Stable flight...sort of...(not dial-up friendly)

[SkyMaxx]

I asked the wife to come out and take some pictures of the heli in the air. I was working on hovering and keeping it within my little ten foot circle...then my kids came out and starting cheering. Their encouragement got me to take it above the three feet or so I have been working on it at. Got it up as high as a light pole before I got worried about cross winds and brought it down.

At any rate, most of these shots are simply me trying to keep the little bugger under my control vice under the wind's control. BUT they are pictures of the heli in flight. Enjoy.

 

[Rolex]

It flies, it flies !! Congrats. It can only get better from here.

 

[SkyMaxx]

It gets better by a little bit each time I fly. I am getting pretty good with maneuvering it "backwards". As I get more flight time under my belt, I will have to start working the flying in the correct direction...ie away from me and then back to me...

One thing I did notice that made a big difference...and I know someone mentioned it in my other thread...had to do with set up. Today, I took the time to replace a bent flybar and replaced my torn up main rotors. When doing so, I took the time to square up and balance the rotors. Flight was much easier to control after that.

I am having a lot of fun...my girls love "The Show" as they refer to it. If I go out to fly, they grab their chairs and line the end of my driveway to watch. My eldest keeps asking for a chance to fly it. Heck all of my kids want their own RCs...my eldest likes planes and helis...my twins are split between cars and boats. Heck, one of my twins already picked out a red Losi mini-T and keeps begging me to buy her one. I love that...means I get to get one, too, should I decide to buy her one.

At any rate, I am having a blast with the heli.

 

[Rolex]

We all know that YOU get to play with anything you buy for the kids, so you're pretty lucky that they have such an interest in RC. Get a Baja for one, a nitro boat for another, and a nitro heli. The wife will understand, since it's for the kids.

 

[SkyMaxx]

That's about how it works.

 

[Karl M]

Nice shots, feels great I bet. Just one question, is there a difference flying without the canopy?

 

[SkyMaxx]

I am not sure. I haven't flown it with the canopy on, yet.

The reasons I am flying without one:
1. Easy access. It is easier to get at the battery and the rest of the internals without having to remove the canopy each time. So for the multiple flights I am trying each day, no canopy just saves me a bit of time.
2. The heat of the day. Since it is pretty darn hot here and the electronics, inluding the motor, get pretty hot the rotor wash produces a lot of cooling air flowing over the motor and battery. The canopy would prevent this. So things stay a bit cooler without the canopy.

As for flight characteristics...am not certain it makes that much difference for what I am trying to do. Later...should I get good enough to do aerobatics or other 3D flying, it might. But for now, no canopy doesn't seem to hurt.

 

[Karl M]

I had never thought of the cooling aspect of things, I may have to try that with mine. We have had quite a few days of triple digits with more to come.

 

[robmob]

I would think that without the canopy it would be less affected by light winds.

 

[HeartBreak]

The only difference I've noticed without the canopy is a slight change of balance. Otherwise, there's no real difference. With the canopy, unless you change your trim, the heli will want to edge forward. Without it, it'll edge rear-ward.

 

[SkyMaxx]

Not having flown it with the canopy, yet...I would not have noticed the trim issue. Thanks for mentioning it...now I will watch for that, when I put the canopy on.

 

[HeartBreak]

It'll be minute, literally. Maybe one click of the trim at best. It's just enough to affect the balance.

 

[hamz9561]

Just remember: Any landing that you can walk away from is a good one.

This was what my flight instructor taught me many years ago.

 

[SkyMaxx]

That is still true and used today...

 

[Rolex]

I've wrecked a few R/C planes, and thankfully, I've walked away from all of them, uninjured, other than my pride and my wallet.