Piccolo Fun - ready for Takeoff

Alright, finally got my bird assembled. I've attempted take off a few times but have not gotten airborne to any significance. Yes, I've spent hours on Easyfly/PiccoloFly, and I can't fly those either [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

With the Fun in the middle of the floor (big open room), I throttle up slowly. As it lifts slighly from the floor it starts to drift - usually right. Then it's a panic to try to stablize it, usually over compensating. Don't think I've ever gottem more than millimeters off the floor before I bang into a wall of have to shut down to avoid a bigger crash.

I know about the ground effect and I'm sure this little bird is harder to control closer to the floor. But before I can get any height I have to fight for control.

Just wondering here. My Fun is the base one with fixed pitch. Have to control lift with the throttle. Would a CP upgrade make this thing easir to control - get the blades up to speed for mre stability, then use the collective to get lift? Would a bigger, heavier bird (ECO 8/16 Maybe)be easier to fly?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Another question - my radio is set so when I push the tail rotor control left the boom swings right (but the nose turns left). Is this the normal/preferred operation, or do most folks fly with this reversed?

Are you using training gear? The CP upgrade will not help you learn faster, but it will eat a hole in your wallet. It's not very crashworthy. The Fun is quite crashworth and usually doesn't cost much to repair when something breaks. Larger helis are easier to fly. It just depends on if you have the weather for it.(Not adviseable to fly indoors).

Flying the nose seems to be the more preferred and seems more logical in fast forward flight. Many do fly the tail, though.

[rdn1153]

Hey Tony, congrats on the build. Now the fun part, getting it in the air.

First, you need to make some training gear, a must.
2nd, you need to check your setup using Paul's Piccolo Website.
3rd, you need to follow RADD's Fligh School Lessons.

You will benefit significantly from all of the above (blue words are links). Welcome and keep letting us know how you are progressing. It's a wild ride from here [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

...Rick

Beat me to it Rick [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] I was just typing in those very links [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

Follow them Tony they will help you no end - and follow Radd's school religously (he'll like that!!)

[Bejay]

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Follow them Tony they will help you no end - and follow Radd's school religously (he'll like that!!)

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And so will you.....you'll learn to fly without punching a hole in your wallet.

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Don't think I've ever gottem more than millimeters off the floor before I bang into a wall of have to shut down to avoid a bigger crash.

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you may want to find a larger place to fly, a gym with a hard floor is perfect. it is possible to learn in a small room, I did it in a 10x20 living room with furniture, but it is MUCH harder, and I can't count the number of times I hit furniture/wall/etc... (well, yes I can count, fairly easy counting the nicks in the furniture and walls! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img])

[Bejay]

I learned to fly my Piccolo over a double bed.....soft landing too....but then I didn't have the advantage of Radds lessons !!!

If you follow Radds lessons to the letter you don't need a large area...it can even be counter productive to HAVE a large area because it allows you to be sloppy with the control. Learning tight automatically requires tight control.

[davidcollins001]

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...it can even be counter productive to HAVE a large area because it allows you to be sloppy with the control. Learning tight automatically requires tight control.

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I agree with this, you want to find the right size so that it can't get all the way across the room before you have to do something - walls and furniture are a great learning tool [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

If you can keep control while it is on the ground it will be easier in the air. If you make it a bit harder for yourself now, you will benefit in the future!

[JJ]

Lots of good tips there.
And the heli shouldn't go off to the right unless the undercarriage is tilted too far over to the right (it could well have a slight lean to the right, this is on purpose) or perhaps the trim is not right. Check the swashplate looks square to the mainshaft with the shaft pulled up to flying tension (press the main gear upward with a finger while you check).
You can also check the trim by holding the heli by the tailboom at the front, throttle up to takeoff rpm and see if the heli twists over to the side, if it does then adjust the left/right cyclic trim on the transmitter until it doesn't twist.

EXCELLENT suggestions all. No training gear. Will order post haste. THANKS for the LINKS.

I'll provide a progess update soon.