First "proper" auto today. I broke it!

[Delarado]

Well after practicing a fair bit on the sim today I decided to try my first "proper" auto after a couple of weeks of flicking throttle hold 5 feet off the gground.

I set my throttle hold throttle curve to 20%, and tested i got the blades spinning when I flicked throttle hold. I did.

Practiced my approach several times with normal throttle until i found the "sweet" spot and it came down about where I wanted it.

Went back up, started approach from about 80 feet up, flicked throttle hold and went negative pitch. It was lovely - the blades sounded beautiful, so nice and quiet. It was all going so well... So well I thought "sod it, i could land it from here!"

Anyway, about 15 feet up I thought "no not on my first try, lets just do this a few more times" so I used the head speed I had (the idea was to see if I still had good head speed, which I did - I hovered it for 2-3 seconds) and then flicked throttle hold off.

Nothing happened. The heli just made a high pitch whistling sound and didnt spool up again at all

I tried to get the head speed back up using negative but it was too late and she was too low. She landed dead level with a thump

Snapped a skid and somehow when i picked the heli up the blade grip had contacted the leading edge of the blade? Not sure how. Anway, theres a chunk out of it now so I need now blades and landing gear.

Going to take everthing else out though and check it...The only thing I can think of is main gear slipping; But to be honest - It didnt make enough noise for it to be that!

Very happy with my first "Proper" Auto anyway, just annoyed that the heli did what it did, anyone know what I did wrong?

AFter i'd done this I properly auto'd my 450 which felt great. Not a lot of head speed in it...really low flare! But I managed to land it ok. Then on the next try when I was lining up for my descent, a huge gust of wind took it, I lost which way it was pointing and found it in a hedge 200 feet away

[Delarado]

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1337714318.629218.jpg

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1337714336.373645.jpg

[rhysduk]

Fair play to you for trying it again after bodging the first... I just hope my first auto isnt too far away! Well done

[muscleflex]

wow well done. i'm still trying to work my way to it by doing throttle hold (0 throttle) for my descent and flicking it off around 10 feet up from ground.
i have been planning on doing the 20-30% throttle for my TH but have not done it yet.

I'm not practicing it on sim. just too boring and unrealistic for me on sim and i can't see the ground to judge when to flare. so i'm doing it for real bit by bit

[Delarado]

Wel I only put 20% throttle so the ecu didn't slow start - but instead it didn't start at all!

[JoeBailey]

Was it the pinion on the motor?
Remember an electric motor generates its highest torque just after start up.

Joe

[GIR8]

It may have been the motor itself that made the noise but without being there or hearing it my elf its hard too say but I have heard motors making such noises when they don't start up properly.

[simon1]

I keep meaning to learn how to do autos, just never got around to it, I have the 500efl too and wondered how i would go about setting throttle hold? with the slow start on the esc.

[Delarado]

well I think your supposed to set throttle hold to something like 10-20%, it gives you a bit more hangtime for learning and because its not a throttle cut, the ESC wont start again.

However, mine did absoloutly nothing for some reason! And I didnt test it before attempt number 1

[Delarado]

500 EFL pro weird noise? - YouTube

If you set throttle hold % to anything less than 23% it just makes that noise and doesnt come back on when you flick out of it!

[Ruston]

That's caused by the wrong timing for the motor being set on your esc, I've had exactly the same with a few of my planks. Try upping the timing to medium or high, depending on what it is currently set to.

[Ruston]

Oh, and changing the esc timing will probably change the head speed so you may need to alter your throttle curve, if it cures the problem.

[muscleflex]

my 450 pro was ok restarting from full throttle hold with slow start.. but no thanks to this thread... i'll be scared to do it again. lol

[spillage]

I purchased my nitro about 3 months ago... and about two or three weeks ago Jason who I fly with said it was time to do some auto training - he eventually got me going higher and higher... with me feeling the pitch/blades and hearing them thwop in negative mode... few bumpy landings to start with... anyhows the other day whilst in a tight fast circle about four feet off the deck... she cut whilst hurtling towards me on the left.... flicked auto switch..... checked me to pits area for safe spot to land... and calmly landed her ... took a bow to Jason and picked heli up...Kev who was flying with us said boy your getting cocky!!!! So good on ya for practising - even at some cosst to yourself....I did my first two loops with my b400 the other week... binned it on second due to lack of orientation... getting on in years... sold it and vowed never to go back to anything that small outdoors.... unless it is the new 130x of course!!!! not due till june in this country according to max at grimsby models..... even 500 has been put back and the 300

rgds - keep practising - John

[barney]

The reason for the motor stall is the spool up speed is the same as lift off. Some higher end Esc's have a dedicated ramp up speed to avoid this. For your Autos listen to Phoenix for the flapping sound and listen for this.

It makes it a LOT easier if you enter into an Auto with some slow/med forward speed into wind. If you have a reasonable headwind even better as you can auto in just like landing a plank. Below 20-30ft I would avoid bailing as your headspeed is not likely to recover if youve already bleed it off. Your better just going for it if thats the case.

Brian