Flight Trimming

[smartkid222]

Creating new topics for helicopter.

[illusionist]

How do I practice for competition flights in a space with a low height? Does partial motors work with helicopters?

[sj]

During tryouts at our school me and my partner got 90 seconds. However we did not maximize the size of our props or the length of our rubber. Does anyone know if maximizing either of those two would have a negative effect on flight time? Right now we have 30 cm rotors. Also how does this time compare to what you guys have been getting?

[illusionist]

Does anyone have any ideas on adding weight (ballast) to the helicopter? I have my free rotor at the bottom of the heli...(the one with the thrust bearing). So I'm not sure how to go about adding weight.

[sj]

Try adding clay to balance anything that may be imbalanced.

[illusionist]

Try adding clay to balance anything that may be imbalanced.

It's not unbalanced, its just under the legal 4 grams. So should I attach the clay to the motorstick?

[sj]

Well what we did is balance our props but if yours are perfectly balanced then i guess its worth a try to attach clay to the motor stick since its not permanent.

[illusionist]

Sure, i'll try the clay. Thanks

[lllazar]

Indoors, could i possibly attach a small pointy stick at the top of my copter so that when it hits the ceiling, it rotates about that point? It wouldn't add much weight and it makes testing inside a lot easier.

[jander14indoor]

That's certainly a common solution, ie it works.

Jeff Anderson
Livonia, MI

[illusionist]

Just make sure your flying site has a flatish ceiling, otherwise there would be no point of using the stick.

[lllazar]

Well, for regionals we go to a local community college gym and i believe they have a flat ceiling, i've taken classes there before and seen the gym, as for state we fly in a building with height of about 100 feet - the ceiling consists of beams, so idk what we'll do, it honestly affects everyone equally but i do have an idea - we have free flight early morning of state and the day before, so that we can get accustomed to the flight area. I think we'll go and see if we can find a spot where the helicopter flies up and hits a beam - if it hits a beam it is just like hitting the ceiling inside. There won't be any drafts to disturb the heli so if we can devise a method of finding the spot again during the actual test, we'd be fine.

Then again i don't really think it makes difference at that height simply because the helicopter would adjust itself and continue going up every time it is stopped by an obstruction, ie the beam.

[illusionist]

The problem I found with having a stick on top in a flying site that has beams, is that the stick will cause the helicopter to get jammed. Kinda hard to explain in words, but it's trying to fight itself, and ends up getting itself permanently stuck (we have to get it down). I'm not sure how accurate or repeatable your method is, but it's definitely worth a try.
Jeff, do you know how high the ceilings are at Region 8(Michigan) and at MI States?

[jander14indoor]

If they hold helicopter in the field house at UofM Dearborn as they have in the past, 40 feet or so. A good helicopter can hit the ceiling in there, it is rafters, I don't have a long enough pole to fish it down!!

At MI state contest, I've suggested a different location, but if it ends up in the usual Wright Stuff Gym, ceiling is 25 ft or so at the peak. Rafters are well spaced so it MAY pay to use a spacer.

Jeff Anderson
Livonia, MI

[illusionist]

Okay, thanks Jeff. The ceiling there is pretty nasty... Two years ago I was lucky that one of my Wright Stuff planes flew through a folded basket ball hoop and didn't get stuck! So if we get the helicopter stuck in the rafters at regionals, we're kinda screwed? Couldn't we try a helium balloon with a dowel attached on top (controlled by string)? Well, I'll have to match the right type of rubber for the height then. Any tips for that?(Maybe this isn't the right thread)