Got my E-SKY HoneyBee Today

[TomN]

Hi All

My new heli arrived today. After ripping off the packing a neat and completely RTF model was revealed.

Now, some might remember from previous posts, I'm on a learning curve back to RC helis after a 16 year absence and have been enjoying my Hoverfly and Hirobo Lama. In the last couple of days I have managed some sustained nose in with the Hirobo and really feel I'm making progress. Canopy off, training skids on and takeoff nose in, hover nose in and land (or dump in a panic) nose in. Now the Lama is not the most difficult tool for this task but it has all been done in ground effect or in a very small space so rotor wash off walls and furniture has meant constant inputs. The Hoverfly is next!

Back to the new Heli. I took Ade's advice ( well sort of as he doesn't like small electrics) and bought the Fixed Pitch rather than the CP as it has a lower head speed and is simpler to set up and maintain. It wasn't much cheaper than the CP at 88.50 delivered but that wasn't the main consideration. Charged the battery, switched on, got the green light and all ready to go in my usual flying site (the sitting room)! Wow, this doesn't seem such a small model when the blades are spun up in the house.

After a few seconds of fighting the cyclic I dump it back on the carpet. This seems to be a might trickier than the Hoverfly. Same result for the next couple of attempts. The problem seems to be with very sensitive cyclic controls ( at least more sensitive than I'm used to ). A decent heli radio with exponential would help but I only have the stock TX. More perseverance and my hovers are extending by a few seconds. After the fourth battery (650mah Nimh only last a few minutes) I 'm beginning to get the hang of it. A squeeze of right cyclic at lift off (to compensate for the tail rotor pushing effect) which is then immediately taken off and I managed to hover the entire fifth battery . Very small cyclic controls are needed and I would feel a lot more comfortable in a bigger space but it flies straight out of the box in fact exactly what it says on the tin .

I have to say I'm really impressed. Everything works smoothly as it should, there is very little vibration ( as long as you get the blades straight ) and the beat of the rotors sound like a real heli 8) . I need to do a little trimming to get the trims centered and must get a decent Lipo to get good flight times but I think I'm going to learn a lot from this model.

I have ordered the upgraded skids and tailboom support kit from the US ( 13 delivered) and have already fitted heat sinks on each motor. No idea if they make any real difference but one purple and the other turquoise it adds a bit of bling :lol: .

I will fly this mostly in the village hall as it is not really a small house heli and on really calm days the garden beckons. I might even be able to learn circuits if dead calm although I probably need a trip to Wimborne for that .

Overall I am delighted and I don't think you can go wrong for the money. Maybe not ideal for your very first hover but worth a place at some point in everybodys hangar for good cheap indoor fun in our very cold or windy winters.
Parts are also very cheap at www.heli-shop.co.uk

I understand that tail motors burn out quite quickly (more so with the CP running at a higher voltage) but hey at 3.99 each it won't break the bank.

I am having real fun with this hobby. I can't imagine why I gave it a rest for so long.

Regards

Tom

[Butuz]

Congratulations mate.

Your starting off in the exact same way i did. Coaxial, learn to fly around a bit. Then Fixed Pitch Micro (in my case a Ikarus Eco Piccolo) and be horified at how much more sensitive and difficult it is to control lol.

Ive been flying little circuits in my bedroom before landing on a small cardboard box and i thought i was the bees knees lol - and now with my piccolo i am back to bouncing around on the floor like a domented grashopper :roll:

Starting to get the hang now - have done some nice hovers. It requires such small inputs, and theres a delay between your input, and the effect which you have to deal with.

I built my piccolo from a kit and specified the electronics myself and i am glad i did because it was like a crash course in what every bit of the heli actually does. Stand me in good stead for the future when i move up to bigger electronics (nitro aint my bag much to the discust of many on here lol).

Have fun and keep at it

Butuz

[bandicoot]

Its always good to hear from micro heli flyers, and at the end of the day we all enjoy the same sport

Tom im from somerset as well, close to the Bath and west showground. Ade tells me that there are some people who fly in the showground, ill let you know if its a club or what the score is when i have found out

[Ade_Law]

got some more details, the wincanton falcons run it.

http://www.wincantonfalcons.org.uk/events.htm

next one is next tuesday which I may well go along to as well as some flying at either whitesheet (sloping, near Mere) or Lordshill MFC south of longbridge deveril on the A350).

Ade

[TomN]

Hi Guys

Been to a couple of indoor meets at Shepton in early Dec. as a spectator, anticipating my new toys.

Really friendly bunch and lots of good advice but just as cold as outside albeit without the wind :? .

Difficult for me to get there regularly because I often work evenings but I hope to get too a few before the summer with something to fly this time!

Butuz:
Piccolo is supposed to be a quality micro so I think a good choice. I chose the HoneyBee partly on cost and partly as I've heard good reports on other forums. I downloaded a video of some young American doing large and fast circuits outside with what seemed a stock E-Sky FP. Awesome.

I will probably get plenty of opportunity to find out what every part does each time I have to rebuild it :lol: .

What Lipo's are you using i.e. size and weight. I like the look of the Eurobatteries prices but want a balance charging lead. I am not confident enough to strip apart and know what to solder to where.

BTW where did you get your Align charger?

Bandicoot:
Are you going to Shepton?

Tom

[bandicoot]

not on the 14th...its valintines day...need i say more.