Trex 500 Flybarless

[Strobe]

So I decided it needed a sexy wiring job.
And...

Skookum :D
Mikado FBL conversion head components :cool:

Actually I needed something to tinker with and I want to see how the 500 flys FBL ! Besides it's gonna be a crappy week :mad:

[Ken]

Sweet!

[MikeB]

Thought Jim said you got a 700N. Why the 500 instead of the 700?

[Strobe]

I'll leave the 700N with a flybar for now. I wanted to see how the FBL affects the 500's flight. I'm looking to stabalize the 500 but make it quicker. If that makes sense. And maybe get a little more power and runtime.
Putting the 600N back to flybar makes it a little less stable and I think that will progress my skills better. Right now I have the cyclics kicked up and the 600N is flying great. I'm undecided if I want FBL in bigger helis right now.

[Strobe]

Stripped it down to almost nothing. It'll be a little easier putting it back together half a frame at a time. Much easier to get the wires short and organized. Never did this approach before, I think it'll make it alot easier. I'm thinking only wiring on the outside of the heli will get sheathing.

[Ken]

Wow! That looks awesome. I dig the short custom jumpers you made. Can't wait to see it!

[Strobe]

Changed direction a little bit. Picked up a AR6100E and replaced the AR7000. Trying to keep as much weight off the tail end as possible. Also may need the extra room to feed cyclic wires the way I want to. I like the skookum down their..easy access to the pc port. I don't use the manual gain adjustments on the other side. All adjustments are made and stored by computer. Parma servo tape rocks for keeping wires in place.

[Ken]

How did you heatshrink that plastic weave over your gyro wire? Every time I've tried to to that I end up melting the plastic weave stuff. Too much heat?

[Strobe]

I use a hobby heat gun. Or a blow hair dryer...what ever is handy !

[BrokenRotor]

Looks very nice Strobe. Do you bring a laptop with you to the field so you can make changes if needed?:confused:

[Strobe]

Looks very nice Strobe. Do you bring a laptop with you to the field so you can make changes if needed?:confused:

Yes, I tune the Spartan gyro and Skookum thru the laptop.

[MikeB]

Very nice Strobe.

I'm not sure you'll ever pass this IRCHA test with that tho.

International Radio Control Helicopter Association
Pilot Proficiency Program
Level VII
Manuever I

I. Straight Upright Flight (1 required variations)
1. After watch you flip flop and whatnot it has been brought to my attention that some of you may have forgotten how to flight upright straight and level. This maneuver requires that the pilot flies the helicopter for one complete tank of fuel and that the helicopter remains upright for the entire flight. A flight must last at least 10 minutes, this goes double for the likes of Todd B, Gary W, & Curtis Y!


I almost completed Manuever H the other day with my 450 but I only hit 3 inches.

H. Pirouetting Auger (1 required variations)
1. Starting from any altitude and orientation and to the pilot’s right start your Auger. The helicopter does not have to be pirouetting when the Auger starts.
2. To complete this maneuver at least one part of the helicopter must be six (6) inches below the normal surface level.
Note: The softer the ground in the “landing” zone the easier it is to complete this maneuver. Just Kidding! IRCHA does not encourage this type of maneuver, but hey stuff happens and I’m tried. <G>

Got a kick out of those.

[chad bidwell]

lol that is funny but cant wait to c what the upgrade does for mine because if it is sweet i might try it later in the summer after a little more practice

[mflander]

Isn't the 500 what you crashed out in princeton last summer? That was less than a year ago.

[Strobe]

Isn't the 500 what you crashed out in princeton last summer? That was less than a year ago.

That was the 600N:doh:

[Strobe]

Good find Mike. That's funny

[mflander]

That was the 600N:doh:

My bad. You were flying the 500 that day too I think I get them all confused.

[Strobe]

Finished up this morning and setup to maiden. First time working with wire covering. I think I like it. May the heli gods be good today !

[MikeB]

That canopy is awesome.

[BrokenRotor]

Strobe, you do very nice work. I love the look of a flybarless heli.:cool:

[Strobe]

Thanks for the compliments everyone.:)

Took it up for a hover today. I was really nervous on this one for some reason. But all went well.

When I did the flybarless is the 600N it was pretty much plug and play wih the supplied 3D profile. Very stable and not much tweaking.

The 500 looks like it will need some tweaking to a greater extent then the 600N took. I look forward to playing with the different settings and getting this one locked in. Skookum is supposed to be realeasing a small LCD soon so you don't have to bring a computer to the field. That'll be nice.

[Strobe]

Starting to get a few flights on this setup. And it's showing promise !
I got 4 flights in yesterday making adjustments.

1) Transmitter - I tried 0 expo in aileron and elevator, finally settled with 20%.
2) I'm running 6V on the 9257 tail servo. Seems to be handling it just fine so far. Servo does not get warm at all. But then again a few have run 6v 9257's on cyclic. I wanted to stay away from the drop down regulator.
3) Changed the skookum settings alot from the 3D profile provided. I'm working on settling the tail down after hard pitch changes. It likes to bounce back. Almost got that one dialed in.

Stick inputs are a fraction of what I needed with a flybar on the 500. It's a hot rod:D

hehe...time to try the Scorpion 1400 again, Running the 1600 right now.