Is your tail rotor not holding as rock solid as it used to? There can several reasons for this, but increased slop in the pitch mechanism is the easiest one to detect and fix.
Great video, it makes me remember the reasons why I've changed mine to a dual fork from KDE system. I definitively prefer metal parts on crucial links like this one, they are stiffer at high frequency and you can fit biffier servos 😁. I don't think all that plastic would enjoy flawlessly a BK, I've even replaced the servo mount for a metal. The tail is oversized on this machine anyway you have to take special attention for the result to be great. Beginers should realy fell what is a locked tail and all others should be pleased by the precision.
Hey John, very useful, thanks! 👍🏻 I have a CopterX 450 Pro and the tail made very slight contact with some soft grass & it completely wrecked my gears 🥵 I’ve since bought the T-REX shown in your video which boasts stronger materials but I’m afraid to fly it! Do you think the tail can tolerate minor brushes with soft surroundings or is it a major NO NO? Surely it happens to a lot of heli pilots? (I even saw a video where tail rotors scraped against wood & even concrete!)
Trimming soft grasses with your tail rotor won't strip gears, but if you try to make a trench with it, chances are you will strip a gear. Much depends on how much energy is released in the tail strike and how much is absorbed. Variables such as rotor speed, how tight you have your tail blades in the grips, the material the blades are made from, and the pitch angle when they hit are all factors that can be the difference between a survivable tail strike or one that strips out gear teeth. A slightly longer tail fin might help or aftermarket angled landing struts so there is more clearance between your tail rotor and terra firma. Also, belt driven tails are able to withstand tail strikes better than torque tube driven tails - the trade off is efficiency loss.
I just went full Magilla on that slide collar and it did not go well. On the plus side, I've learned just how thin the collar is on the threaded end and the torque limit of these threads. 😂
Replace the pitch slider assembly would be my recommendation. If you're in a bind, you could use medium CA glue on the threads of the pitch ball to glue it into the slider collar which should get you back in the air but hard to know how long the repair will last.
There are pros and cons to both. Shafts (normally called torque tubes - TT), are more efficient, don't stretch or wear thus less maintenance is usually required. TTs don't create static potential, are generally easier to fit/replace the boom, and allow for customized boom length modification. Downsides to TTs is they are slightly heavier, cost more, and are easier to strip out the TT drive gears if you have a tail strike. Belts on the other hand are lighter and less expensive. They tend to produce less vibration and are more forgiving to tail strike. Static mitigation practices are something to be aware of with them. This page on my site covers the basics: www.rchelicopterfun.com/tail-belt-static.html
A few helis are designed with slide bushings that cannot be fully tightened without locking the bearing. On those you need to use medium strong threadlock and then tighten till the slop is gone but the bearing still turns freely and no more than that. (this bad design imo)
Want to learn about tail rotor setup? Here's a video I made going over 4 main things to check: th-cam.com/video/eX3SCj8r-zk/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for sharing John. Cheers my friend. 👍🚁👍
Great video, it makes me remember the reasons why I've changed mine to a dual fork from KDE system.
I definitively prefer metal parts on crucial links like this one, they are stiffer at high frequency and you can fit biffier servos 😁. I don't think all that plastic would enjoy flawlessly a BK, I've even replaced the servo mount for a metal.
The tail is oversized on this machine anyway you have to take special attention for the result to be great.
Beginers should realy fell what is a locked tail and all others should be pleased by the precision.
Great vid cheers, so many things to learn as a novice heli guy 😊
🙂👍
Great video. Thanks
You bet
Hey John, very useful, thanks! 👍🏻
I have a CopterX 450 Pro and the tail made very slight contact with some soft grass & it completely wrecked my gears 🥵
I’ve since bought the T-REX shown in your video which boasts stronger materials but I’m afraid to fly it!
Do you think the tail can tolerate minor brushes with soft surroundings or is it a major NO NO?
Surely it happens to a lot of heli pilots?
(I even saw a video where tail rotors scraped against wood & even concrete!)
Trimming soft grasses with your tail rotor won't strip gears, but if you try to make a trench with it, chances are you will strip a gear. Much depends on how much energy is released in the tail strike and how much is absorbed. Variables such as rotor speed, how tight you have your tail blades in the grips, the material the blades are made from, and the pitch angle when they hit are all factors that can be the difference between a survivable tail strike or one that strips out gear teeth.
A slightly longer tail fin might help or aftermarket angled landing struts so there is more clearance between your tail rotor and terra firma. Also, belt driven tails are able to withstand tail strikes better than torque tube driven tails - the trade off is efficiency loss.
John Salt Tnanks John ! 👍🏻
I just went full Magilla on that slide collar and it did not go well.
On the plus side, I've learned just how thin the collar is on the threaded end and the torque limit of these threads. 😂
i have a trex 450 se v2 and that plastic collar that the ball link is screwed on to is loose threaded, is there a way to fix it?
Replace the pitch slider assembly would be my recommendation. If you're in a bind, you could use medium CA glue on the threads of the pitch ball to glue it into the slider collar which should get you back in the air but hard to know how long the repair will last.
I notice you are using a shaft instead of a belt for your tail drive. Are their any benefits or is that just how that model is.
There are pros and cons to both. Shafts (normally called torque tubes - TT), are more efficient, don't stretch or wear thus less maintenance is usually required. TTs don't create static potential, are generally easier to fit/replace the boom, and allow for customized boom length modification. Downsides to TTs is they are slightly heavier, cost more, and are easier to strip out the TT drive gears if you have a tail strike.
Belts on the other hand are lighter and less expensive. They tend to produce less vibration and are more forgiving to tail strike. Static mitigation practices are something to be aware of with them. This page on my site covers the basics:
www.rchelicopterfun.com/tail-belt-static.html
Huh, I just noticed there was a screw missing from my tail, that could have been bad. Could a sloppy tail be a cause of tail wag?
Yes, any slop can certainly cause tail wag.
@@Rchelicopterfun pretty funny cause my last crash was the result of a screw in the tail coming out
👍👍👍
A few helis are designed with slide bushings that cannot be fully tightened without locking the bearing. On those you need to use medium strong threadlock and then tighten till the slop is gone but the bearing still turns freely and no more than that. (this bad design imo)
Link slide bushings not long enough. Bad parts 😄
What T. Rex is that it almost looks like a Goblin
450L Speed Fuselage
Good stuff with the dental tool. I’ll get one. I recently got locktight in my thrust bearing. Don’t do that people. 😅
Yes a great idea👌🏻