Glitches on Piccobard

David: good idea about the poll on finding out what people are using to fly the Piccolo. I suggest you add also the receiver type to the list as many people are using their own receiver.

Hi David,
I have experienced a new source for the tail rotor problem:
I had never problems with the ESC for the tail rotor in the past. But yesterday, I observed the typical tail rotor problem twice. Its a real challenge to get the Piccolo down when it is spinning with full tail rotor speed.
This happened twice (first time with NiMH and next time with NC battery). During the next flight, the Piccolo began to spin in the other direction: Now it was clear, what happened. The tail motor was defect. One of the brushes had burned out. Immediately before the tail motor had been completely defect, it caused troubles in the controller.
Today, the Piccolo is already flying again - with a new tail motor (with a brass pinion).

What is the conclusion:
Just put the tail motor on the list of possible sources of electronic problems.

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Konrad

Konrad--did you already have another suitable tiny motor(if so, what did you use?) or did you order another one from Ikarus?? GFX

[pgoelz]

Folks,

I would like to submit another alternate explanation for tail rotor problems at the end of the battery discharge. This is NOT an explanation for sudden full power application of tail rotor, but an explanation for a yaw to the right near end of discharge.

What I have discovered is that as the battery discharges, if your throttle travel is not set to exactly 100% of the range expected by the ESC, you can get into a situation where yuo advance the throttle past the upper limit of the throttle speed control to try to stay in the air. Of course, the main rotor motor does not go any faster. But since the tail rotor motor is probably running at maybe 80% power compared to the main rotor, the tail rotor motor does respond and speed up.

The cure seems to be to carefully set the throttle channel so that 100% stick throw equals 100% power and no more.



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Paul Goelz
pgoelz (at) eaglequest (dot) com

I had a spare tail motor from WES. It is the Micro 4,5-0,6, price DEM 14,90 (about USD 8).
I ordered the tail motor together with a brass pinion. I modified the brass pinion by drilling a 2mm hole and milling piece of brass with a 1mm hole and 2mm outer diameter and 7mm length. I fixed everything with red Loctite.



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Konrad

[pgoelz]

Ref: Tail rotor motor

I believe they are the same as the motors used in the foam B2 (Hobby Lobby?). If so, those motors are available from Hobby Lobby for $12 for a pre-wired package of two.

I have several... when my tail rotor motor quits, I'll find out!



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Paul Goelz
pgoelz (at) eaglequest (dot) com

My (new)Piccolo has standard Picoboard with 35mhz rx, and suffers from glitches bad enough to lock the main blades under the flybars. This happens when I slowly open the throttle, with no other loads applied. I do not believe there is any reason why a servo should be even trying to move at that point, never mind be at anything near a stall. However, I have not measured the current. I will try and do this when I have the correct leads. I am using the "proper" nicad pack just now, but plan to go to Lithium.