Do you balance your heli?

[muscleflex]

When you are a BEGINNER/LEARNER, all you want to do is FLY. Who cares whether it is tail heavy, nose heavy or just blinking heavy with a BIG Lipo up front. FLY, FLY, FLY. THEN, when you get to the stage where you THINK you know everything there is to know about flying? Start to think about balance and CG and SB and trim and etc, etc. IMH&HO.

you're right - i just want to fly. hence i find sims boring as they never feel like the real thing anyway. i actually find the real thing easier to hover than the sim.
but i want to be able to fly right as well so i just wondered about balancing and maybe it will make it easier to learn...

[LaurenceGough]

so how do people manage to do this so fast without the heli moving away from its spot? is it just pure skill? (something i'll never have)
http://www.rave-3d.com/raveteaserhd720.wmv

You correct during the piros, a skill you learn over time. Best to start off with slow piros and then move on to the faster ones.

[muscleflex]

haha - i can't even do slow piros without the heli wanting to move from its original spot

[johnsandywhite]

haha - i can't even do slow piros without the heli wanting to move from its original spot

If you look at my Avatar? That is where I learned to Hover, do slow figure 8's, nose in and Piros to left and right followed by figure 8 piros to left and right. Once it is locked, it is well and truly LOCKED.

[PeteStewardson]

You correct during the piros, a skill you learn over time. Best to start off with slow piros and then move on to the faster ones.

True, but if your CoG is right there shouldn't be too much to correct.

[johnsandywhite]

True, but if your CoG is right there shouldn't be too much to correct.

Wind? Turbulance? The point I am making is that you FLY the Heli no matter what it is doing or what is affecting it? Try flying where I do with up to 30mph gusts around the side of the RV and then dead calm etc, etc. Sure is exciting.

[Mslater]

you're right - i just want to fly. hence i find sims boring as they never feel like the real thing anyway. i actually find the real thing easier to hover than the sim.
but i want to be able to fly right as well so i just wondered about balancing and maybe it will make it easier to learn...

Get a couple of lessons from a pro, it doesn't take much to put you straight, then go practise, a few more lessons, go practise etc....

[LaurenceGough]

True, but if your CoG is right there shouldn't be too much to correct.

Just tail rotor thrust (tilt etc) and wind /turbulence .

[CookieMan]

Honestly, it's not that difficult to check the CoG as the lads have mentioned. I feel it is very important to have your model setup as close as possible to being perfect - mechanically. If you learn the right way from the day 1, you'll find it relatively easier to handle as you progress. Take your time and learn well each step as you go. This is what I've been taught and following.

Oh and yes, I do balance check my model.

[EzSuprastar69]

Does anyone set up their CG with half a tank of fuel? A good friend showed me this and to me, it makes perfect sense to set Cg half way through a Tank as it allows a good compromise, but I would appreciate some views from other pilots on their thought's?

[Mike W]

Does anyone set up their CG with half a tank of fuel? A good friend showed me this and to me, it makes perfect sense to set Cg half way through a Tank as it allows a good compromise, but I would appreciate some views from other pilots on their thought's?

Yup .. Always have done the CG with half a tank of fuel .. That way when its full to empty its somewhere near

[Steve]

Depends if the fuel tank is in front or behind the main shaft.

Behind - balance the heli with half to full tank of fuel.

In front - balance the heli with half to no fuel.

Also depends on what you want to do with the heli - if you want flybarless precise balance then do both with half a tank. If you want F3C nose heavy tendencies then do 'behind' with a full tank and 'in front' with an empty tank etc.

It's each to their own really.