Heli Command

[busybody flyer]

Hi Guys. Anyone know anything about Heli Command? I have just spoken to my local hobby shop to check on their progress with my Trex 600 being fitted with Robbe Heli Command which they have had numerous problems with. The final outcome was for them to speak to Heliguy Technical Support and they managed to get it to work. Now comes the crunch They had all the servo's working ok and got it to hover then all of a sudden apparently it turned turtle and crashed As I understand they have damaged parts amounting to £300.00 so I have asked them to leave the Robbe in place but disconnect for the time being and restore all previous wiring. I suppose I should have left well alone. What can be done once the Trex is back to normal apart from junking the heli command. I wouldn't mind but I have refused to use the Trex until I could hover successfully.
Colin

[EtheAv8r]

I have Helicommand and think it is brilliant. I cannot fault it and in fact have obtaine a second one for my Trex 500.

I don't underststand how it was, or could be resopnsible for the crash you described, unless it is seriously faulty - and that I would think is a long outside chance.

What model of HC is it? Firstly if it is a suspect unit to should go back to the supplier to be checked out (who are they). If it is given a clean bill of health, then if you like we could fit your HC to my G5 and I would configure it and test it in my G5. If it works OK then it was not the HC that was to blame.... and the finger of suspicion must point elsewhere.

[busybody flyer]

Hi Edmund. Thanks for your reply. The heli commend is a Robbe and was purchased as a second hand unit from a member of my flying club. He had purchased his heli complete with HC as a second hand item also. But he had used the HC without any problems and like you thought it was brilliant for early learning. He said the unit would cost new about £350.00 if that gives you an indication of the model.
Colin

[EtheAv8r]

OK then it will be a 3A or possibly a 3D depends when it was bought. 18 months ago the 3D was £350 'street' price (Inwoods) but went up when the £ went down. I have a 3D and got a Rigid for the 500 so I can go FBL if I want later.

If it was working OK when last used, has not be dropped heavily, smashed on the floor, jumped on and crashed and buried, it is reasonable to believe it is OK.

To be sure you can contact Robbie UK and see if they can test it for you, which of course they can.

I am happy to look it over, load it up on my PC and see how it looks when hooked up and then maybe try it on my G5 if all appears good......

[busybody flyer]

Hi Edmund. I like the idea of you looking at it but I suppose that would depend on where Upwood is in relation to Chelmsford. Would you want to check it over with it still in place on my Trex? If you want to talk my tel. number is work: 01277 353686 up to 5.30pm home:01245 261750 after 7.00pm.
Colin

[EtheAv8r]

Just got home... My work day (including Gym in the evenings) means I am not home till 9:30...

I will call you over the weekend.

[CookieMan]

Practice hovering on the sim mate. Use phoenix. After you've mastered the for hovering manoeuvres (tail in, sides in [left and right], nose in) on the sim, you'l gain the nerves to take the 600 out for a spin ...

Check out the sessions on phoenix online... you get to fly with some incredibly talented pilots... talk to them (over chat, skype whatever) and they can actually guide you to learning and becoming more confident. So many users of this forum come online... You can learn mate. The sky is the bloody limit!

Thats how I learned mate... from scratch, was born and brought up on phoenix!

Ofcourse, different people will have different views and this is just my suggestion.

Have fun mate.

Cheers,

[EtheAv8r]

Only problem I heve experienced with that is the sim (I have Phoenox and RealFlight) and the real R/C model are very different. It may be phsyclogical (but I don't think so...) but I can do all sorts of things on the sim that I cannot do with a real model. The sim seems a lot easier. Also I can fly a real model all day, flight after flight, but the sim I get bored after 10 minutes. I find all computer games boring too so it may be the way I am wired.

[tiddler]

Only problem I heve experienced with that is the sim (I have Phoenox and RealFlight) and re real R/C model are very different. It may be phsyclogical (but I don't think so...) but I can do all sorts of things on the sim that I cannot do with a real model. The sim seems a lot easier. Also I can fly a real model all day, flidht after flight, but the sim I get bored after 10 minutes. I find all computer games boring too so it may be the way I am wired.

I'm not so sure I agree with that.
I do agree that the sim can in no way replicate the nerves experienced when flying for real, or the financial implications of crashing a real model.
But i do think it replicates the physics pretty accurately and the chances are, if you can do it in the sim then you should be able do it for real (assuming the heli is set up correctly for the maneuver you are attempting that is)
To date any real world flying abilities I posses have been a direct translation from sim to the real thing. (In other words I fly my real helis as if I were flying the sim) I just haven't got the nerve to do the fancier stuff with my actual physical model yet. Cos if I do get it wrong (as I often do in the sim) its going to cost real £££££

[Weebl]

If anything I can fly, or at least hover my 450 easier for real than I can in the sim.

I agree, I can do FFF, stall turns, inverted flight, loops, rolls, even an approximation of a tic-toc on the sim that I cannot do for real, but that is more to do with the 40% of sim flights that end in a crash with no repercussions than anything else.

Proper controlled hovering is easier for real, at least for me.

[CookieMan]

Well, that's pretty much the point Colin.

PRACTICE on the sim --> GAIN some confidence --> PRACTICE on the real thing (using something called 'training gear', Heli command does help a lot - AT THIS STAGE, though). Sooner or later you will have to (or atleast, want to) fly the real thing (and especially when you have a magnificent one as the 600, waiting and begging for you to fly her!)

Now, guys we are not talking about flips, rolls or tic-tocs here... it's hovering!

If you mess that up and not build on that skill, you're practically taking the joy out of flying a helicopter, in the first place. With all due respect to the guys who posted here, I completely agree when Tiddler says:

... that the sim can in no way replicate the nerves experienced when flying for real, or the financial implications of crashing a real model.
But i do think it replicates the physics pretty accurately and the chances are, if you can do it in the sim then you should be able do it for real (assuming the heli is set up correctly for the maneuver you are attempting that is):

The fact is even if we master a particular 'move' on the SIM, it takes a certain amount of nerves to apply those skills on the field... that part is completely up to you Colin. Upto how you practised and feel about your self as a pilot. ONLY YOU ARE BEST QUALIFIED TO JUDGE YOURSELF!

In short, practice HELPS build up that confidence, mate.

Cheers,

[jwatts007]

Hi Edmund. Thanks for your reply. The heli commend is a Robbe and was purchased as a second hand unit from a member of my flying club. He had purchased his heli complete with HC as a second hand item also. But he had used the HC without any problems and like you thought it was brilliant for early learning. He said the unit would cost new about £350.00 if that gives you an indication of the model.
Colin

Hello Colin. sorry to hear about the crash, I never flew the heli with the HC on, and due to a broken clutch neither did the guy I bought it from, at least that is my belief, he got it from Galaxy models Ipswich, they also fitted it, the reason I had it taken off by them, is I had no confidence in there ability to set it up, they had my heli for 5 weeks, I eventually went and demanded it back, it was in bits after all that time, hence the HC ended up in its box unused, I think the shop are going to send the HC back to robbe and see if it was faulty, when you gave it to them too fit, we will have to wait the outcome, I am surprised they tested it out the back of the shop, and the instructions clearly state, fly it in off mode on the first flight, only turning in on very briefly to check set up is ok, I am sure that what has happened is due to set up Colin. See you Sunday..