RunRyder - Hawk IV kit problem #2

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Century Hawk - Falcon - Raven - Predator > Hawk IV kit problem #2

Tin Pusher
Heliman
Location: Surrey, BC

And you guys thought I must have finished with only 1 problem. Ha!
From what I can see the t/r servo to rotor system is designed with the sole purpose of selling crash kits.
1. The wire is a thicker guage on the IV than on my friends II. The hole just above the engine is tooooooo small. Managed to drill it out. Also came with a 1 foot long piece of clear plastic tube, cannot find it in the manual. On the Hawk II the rod goes through it to save friction on on the boom guides. With the bigger guage rod on the IV it does not fit inside.
2. The ball links for the rotor are more rubbery than the others and I don't trust there staying on power. What is another option to connect the rod to the rotor and servo?
3. The whole system is way to stiff. I think I will get the servo boom mount kit CN2216. What is the other boom mount kit listed, CN2216A Nexus ?
Thanks and please stand buy for my favorite episode of "Hawk IV kit problem #_", Gee I am done but I have a handful of extra parts. Hmmmmm!

PS. If I sound bitter and sarcastic please take it with a grain of salt. Over all I am happy with the kit so far and it looks too cool to fly, almost. I am a guy and all ladys will tell you that the first thing guys do is throw away the manual. Well I did'nt this time but maybe I should have. Could you imagine buying a new 2002 car but it came with a manual for the 1994 model. Century may be a small company but what would it cost them to have some guy go through the newsgroups and forums looking for complaints and maybe actually put the kit together himself and when done rewrite the #$%@!@#^ book.

06-29-2002 Over year old.

bhelisN6
Heliman
Location: Fremont, California

The front hole on the mechanics was phased out when Century changed from the single long 1.5mm wire with plastic housing to the two piece 2mm wire tail pushrod that is standard in all the kits today. Basically, do not use the front hole molded into the mechanics, as you have stated, the rudder pushrod is nearly impossible to move.

Note that the short front pushrod has a 'z' bend in the front. This is to account for the 9-10mm offset from the center of the rudder servo. When assembled, having connected the short and long segments of the pushrod, with the guides on the tailboom but not glued in place, connect the tail pitch bellcrank. Now move the pushrod fore and aft to find the smoothest position for the tail pushrod guides. Once satisified, glue the guides in place. Connect the front of the pushrod to the servo and watch the pushrod as you move the rudder stick to the endpoints.

On most machines I have worked on I attach a cable tie around the vertical section of upper frame and the front rudder pushrod just behind the starting shaft. Start loose and slowly tighten while continuing to move the rudder stick from left to right. Tight enough to get smooth operation and eliminate any flexing between the rear molded guide and the servo. That's it.

You can get the rear servo mount CN2216 but it isn't really necessary and moves the C.G. rearward needing weight compensation in the nose.

On the ball links, these newer style have the Century logo on one side and they are designed to fit on one way, with the logo facing outwards. I have been flying all season with them on the swashplate to servos on my CCPM Raven (under the highest loading on the entire helicopter)without any problems. I always perform a pre-flight check once per day, by pulling outward on the pushrods until the pushrod bends. It is pops off, then I change them.

Let me and the list know of any other problems you have run into with the manual. For the most part I have noticed alot of bad part numbers and drawings that show older versions.

Best of luck,

Andrew

06-29-2002 Over year old.

HOMEPAGE

bhelisN6
Heliman
Location: Fremont, California

One more thing, the 12" plastic tube in the kits is shown on the landing gear drawing. For those builders who use the original wire antenna, it fits into the molded bosses under the struts to route the antenna past the main mechanics. From there, use an elastic to attach the end to the horizontal fin. I prefer the base loaded antennas and keep them in the canopy.

Andrew

06-29-2002 Over year old.

HOMEPAGE

ncostes
Veteran
Location: US

Hey Tin,

It really does help to read the manual a few times before you assemble

Even I figured out the plastic tube was for the antenna

and I had problems figuring out how to attach the blades to the blade grips

Sometimes though you have to read ahead of the step you're at, especially if something doesn't seem right - sometimes reading fwd will help you find where a part goes, or you'll clarify something by seeing it in a different picture later on.

But you're right, they really should fix some of these things at least on the web page. How hard is it to print to PDF

Andrew is right on target. The TR linkage seems goofy, but it actually works ok. Keep in mind when you "glue" the guides, do as the manual says and just use 1 drop of ca so you can loosen them and reposition if you have to.

I have the tail boom mount kit, but haven't installed it yet because the ship is flying fine, and having the TR servo in the canopy protects it from fuel/exhaust and crash damage.

However - I didn't see any mention of one way ball links in the manual, maybe I missed that - I read about them on the TT forum, apparently people had the links cracking on their raptors if they were installed backwards.

Andrew: can you order the t/r pushrod ball links separately, and if so what part #?

Also what's the danger in using a normal ball link on the T/R rod?

A more general question - do you recommend we sand with 400/600 the balls as per Ray's Auth. Heli Manual to get them smooth, or do you recommend we size the links?

All my links are really stiff.

Thanks
Nick

06-29-2002 Over year old.

bhelisN6
Heliman
Location: Fremont, California

Be carefull, the ball links used on the tail pushrod are for 2mm threaded rod, smaller than the regular pushrods used on rotorhead and servos which use 2.3mm threaded rod.

Tail ball links are available, CNLR1000, package of 10 for $5.95

For ball link sizing, you do not want to touch the steel balls, maybe in time of old that was acceptable but today the steel balls are made on screw machines, that will produce identical sizes every time.

I my opinion, I have never used a resizing tool. I believe that the pros will use them to ensure that every machine feels identical and can, I repeat, can be very safe to use. Ball links will wear in over a few flights, it will put an extra strain on servos initially but in the end the ball links will be a perfect fit. The sizing tool CN2055 is an asset when used properly, when used hap-hazardly, helicopters crash.

Occasionally when I come across a link that is excessively tight (defined: difficult to move with fingers) I will replace it and discard it. Once before I fly for the first time of the day (a tip from Dave Neves) I will apply a drop of triflow lubricant to each ball/ballink. This will greatly extend the life of ball links.

Andrew

06-29-2002 Over year old.

HOMEPAGE

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Century Hawk - Falcon - Raven - Predator > Hawk IV kit problem #2

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