getting hot and performance degrading as a result - never considered that.

Anyway, its not really a big issue at the moment - my current skill level is a vey limiting factor in what I will be doing for the time being. Although having said that - today for the first time I almost forgot I was flying the nano in the house (thought I was still flying the msrx) and was really quiet confident until I remembered! I'm using 80% travel and +10% expo for now (aileron and elevator) and finding it very manageable (for the simple navigating around the room - not really circuits but a short travel away from me with a turn to nose in and travel back turn and repeat!)