Announcement

**Andy from Sandy** · 02-12-2007, 11:14 AM

Is the feathering shaft the rod that links the 2 blade holders? Yes!

Do these fail for no apparent reason? No!

Are you saying the spindle has snapped?

What might of happened is there is normally a screw at each end of the rod and one of them has come undone. This is usually caused by the assembler not using loctite or the the threads had oil on them so the loctite failed to work.

Has anyone any pictures, or a link to a decent manual on how the thing should be reassembled? No!

**jamiem** · 02-12-2007, 11:18 AM

it wont fail for no reason. did you locktite the bolts in to the feathering shaft when you built it? if you did, then it probably failed due to a machining fault.

As youve just found out, this is not the sort of heli to fly in your spare room. A blade cx2 of equivalent contra-rotating heli would be fine, but this sort of 450 class heli has some serious energy in it, and i would not want to be on the receiving end of a crash or part failure.

Jamie

**Themole** · 02-12-2007, 11:32 AM

Thanks Jamiem,
The shaft has snapped, The screwed ends were still in the blade holder. THe Heli' comes fully assembled so I'd like to think the manufacturers would have made sure the screws were Loctitedin!

I've got a twister Hawk, so I think that's the only one that's going to be used in side from now on!

Would I be best ordering a feathering shaft from Align? THe Century seems to be a poor mans Trex?

**Smoothound** · 02-12-2007, 11:49 AM

I doubt the Align one will fit, you will need a new one from Century.

**Ade_Law** · 02-12-2007, 11:50 AM

so lets get this straight...

you were flying and it just exploded? i hasnt hit anything and the spindle was straight when it was flying?

sounds like a very dangerous situation to me. can you take some pics of the broken parts i would say you need to take it back to where you bought it to make sure the failure gets back to the right people so it cant happen again. you certainly should get the spares needed to put it back together FOC.

Ade

**Smoothound** · 02-12-2007, 11:54 AM

If the shaft really has failed, it's another black mark for Century

**jamiem** · 02-12-2007, 12:02 PM

says it all for century build quality really doesnt it. For a start they cant even design their own heli, they have to copy another old deisgn, then push it on as being better than what it was a copy of, when in actual fact they've managed to make it worst! As for liking to think that they would locktite the approriate bolts, please remember this is century!

**Themole** · 02-12-2007, 01:21 PM

This is the failed feathering Shaft http://www.rcheliaddict.co.uk/galler...09&ppuser=4095
I can only assume the bend happened at the time of the failure. There was certainly no outward sign of it beforehand; the heli' spooled up without any vibration. Is there a way of checking the feathering shaft before flight, without taking the blades off?

**xygax** · 02-12-2007, 01:36 PM

Feathering spindles traditionally have either threaded holes or 'studs' ! this one appears to have neither ! what held the blades on in the first place ??? 'Putty' .....

It wolud appear thet the mechined end of the spindle that carries the nut is still in the blade grip behund the blade. the threaded section has shered off.... Disassemble the blade grip and recover the rest of the spindle and nut check where the fracture occored on the stright section or at the sholder between the shaft and the threaded section... If it occoured in the stright section there could be a manufacturing problem. I aggree with Ade send it back to centuary and ask for replacments... If it occoured at the shoulder then they could of overtightned the nut.... send it back to centuary and ask for replacenments....

Regards

Steve

**chugga-bug** · 02-12-2007, 01:50 PM

I've spoke to a bloke with one of these a while ago and he mentioned that he had broken a spindle (in a crash), but he had replaced it with a T-rex one. So they should fit fine. Make sure it's for the V1 though.

**ChrisB** · 02-12-2007, 03:55 PM

I suppose all my comments in the Blade 400 vs 450GL were justified,they are cheap Chinese $hit

**jamiem** · 02-12-2007, 05:29 PM

id seriously approach century uk with pics, see what they have to say. At the very least they should replace any broken parts foc, it is a serious safety issue without a doubt.

**flatspins** · 02-12-2007, 11:32 PM

The Align spindles do fit.
They are the V1 spindles, V2`s wont fit.

Flown afew of these, there not the greatest piece of kit in the world.
Can`t believe you have been trying to fly it in the house

Century have been a bit crafty with them, look really shiney with all that blue bling on them, make you want one as soon as you see it.
Shame they spent about £2.50 on the radio gear

Never seen a Gulang gyro before

Wish I`d still never seen one

You forget how much you take heading hold for granted

If you put decent servos and gyro in it and brought a decent Tx, they probably fly well, but for what all that cost, you might as well get a T-rex

**Tim Procter** · 03-12-2007, 12:15 AM

Originally posted by jamiem View Post

At the very least they should replace any broken parts foc

And the 50" Plasma that suffered a smashed screen too from flying debri..

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Feathering Shaft Failure

Feathering Shaft Failure

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