Beginner Training

[dditch66]

Just added some stuff to a web page for beginner training.

Alot of us talk about Radd's School of Rotary flight. I did some videos based on that website.
I hope to add more later.

http://www.mycoolheli.com/HeliTraining.html

[jdino2]

dditch;

I think those are some great exercise videos.....the RADDS four square stuff, in my opinion, is very helpfull..........awesome!

Do you have any info on the "cut-throttle" method of landing?

Since I upgraded the 450 to CNC head & tail, 13t pinion, fiberglass blades, little faster motor and using a 11.1v 2200-20c.....things have gotten alot quicker (more stable too) I'm having trouble landing without bounce.....that's the only reason why I'm still on the traing gear.........
Seems before the up-grade I was able keep-up up with the speed and land most times soft....now I'm behind again and can't land 50% of the time without a thud.......maybe a small thud but still not smooth..........
I've watched many guys cut throttle and float down from 3' to 10' in the air........in normal mode......

Here's how I understand it to work.....at an in air idle, you center throttle stick (if thats your 0 degree pitch) cut the throttle and feather your throttle stick position above the 0 point (never letting the stick get in the negitive pitch position) and slowly let the bird float down...so far I 've only been able to do this twice out of at least 20 tries......am I missing something?

Any Video on this would be great.......

Thanks,

jdino2

[Flying High]

Good stuff Dave, I still find myself referring back to your site thanks

[dditch66]

jdino, your describing an Autorotation sort of from a couple feet above the ground.
Your hitting the Throttle cut but if you have any pitch, your into the tail end of an autorotation. Not a real autorotation because your not floating down under negative pitch.

If you can't calmly land the helicopter under power, you either need more time at it or there is something wrong w/ your power/pitch curve.
That is the blade pitch at all 5 points in your curve and what is the throttle curve you have at all 5 points?
You may just have too sharp of a transition going on.
At zero pitch, even at full RPM, the helicopter should be moving downwards.

[mr dan]

ditch: great videos! I've used radd's method  and it was a great help when I 1st started I'm still new to this and have yet to flip the switch (idle up). One thing I noticed in your video's is that your heli is using training balls, radd's recomends not using them for the 1st -5th battery. What is your take on this subject? do you just prefer to use them? I used his system in the H/S gymnasium (very smooth surface) with out the training balls then when it came to scooting I then went to the training kit.

[jdino2]

dditch;

Thanks for the quick reply;

I'm still using the stock Exceed FS-CT-6A TX, stock RX, servos, gyro and ESC......have not re-programmed anything or needed to re-bind TX, all still at factory settings as far as I can tell...

Since the up-grade, I have needed to set the VR's as follows in order to get managable blade pitch...the stock servos, gyro are hard to dial-in pefect........thats on my next project list.....
TX - HH-Rate VR = 11:00
TX - Pitch VR = 11:00
New Blade Pitch Settings:
5 @ +12
4 @ +7.5
3 @ 0
2 @ -2.5
1 @ -4
My old TX & pitch settings were both VR's at 12:00, blades at +10, +5, +2, 0, -2.......with those settings I was able to land softer but they do no work well for me with up-grades...
I had the LHS pro test fly with new settings, he thought they were good for my ablities and he was able to "float" land the bird, he was to busy to show me how it was done but explained it..
Maybe your right, I need more time, even though after 6 months of true air time, I manage the heli in the air pretty well....normal stuff......
Still a newbie pilot, but becoming an advanced mechanic rapidly......


Thanks for all your help.........your instructional stuff has accelerated my enthusiasum 100%.

jdino2

[dditch66]

ditch: great videos! I've used radd's method  and it was a great help when I 1st started I'm still new to this and have yet to flip the switch (idle up). One thing I noticed in your video's is that your heli is using training balls, radd's recomends not using them for the 1st -5th battery. What is your take on this subject? do you just prefer to use them? I used his system in the H/S gymnasium (very smooth surface) with out the training balls then when it came to scooting I then went to the training kit.

Yes, he did his on a picolo I think on the gym floor. EXI 450 will not spin w/ the rubber on it. I "based" my vids on Radds but kept the training gear on for simplicity since it was harder to hold the tail w/ the training balls on. When I did it w/o it, the heli did not move.

[dditch66]

I plan to update my web page but this is what i recommend for pitch settings for a newbie.
I think +9 is MORE than enough until you get to more advanced forward flight.
The problem w/ too much pitch range is that you have to be very delecate and plan ahead w/ the collective or it will bob like a yo yo.  Forward flight and more advanced manuevers, you don't notice it as much but hover training requires (IMO) less pitch range at first.
I suggest:
Pitch curve, normal mode (degrees pitch)
-2,-2,0,4.5,9 (you can even possibly get away with -1,-1,0,4,8 and drop a few points on the throttle curve too)
throttle curve, normal mode (depending on how you have it pinioned)
0,60,80,90,100
Adjust your points 2,3,4 depending on your pinion (higher for a lower pinion, lower for a higher pinion).

I have a student ( guy in the 3rd and 4th vid) w/ the alpha 400 and an 11T pinion (lower pinion) and the throttle curve is near linear at:
0,70,90,95,100

You can tell in I think a few flights that the battery was old and dropping voltage at higher throttle. But it still flew ok for him.

[jdino2]

dditch:

I think I kinda sort-a fiqured this "autorotation" thing out.........
I seldom run at idle-up...but since you need head speed to keep the bird in the air.........I tried an idle up at about my 0 stick position and lifted about 6" off the ground, then cut the trottle and feathered the stick......she floated down....so I got brave and did the same at 3'.......a little more difficult but it worked..........

It seems my pitch curves are fine....just my brain and thumbs need work to catch-up to the new speed......
I'm in an controlled environment so any mistakes I make should be min........or back to gaining more mech experince!

Thanks,

jdino2