Broke my main blades tonight!

[Neilpet]

Just bought a Twister CP V2. Been practicing in the garage for a few nights just increasing the throttle and keeping the tail in straight. Tried to use "right hand stick" to slide about left, right, forward, backward but it doesn't seem to slide very easily. It tips rather than slides! Is this because the thottle needs to be increased slightly? When I do that it want to leave the ground, don't htink I'm ready for that yet! I have got training undercarriage on, but the movements don't seem that easy! I have no problem keeping the tail straight, that works fine. Any ideas please.

Anyway, I think I got carried away and the heli flipped and I have cracked the carbon mainblades!! Totally p***ed off. Replacements are 20.00 for carbon or 14.00 for wood. Should I replace with carbon or go for cheaper wood?

Fed up, brassed off, going to bed!!!!!!

[G-DAVE]

Carbon or wood ??---I think you can guess the answer --- WOOD! it's cheaper
I'm asuming your keeping the model light on the skids -Is that Correct??
If so then it will tend to want to tip rather than slide as you put it -- because your doing your early training in a garage your not making it easy for your self for 2 reasons
1 - your trying to operate the model in ground turbulence this will cause a instability in the air and make control more difficult.
2 - In a confined space there is a tendency for turbulence to build up because the downwash from the rotor disc will be reflected back off the walls and again cause turbulence .
There is no easy answer unless you can find a larger indoor place to practice or wait untill the appropriate weather returns and you can get into the garden or a flying field.
Dave

[XH558]

From my limited experience of skittering about on the floor with my fixed pitch Piccolo before I got in the air - when you apply left or right cyclic when on the ground the heli wont slide left or right it will try to tip using the skid as a pivot as the head tilts faster over than the skids base can move :?
Imagine a triangle on the floor with its base flat on the floor and its point sticking straight up - what happens if you apply pressure with your finger left or right at the top :?: It tips over the way you are pushing :P
If you pushed the base it would slide - but you are not applying that bottom push force with a heli .... you are pushing at the top ... big time :P

It also makes a big difference what surface you are on - a shiny wood floor is easier to skitter about on than carpet for instance. Grass is really bad - it 'grabs' the skids. A concrete floor can also be bad as its normally uneven.

So stick with the training gear - concentrate hard on keeping that tail straight - don't add too much side cyclic if you can avoid it - or forward and back for that matter - if it gets out of shape shut the throttle down - drag it back by hand and start again - and again - and again - and again - and again - and again - and again - and again - and again - and again - and again - and again - and again - and again - and again - and again - and again - and again - and again -

Keep at it - don't try to get off the ground too quickly till your thumbs are doing all the right things without you having to think too hard :lol: :lol:

Does that help :roll:

[Neilpet]

Thanks G-5 & XH558 for your prompt replies and advice. I have taken on board what you say. I have also calmed down a bit since last night and will order some blades today and start again. I work in a School, so after the Xmas break I will practice in one of the Gyms, that should be better than the garage I presume. I think I still have this idea that this should be easy, obviouslt isn't and then get downhearted.

I live in the West Midlands, Sutton Coldfield to be precise, any other members in my area?

[antsis]

XH558, Neilpet

Going to stick my 2p in. I started with the hummingbird FP and caused more damage to it sliding across the floor. Admittedly, I wasn't using training legs, but found that by getting it about a foot off the floor gave me sufficient time to fiddle with the sticks and try and keep it under control. The usual panic mode that kicked in after 5 secs saw it drop to the ground, but damage was minimal.

I'm not saying skittering across the floor is incorrect. I found it harder to control the model this way. I have watched beginners at our indoor sessions sliding across the room and convinced them to try getting it into the hover from scratch. Most of the fear in this hasn't been the risk of damage, but more the fact that the model is flying. Once used to that, they found it easier to control the model.

At the end of the day, you might need to try different method to find one that works for you.

[XH558]

I think I still have this idea that this should be easy, obviouslt isn't and then get downhearted.

Aha - and there's the rub - easy it aint - rewarding it is though - you'll get it - if a 53 year old dork like me can get it I'm sure you can :lol: :lol:

And yes - skittering about the floor isn't the only answer - and yes if you can get about a foot off it does all change - but the skittering bit is about learning tail control first - till you get it - then lift off and cyclic comes in.
The gym floor will be ideal :lol: :lol:
What do you do in school ? - I am an IT technician in my wife's junior school (she teaches!) - flown my Piccolo in their gym as part of a lesson on radio control for the year sixes :P :P

[cerberus]

Hi Neilpet
I have a honeybee 2 which i think is the same as your heli i got 2 sets of carbon blades on ebay for 18. The wooden blades it came with didnt take mutch punishment ,as for the sliding about i use a twister game mat on the carpet ,slides good i was thinking of making a rig that attaches to the heli skids with casters or BB's so that the heli will move in all directions with little throttle imputs. ive only just started and it feels like im never gonna get it . all i can say is keep at it .the best ive done so far is a 30 sec semi controlled hover then panic. :roll:

[XH558]

Hey Cerberus - stick at it you'll get there - as with other beginners I cannot recommend highly enough Radds Flight School here .... http://www.dream-models.com/micro/flying-piccolo.html

I know its about a fixed pitch Piccolo but he does talk a lot of sense - get the tail control first on the ground before even attempting to lift off - that's what the floor learning is about :lol:

Read the other beginner threads here too - there's some helpful hints about

[Neilpet]

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement. It really helps to know I'm not the only one who is struggling or has stuggled.

XH558 - My official title is Assistant Bursar, basically I work in the Finance Office at a large secondary school.

Cerberus - looked for blades on ebay but couldn't find any listed. A matter of timing I presume? Thanks for the tip though.

[cerberus]

Hi Neilpet
you might have more luck if you search for you type of helli on google as most have a spares list.find one with resonable prices + postage, i think at our stage the cheaper the better. generally buy cheap get cheap but i dont wanna spend on good quallity untill i crash less often.good luck.

[Ed]

I read somewhere that you could make main blades out of wooded rulers,
havn't a clue where i read it but they would be cheap.
Especially if you work in a school!! :lol:

[Ed]

Cheap as chips