New to rc helis

[spunkmyer]

Thanks for all the replies... It does seem that the bigger the heli the more stable it will be. I'm trying to work out the possible cost of Nitro, how long a flight am I likely to get out of a Raptor 50 with a full tank assuming its running the correct mixture?

I had a problem with my Nitro boat, it did'nt have a clutch as soon as I put the glow plug in and pulled the starter it was off and running, I take it the blades of my heli wont start spinning as soon as its fired up?

Thanks

With my Raptor 50 which is still running in I get about 7 mins runs time but one I set the mixture correct about 10mins flight time with redline 53 engine which is enough.

Once started the blades may turn a little if the clutch is new but when starting you hold the blades so this is not a problem.

I use Opitfuel 20% which I get for £20 so I can fill my tank with this about 10-12 times approx so for £100 I get say 120 flights. Not bad when you compair the cost of a leccy 600 with a Align High-Power Lipo 5200mAh 22.2V 25C which cost 169.00 at say around 50-60 charges approx per batt which gives you a 5-7min flight. There are cheap lipos than this so it just a rough guide.

On the other hand leccys are clean plug & play, nitros need cleaning after each flight but thats a not a bad thing as when doing this you tend to spot things then need fixing/repairing.

As mentioned get a sim the best money spent with be this. I use phoenix rc and set up the heli/aircraft i'm flying as per my model so I get a idea of how it fly at the field.

[DaveMac]

Having spend the past few days researching it appears alot of people are of the opinion that the Trex 600 range is newer better technology than the Raptors, something to do with tail belts I think? However in terms of initial outlay I dont think I could stretch to the Trex 600N.

I almost had my heart set on a Raptor 30 with the PRO39H engine and a Futaba 6EX aswell.

I bought the latest edition of Rotorworld magazine and it had the last in a beginners series based on the Raptor 30, its a pity the back issues are not available online.

[waveydavey]

Don't be swayed by all the fashion rubbish. Theres nothing wrong with a good 'old fashioned Rappy' I've got a 600, they don't fly straight, can be a bit wayward, enjoy higher head speeds than you really need for learning, are a 3D machine, they were designed for that, have phasing issues, aren't built for longevity as well as a Rappy. I could go on and on but when it comes to it it's your money but don't be swayed by the in thing, although the flip side is they are very popular, everyone knows how to set one up, the lads in the club you join will fly one, spares are cheap and readily available, they are easily fixed blah, blah, blah.

If your really set on a Raptor 30 or 50 (my choice) then get one you won't be dissapointed, and when you progress then the Raptor will do as much as you can throw at it.

[DaveMac]

Thanks again for the advice.. Would someone be able to clear up somethings i'm not sure on.

Throttle and Pitch Curves - If a heli alters the pitch of the blades by applying forward cyclic, the extra drag will require extra throttle to maintain the height. Setting the Pitch curve will allow the tx to automagically vary throttle with pitch increase/decrease? How does this affect the manual throttle control

This leads me onto Governors, which appear to be used to maintain constant head speed.. Is this not what the Throttle and Pitch curves essentially do. Do many people fly Rappys without Governors or are they a must have bearing in mind i'm just a learner.

Heading Hold Gyro - If I understand it correctly, as the torque increases it causes the heli to spin, a gyro will detect this and alter tail pitch to compensate.

Nitro Engines - I watched a couple of Youtube clips where as soon as the heli was started the blades started spinning far too fast for my liking, im hoping this was just bad setup as from a safety point of view I did'nt like this at all.

Thanks

[Mart61]

Welcome aboard!

[waveydavey]

Thanks again for the advice.. Would someone be able to clear up somethings i'm not sure on.

Throttle and Pitch Curves - If a heli alters the pitch of the blades by applying forward cyclic, the extra drag will require extra throttle to maintain the height. Setting the Pitch curve will allow the tx to automagically vary throttle with pitch increase/decrease? How does this affect the manual throttle control

You have cyclic pitch confused with collective pitch. You are however correct with the curves. As the load increases on the engine via collective the engine must respond likewise you do this by matching the pitch with the throttle hence maintaining headpseed.

This leads me onto Governors, which appear to be used to maintain constant head speed.. Is this not what the Throttle and Pitch curves essentially do. Do many people fly Rappys without Governors or are they a must have bearing in mind i'm just a learner.

I think everyone benefits from the use of a governor, if the headspeed is constant then it's one thing less for a new pilot to be concerned about. However, there is the school of thought that you learn better collective management by setting curves and understanding how they work.

Heading Hold Gyro - If I understand it correctly, as the torque increases it causes the heli to spin, a gyro will detect this and alter tail pitch to compensate.

Sort of correct, there are 2 types of control available from gyros, heading hold or rate. Heading hold, as it says put in a heading and the gyro will do it's best to maintain that heading. Rate mode will allow the heli to weathervane into the wind but will not maintain heading.

Nitro Engines - I watched a couple of Youtube clips where as soon as the heli was started the blades started spinning far too fast for my liking, im hoping this was just bad setup as from a safety point of view I did'nt like this at all.

Not a bad setup at all, you can expect for a typical sports pilot a headspeed of around 2000 rpm. Hovering about maybe 1700. Some of the electrics you can see headspeeds in excess of 3000rpm. Yes, dangerous and you need to respect it and fly a safe distance from yourself but it's what you need.

[DaveMac]

Not a bad setup at all, you can expect for a typical sports pilot a headspeed of around 2000 rpm. Hovering about maybe 1700. Some of the electrics you can see headspeeds in excess of 3000rpm. Yes, dangerous and you need to respect it and fly a safe distance from yourself but it's what you need.

I meant before the machine was even off the ground, as soon as the starter was removed and the person let go of the blades he hardly had time to get his hands away! At idle should the clutch even be engaged?

Apologies for all the questions, I just have a bad habbit of needing to know everything before I start something new, especially with the outlay of this hobby!

[waveydavey]

No at idle the clutch won't and shouldn't be engaged. Some clutches drag and at a high idle it might be enough to get the blades turning but nothing you should worry about.