Thursday, May 22, 2008

Flight Chronicles - Bird still bad

DAMN, so I swapped out the tail motor. Those things must be touchy. O.K. moving back in time a bit, I moved my tail boom fin forward, leaving the support post all by it self. Well, this support post does a crucial function, it keeps the tail rotor from dragging on the ground during take off (Not landings, since it really has no affect when the bird approaches the surface at break neck speeds, or sideways). Well, with the fin missing, the support post, having no fin support, eventually broke off. Not a big deal I figured, I am getting this take off thing down any how. WRONG!!! Now I need to take off very carefully, and it is difficult to keep the tail rotor from dragging on the ground. If you know anything about electronics (Yeah, I know all three of you that read this do), you know that a motor that is not in motion provides very little resistance to current, and high current for extended periods of time = bad for motors. This is exactly where I believe I went wrong. I just did not believe it would burn out that quick.

Any how, I flew for almost a complete battery, it was handling so sweet with that new tail motor too. Well, I guess those few times I drug it on the ground were a little much for it to handle. Towards the end of the battery life, it was starting to handle as though the old motor was in it. "Maybe the battery is close to dead", I thought. Nope, put the new battery in, and I can hardly take off (those cement steps are hard). So I need another new tail rotor motor, and this time I will get something to keep the tail blades from dragging on the ground. Maybe this is the right time to get that direct drive kit.

Oh well, live and learn. Flying is still fun, that one battery was like that sweet drive off the tee in front of the clubhouse. That one drive keeps you coming back. I am determined to fly this thing nose in by end of summer.

-JbJ

4 comments:

Keith K. said...

We need to have a helicopter Flügtäg to compare notes and fly and just have fun.

Unknown said...

I might have to pick one up pretty soon.

Caleb you have the same one as keith right?

Keith K. said...

I will speak for JIM. Yes he has the Honeybee FB.

Jim said...

You are correct sir. The HoneyBee FP it is. My only regret is that spare parts are not more readily available. Unfortunately, Hub does not carry a comparable heli, only the counter rotating model. This was unacceptable for me. I would say go for it, you will not regret the purchase.

-JIM