celihopter
Senior Heliman
Location: Planet Earth first on the left..
| I love my MX-400.
I log all flights and some related data.
Have now 84 flights and 11.8 hour total time with virtually no wear to really speak off on any components.
Here is how my heli is equipped:
Aluminum center hub (is a must do not fly without it)
Aluminum swash plate
Aluminum tail blade grips
Pro linkage set
T-REX tail-pitch slider assembly (double fork design from plastic), fits right on and is absolutely play free.
Helimax recommended 6 pole motor
Helimax 25 A speed control
JR- PCM receiver
Futaba 3107 servos with the pitch servo arm extended
GWS PG-03 gyro works no problems
TP 2100 3 cell battery slightly raised in front to allow fit in canopy.
It is a working package.
Here some data which might be of interest for some guys.
All data are related to sport type flying with occasional mild aerobatic included.
Lowest temp flown 26F; highest temp 74 F (no problems.)
Average amp draw is about 9.3. I have seen between 7.5 and 11.3 in flight (average based on flight time and charge input after flight).
Highest wind flown was 21 mph and very gusty (no problems).
My typical flight time is on average 8.5 minutes (self selected for safety), with about 1350 ma charge required.
Longest flight was 12.4 minutes with 1936 ma charge after that flight.
I encountered the following problems:
1. The first flight ended with a slight tip over causing the rotor head entirely to twist off. All linkages gone and so on.
That was with the plastic center hub which I replaced immediately.
2. After 13 flights and 1.8 hours. The Helimax motor shaft migrated out towards the top. Doing so, the lower (thicker) part of the pinion with the setscrew contacted the main gear and blocked it enough to cause the rotor to slow down and the helicopter to crash. I could hear a grinding sound for about 2 s.
The helicopter crashed on its skids from about 6 ft. No damage except the skids.
Shaft was retained with sleeve retainer.
3. After 60 flights a full speed tree encounter caused by tunnel vision. I thought there is nothing left based on the sound of impact. Damage: skids (my already glued ones); one blade broken at tip; lost the two bushings and screws inside the seesaw assembly; vertical fin broken, main drive gear lost some teeths but is still in use today that was it unbelievable.
4. After 73 flights an uncontrolled drop from about 30 ft min on short grass. I think a glitch caused it. Damage: my already glued skids again, one blade covering cracked; one tail blade no other damage. I still cant believe it. Not even the frame is bent.
5. Flight # 80 ended with impact on some industrial furniture during slow inside maneuvering causing the heli to drop from at least 6 ft sideways on concrete.
I just crossed a table causing paper to fly looked at the paper and
.
Damage: One blade, my home made skids, small crack in canopy thats it no further damage.
The following wear is observable after all that and 11.8 hours of flying. Parts in question are never replaced.
Radius arms on washout assembly ball joints seem to get a little loose at the swash plate attach points, but still ok.
The aluminum swash plate plastic insert is loose slight movement possible still ok I hope.
Main drive gear is in bad shape I believe that is crash related.
Guess all I am saying is that is one though bird! |
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