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Scale Model RC Helicopters > Lightning Heli 5 Blade Head Product Review
 
 
joeb56
Heliman
Location: Newcastle,NSW - Australia

Finally got the next version ( I think its the final production one) of the modified head from Lightning Heli

So far looks very good - they have addressed the QC issues of the previous version and at first glance it looks the goods.
I will pull it apart when I get back home next week

I am still not real happy with the quality of the swash it will work but compared to the Vario its chalk and cheese but I guess it gets down to a price issue

I'll post the photos soon cheers
Joe

On the J curve of all things Heli, I am still going down hill, FAST
08-07-2008 09:52 PM
 
 
nyturtle
Senior Heliman
Location: Dallas TX, USA

joeb56 or Anyone!

Okay today is 20 Oct 2008. I have the new gen 5 bladed head on the way. Does anyone have this "new and improved version"? If so is it better, fuctional, and safe. Is the swash good, or do I still have to buy the vario or century swash and follower. I will be placing this head on my T-Rex 600E. Also there website claims that you don't need a electronic mixer of any kind. What do you guys think? And finally, what blades should get for it (the heavier the better).

All theis is for my scale AH-6 Little Bird I'm buildng. Will have a build log soon!

-TSM

"The Scale Master"
10-20-2008 11:13 PM
 
 
Hoverup
Elite Veteran
Location: Gulf Coast

Where did you buy it?

Cheers - Boyd
AMA80393
IRCHA 3355
Major USAF
Retired
10-20-2008 11:40 PM
 
 
nyturtle
Senior Heliman
Location: Dallas TX, USA

I bought it from RC Expert online last week.

-TSM

"The Scale Master"
10-20-2008 11:46 PM
 
 
Richard Morgan
Heliman
Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia USA

Lighting Heli

Well, as for me far to many months have passed and Lightning Heli has been very consistant on one thing. They have certainly not supported me the customer or their piece of junk product. I must now chalk up all that was promised me as misrepresentations and out and out lies from some guy who calls himself John at Lightning. John right here on this site through PM's and open discussions talked about about replacement or refunds; nothing has transpired. My Lightning Heli Head, follower, and Swash went out with todays trash. Which is exactly right where it belongs. I do not understand why anyone would send this outfit one red cent for their products based on all the negative reports here on Runryder and other sites.

Richard Morgan
10-21-2008 12:19 AM
 
 
Hoverup
Elite Veteran
Location: Gulf Coast

I have to go with Richard on this one. I am interested to see Nyturtle's evaluation when he gets it. I could not find the product on RC-Expert"s site. BTW RC-Expert's reputation is about 1mm better than HellHobby, so this could get interesting. You don't mess with F-16 fighter pilots (Nyturtle's job).

Cheers - Boyd
AMA80393
IRCHA 3355
Major USAF
Retired
10-21-2008 01:02 AM
 
 
nyturtle
Senior Heliman
Location: Dallas TX, USA

Scale Masters Review of the V2 Lightning Heli 5 Blade Head

Okay guys I just got my 5 bladed head and swash plate in. After a long hard review and looking at the old POOR design and set up, I have confidently concluded the Lighting Heli V2 5 bladed head made for the T-Rex 600 is.............EXCELLENT for the money. And I mean it! I would honestly recommend the set up to anyone..... All the changes they made has addressed all the issues with old design.

- blade grip arms have been correctly shortened
- Swash plate pins have been re-positioned
- Swash plate follower has been TOTALY re-done and updated
- 5 new (safety) set screws have been incorporated in the center hub design
- Upgraded stronger CNC material used for the center hub
- Center hub bottom collar improved with 2 bolts added to the base

Over all, this sucker is very solid....Well done lightning Heli.

The on thing that would suggest is to make sure you tighten down all of the bolts. The 5 set screws in my head ALL NEEDED to be tightened.

See pics of the new improved head below. Be sure and go back to page 1 so you can see all the big changes.



"The Scale Master"
11-01-2008 10:04 PM
 
 
Super-Hornet
Veteran
Location: Singapore

Hey nyturtle... this new version look much much better.

I thinking of getting their 5 bladed head as well but I want the one for 500 size. I wonder whether their 500 size has the same design as the newer one that u just got.

Tell me where did u get the new 5 bladed head?

SH
11-02-2008 04:06 PM
 
 
nyturtle
Senior Heliman
Location: Dallas TX, USA

Super-Hornet

Hey dude, I got it from RC-expert. It took about 10 business days for me to get it from China to the U.S. Here is the link to the website: http://www.rc-expert.com/accessory....147&aid=LP1050A

Good luck,

"The Scale Master"
11-02-2008 04:33 PM
 
 
AirWolfRC
rrProfessor
Location: 42½ N, 83½ W

With the set screws securing the blade grip retaining bolts (deforming the bolt threads), do you have a problem with disassembly ?

Are those three screws holding the swash plate together only 3mm ?
11-02-2008 04:41 PM
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
nyturtle
Senior Heliman
Location: Dallas TX, USA

AirWolfRC

It's a non issue in terms of bolt deformity. The threaded bolts used are big 6mm bolts. Even if you torqued downs SUPER hard on the 6mm bolt I doubt you could bend it in any way, in fact you would probably strip out the threaded area the set screw sits in first before you could do any damage to the 6mm bolt.

"The Scale Master"
11-02-2008 04:53 PM
 
 
AirWolfRC
rrProfessor
Location: 42½ N, 83½ W

Set screws on threads are never a good idea
. . . . if you want to eventually disassemble.

Yes, you will bugger up the threads.
11-02-2008 05:41 PM
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
Super-Hornet
Veteran
Location: Singapore

Hi nyturtle

Thanks for the link. I tried to search for 500 size version but looks like rc-expert.com do not have the 500size "Penta Rotorhead" yet. The Lightning website shows it have 500size already. I wonder when will rc-expert.com has the 500size or whether other site already selling it.

BTW, this newer version (for 600size), my friend might interested for his 600 size "Little Bird".

SH
11-02-2008 10:01 PM
 
 
Daniel Reese
Senior Heliman
Location: Urbana OH

I hope your your "new and improved" rotors turn out to fly better than mine did.

I didnt realize that mine was the "new" version but as you describe it, that's the one I have...but mine is not improved in ANY way.

The 3mm bolts DO easily deform the 6mm ones. Those 6mm bolts cannot be fully torqued down because they'll cause some of the blade grips to bind so you've got to make up for the difference by torquing those little 3mm bolts.

Still, that part of the design is the least of the problems.

Not one of those 6mm bolts is on the same horizontal plane as the others and none of them result in blade grips that are the same distance from the center of the main mast- the result being that your blades are relatively longer or shorter than eachother changing their center of gravity and so destroying balance. Vibrations on this thing get exciting at about 800 RPM...

The swash I got was a total piece of crap. I can just about slip the center ball out of the swash- the "slop" in it IS that bad. However, the ball is such a tight fight on the mainshaft that I could barely manage to move it along the shaft, I couldnt imagine the servos being able to do it. Still, thanks to the distressingly loose fit of that inner ball, the swash will tilt easily enough but it also means that the resulting slop in the swash will cause a 1-3 degree variation in each blade's pitch!

THe internal bearings of the swash are so irregular that the first time I tried to rotate it I couldnt do it without pliars! Eventually I wore it down enough to be able to spin it by hand thanks to generous quantities of WD-40...

Just for kicks I tried putting this hunk of crap on my TRex just to see how bad it could be.

I managed to get it off the ground before the slop and vibrations got so bad I could no longer safely control it...and I was just barely managing to hover at 6".

The rotor is now safely stowed in the bottom of my trash can where it can no longer pose a danger to anyone.



No helicopters were harmed in the writing of this post.
11-02-2008 11:48 PM
 
 
Richard Morgan
Heliman
Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia USA

"new and improved" Lightning Heli 5 blade head

Why am I not surprised! Well it just goes to prove that you can paint a turd and when you are done that is what you have! A painted turd.

Richard Morgan
11-03-2008 01:31 AM
 
 
nyturtle
Senior Heliman
Location: Dallas TX, USA

Daniel Reese

Dude I'm sorry to here that man, so far mine has tested good, and I am not experiencing the same problems as you, swashplate barings are okay (not as smooth as the Align one), but are by no means a problematic. I have measured all the distances (grip to grip) and all are equal. For me on spool up I have NO vibrations issues. All I can say is for me, or the head I got is not a bad one. Perhaps they have some quality control issue like Jet Joe tubines did the first 2 years. If I had to replace something it would be average/weak swashplate. Again for the money it's not a bad deal for a guy who knows how to improve it. More to follow...

"The Scale Master"
11-03-2008 04:35 AM
 
 
joeb56
Heliman
Location: Newcastle,NSW - Australia

As I said in my post the "new' improved one is just that improved
I do think you need to pull it apart and rebuild it but then again I pull everything apart and rebuild just so I know its right

Daniel is correct the swash is crap and I have not used it

Apart from that it is OK for the price and once I rebuilt it and tensioned the thrust bearings correctly there was minimal play

Straight out of the box there was slop in the bearings but it was build QC

Reasonable happy with it just throw away the swash
Cheers
Joe

On the J curve of all things Heli, I am still going down hill, FAST
11-03-2008 05:04 AM
 
 
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Scale Model RC Helicopters > Lightning Heli 5 Blade Head Product Review
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