Flight logs/maintenance/configs are in the Configuration/Settings menu

1-8-2007 [update log text file]
Latest news:
12-6-2009 Connecting two 3S packs to charge as a 6S.
10-29-2009 I have been flying electric mostly the past couple of months. I have a miniTitan and now a Gaui Hurricane 550. This is one of the $50 kits that was at IRCHA 2009. It came as a Hurri 425 but I built it with the longer tail boom and used standard size servos so I could run 550mm blades. I use a 6S setup. I was use to the small spark on my miniTitan that occurs when you connect the battery to the ESC but on a 6S the spark really gets your attention. <Here> is how I stopped that.

4-26-2009 Lately I have had a few occurances of engines with a knocking type sound. The first one I helped with turned out to have the brass sleeve in the connecting rod of the engine was split in two. The last one had 0.003" slop between the conecting rod and the pin on the back of the crankshaft. <Here> is a video showing the slop. Note: the first thing you should check when the engine is making a knocking sound is for metal pieces such as a part of the ring on top of the piston or behind the backplate.

4-26-2009 I installed a Mikado V-Bar on my R50v2. It really is great! I'm still running the v3.6.16. I plan on going to v4 but it is flying so good right now I am going to wait until after the next two fun flys. I have a page <here> on my V-Bar 3.6.16 setup.

4-26-2009 - vibration
Recently a friend called with a vibration problem on a t500. The main shaft, main shaft bearings, and tail shaft were new. I suggested doing a static tracking check of the tail and main rotors. The main rotor was off so that meant the rotor hub was bent. Static tracking is done the same way for the main and tail rotor, just align one blade parallel to the tail boom and measure the distance from the boom to the blade tip. Rotate the other blade to the same position and re-measure. If the two readings are different then suspect the hub.

11-22-2008 <Here> is a page on 120 eCCPM setup. I actually started this back in April but just never finished. This setup is specific to the t600n and DX7 radio but in general applies to any 120 degree eCCPM setup.

11-16-2008 A123 batteries. Okay these have been out a couple of years but I just started using them six weeks ago. For more info click <here>.

11-13-2008 Antonis Linakis has offered to make a Greek version of my website <here>. It would be great to have this site translated into several other languages.

11-9-2008 just got back from the Sulphur, Louisiana heli event. I got to watch a V-Bar setup. I have wanted an electronic flybar for several months now. I am still deciding what to get but the V-Bar is high on the list.

11-9-2008 I have given up on the T-Rex 600N. I am not going to bash it, after 382 tanks I simply have problems with the quality of the components. The final straw was a few weeks ago when the blade grip split at the bolt hole. Also I was not able to get this heli to fly smooth like I am use to with my Raptor so I am back to flying Raptor #5 and it has been so much more fun. I don't have to concentrate on being smooth, the heli simply flys this way by its nature. And I am back to enjoying autos again, the Raptor does them so much better then the t600n!

11-9-2008 tip: Having trouble with the glow plug extension breaking? One possible cause is a long wire. In flight this wire can move around a lot which will break down the connections on both ends. A simple fix is to zip tie the wire to the frame.

11-9-2008 tip: While at the event one of the guys I was helping with a R50v2 had the side of his clutch bell seperate from the top. This can be caused by a combo of two problems. One is having up/down play in the start shaft and the second is having a loose fit of the pinion bearing to the pinion gear. With both occuring this will let the clutch bell sit on top of the clutch.

2-19-2008 Why I set the bottom throttle curve point to 15% <here>.

5-31-2007 <Here> is a page of things you can do to the helicopter for safety and reliability.

<past tips>