Pitch
Settings
last updated 11-18-2007
|
Pitch
Settings |
| For a description of what a pitch curve is,
go to the Frequently Asked Questions page <here>. The pitch settings you use will depend on what stage of flying you are at. I have a page listing the ranges for various skill levels. Click <here> to go to that page. Note: Before using this page you need to align the built-in pitch gauge as shown <here>. |
 Note:
The Raptor 60 built-in pitch gauge is upside down of the
one shown.In this example we will go through a typical beginner setup of 0,5,9. This is a center stick hover setup. *recommend reading 3/4-hover-stick Overview - Go to the collective pitch curve in the radio, make sure it is in normal flight mode, set to the bottom point, move the stick to the bottom, then adjust the value for that point until the pitch arm points to the zero degree mark. For each of the other points you repeat the process of moving the stick to that position then adjusting the value until the pitch arm points to the desired degree. Note: If you have a hovering pitch trim you need to center it. Also if your radio has the top and bottom pitch trim levers on the side of the radio case then center them too. For both I recommend turning them off if your radio can do that. |
| Step 1: Set the radio to the collective pitch
menu and make sure it is in normal flight mode. =================== Airtronics RD6000/8000 - Press the right cursor button until you get to 'Pf' then down to 'CU.PL'. Press f.mode button until display shows normal flight mode values 'N:'. JR 9303 - go to [PIT. CURV]. Under [PIT. CURV] make sure this has 'NORM'. If not then highlight it then press down on the scroll wheel and change the selection to 'NORM'. Press the scroll wheel again to exit. JR 8103 - go to [PIT.CURV]. Press 'SEL' button to get to 'NORM' flight mode. JR 6102 - go to [PITCH]. Press 'SELECT' button to get to the mode selection and set to 'NORM'. JR 662 - go to 'PLN'. JR 10X - enter code 18 for [PITCH CURVE]. When it ask if you want it to hold the servos answer no. Make sure your flight mode switch is in the Normal position (POS-N). Futaba 6X - Setup of the top and bottom points are done by way of the end points. Note: the 'P-AT' function is the same as going to 'ATV' then to ch. 6. So you can go to either to set the top or bottom point. Futaba 8U - Go to 'PI-CRV NORM'. Futaba 7C - Go to [PI-CRV]. Select 'N(N)' flight mode. Futaba 9C - Go to [PIT-CURV]. Select 'NORM' flight mode. Spektrum DX7 - Go to [PITCH CURVE] NORM. |
| Step 2: Set the flight mode switch to normal.
On the helicopter version radios this will be the top/left
switch. On the airplane version it will be the top/right
switch. =================== Airtronics RD6000/8000 - Look at the top right cornor of the display and it will indicate the flight mode you are in. It needs to be set to 'N'. Note if the hold switch is on then the flight mode switch will not change the value on the display. JR 9303 - To the right of [PIT. CURV] make sure it has 'N'. If not then flip the flight mode switch so that it does. Futaba 9C - In the pitch curve menu the display will indicate NORM (NORM) indicating the curve you are looking at is the normal pitch curve and the switch is in the normal flight mode position. Futaba 7C - In the pitch curve menu the display will indicate N(N) indicating the curve you are looking at is the normal pitch curve and the switch is in the normal flight mode position. For all radios - Position the flight mode switch to normal and set the throttle hold switch toward the back. Spektrum DX7 - 'NORM' will blink indicating you have the flight mode switch in Normal mode. |
| Step 3: Move the collective stick to the bottom. In following the instructions new pilots think the collective stick and the throttle stick are two different things but they are not. It is the same stick. The one stick moves both the throttle servo and the collective servo. |
| Step 4: Set the bottom position to the
desired pitch. Adjust the bottom point value from 0 up
until you see the pointer on the pitch arm align with the
zero mark on the built-in pitch gauge. Note the picture
at the top of this page is of a R30/50. The R60/90 is
upside down of this. Also you will know you are at the
zero mark by sighting down the end of the blade and
seeing the front and back tips of the blade align with
the flybar. Note: The flybar needs to be straight. I lay
a straight edge ruler across the see saw hub to check the
flybar. Typically the value for the bottom point will be
43%. =================== Airtronics RD6000/8000 - Go down one to 'CU.PL' and adjust. JR 9303 - Go to Point-L adjust the value. JR 8103 - Use the '<Ch' or 'Ch>' buttons to select 'L' on the graph and set the value. JR 6102 - Press 'SELECT' button to get to 'LOW' and set the value. JR 662 - go to 'PLN' and set the value. JR 10X - Move the throttle stick all the way down (in=0) and set value of 'out' to give zero degrees at the blade. This value will typically be 43. Futaba 6X - Go to 'P-AT' and set the value. Futaba 8U - Press the right cursor arrow to get to point 1 and set the value. Futaba 7C - Go to P1 and set the value. Futaba 9C - Go to point 1 and set the value. Spektrum DX7 - Press the select button to get to 'L' and set the value. |
| Step 5: Move the collective stick to the
middle. Some radios have an indicator in the menus to let
you know the stick is in the exact center. For the ones
that do not you can look from the side of the radio and
move the collective stick so that it is parallel with the
elevator stick. =================== JR 9303/8103 - The 'In:' value at the bottom left of the screen needs to read 50. JR 6102 - The 'I' value on the left of the screen needs to read 50. JR 10X - Move the throttle stick to the center (in=50). If there is not point stored for the middle you will see a button labeled 'store', press it to make a middle point. If you have a point that is close to the middle ('in' is not 50) then clear it (press 'cl') and store a new point at in=50. Futaba 8U - The arrow above the '12345' needs to be only above the number 3. Spektrum DX7 - Move the stick so that 'In=50'. |
| Step 6: Set the middle position to the
desired pitch. The desired blade angle is 5 degrees. Note
the picture at the top of this page is of a R30/50. The R60
is upside down of this. There is a mark for the 6 degree
position but not the 5. You will need guesstimate the 5
degree mark in relation to the ones there. Typically the
value for the middle point will be 65%. =================== Airtronics RD6000/8000 - Go down one to 'CU.P2' and adjust. JR 9303 - Go to Point-3 and adjust the value. JR 8103 - Use the '<Ch' or 'Ch>' buttons to select '2' on the graph and set the value. JR 6102 - Press 'SELECT' button to get to 'MID' and set the value. JR 662 - go to 'P2N' and set the value. JR 10X - Set the value of 'out' to give five degrees at the blade. This value will typically be 65. Futaba 6X - Go to 'HV-P' and set the value. Futaba 8U - Press the right cursor arrow to get to point 3 and set the value. Futaba 7C - Go to P3 and set the value. Futaba 9C - Go to point 3 and set the value. Spektrum DX7 - Press the select button to get to point '2' and set the value. |
| Step 7: Move the collective stick to the top. |
| Step 8: Set the top position to the desired
pitch. The desired blade angle is 9 degrees. Note the
picture at the top of this page is of a R30/50. The R60/90
is upside down of this. There is a mark for the 12 degree
position but not the 9. Place the pitch arm pointer
directly in the middle of the 12 and 6 degree marks.
Typically the value for the top point will be 86%. =================== Airtronics RD6000/8000 - Go down one to 'CU.PH' and adjust. JR 9303 - Go to Point-H and adjust the value. JR 8103 - Use the '<Ch' or 'Ch>' buttons to select 'H' on the graph and set the value. JR 6102 - Press 'SELECT' button to get to 'HIGH' and set the value. JR 662 - go to 'PHN' and set the value. JR 10X - Move the throttle stick to the top (in=100). Set the value of 'out' to give nine degrees at the blade. This value will typically be 86. Futaba 6X - Go to 'P-AT' and set the value. Futaba 8U - Press the right cursor arrow to get to point 5 and set the value. Futaba 7C - Go to P5 and set the value. Futaba 9C - Go to point 5 and set the value. Spektrum DX7 - Press the select button to get to point 'H' and set the value. |
| Step 9: Inhibit the 1/4 and 3/4 stick points.
Some radios do not allow you to do this so you will have
to do some math to calculate the values for these
positions. The radios that let you inhibit these points
do the calculations for you. Radios such as the Futaba 8U
and 9C make you do them. So what is the calculation? It
is simple, just find the middle value between the point
above and below it. Lets go through an example. We did
the above steps to get 0 degrees on the bottom, 5 in the
middle, and 9 on the top. This gave a pitch curve of 43%,??,65%,??,86%.
We start by finding the 3/4 stick point. Here is the
equation (Top-Middle)/2 + Middle. So that gives (86-65)/2
+ 65 --> 21/2 + 65 --> 10.5 +65 = 75.5 . Now for
the 1/4 stick value it is (65-43)/2 + 43 = 54. This gives
the final pitch curve of 43,54,65,76,86. So what would
happen if you did not bother doing the calculations? Well
lets use the radios default values for the 1/4 and 3/4
positions. This would make the example pitch curve 43,25,65,75,86.
This would be bad! As you start moving the collective
stick up the pitch would decrease until it got to the 1/4
stick position then increase pitch fast. The 3/4 point
just so happen would be fine in this example, but the
point is that you need to always check these values and
set them to give a linear pitch curve. =================== Airtronics RD6000/8000 - Go down one to 'CU.P1' and press inc and dec at the same time. JR 9303 - Set Point - 1 and 2 to INH by highlighting it then press in on the scroll wheel and then press the CLEAR button on the left of the radio. JR 8103 - Use the '<Ch' or 'Ch>' buttons to select '1' on the graph and press the clear button. JR 6102 - Press 'SELECT' button to get to '1' and press the clear button. JR 662 - Not a five point radio. JR 10X - If you have stored any points between the middle point and bottom or middle and top then move the stick to each of these and press 'cl' to clear them. You only want a top, bottom, and middle point. Futaba 6X - Not a five point radio. Futaba 8U - Press the right cursor arrow to get to point 2 and calculate the value. Futaba 7C/9C - Go to point 2 and calculate the value. Spektrum DX7 - Press the select button to get to point '1' and press the clear button. =================== Airtronics RD6000/8000 - Go down one to 'CU.P3' and press inc and dec at the same time. JR 9303 - Set Point - 4 and 5 to INH by highlighting it then press in on the scroll wheel and then press the CLEAR button on the left of the radio. JR 8103 - Use the '<Ch' or 'Ch>' buttons to select '3' on the graph and press the clear button. JR 6102 - Press 'SELECT' button to get to '3' and press the clear button. JR 662 - Not a five point radio. Futaba 6X - Not a five point radio. Futaba 8U - Press the right cursor arrow to get to point 4 and calculate the value. Futaba 7C/9C - Go to point 4 and calculate the value. Spektrum DX7 - Press the select button to get to point '3' and press the clear button. |