geoffs crash and learn

BEGINNERS GUIDE TO FIRST HOVER 

Your helicopter has arrived but you have never flown a radio controlled helicopter before, the guide below will get you up in the air for your first hover.

 

1^st rule of flying don’t rush take your time

 

1) Remove the contents of your package onto a suitable table or bench and check all contents are there and complete.

 

2) Read the helicopter manual on battery care and charging, then put your helicopter battery on charge.

 

3) Check over the helicopter for any loose screws, fitting or wiring connections.

Tighten as necessary but DO NOT over tighten.

The main rotor blades and tail blades should be able to move with a little resistance

 

4) Whilst waiting for the battery to charge take this opportunity to read the instructions and get familiar with the transmitter, how the sticks move, where all the switches and knobs are etc. CAUTION DO NOT MOVE THE TRIM settings (the small sliders by the sticks).

Install 8 number ‘AA’ batteries into the rear of the transmitter.

 

5) OK now the battery is charged, remove the canopy from the helicopter and install the battery on the helicopter securing it in place with the elastic band supplied. DO NOT CONNECT THE
BATTERY TO THE HELICOPTER YET.

Place the canopy back onto the helicopter and secure it on to the main frame pins via the rubber grommets.

6) Now build up the training gear by installing the rods into the plastic disc then pushing one plastic piece of tube over the rod allowing enough room to put the ping pong ball on then use another piece of tube to hold in place.

Once built up you have an ‘X’ shape with orange balls at each end.

Now place your helicopter skids on top of this and secure the two together with the tie wraps supplied.

 

7) Make sure all of the switches on the transmitter are switched towards the rear of the transmitter and the left hand stick (throttle) is in its lowest position.

The trim to the right hand side of the throttle stick must also be at its lowest position.

Now turn on the transmitter and extend the Ariel to its maximum extent.

 

Place the helicopter on a flat open piece of ground and connect the battery to the helicopter.

You will see the light on the gyro flash then either go out or stay a constant colour (this indicates that all is well), if the helicopter has a motor controller it will emit a sound too.

You must wait until you get the conditions above before continuing.

 

 

EXTREAM CAUTION IS REQUIRED WHILST CARRYING OUT THESE CHECKS AS YOUR HELICOPTER IS LIVE AND IF YOU ACCIDENTALLY CATCH THE THROTTLE STICK OR ANY SWITCH THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES WILL SPIN UP CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE HELICOPTER AND YOURSELF.

 

9) Before attempting to move the throttle stick (just to see if it works) check the right hand stick is working correctly.

Move the right hand stick forwards and you will see the swash plate on the helicopter move down towards the nose of the helicopter, move it back and the plate will move down to the rear of the helicopter let it rest in the centre and the plate will return to the level position.

Now move the right hand stick to the left, the plate will move to the left. Then to the right and the plate moves right, put it back to centre and the plate resumes the central position again.

CAUTION NEEDED FOR THE NEXT CHECK, carefully move the left stick(throttle) to the right you will see the tail blades change their angle to give a bigger angle, then move the left stick to the right the tail blades will reduce in angle.

 

EXTREAM CAUTION IS REQUIRED WHILST CARRYING OUT THESE CHECKS AS YOUR HELICOPTER IS LIVE AND IF YOU ACCIDENTALLY CATCH THE THROTTLE STICK OR ANY SWITCH THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES WILL SPIN UP CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE HELICOPTER AND YOURSELF.

 

10) Move away from your helicopter and slowly move the throttle stick upwards your rotor blades will start to turn now move the stick back to the bottom and whilst the blades are slowing down note which way they are spinning, if they are rotating clockwise as viewed from above all is well.

Now move the stick up again this time you want to get the helicopter light enough on the training gear for it to move, note which way it moves and shut the throttle off again (stick to bottom) and allow the rotors to stop.

 

We’ll presume the helicopter moved to the left and forwards for this example.

 

The small trim slider below the right hand stick needs to be moved to the right by two clicks, then spin up again and note the direction it moves after this adjustment, keep repeating until you only need a small input on the stick to keep it from drifting left.

Next move the trim to the left of the right hand stick back two clicks and spin up the rotor again, repeat this until you now only need very small inputs to the stick to keep it in one place.

 

This has effectively levelled your swash plate to a certain degree, once you get more experienced we can then go into more details on how to set up for fast flight and 3D.

All we want to do at the moment is to get to a hover in control.

 

During this initial set up the tail might of stayed in a relative stable position or it might have been spinning wildly to one side we need to set this up now.

 

11) If the tail has been moving to the left, the trim below the throttle stick will need to be moved to the right two clicks at a time, if you reach the full extent of the trim travel you then need to move the servo on the tail boom to compensate for the lack of trim.

To do this move the trim back to centre position then loosen off the screws which clamp the servo holder to the boom, then slide the servo up or down (depends on whether you require more or less tail pitch move the trim to see which way the push rod moves) by no more than 3mm. then repeat the initial trim set up as above to get a steady tail position.

 

12) By this time your battery is low so disconnect the battery from the helicopter and remove it and then turn off the transmitter.

Put the battery on charge and make yourself a well deserved cuppa.

 

 

13) Mark out an area aprox 4 foot square or visualise this area as this is going to be your “flying zone”.

Turn on the transmitter then connect up the helicopter battery.

Slowly increase the throttle until the helicopter is very light on the training gear and practice keeping it in one place (your flying zone) continue doing this starting up and stopping until you are confident you want to give it a little more throttle where it will lift off the ground once up reduce the throttle and land, close the throttle off and disconnect the battery.

 

WHY this will let your nerves settle and you can think about what has just taken place i.e. your first flight be it all very quick but it does save on parts after panicking and crashing (trust me) .

 

Reconnect the battery and slowly increase throttle until you lift off again and land only lift a max of 1 foot in the air at this time until you are confident to try gaining more height.(the training gear is more effective at this height at preventing overturns during crashes therefore expense of new parts)

 

Once you get 3 feet and higher you will notice the control of the helicopter gets better this is because you move out of the disturbed air your rotor blades create below you helicopter.

 

You are now in control of your helicopter and with more practice you will be able to take off and land without the training gear.

 

REMEMBER

1^st rule of flying don’t rush take your time