This Mechanical Gyro for R/C Helicopters was a first! See the inside and how it works.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ก.ค. 2024
- I learned to fly Helis without gyros or simulators, so it was difficult and frustrating to say the least, but that was all you could do at the time. When Futaba introduced the Mechanical gyro, it was a pleasant surprise. Mine still works well today and this video was made to show you how it works. The gyro wheels tend to stay in one place, and when you turn the body, they adjust a pot and that moves the servo in the opposite direction. Simple and effective. Thanks kindly for watching and subscribing.
Produced by: Dave Herbert
~NightFlyyer~Tm
AMA L-8221 - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
The gyro wheels tend to stay in one place, and when you turn the body, they move a pot and that moves the servo in the opposite direction. Simple and effective. Thanks kindly for watching and subscribing.
I understand how a mechanical gyro works how about a video on the operation of modern Piezo gyros?
@@HoundDogMech Well that is a possibility. Thanks.
amazing stuff
@@staffeyxneyx8420 Thanks.
Thanks for the lesson Dave. I barely remember the older mechanical gyros but this video brought back the memory of older days. They’ve definitely come a long way with the digital age and miniature electronics.
So true. Helis today are very easy to fly with all the 6 axis gyros. Thanks kindly.
Its amazing how quiet it is without the cover on it.
The one in my heli is older and a bit more noisier and sitting on a foam pad, but yes, the case is like an echo chamber.
I had one of these on my Raptor 30 when I started out, someone from the United States sent it over to me in Canada just for shipping costs. Back in 2001 anything RC was expensive so I flew with that thing for quite a while until it started kicking the tail every once in a while for no reason. Thanks for bringing back some memories Dave!
Great. It must've had a dirty pot, to cause the servo to jerk. Thanks kindly and happy flying.
so dang cool! My dad had flown Hirobos and Schluters in the 80s and had a few of these around when I was growing up. we're so spoiled these days with our single chip 6 axis gyros+accel+baro+compass. :)
So true. Thanks kindly and happy flying.
Pretty neat piece of equipment Dave! I've not seen an actual mechanical gyro before,only heard about them.I'm learning to fly my T-Rex Dominator 450L with the MSH Brain 2 Mini .It used to have the Spartan VX1-E before the upgrade.I must agree that the modern electronics make learning to fly today's choppers much easier! When the gyro was spinning up ,it sounded just like the rotor inside of a DC electric turn coordinator and a vacuum driven attitude indicator!
Thanks very kindly. Yes, it was pretty loud, but as long as you could hear it, you knew it was working. LOL. Thanks much and happy flying.
Great job on the video Dave!
Thanks very much!
I remember the multirotor days with a bunch of heli heading hold gyros barely able to keep it in the air. Would be crazy to do it with one of these
It would definitely be heavy!
Wow always wondered how they worked. Thanks for sharing
Thanks a lot Kerry!
Thanks for another awesome video Dave. I have a faulty 401B gyro on my homebuilt 600 electric, makes it fun to fly when the gyro can stop working without warning. Very busy thumbs and a massive adrenaline rush usually ensue.
Yes, it is surely and adrenaline rush. Glad they never stopped working too often. Thanks and happy flying.
2:22 I still remember the sound of that gyro! When my uncle had it on helicopter back in the day when got his concept 30 back in 2005 he swapped out that gyro and replaced it with a 401 gyro which made the tail response miles better IMHO.
Yes, everything has improved, but we had to start somewhere.
Thanks for the video Dave. Yes the good old days. My Kalt Baron Alpha 30 had the same gyro :)
Most early heli pilots had these since they were the only ones really available. And you and that Kalt are early. Thanks and happy flying.
Hi Dave,
In it's day that Futaba gyro was the cats meow. Have several of them. Had them setup to a rotary pot on the transmitter so that I could adjust the gain in flight. While cleaning out my storage unit, came across some plans for an all aluminum rc helicopter called the SSP, distributed in 1972 by American Aircraft Modeler, that used an aluminum ring on the tail rotor mechanism as the gyro. You and Ilea stay safe.
Wow, I would be curious to know how you did that, as the pots, are on the gyro control box. I guess if you hooked a servo up to them somehow, you could control it with an extra channel. Of course today's mems gyros also have pots that are adjusted on the heli, but also have a lead that plugs into the 6th channel and can easily be controlled by the TX. I find that once I set the gyro where I like it, I never have to adjust it again. The AAM heli had a gyro that worked on the same principal as the Arlton Gyro on my Russian engine powered Lite machines heli. It was a pain in the butt and usually was destroyed on the first tail boom strike. Thanks Don, and stay well.
Hi Dave,
I used an extra channel to control the gain. Had an eight channel Futaba. On one channel operated a servo to switch the gyro off and on, on another channel operated a servo to switch on board glow battery off and on and the the last channel was the pot to adjust the gyro gain. @@NightFlyyer
God bless! i love this Btw i have been a subscriber for over 10 years and you have taught me so much THANK YOU for always being there for me when i need it your videos are inspirational and ur truly the one that got me up and going with what i do now a days THANK YOU!
Those are very kind words, Caleb. I appreciate your long time subscription and glad to have helped. Stay well and happy flying. Thanks very kindly!
Thank you for this gem !! 👍
Thanks to you as well. I appreciate that.
Very interesting stuff as always👍😊
Thanks very kindly!
I too had the Futaba 154 and latter 153 gyros, and people would always ask what the noise was.
I still don't like flying in heading hold mode and much prefer the feel of rate mode. 🙂🇦🇺
I totally agree. Just keep it simple thanks much.
Yep, the Iconic gyros kept the proverbial, 'spinning-dog' from chasing his tail. Thanks, Der Dave for the inside look at the magic behind the rotor torque balancing act of early choppers. Oorah, Bud
Well said Bud. I appreciate that. Semper Fi and thanks.
Thanks for your fun
Thanks for watching as well.
look up MEMS oscillators, i believe that’s what they use in the rate sensors for phones and maybe rc gyros now. it’s amazing how far technology has come
Yes, MEMS stands for Micro-electromechanical systems. We certainly have come a long way, and this Futaba Gyro was just the beginning. Thanks, Paul.
Nice video!
Thanks very much Don!
This is cool
Thanks.
Thank you. Videos are very helpful. Could you please answer my question, on old real helicopters (eg UH1) is the job of keeping the tail anti-rotation completely done by the pilot without the gyro's assistance? (sorry, I use translator)
All of my first models, did not have gyro assist for the tail. The Full size UH1, did not have any stability augmentation for the tail rotor that I ever heard of or saw when I was on Active duty in the Marines. Thanks.
@@NightFlyyer Thank you for answering my questions!
I have at least three of these in basement, and one of them on my 500 size heli
Cool. Most early heli pilots had these since they were the only ones really available. Happy flying.
I had one of those back in the day 🤣
There was not many choices for sure, as we all had them when they became available. Thanks.
I always wanted to fly a heli without tail gyro, well the only heli I have is a 450 and I just re built it well.
The gyro failed because it got disconnected from the RX along with the rudder servo, that did not end well.
Yes, when tail rotors stop when least expected, it never ends too well. Thanks.
I wonder how many RC heli pilots there are left in the world who can fly without a gyro?
Which makes me think of a screenplay for an SF movie: The helo-aliens have destroyed all gyroscopes with a selective electromagnetic pulse, all aircraft are grounded and things are looking grim for Earth... until someone remembers a generation of RC- pilots who flew without gyroscopes...
Hollywood, I'm on my way!
Ha ha. Right on! I also have been known to fly with no tail rotor and only 1 main rotor blade. Thanks.
Verrrrrry interesting! I'm having tail problems with my Trex 250 Chinese clone (HK250-GT) and I have NO IDEA what's wrong with it. It has a cheap-o HK piezo gyro which DID work OK years ago, but now I can't control the tail--it keeps drifting SLOWLY side to side. I THOUGHT it just needed a gyro value adjustment in the radio (DX6i), but it flew so erratically that I lost control (PANICKED!) and drove the main rotor into the ground cuz I was too close to the ground. I probably couldn't have gotten it safely back onto the ground anyway cuz it was drifting too much, and constantly. It makes me wonder if THAT was what it used to be like to fly WITHOUT a gyro, back in the day. If so, that would've been HORRIBLE to try to overcome! As soon as I lifted off, the tail would drift one way, I would counter the movement, and then the tail would drift the OTHER way ... and so on, ad infinitum! It was HORRIFYING! Needless to say, I don't wish to fix my heli and try it again for fear that the EXACT SAME crash will occur again--there's ZERO reason to believe that ANYTHING would be different next time, since I don't know WHY the tail is doing that. ASSUMING the gyro is NOT somehow screwy, it MUST be a mechanical issue, but the tail "SEEMS" to work freely and properly on the ground. Any suggestions? Thx for the vid!
That is a bummer. Drifting is usually caused by a gyro that is not allowed to align properly on the ground. Start it level, and intermediately set it on the ground level and give it 30 seconds before flying. If that is not working, the Piezo had begun leaking and the gyro should be replaced. Good luck and hope you figure it out.
@@NightFlyyer OK ... thx a million for the reply. I always wait for the gyro to initialize (the servo will center). I wouldn't mind replacing the gyro, but I have just spent SO MUCH money on this thing and it has NEVER really flown properly. It's like a house or an old car: money pit heli!
@@TechNoPhobiaGirl Get a new heli and relax. :-)
I bet that thing draws alot of power, I remember the video when You took the Kraft gyro apart.
Actually there is not much load and it is the same motor as 1 standard size servo uses, so we never had to worry much. Your a long time subscriber and I appreciate you. Thanks much, Jon.
NightFlyyer you are very welcome I been watching you since 2008 and your videos and also other TH-camrs such as joe handsome 99 , avgn, irate gamer , and others have got me through some tough times.
@@jonmcalexander6475 Thanks again, Jon.
If you are able to find one how much do one of these gyros or similar cost? I would like to have one just for the old school cool of it we really don't realize how spoiled we are with modern RC
There are plenty on ebay for around $40. Here is a link. www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313&_nkw=futaba+mechanical+gyro&_sacat=0
Preferred no gyro lock ..seeing the first one i learned to fly o had no heading lock people say im crazy for not wanting one..
I agree. I don't like to fight gyros trying to take over and prefer just a simply rate gyro on all my helis, so I feel more in control. Your not crazy. Thanks.
Where to find this???
Futaba used to make them but no longer, since we now have tiny "no moving parts" chips that work better. This is 45 year old technology. Maybe find one on eBay.
I worry if I fly a heli without a gyro, as it works in the olden days....it will too.
Yes. I learned before gyros were invented for models, so I know how, but simple rate gyros are definitely a bonus these days. Here is a video of me flying my 1 bladed nitro heli. The gyro was acting up, so I removed it and flew this test flight without it 10 years ago. LOL th-cam.com/video/mKR6dDHXEqE/w-d-xo.html
Once you get the intertial mass up and spinning, it probably doesn't take too much current draw to keep it spinning.
fpv.air-war.org
Very true. Thanks.