Mark C
Key Veteran
Location: Houston, TX - USA
| Now that my Synergy is 100% built and ready for it's maiden flight I would like to throw in my $0.02 here.
Issues experienced:
Nothing new. Same issues as experienced by everyone with this batch.
1. Damaged threads on the one of the collars on the torque tube.
2. The geometry with the links as specified did not work out. Had to go out 4.5 turns on all the bellcrank to swash links to get it dead on.
3. Front fan shroud holes need enlarging.
4. The spacers for the anti-rotation pin and tail bellcrank were swapped. (Nathan, you were right!)
5. Had to make short links from long links that were supplied.
Build Progress:
I had the core airframe (not tailboom) completed in under 4 hours. And that is taking my time reading/looking carefully. I don't consider myself a top notch builder.
My buddy had the entire tail boom done in another 3 hours.
The electronics dropped in easy - about another 2 hours.
During the construction another friend pulled off a beautiful simple one color paint job complete with clear coat and decals almost as fast as me and my buddy built it (crap actually faster!). I'll bet I can slap the next one together in one long evening, 1.5 pizzas and 2 bathroom breaks.
The layout of the parts bags was absolutely the best I have ever seen. Better than Hirobo, Raptor, JR, Align, Century or any helicopter I have built. Turn a page in the manual, open the corresponding parts bag, at the end of the page the assy is complete and there are no parts left. Turn the page and repeat the process. Excellent job.
Build Tips:
Sacrifice a set of ball link pliers. Grind them out so they will work on the larger ball links on the Synergy. It won't take you 5 minutes and it is worth it. If you are like most other heli guys you have 2 or 3 sets of ball link pliers anyway.
Suggestions for the "Powers that Be"
I would like to see the torque tube delivered complete and built. It feels like clumsy goons like myself could damage it pretty easy during the construction of the ends. Furthermore, if you boomstrike this baby you are taking it home. I don't think you are easily going to recover the end pieces out in the field and build up another drive tube. I can have a boomstruck R90 airborne again in the field in 30 minutes. I don't think you are going to do that with this guy until you supply that torque tube assy built out. It is nice to be able to just buy the tube and save cash but not if you fly-crash-fix-fly in the field. And if I want to build up a spare assy on my own to carry to the field I have to locate all the parts to make it happen.
It is nice that the canopy is gelcoated but you should have them squirt a black windshield on it as well. Lots of lazy guys such as myself are quite happy flying with just a sticker set so it would be nice if the canopy had a black windshield. Take a look at how the Vibe canopy comes now - even has a little yellow squirted on it as well. Throw a sticker set on it and bingo your done go fly now.
Throw in some plugs for the end of the skid tubes.
Add some construction hints in the manual. The exploded views are great but sometimes we need a little guidance.
Need a head set-up geometry, radio set-up page in the manual. Show us how the geometry is supposed to look when the stick is at 50%. What is the cyclic range supposed to be? Pitch range? Suggested set ups for flying styles.
If you are going to have to do things like supply 4 extra long links to be cut down and used instead of short links then throw an addendum sheet in so guys like myself don't go ripping through the kit taking inventory and following the dog around waiting for him to pass the missing links.
Thoughts:
All in all my thoughts are on the positive side. I am totally EXCITED about flying this baby! It was every bit as easy to assemble as my R90s (I have 2). Even with the above issues. As an early adopter I am pretty flexible. A hiccup or two (or 5) is not an issue as long as they are minor and the finished product is outstanding as this appears to be so far.
Everyone who has ogled it is impressed with the quality and simplicity. The kit is G10 where it should be, composite plastic where it should be, and CNC aluminum where it should be. (my opinion of course, flame away)
Going on only on my experience so far I would buy another. I like it. Could it be refined? Sure it could but it is an EXCELLENT first attempt at a professional quality heli from an emerging synergy. Hence the name.
Everyone needs to remember that it is likely ALL of the kits assembled to date are from the same first production run batch channeled through Rick's. You can't expect any changes or revisions until future batches. You can however expect Synergy RC to assist you in resolving any issues you have with your current kit. And to my knowledge they will do exactly that if contacted. I haven't seen any need to utilize that channel yet, all of the issues listed above were resolved easily on my own and I'm not that good.
And here she is!!!!!
P.S. Any word on a Synergy 50  |
