How to check and measure blade pitch...

[waveydavey]

The load on the servos is negligible compared to what they go through in flight. Even a low end 700 class servo will have 10kg-cm of torque. Most way more than that. Pick up a 690 blade and hold it by the root. You'll find it takes a little effort, but nowhere near 10kg worth of effort.

You might be right but when you hear the servos giving out and buzzing like a wasps you're encouraged not to leave it there very long. Acting with the blades opposite each other and with the lift offered to both blades then surely they're acting in reasonable equilibrium rather than pulling one servo the same way

[bigpops]

Buy the Align brushless ones, they don't buzz

Seriously though, you only have to fold them momentarily. I only ever do it for a quick check that I have zero, and that the swash is level (do a rotation while they're folded and make sure they're the same all around) and normally after the heli is setup.

To get zero in setup, I use the screwdriver through the bolt hole method. That works best if you have a driver exactly the right size for the bolt hole, which is 5mm for a 700 and more tricky to find a good driver than for smaller helis. I've used that method for years and never had blades out of track.

To do the geomerty (8 degrees cyclic for Vbars), I usually just fit one blade, line the grips up with the boom, line the blade up with the boom, and put on my digital pitch gauge.

If I'm feeling it'll be worth it, I'll use my Soko heli tool to check the setup and re-do it, but only on big helis. Most of the time I don't bother.

[waveydavey]

I'm lucky the e700 has a natty design for levelling the swash, fixed links and adjustable servo horns. Se the swash and the grip trick above and you're ready to adjust pitch/aileron settings.

[Guest]

Just buy a mechanical pitch gauge......I use one of these....

https://www.align-trex.co.uk/dial-pi...10390ta-1.html

If you get a small magnet and an old flybar, you can use that as a reference point off the top of the headblock (remove the stopper first).....the spindle inside the head is close enough to attract the magnet. Been using this method for ages and all of my heli's have perfect pitch and have never been even slightly out of track.....!!!

[scallybert]

[...] I'll use my Soko heli tool to check the setup [...]

- which is the correct answer...

[Guest]

- which is the correct answer...

Funny how one of the best heli builders/set up person in the UK uses the same Align gauge I do and has never even owned a digital guage or an over complicated set-up tool......

[scallybert]

Funny how one of the best heli builders/set up person in the UK uses the same Align gauge I do and has never even owned a digital guage or an over complicated set-up tool......

You make it sounds like his/her heli set-up skills are as impressive as your sense of humour...

[muscleflex]

Wow that Soko tool does look good! Where can I get one of those?

Buy the Align brushless ones, they don't buzz

Seriously though, you only have to fold them momentarily. I only ever do it for a quick check that I have zero, and that the swash is level (do a rotation while they're folded and make sure they're the same all around) and normally after the heli is setup.

To get zero in setup, I use the screwdriver through the bolt hole method. That works best if you have a driver exactly the right size for the bolt hole, which is 5mm for a 700 and more tricky to find a good driver than for smaller helis. I've used that method for years and never had blades out of track.

To do the geomerty (8 degrees cyclic for Vbars), I usually just fit one blade, line the grips up with the boom, line the blade up with the boom, and put on my digital pitch gauge.

If I'm feeling it'll be worth it, I'll use my Soko heli tool to check the setup and re-do it, but only on big helis. Most of the time I don't bother.

[scallybert]

Wow that Soko tool does look good! Where can I get one of those?

Retailers [Link]

The web-site is worth a look, too.