Durban Deep Radio Flyers

DDRF Pics- P.Carlisle-04/02/2012

2012-02-06T16:55:00.000+02:00

Sent: Monday, February 06, 2012 2:23 PM

Subject: DDRF

Hi Guys

We had a really successful AGM on Saturday afternoon at 14h00. The minutes are briefly.

Kevin Welcomed all the members to the 2012 AGM.
We were reminded no to fly before 09h00 and never over the housing estates
Financials as attached were approved
Budget as attached was approved
The club fees to remain at R1000
All members are responsible to enforce the rules Committee to assist.
DDRF Apparel to be continued and hat to be included.
Meeting concluded.

Please all those current members who do not wish to renew their subs for next year please to let me know to remove you from the active members list.

We also had a really good days flying and I counted just over 40 pilots who came through and enjoyed the flying with us.

Please see note from Johan Rheeders who runs the DDRF blog. He has added some new items please take a look at the blog

Enjoy the pics see you Sunday

Kind Regards

Peter Carlisle

CA(SA)

CTF Services

401 Main Ave, Ferndale, Randburg, 2160

Tel: 011 781 2588 Fax: 086 531 1187

Cell: 083 443 0828

Email: peterc@ctfsa.co.za

HELI SAFETY ABRIDGED.txt

2012-02-05T13:50:00.002+02:00

Model Helicopter
Safety Rules (Abridged)
Issue 1 2006 (amended)
Note: These rules are model helicopter specific and are to be used as a supplement to the
SAMAA National Safety Rules abridged parts 1 and 2 and the SAMAA National Safety
Code. In no way does it give a helicopter pilot permission to ignore the SAMAA Code.
1. Reserving your frequency is mandatory before switching on your transmitter.
2. A safety officer will be appointed at all helicopter flying events.
3. Only pilots actually flying and their instructor or observer may be in the flight area.
4. The use of an observer is strongly recommended, especially if two or more helicopters
are flying simultaneously.
5. Pilots shall keep a safe distance between their helicopters and all people at the flying
site, including themselves. These distances shall be;
5.1The pilot shall stand a minimum of 5 meters from a helicopter that is hovering.
5.2
The pilot shall stand a minimum of 10 meters from the helicopter, if a learner or
pupil pilot is flying.
5.3
The pilot and Judges shall remain a minimum of 9 meters from a flying helicopter,
when participating in a Competition.
5.4
A minimum of 30 meters if spectators are present or the helicopter is
participating in a Event, Airshow or Display.
6. Never under any circumstances fly the helicopter between yourself, the spectators,
other pilots or the pit area.
7. Pilots shall enquire about and adhere to all rules applicable at the flying site and keep
their model helicopters within the established flight boundaries of the flying site. There
shall be a minimum distance of 30m between the established flight line and any
spectators.
8. Always ensure that the control surfaces are working in the correct direction before
starting your helicopter especially after any work has been carried out or radio adjustments
have been made. eg. -Aileron's, elevator, rudder, throttle and gyro.

9. If using a PCM receiver ensure that the failsafe function is set to at least reduce the
throttle to the low rpm position or to cut the engine completely. The other controls are
recommended to be set to the 'hold' setting.
10. Always ensure that the throttle is set to idle and any flight mode switches are set to
NORMAL / HOVER mode before attempting to start the motor.
11. When starting the heli always ensure that the rotor head is held firmly. Never release
this until you are ready to take off from the appropriate area.
12. Do not hover directly in front of other pilots. This is to ensure that they will have a clear
view of their own models.
13. Ensure that the blades are securely tightened within the grips. This can be checked by
holding the helicopter sideways with the blades opened; a gentle shake of the helicopter
should make the blades fall under their own weight. This can help eliminate boom strikes.
14. Ensure that the batteries have sufficient charge before making the flight. Note: -It is
advisable to fit a battery monitor.
15. Regularly range test the model and look for any servo glitching and if unsure then do
not fly. All new and rebuilt models must undergo range checks prior to flight. When an
'engine running' range test is performed, ensure the model is held firmly by the rotor head
and that your helper can kill the engine via an alternative method. i.e.: disconnecting the
fuel line or turning the ignition switch off etc.
16. Never spin the blades under power whilst in the pit area.
17. With electric helicopters, the main battery power to the speed control may only be
connected in the take off area when the pilot is ready to spin up and start flying. The power
will similarly be disconnected immediately after the flight and before the Helicopter is
returned to the pits.
18. Never leave a helicopter running unsupervised under any circumstances.
19. All models shall be airworthy. The pilot is responsible for the pre-flight inspection
before each session.
20. New and rebuilt helicopters must undergo a thorough inspection by the club safety
officer or in his absence the most experienced person available. This inspection should
preferably not be done by the builder.
21. Regularly check that all servos are not under excess load. This can be done by
removing the link from the servo and attempting to move the linkage by hand. This will
indicate if there are any stiff spots in the system. While the link is removed from the servo,
also check that the servo does not move more than the maximum limits of the control.
Note: -This check should be carried out in the workshop.

22. Regularly check for worn or damaged control linkages and chipped or damaged rotor
and tail blades.
23. When flying your helicopter with fixed wing aircraft present it is advisable to comply
with the following general guide lines.
23.1
At many fields, helicopters are only permitted to take off and land from the
designated helicopter area(s).
23.2
Helicopters are not allowed to fly in a manner that interferes with other aircraft
flying.
23.3
Only proficient helicopter pilots may join the fixed wing circuit and only if they
maintain forward flying speed in the same direction as the other aircraft.
23.4
The hovering of helicopters over the runway or in the flying circuit of the other
aircraft is forbidden.
23.5
Due care and consideration should be observed when fun fly, 3D type or park
flyers are flying.
23.6
It is advisable after announcing your intentions to land, to land, and there after
to state "helicopter "on" or "off" runway, taxiways or the designated helicopter
area. This is to avoid a situation where an aircraft needs to land (due to a dead
motor etc.) and a helicopter has landed on the runway and its rotors are
spooling down and the helicopter pilot is unable to move his helicopter from
the runway.
24
Note; The present legal maximum allowable all up weight of a model helicopter, is
limited to 6,5 Kgs. At the request of the Helicopter Sig a procedure is presently
being prepared, which will permit, under controlled and specified conditions, larger
proven helicopters, and suitably qualified pilots, to fly in the RSA.
This procedure when completed will be submitted to RAASA for acceptance, and
following this acceptance, SAMAA will have the Insurance policy extended to legally
permit the flying of these larger models.
Set out below are some of the conditions which will need to be observed by pilots
flying these larger helicopters;
25
Large helicopters (>1,8m rotor diameter) must always be flown with an observer
present.
26
Large helicopters and Turbine powered helicopters must be fitted with a radio
controlled method to kill the motor, other than the throttle, i.e.: an electronic kill
switch or a fuel cut-off.
27
Large helicopters will be inspected during construction and test flown after
certification by an experienced and competent pilot.

28 Turbine powered helicopters, will have the required helpers, and equipment
present, before starting takes place. The helicopter must be well away from
spectators and other pilots, and in an area that has the minimum fire risk.
29 Turbine powered helicopter pilots must, in addition to the SAMAA and MHSA safety
rules, adhere to all relevant safety rules of the South African Model Jet Association
(SAMJA). This is to ensure the safe integration of a turbine motor into a helicopter.
. Chairman 2006

SAMAA SAFETY CODE_abridged 2011_.txt

2012-02-05T13:43:00.002+02:00

Issue
1
2002
Issue
2
2011
THE
SAMAA

NATIONAL
MODEL
AIRCRAFT
SAFETY
CODE
(ABRIDGED)

(PART 1)
1.1
General
When operating ANY model aircraft, SAMAA members shall comply with the
following:
1)
I shall observe the SAMAA SAFETY CODE, the SAMAA SAFETY
CODE FOR R/C FIELD OPERATIONS, the SIG SPORTING
CODES,THE RULES AND GUIDELINES SET DOWN IN THE
PROCEDURES CONTAINED IN THE SAMAA OPERATING MANUAL
and the SAFETY RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE CLUB OR
FLYING FIELD that I am using when flying my model aircraft.
I further fully understand that consequences and liabilities arising from
my deliberate
contravention of these Rules and guidelines is solely my
responsibility.
2) I shall not wilfully or deliberately fly my model aircraft in a careless,
reckless and/or dangerous manner.
3) I shall not fly my model aircraft in competitions, sanctioned events,
airshows, or model flying demonstrations, until it has been proven
airworthy by a previous successful test flight.
4) I shall not operate my model aircraft while under the influence of
alcohol or judgement impairing drugs.
5) I shall not operate my model aircraft with metal-bladed propellers or
rotors, gaseous boosts, hazardous fuels, pyrotechnics, or explosive
devices.
6) I shall not intentionally take-off from
thoroughfare or over spectators.
or fly over an active public
7) I shall only fly my model aircraft, above 150ft, from a SAMAA
Registered or sanctioned flying field, and when flying my model
aircraft, I shall abide by the Club and SAMAA Safety Rules and
Operating Procedures.
8) I shall not fly a model aircraft which does not comply with the
specifications of a model aircraft as set out in the Manual of
Operations of SAMAA.

Page 2
1.2 Radio Control
When operating any radio control model aircraft, SAMAA members and other
pilots shall comply with the following:
1)
I shall complete a successful radio equipment ground range check
before the first flight of the day.
2)
I shall not fly my model aircraft in the presence of spectators until I
become a qualified flier, unless accompanied, and under the
instruction of an experienced R/C pilot.
3)
I shall perform my initial turn after take-off, away from the pilots,
spectators, club House and parking area, and I shall not thereafter
intentionally fly over the pit area, spectator area, or parking area.
4)
I shall not fly my model aircraft on the pilot station side (pit side) of the
flight line (the flight line is defined as a line a minimum of 7 metres
away from the pilot stations and parallel to the near side of the runway
in use).
5)
I shall not deliberately fly a model aircraft without visual contact (i.e.
model aircraft to be kept within line of sight of the R/C pilot at all
times).
6)
I shall not knowingly operate an R/C system within 5km of another
R/C flying site.
7)
I shall operate my model aircraft using only the ICASA and SAMAA
approved and published/gazetted radio control frequencies.
8)
I shall not switch on or allow my transmitter to be switched on without
first checking the availability and reserving the frequency I intend to
use, with my membership card.
9)
I shall not fly my model aircraft higher than approximately 400ft (120
metres) above ground level within 5NM, or within the CTR (control
zone) of an airport, without obtaining written permission from the air
traffic control authority at that airport.
10)
I shall give the right of way to all full size or manned aircraft at all
times, and take the necessary avoiding action, when any full size or
piloted aircraft are in the proximity of my model flying activity.
11)
I shall obey the Rules and Guidelines set out in the SAMAA Operation
Manual and Safety Code if no other code or rules are available at the
flying site I am using.
1.3
Specific Rules
12)
Any model flying club or field located, within five nautical miles of an existing
full size airfield or aerodrome, or within the CTR ( controlled airspace), or
under the TMA of a manned Airport, is required to have contacted that Airport
and established the protocols under which the Club or field may operate. The

Page 3
initial contact will be established by SAMAA, after which the Club or users of
the field, must maintain regular contact in future.
13)
The organisers of any public display, Airshow, Competition or similar event,
where spectators will be present, or where CAA Regulations need temporary
relaxation shall submit an " Application for a Permit to Conduct an Event" in
writing to the General Manager for approval at least 60 days before the event.
These applications must contain information relevant to event, such as
location, field layout, crowd control measures, frequency control system,
name of proposed safety officer or display/events director, names of pilots
who will be flying, together with their proficiency and any other or information
which could affect the safety of the public, as well as details of any temporary
relaxation or exemption required from the CAA for the Event..
The written Approval from the SAMAA, which may contain additional
conditions which must be complied with by the organisers, is required by the
organiser before the event may proceed.
14)
All SAMAA Registered Clubs or flying fields shall produce their own set of
Field Safety Rules and Regulations. These rules shall, as a minimum,
contain the SAMAA Safety Code and Field
15)
Operation criteria, as well as safety conditions applicable to their field. Further
these Club or field Rules shall reference the SAMAA Operations Manual. The
club shall be responsible for the enforcement of these rules and provisions
and shall be fully responsible for the safety of all members and spectators at
their field.
16)
3D aerobatic aircraft and electric aircraft will comply with all model aircraft
safety rules and will fly within the approved circuit at a flying field.
17)
At the discretion of club management, helicopters should be allowed to fly in
a circuit with fixed wing model aircraft, provided that the helicopter is flown by
a proficient pilot in a manner which does not interfere with the other model
aircraft flying in the circuit.
18)
No pilot of a model aircraft, helicopter, 3D model, Fun Fly and park flyer is
permitted to:
(a) Fly his aircraft in the opposite direction to model aircraft in the circuit.
(b) Hover
his aircraft over the runway or in the circuit if other model
aircraft are flying.
(c) Do "shoot ups" over a runway.
(d)
Remember that these are the "Abridged Safety Rules" and the more
detailed rules and guidelines will be found in section 6.A.3 "The National
Safety Codes" in the SAMAA Operations Manual.
(e)
Additional rules, as found necessary, will be approved by the
appropriate SAMAA Committee and added to this Safety Code.

Page 4
SAFETY CODE FOR R/C FIELD OPERATIONS
(PART 2)
This code is endorsed by SAMAA, and should be included in each and every
SAMAA-registered model flying club's operations and safety requirements, as a
minimum requirement.
General:
a)
Under normal operating circumstances, there shall be no more than five (5)
model aircraft/helicopters airborne at any one time on a single flight line at any
field, unless specified under competition rules, special events, or authorised
by the club management.
b)
Frequencies used shall be the ICASA/SAMAA approved frequencies. These
frequencies shall be controlled by a positive means, usually by the use of a
frequency board displaying approved frequencies and using the SAMAA
frequency system of "card on" is the mandatory minimum.
c)
Radio transmitters not in use at a flying field shall be switched off and placed
in a transmitter pound.
d)
A pilot intending to fly must first ensure that his transmitter frequency is not in
use, then reserve the frequency with his card or marker, before switching on
his transmitter.
e)
Pilots should be qualified by an acceptable training program and the "SAMAA
Solo" is the minimum acceptable qualification for a pilot to be allowed to fly
unattended, by a instructor, when other pilots are present on the flightline.
f)
Instructors shall be competent R/C model fliers who shall not only provide
adequate instruction, but also consistently demonstrate safety by their
example and attitude.
g)
Strict announcement procedure by pilots must be normal operation where
pilots on the flight line call out to other pilots any intention to land, take-off,
move onto or cross the active runway. "Dead stick" situations take priority
over other operations.
h)
Any guest or club visitor who is allowed flight privileges at any field, must be
suitably qualified and must be prepared to submit his model aircraft for an air
safety/airworthiness inspection, before being allowed to operate his aircraft
without supervision.
i)
For insurance, CAA, and SAMAA compliance, any club organising a public
display, airshow, or Event, where the public will be present, shall submit an
"Application for a Permit to hold an Event" form to the General Manager for
approval. The written approval for the event may contain conditions which
need to be in place before the event may proceed.
j) Clubs and flying fields must clearly define the fly zones for their respective
fields, these shall be a minimum of 30 meters , in the case of smaller aircraft

Page 5
and 50 meters in the case of large scale or Turbine Jet aircraft, from
spectators, except in the case of takeoff and landing where 30 meters will be
allowed. They must further clearly define the flightline for each runway, and
the limit of the area in which model aircraft may operate when flying from that
runway.
k)
Every SAMAA member is responsible for safety, and making sure the club
rules, the SAMAA rules, and regulations are observed, and shall ensure that
all model aircraft operations are conducted in the safest manner possible.
l)
Club members who refuse to abide by club rules and regulations, and who
disregard instructions about safety, should be given a formal warning, and
should they still not comply, should have their flying privileges revoked.
m)
Individual pilot station locations should be marked. Pilots must control their
model aircraft from these locations; but take-off and landing may be done from
nearer the runway itself, provided that all other pilots are informed of this
impending event.
n)
Spectators, visitors and non essential Club members, are not allowed near the
flightline and pilot station locations, except in the case of spotters, callers,
instructors or authorised persons, whose presence is required.
o)
A safety barrier or fence must be in place to prevent non-airborne model
aircraft that are out of control, from entering the, parking or spectator areas.
This fence should be a minimum of 30m from the flight line. A low fence
around or in front on the pilot stations, to protect the pilots flying is
recommended.
p)
All Clubs should have an aircraft check program so that all new model aircraft
are inspected prior to operation, particularly those belonging to beginners. A
re-certification program after major repairs and/or rebuilding of an aircraft is
recommended.
q)
Only one runway may be used at a time, all take-offs and landings shall take
place on the runway, into wind if possible, and take-offs shall commence from
directly in front of, or opposite the pilot stations. Pilot stations shall be used by
pilots when flying. If by common consent the runway is to be changed, due to
wind direction change, all pilots will move to the selected runway.
r)
Where a flying site layout allows the operation of two independent runways
and flight lines simultaneously, the use of two flight lines, ie for competition
must have the approval of the
s) Contest director, or authorised Club official. These flight lines and runways
must not intersect and must be separated by at least 60 metres.
t)
When flying electric powered model aircraft, the main power to the motor shall
only be connected when the model is in the starting box or on the flightline,
immediately before the pilot starts his flight. Similarly the power will be
disconnected before the model is taken back to the pits.

Page 6
u)
As the threat to the future of Clubs flying model aircraft powered by glow or
gas engines has increased and become real in the last few years, it is now a
requirement that efficient silencers are fitted to all internal combustion
engines, and that the noise restriction on these model is observed.
v)
In the interest of Safety, all large models will be restrained, either by a helper
or by other means so as not to be a danger to other persons present while
starting the engine..
w)
Turbine powered models, will be started away from other aircraft and persons
in the pits and shall not be started unless the required safety personnel are
present.
x)
Large model aircraft or special aircraft over 25 Kgs will require a "permit" to
fly" following inspection and certification as set out in the SAMAA manual of
Operations before being allowed to fly at any SAMAA registered field.
Note; These are the National Model Aircraft Safety Abridged rules, other
applicable rules which are to be observed are the Helicopter, Glider and SIG Rules
and the SAMAA National Safety Code as contained in the SAMAA operations
Manual.
KFN

Saturday-pics-Johan-04-02-2012

2012-02-05T12:51:00.000+02:00

Some pics from Saturday after AGM

DDRF : Pics Sunday 29.01.2012-S.Hards

2012-01-30T16:37:00.000+02:00

Subject: DDRF : Pics Sunday 29.01.2012

Hi Pilots,

Pics from Sunday afternoon (between thunderstorms that is!!).

Regards,
Shaun Hards

Norconsult Iyanda (Pty) Ltd.
Suite 50, Postnet X1
Florida Hills
1716

Tel: ++27 11 675-0303
Fax: ++27 11 675-1758
Cell: ++27 83 600-3277

Skype: shaun.hards

e-mail: shaun.hards@norconsultafrica.com

The probability of survival is inversely proportional to the angle of
arrival.

DDRF-

2012-01-30T15:01:00.002+02:00

Hi Pilots,

Just a point of concern!

I have noticed some distressing activity at the club over the last few visits:

1. There are pilots who are flying with total disregard to the club rules or basic etiquette for that matter, which is both inconsiderate and dangerous.

2. The number of non-members that arrive and fly at will these days. Why should I be a paying member fees and hold a SAMAA card, if every other Tom, Dick and Harry can come and fly Willy-Nilly? Are we a club or a public recreational facility?

Please lets address this at the AGM. We need more signage and policing of the rules it seems?

Regards,

Shaun Hards

Norconsult Iyanda (Pty) Ltd.

Suite 50, Postnet X1

Florida Hills

1716

Tel: ++27 11 675-0303

Fax: ++27 11 675-1758

Cell: ++27 83 600-3277

Skype: shaun.hards

e-mail: shaun.hards@norconsultafrica.com

The probability of survival is inversely proportional to the angle of arrival.

Hi Guys

We had a really excellent days flying yesterday. Weather was good and the flying in top gear. I counted 28 pilots who came through to show their value. Good work guys.

Please remember that next Saturday we will be having our AGM at 14h00. Afterwards we will have something to braai and a beer or two.

Please see the e mail below from Johann who runs the DDRF blog. Really great work Johann and its interesting that we have received hits from Ukraine – (Maybe Vladimir's friends) and Slovenia. Always good.

See you all on Saturday

Kind Regards

Peter Carlisle

CA(SA)

CTF Services

401 Main Ave, Ferndale, Randburg, 2160

Tel: 011 781 2588 Fax: 086 531 1187

Cell: 083 443 0828

Email: peterc@ctfsa.co.za

From: johan rheeders [mailto:jrheeder@netactive.co.za]
Sent: 29 January 2012 10:17 AM
To: garth.nofal@za.abb.com; gavinwag@iburst.co.za; jhvg@hutrentals.co.za; kmvhop@icon.co.za; mbrewis@jhbcityparks.com; Peter Carlisle; renier.jamieson@ericsson.com; wayne@theknifeedgespin.co.za
Cc: Schalk.burger@mweb.co.za
Subject: Blog Stats and Growth of Helicopter section

Hi Guys

Just a few blog stats in attached pics

The chopper guys must be thrilled , they are getting a lot of attention on the blog, and a big thanks to Schalk Burger in helping to highlite the Heli section

Other than that , we still dont have enough members from the club on the blog, and more participation with articles are also needed

And last but not least A special thanks to Shaun Hards and PCFS(who's that) for theire contributions of Pics and other loudmouth e-mails, without which this
blog would not have been possible

Cheers and well done

Johan Rheeders

Fw: AGM Saturday 04/02/2012

2012-01-28T08:34:00.001+02:00

Hi Guys

The Date for the AGM is 04/02/2012

The Date for the AGM is 04/02/2012

The Time is set for 14:00 Hours

Cheers

Johan

P.Carlisle- Sunday-Pics-22/01/12

2012-01-28T08:21:00.001+02:00

Pics DDRF- P.Carlisle + AGM time

2012-01-28T08:02:00.002+02:00

Hi Guys

Sorry better late than never. Been having a real busy time at work.

Last Sunday was a brilliant day – not for Gerard though – the wind was light and down the runway. Beautiful. I counted 26 pilots who came through the day and enjoyed some great flying with us. Mark Erasmus was also there and ordinarily his big mouth would account for two members – hence the up turn in members (Ha Ha)

Please remember 4 February 2012 at 14h00 is our AGM. Please make an effort to come through so that we can make the resolutions required. Our membership is up and we are proposing one of the biggest budgets in the history of DDRF.

Garth Nofal has assured me of some boerie rolls afterwards and its great opportunity to share a couple of war stories.

Enjoy the pics – see you on Sunday

Pics-S.Hards- DDRF Saturday 21-1-2012

2012-01-24T11:57:00.000+02:00

Hi Pilots,

Pics from Saturday's flying.
Some spectacular planes & one hectic mid-air that resulted in a plane coming
down on the carport roof. (Wasn't there yet, but got the full story).
And a strange UFO thingy with four rotors.
Enjoy,

Regards,
Shaun Hards

Norconsult Iyanda (Pty) Ltd.
Suite 50, Postnet X1
Florida Hills
1716

Tel: ++27 11 675-0303
Fax: ++27 11 675-1758
Cell: ++27 83 600-3277

Skype: shaun.hards

e-mail: shaun.hards@norconsultafrica.com

The probability of survival is inversely proportional to the angle of
arrival.

Why I fly electic

2012-01-19T16:31:00.002+02:00

Nitro heli gone bad: watch here.

I don't speak German, but I think I understand some of what the chap is saying.

Enjoy.

DDRF Pics from 15Jan2012-S.Hards

2012-01-16T09:03:00.000+02:00

Subject: DDRF Pics from 15Jan2012

Hi Pilots,

Here are the pics from Sunday Afternoon ay DDRF.
Some strange objects in the skies, some lucky near misses, some not so lucky
crashes and some signals using LiPO packs!
Fun days flying all the same.
Enjoy!

Regards,
Shaun Hards

Norconsult Iyanda (Pty) Ltd.
Suite 50, Postnet X1
Florida Hills
1716

Tel: ++27 11 675-0303
Fax: ++27 11 675-1758
Cell: ++27 83 600-3277

Skype: shaun.hards

e-mail: shaun.hards@norconsultafrica.com

The probability of survival is inversely proportional to the angle of
arrival.

AGM Saturday 04/02/2012

2012-01-10T08:07:00.000+02:00

Hi Guys

The Date for the AGM is 04/02/2012

The Date for the AGM is 04/02/2012

This is a Saturday, time to be announced

Cheers

Johan

Pics-P.Carlisle-08/01/2012

2012-01-10T07:45:00.000+02:00

Pics by Peter Carlisle

Sunday-08/01/2012

DDRF-P.Carlisle-08/01/2012

2012-01-10T07:41:00.001+02:00

Sent: Monday, January 09, 2012 1:33 PM

Subject: DDRF

Hi Guys

I am back from the USA. What an awesome country and an awesome trip.

Yesterday we had the best weather one could imagine. Nice soft gentle breeze which made for perfect flying conditions. A storm ripped through late afternoon and the calm after the storm was perfect. It was starnge that so many planes were lost. The things were falling out the sky all over the place. I think the DDRF pilots are just too good and are at home when the wind is howling.

Please put into your diary that Saturday 4 February 2012 is the date for our AGM. This is the date when we set the fees etc so please all make an effort to come through. Also all those members who have not paid this is the last month so please pay up as we also need the money.

See you all there on Sunday

Peter

Pics-S.Hards-Sunday-08/01/2012

2012-01-09T11:03:00.000+02:00

Hi Pilots,

Herewith Pics from DDRF, Sunday 08.01.2012

Regards,
Shaun Hards

Norconsult Iyanda (Pty) Ltd.
Suite 50, Postnet X1
Florida Hills
1716

Tel: ++27 11 675-0303
Fax: ++27 11 675-1758
Cell: ++27 83 600-3277

Skype: shaun.hards

e-mail: shaun.hards@norconsultafrica.com

The probability of survival is inversely proportional to the angle of
arrival.

Breakfast at DDRF - 31/12/2011

2011-12-28T12:10:00.000+02:00

Sent: Wednesday, December 28, 2011 8:31 AM

Subject: Breakfast at DDRF - 31/12/2011

Hi All.

I will be hosting a breakfast at the club on Saturday morning, details below:

Date: 31/12/2011
Time: 11:00 am
Provided: Bacon Rolls and Scrambled eggs, cutlery, spices,butter, sauces.

Please bring your own juice, coffee, tea etc.

We will have the breakfast even if it rains, so don't let the weather spoil it for you, just come and enjoy the breakfast and company, even if it does rain.

PS. I am not on email often, so please contact me on my cell should you require any further info.

Cheers

Garth Nofal
Project Office Manager (PMP) / Risk Manager SA - Sub Region
ABB South Africa
Utilities
ZA
Phone: +27 10 202 5712
Telefax: +27 10 579 8348
Mobile: 0827899749
This electronic mail including attachments is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or legally privileged material and information. Unauthorised disclosure, copying, distribution or use of this material and information may be unlawful and is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient and have received this mail in error, please contact the sender and delete all contents of the e-mail as well as any copies you made. Thank you!
email: garth.nofal@za.abb.com

DDRF Braai and Fly 21Dec2011-S.Hards

2011-12-24T06:52:00.000+02:00

Subject: DDRF Braai and Fly 21Dec2011

Hi Guys,

Pics from Wednesday's "Braai & Fly" event.

Regards,
Shaun Hards

Norconsult Iyanda (Pty) Ltd.
Suite 50, Postnet X1
Florida Hills
1716

Tel: ++27 11 675-0303
Fax: ++27 11 675-1758
Cell: ++27 83 600-3277

Skype: shaun.hards

e-mail: shaun.hards@norconsultafrica.com

The probability of survival is inversely proportional to the angle of
arrival.

Pics-S.Hards-Sunday-18/12/2011

2011-12-22T06:37:00.000+02:00

Hi Pilots,

Pics from Sunday's fun and games at DDRF.

Regards,
Shaun Hards

Norconsult Iyanda (Pty) Ltd.
Suite 50, Postnet X1
Florida Hills
1716

Tel: ++27 11 675-0303
Fax: ++27 11 675-1758
Cell: ++27 83 600-3277

Skype: shaun.hards

e-mail: shaun.hards@norconsultafrica.com

The probability of survival is inversely proportional to the angle of
arrival.

DDRF Pics-P.Carlisle-04/12/2011

2011-12-06T06:43:00.000+02:00

Hi Guys

Went flying yesterday was quite a bit of wind in the morning. Took quite quick fingers to land the foamies. The afternoon was a lot better really some excellent weather. Bit disappointing as I only counted 17 pilots who came through to enjoy the club.

Jerry has done an excellent job at the helipad side. Really well done Jerry Thanks hats off to you. I stood with the heli guys flying from on top the mound and the panorama to fly is really brilliant. Next year we will continue with our work on the heli side which will no doubt give us the best heli and plane facilitates around.

Enjoy the pics. I wont be around until the new year as I am off to see my brother in the USA.

Enjoy the flying, Happy Christmas and please guys keep safe and take it easy on the roads.

Cheers

Peter

DDRF -Jerry Van Gool

2011-12-04T12:41:00.001+02:00

> Hi Guys
>
> GOOD NEWS
>
> The heli canopy is up, the fencing will be installed on Monday.
>
> The tree which the heli guys said was in their flight path is no more, I
> am
> sure the Klippies fishermen will devour the wood in no time.
>
> The parking area access to the heli area has been blocked and the heli
> guys
> now have their own access and parking by the new canopy.
>
> The flying area has been raised to the top of the rocks - looks great,
> works
> well.
>
> The storm water piping near the entrance is in place and hopefully what I
> have done will stop the erosion of the road at that point, will keep an
> eye
> on it. The pipes were donated, although not in good nick, I took them to
> my
> factory and cut them to shape then joined them underground.
>
> As these jobs were all done in one shot as opposed to dragging it out over
> time, our club finances have taken some strain - Please..... all those who
> can...pay your 2012 subs now.
>
> I am going on leave now so use this opportunity to wish you all a happy
> Christmas and a massively successful year next year, thanks for the
> companionship during the year and look forward to lots more of it next
> year.
>
> Happy landings
>
> Jerry Van Gool
>
> DDRF Projects Committee
>
>
>

Pics- S.Hards- DDRF 26Nov2011

2011-12-02T06:35:00.000+02:00

Hi All,

Sorry for being so later, but here are the choice pics from last Saturday
afternoon at DDRF.

Regards,
Shaun Hards.

Pics-Shaun Hards- DDRF_20Nov2011

2011-11-25T06:19:00.000+02:00

Hi All,

Pics from Sunday's flying.

Regards,
Shaun Hards

Norconsult Iyanda (Pty) Ltd.
Suite 50, Postnet X1
Florida Hills
1716

Tel: ++27 11 675-0303
Fax: ++27 11 675-1758
Cell: ++27 83 600-3277

Skype: shaun.hards

e-mail: shaun.hards@norconsultafrica.com

Pics-DDRF-Sunday-13/11/2011-P.Carlisle

2011-11-15T14:45:00.000+02:00

Hi Guys

What is the weather doing to us. Its really miserable. This last Sunday saw category 5 Gail force winds descend over DDRF. IT was also hot with a major storm pressing from the west. The storm could have hit us and made the miserable weather worth while. It did not and all we had was the wind. This made for tough going in the air.

With the result there was only about a dozen or so pilots who ventured out to brave the elements.

The pictures tell a thousand words with all the broken aircraft. Enjoy.

Gunther Wilcken has joined our club. If anyone has an objection please let me know.

See you all there on Sunday

Peter

Pics DDRF 6Nov2011-S.Hards

2011-11-07T15:17:00.000+02:00

Hi Pilots,

Choice of the pics from Sunday.

Regards,
Shaun Hards

Norconsult Iyanda (Pty) Ltd.
Suite 50, Postnet X1
Florida Hills
1716

Tel: ++27 11 675-0303
Fax: ++27 11 675-1758
Cell: ++27 83 600-3277

Skype: shaun.hards

e-mail: shaun.hards@norconsultafrica.com

Pics DDRF 05Nov2011-S.Hards

2011-11-07T15:14:00.000+02:00

Hi Pilots,

Pics from Saturday afternoon.

Regards,
Shaun Hards

Norconsult Iyanda (Pty) Ltd.
Suite 50, Postnet X1
Florida Hills
1716

Tel: ++27 11 675-0303
Fax: ++27 11 675-1758
Cell: ++27 83 600-3277

Skype: shaun.hards

e-mail: shaun.hards@norconsultafrica.com

Pics S.Hards Saturday- 22/10/2011

2011-10-25T16:50:00.000+02:00

Hi Guys / Gals,

Pics from Saturday's flying at DDRF.

Regards,
Shaun Hards

Pics - P.Carlisle-23/10/2011

2011-10-25T16:46:00.000+02:00

Hi Guys

Had a bit of a windy day yesterday. The sun was hot and the flying was
interesting.

Bit of a disappointing turnout of members, I suppose to do with the
windy conditions. I counted 18 members who turned up to strut their
flying abilities. Interesting a few years ago 18 members would have been
considered a good turnout. Just illustrates good growth in members.

Torsten Hein has sent us a spreadsheet regarding measuring the C of G.
Please take a look.

See you all Sunday

Peter

Pics-P.Carlisle 15/10/2011-Flyday- DDRF

2011-10-20T17:40:00.000+02:00

Hi Guys

Apologies I have been out the office most of the week.

What a great day we had at DDRF on Saturday. Absolutely brilliant. I counted over 40 pilots who came through and enjoyed the day with us. The flying was great with a moderate wind down the runways. Congratulations to all those who won prizes. The grand prizes were sponsored by McCarthy Nissan. Thanks once again guys.

Thanks to all those who spent time and effort to organize the event it was a really blast and I know everyone enjoyed themselves tremendously.

Enjoy the pics

See you all on Sunday

Peter

To balance forces

2011-10-19T18:35:00.001+02:00

Pics- Saturday-15/10/2011-Johan Rheeders

2011-10-16T16:41:00.000+02:00

Some pics From the Funfly 15/10/2011

Cheers

Johan

Ted's Pics- 15/10/2011

2011-10-16T15:58:00.001+02:00

Hi Guys

Some of the pics taken by Ted Kinsman from Jomac

He is a real fundi with action shots

You can also view his work on the Jomac club blog to which we have a link on our blog

Once on the jomac blog click on Ted's new album of pictures

All i can say, Wow!

Thanks to John, Ted and Kyle + others for comming to DDRF

Cheers

Johan

Fw: DDRF

2011-10-13T17:18:00.000+02:00

Hi Guys

This e mail is intentionally late as I want to remind everyone about the Fun Day we are having on Saturday from before 12h00. The fun day has been sponsored by McCarthy Nissan in Randburg. There will be some awesome prizes as well. Please bring a little thing to cook over the coals and perhaps something to quench the thirst. We will be having a few refreshments for the most deserving.

The runway is looking really stunning at the moment. Green and taking very nicely indeed.

Last Sunday was a good day for flying I counted 26 pilots there. Yes - Mark, 26 you cant even land a dead stick. Attached is evidence of Marks poor performance at a dead stick.

Enjoy the pics

See you all on Saturday

Regards

Peter

Fw: DDRF Fun-Fly and Runway Wetting

2011-10-11T11:04:00.000+02:00

Good day everyone,

This Saturday 15 October there will be a club Fun Fly event for both the plane and helli pilots.

We have invited some people from JOMAC to join us.

Time: Starts at 12:00pm

Venue: DDRF

Agenda: 3 x fun events for the plane pilots, followed by 3 x fun events for the helli pilots.

Prizes: We'll have prizes for the winners of each event for both plane and hellis.

Braai: Bring along some meat and drinks so we can celebrate the new grass runway.

Please come through to the club and participate - any plane or helli will do.

See you then.

RAY JAMIESON

DDRF Events Committee

Fw: Blog Adverts

2011-10-04T13:41:00.000+02:00

Hi Guys

The blog has had a few upgrades recently

Schalk Burger did the reworking on the heli side with lots of info and links

Some really nice stuff by him

Thanks Schalk

I also added two new pages where one could advertise ones goodies that you want to sell ,or if its some goodies that you need

I see there are several new members in the club and they might want to join the blog

If Peter would be so kind to please forward this e-mail to club members,Thanking you in advance

My e-mail is: jrheeder@netactive.co.za

To join the blog please send me an e-mail to that effect

Now you can hear that grass growing!!

Thanks guys

Johan Rheeders

Pics-P.Carlisle- DDRF-04/10/2011

2011-10-04T12:18:00.000+02:00

Hi Guys

The weather made for awful flying this Sunday. There was a blistering wind thundering down the runway which made for impossible flying. The wind also had a sever chill factor to it. Really not fun and hence there were only four of us who braved the conditions.

The rain has done wonders for the grass runway and it looks like it is really taking well.

Regrettably the wind took its toll on Bill Moon's plane and reduced it to a hap of polystyrene.

Please don't forget this Sunday is the grading day and Next Saturday 15 October 2011 is the Fun day.

See you all there

Peter

Fw: Proficiency Day - 9 October 2011

2011-10-01T16:01:00.001+02:00

Hi Guys

The date for

Proficiency Testing is set for

9th October 2011

and Runway-Wetting - Funfly day

is on 15th October

Johan

Pics-2008-P.Carlisle- DDRF

2011-09-27T07:03:00.001+02:00

Hi Guys

Did not spend too long at the club as I had a birthday party to attend in the afternoon. Also forgot the camera batteries so did not take any pics. I looked in my archives and found a few pics from 2008. Take a look and see how the club has changed. Spectacular don't you think?

The wind was a bit aggressive during the day but still allowed for some good flying. The new runway I saw being used a bit more and certainly did wonders for my F15.

I counted 17 pilots until I left at 13h00 I am sure more pilots would have tested their hand later in the day.

Breandan Hadley, Bill Moon and Jannie Coetzee has joined our club in the past two weeks. Do any members have any objections?

Please don't forget the fun fly on 15 October 2011 it should be a great day.

Cheers

Peter

Wayne Wallace - Grading Day

2011-09-24T14:44:00.000+02:00

> Hi Gentle Men
>
> Please provide me with information for the upcoming grading day.
>
> 1. Who would be attending the grading?
> 3. What grading do you have currently?
> 4. To what level you would like to be graded.
> 2. We would have a white board session before the grading starts. Please
> send me any questions related to flying ect that we can discussed it on
> the
> day and so that I can prepare them in advance
>
>
> Kind Regards
>
> Wayne Wallace
> Director
>
> P.O.Box 809
> Featherbrook Estate
> Roodepoort
> 1746
>
> Tel: +27 (0)72 3135151
> Email: wayne@tkes.co.za

Pics-S.Hards- DDRF Saturday - 17 Sep 2011

2011-09-22T17:24:00.000+02:00

Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2011 4:51 PM
Subject: DDRF Saturday - 17 Sep 2011

Hi Pilots,

Been a while.
Sorry for getting this out late, just been busy.
Saturday was a great days flying.

Check out the attempt at getting a glider airborne..........nice try Garth
and Marcel.

Next time can I bring my buggy along and we can pull it along the runway
with LONG tow line.
I think it's got a better chance of getting at survival? Call me Marcel lets
plan it?

Anyways, enjoy the pics.

Regards,
Shaun Hards

Norconsult Iyanda (Pty) Ltd.
Suite 50, Postnet X1
Florida Hills
1716

Tel: ++27 11 675-0303
Fax: ++27 11 675-1758
Cell: ++27 83 600-3277

Skype: shaun.hards

e-mail: shaun.hards@norconsultafrica.com

The probability of survival is inversely proportional to the angle of
arrival.

Pics- DDRF-P.Carlisle-17-09-2011

2011-09-21T07:46:00.000+02:00

Hi Guys

We had a really great day flying yesterday. The wind was a little strong in the morning but died down in the afternoon. Overall a great days flying. I counted 26 pilots by the time I left. (Ok Mark how many did you count, remember I want the photos of the pilots)

The grass runway has really taken in places and is matting beautifully. I landed my F15 on the grass. Normally that aircraft chews up the whole of the tar runway but on the grass it stopped with in about 15 m. Really impressive indeed. I saw an number of the foamy's land there looks like it will work well.

Please don't forget our Run way wetting day on the 15^th of October 2011. We have invited JOMAC and so far it looks like they will be joining us for the festivities. I am in the process of arranging some really nice prizes from Mac Carthy Nissan.

Gavin downed his chopper but I did not have the heart to send the pic as he seemed really heart broken.

See you all Sunday

Peter

Proficiency Day - 9 October 2011

2011-09-16T08:06:00.001+02:00

Hi Guys

The new date for

Proficiency Testing is set for

9th October 2011

Pics-P.Carlisle-Sunday-04/09/2011

2011-09-05T16:34:00.000+02:00

Hi Guys

We had quite a strong cross wind yesterday which made for some interesting flying and landing. Couple of undercarriages suffered the consequences. Over all the weather was really great and made for a really day. The runway looks really great and Jerry's concerns see below are valid. Please if there is anyone who could help it would be really appreciated.

Jerry I can help on Thursday. I will hire a chappy and get him to paint etc whilst he is at it if no one else grabs Thursday. The rest of the week is difficult for me.

Marius Hugo has completed his application form so if there are any objections to him joining please let me know. Think Carefully as Marius helped arrange the stone for the entrance.

I wont be there this weekend coming taking a weekend with just myself and the wife no kids just R and R. No funny comments and yes they will all come true.

The committee meeting is next Monday night so if there are any issues you wish me to raise please let me have them before hand.

Enjoy the pics

See you in two weeks

Peter

Pics-P.Carlisle- DDRF-28/08/2011

2011-08-30T10:41:00.000+02:00

Hi Guys

Yesterday morning saw the brave DDRF pilots face near Arctic conditions with a blizzard to boot. Made for some fairly hard flying. I did not stay long as my sister in law was on her way back to Hong Kong and the two hours spent there was on loan.

The afternoon looked a lot better with the sun coming up and the wind dying down I would think that the later flying was a blast. Enjoy guys

Jerry need a round of applause as the work done on the runway looks a million bucks. Well done Jerry. I do believe that this will make our runway one of the best around. I believe we really have a club on which to be proud. The final grass laying is taking place today and it should set with in the next week or two.

We will be arranging a fun fly soon to welcome in the new runway. Will give details soonest.

Cheers see you all on Sunday

Peter

Pics-S.Hards- DDRF_27Aug2011

2011-08-29T16:46:00.001+02:00

Hi Pilots,

Pics from Saturday Afternoon.

Regards,
Shaun Hards

Norconsult Iyanda (Pty) Ltd.
Suite 50, Postnet X1
Florida Hills
1716

Tel: ++27 11 675-0303
Fax: ++27 11 675-1758
Cell: ++27 83 600-3277

Skype: shaun.hards

e-mail: shaun.hards@norconsultafrica.com

The probability of survival is inversely proportional to the angle of
arrival.

The Sandworks-Done

2011-08-22T14:37:00.001+02:00

A big thanks to Jerry and Afrisam

Give that man a Bells Xtra large

>
> Hi Guys
>
> After a terribly frustrating wait, Afrisam were at last able to provide
> the
> equipment and grading for the widening of the runway was completed today.
> Also, the raised flying area is also being slightly modified.
>
> Later this week we will put in the irrigation system and start planting
> grass - it will look magic and provide the extra facilities which so many
> of
> you have asked for.
>
> Tks again for your patience, on-site support visits and the many
> appreciative emails, calls etc.
>
> Pics attached
>
> Rgds
>
> Jerry
>
> DDRF Projects Committee.
>

Pics-Shaun.Hards-Sunday14/08/2011

2011-08-15T13:05:00.000+02:00

Hi Guys / Gals,

Pics from Sunday 14.8.2011, weather was not so lekker and the light was
poor.
Enjoy,

Regards,
Shaun Hards

Norconsult Iyanda (Pty) Ltd.
Suite 50, Postnet X1
Florida Hills
1716

Tel: ++27 11 675-0303
Fax: ++27 11 675-1758
Cell: ++27 83 600-3277

Skype: shaun.hards

e-mail: shaun.hards@norconsultafrica.com

The probability of survival is inversely proportional to the angle of
arrival.

Anton en chopper

2011-08-15T10:46:00.001+02:00

Pic Anton Brewis en chopper

Johan

Helicopters: Why Flybarless

2011-08-13T13:07:00.003+02:00

Why Flybarless?

By Lood Birk

Ermelo Radio Flyers

http://rcnav.webhop.net/erf

RC helicopters has come a long way since the first production heli came on the market. Many changes has been made to the original design which was basically just a fixed pitch main rotor aircraft and did not even have throttle control or a tail rotor. The newest main change to RC helicopter, of course, is the invention of the flybarless rotor system.

Even though Igor Sikorsky invented the first helicopter, it was Arthur M. Young that invented the first remote controlled heli. He originally experimented on refining Sikorsky’s designs and to do that he had to develop a small helicopter that would react like the real thing but did not cost an arm and a leg to build and rebuild. It was also Mr Young that invented the stabilizer bar, or later called the flybar in RC helis. It’s main purpose was to counter unwanted rotor and fuselage tilt and increase overall stability. This, of course, is the main purpose of the flybar.

Using a flybar on your heli has it’s drawbacks. The biggest drawback being the amount of power it steals from the motor of the heli. A flybar can steal up to 25% of the motor’s power output. This is mainly caused by the extra drag the flybar system creates while spinning as well as the extra mechanical components that is required to make it work. For normal flight, this is all fine, but we all know everybody aspires to do the ultimate, 3D flight.

During 3D flight, you want the main rotor to get as much power as to be able to generate the extreme lift changes needed for 3D flight without dropping rotor speed or bogging the motor.

So, as you can deduct by now, a flybarless rotor is a rotor setup where the flybar has been mechanically removed. And here is where the problem starts. Because you remove the part that stabilizes the heli, you now have to compensate in another way. Being quick on the sticks is one, but I have not heard of anybody that could fly a flybarless heli without stabilization.

The idea of a flybarless system is not new. In fact, there has been pilots that has been experimenting since the early eighties and to make it sort of work all types of funny stabilizations systems were invented and tested. None of them very successful and all of them required very skilled pilots, so the flybarless system never really took off.

Enter the electronic age. During the nineties electronic gyros were rapidly developed and refined to an affordable way of stabilization. Some of the pilots saw the advantage of a small and lightweight electronic device that would replace the old mechanical stabilization systems. It is not until about 2008 that the electronic systems were developed to the extent that flybarless systems could become affordable to all. So, here we are.

Below is a picture of a heli head with a flybar.

As you can see that there are a lot of mechanical parts in the setup of a flybar rotorhead. So let us look at the picture below of a flybarless rotorhead.

As you can see there are a lot less parts in the rotor head.

So what are the advantages in flying flybarless. Well, as we discussed earlier, one of the advantages are that you will have more power to the main rotor. In short you can do harder maneuvers without bogging the motor. The other advantage is that there are a lot less parts that can be damaged during a crash. It is also a lot more stable in flight due to the gyro stabilization to the main rotor head. The other nice thing is that with flybarless you have the opportunity to ad extra main rotor blades for a better scale look.

Are there any disadvantages. Well, I would not really call them disadvantages as the flybarless system is just so much better, but you have to remember that, at this stage, flybarless systems are still pretty expensive compared to the standard choppers because you need extra electronics and a special rotor head. Furthermore it can be a finicky to set up as the flybarless controller sometimes require quite a bit of setup.

So, what do you need to go flybarless? Well, firstly you need the flybarless head. Below is a picture of a typical flybarless head that you would get.

And then you require the 3-axis gyro control box. Below is a picture of a typical 3-axis control box.

You called it a 3-axis gyro. What is it and why not just use 3 gyros. Well, it is basically a box that contains 3 gyros. These gyros controls the aileron, elevator and rudder. What makes this box different is that it has mixes programmed into processor that counters adverse movements (movements caused by the secondary effect of controls). This is not something you can easily do by building your own 3-axis “black box” with three separate gyros as the three gyros do not talk to each other.

To install a flybarless system, you typically remove the rotor head and all the mechanics above the swash plate and install the flybarless head. You then install the “black box”, which has leads to receiver and the servos plugs into the “black box”. You do the setups and fly. Oh, I have to mention that with the flybarless system, you don’t need the conventional tail gyro. The “black box” replaces that.

Well, I hope you understand the flybarless system better now. It really is an interesting development that will still have us raving about in 10 years time.

Happy landings

Helicopters: Where to fit your ESC

2011-08-13T13:03:00.003+02:00

Where to fit your ESC.

By Lood Birk

Ermelo Radio Flyers

http://rcnav.webhop.net/erf

Ok, so the title is slightly a bit misleading. This article is going to be about where to fit your ESC in relation to your receiver. This is kind of a strange subject to talk about. Not really. Let me try to explain.

To understand why we are talking about the position relationship between your ESC and your receiver, you need to know a little bit as to how an ESC operates. The ESC does not provide a constant current to the motor. That would make the electronics of your ESC big and heavy. Instead, it pulses the motor at a very high frequency. This electronic technique is called pulse width modulation or PWM in short. The frequency in which you pulse the motor is so high that you can even hear it as that high pitch electric whine you hear from the engine. In high current ESC modules, you can even hear it on the ESC’s PC board. Now the thing is this. In any conductor that carries current, a magnetic field develops around it. That is fine, but should the current pulse, or change polarity frequently it starts do develop the ability to induce a current into a conductor close by. The more current is drawn in the conductor that is pulsing, the more voltage is induced in the conductor close by. A transformer operates in that way.

Now comes the part I generally have trouble to explain to guys in general.

Your ESC has got a lot of conductors on the PC board. The same goes for your receiver. It has got a lot of conductors on the PC Board. No imagine that most of those conductors on the PC board of the ESC is pulsing. Some of them are high current conductors like the output wires to the engine. Now imagine if you put your receiver close to that ESC what voltages are induced into the circuit of your receiver. To ram the nail home, I want to bring to your attention that on the receiving end of your receiver we are talking about voltages as low as 30uV (0.000 030V) and it is not uncommon that a voltage of 50mV (0.050V) can be induced into a conductor in our case study. Let us put it another way. It will be like trying to see when looking directly into the sun. The effects of the induced voltages are especially noticeable wit the 35MHz system as twitches and even the receiver going into failsafe. On the 2.4G systems, the effects are not as noticeable as the signal is of a digital nature with error checking and correcting protocols as part of your signal, BUT the 2.4G radio systems are NOT immune to the induced voltage effects.

I must say, though, that designers of the ESCs and receivers try their best to shield the electronics and conductors and also employ clever design techniques to counter effects of induced voltages. Yet, no electronic device is fail safe from induced interference.

So, how do we try and prevent the two devices from interfering with each other? Well, you could put the ESC in a lead box but I assure you that your plane or heli won’t go anywhere, so it’s probably not advised. The other way is to space your ESC and you receiver as far apart as possible. I know this is difficult, especially in smaller planes and choppers.

I normally space my ESC and receiver apart about 7 to 10cm. In the case of high powered ESC, I tend to make that distance a bit longer. Another little trick is to ad a ferrite ring on the lead going from your ESC to your receiver. The ring dampen any induced voltages, in the lead at least. Below is a picture of a typical ferrite ring and a ESC lead wrapped around it.

For those that are not sure where to place your ESC and receiver, below is a picture taken from a typical heli manual to help you along. Mostly on the instructions of your receiver as well as the ESC it has ideas and tips on how to space your ESC or receiver. So it’s always a good idea to check the instructions.

As you can see, they try and space the ESC and receiver far apart in any of the setup configurations. Personally, I prefer the receiver at the back away from the motor in this particular Chopper.

I hope that this article helps you to understand the interaction between the ESC and receiver and in future you know to space the two for better reliability.

Happy Landings

Helicopters: Swash plate types

2011-08-13T12:56:00.004+02:00

Swash plate types

By Lood Birk

Ermelo Radio Flyers

http://rcnav.webhop.net/erf

When I first started flying helis, I had no idea what a swash plate is, let alone that there are many different types of swash plates. So, in this article, I would like to take a closer look at the different types there is and maybe try and lift out the pros and cons for each.

A swash plate on a helicopter has the function of converting static control input to a dynamic control input. The servos being the static part and the spinning rotor being the dynamic part of the control. In the time that helis have been around, there has been many advances in swash plate design and today there are basically six types of swash plates on the market. They are single pitch servo, 120deg forward or backward pointing, 120deg left or right pointing, 140deg, 90deg three servos and 90 deg 4 servos.

Single pitch servo swash plate

Many of us started off with the good old raptor 30 and 50. The swash plate system on the Raptor was a typical single pitch servo swash plate setup. It had one servo that solely controlled the pitch, another that controlled the elevator control and one servo that controlled the Aileron servo. Control action was a complicated interacting set of levers that made the swash plate move up/down, forward/backward and left/right. In the picture below, you can see the long lever that moves up and down to change the pitch.

The swash plate of this system has the balls spaced at 90deg intervals with the elevator balls on the sides and the aileron balls set at the front and back of the swash plate. As you can see in the picture below.

The good thing of this setup is that it was very easy to set up and no real swash mixing was required on the radio other than the throttle/pitch mixing. This system could be used with basic radios. Also there as not a lot of servo interaction where the one servo’s movement effected the other. Also, because the system worked with levers on the pitch, weaker servos could be used to control the pitch.

The bad part of this system was that due to the complicated leverage system, slop on any link was amplified so that control issues were noticed quicker. Also the extra leverage booms for the pitch made the heli heavier.

120deg forward/backward pointing

These days, this type of swash plate is the preferred system for most helis on the market. The system consists of three servos connected directly to the swash plate in a 120 deg orientation. The forward/backward pointing just indicates that one point of the swash plate’s 120deg point will be located in the center of the chopper either pointing forward, or pointing towards the back of the heli. Below is a picture of a 120deg swash plate.

In the picture above, A=B=C.

The good thing of this swash setup is that the servos are normally connected directly to the swash plate, though, there might be a simple lever system in place to increase the amount of power the servo can put on the swash plate. This decreases the chances of slop and the effect slop has on the control of the heli. Also, because your servos are directly connected to the swash, the control input becomes immediate and crisp.

The bad part about this setup is that it is not easy to set up. Special tools are required to make sure the swash is level and travels level up and down the main shaft. Servos must be of a higher torque rating than the single pitch servo swash setup. Another big problem experienced with CCPM 120deg is that servo interaction is very notable. Servo interaction happens when the change of one servos position directly impacts with the other two servos in the setup. This can happen on cheaper servos where the one servo runs faster than the other, or when setup was done wrong. In this case the heli will, for instance, veer left when pitch is given.

120deg forward/backward pointing

This swash setup is basically the same as the one found on the 120deg swash plate with forward or backward pointing. In this case though, the one point of the swash plate points to the sede of the heli and the other two points are situated on the other side of the heli. In my research for this article, I could not find any reason why this is so and I have myself never seen a swash setup like that, but I wanted you just to be aware of this swash type.

140 deg Swash.

This swash plate looks like the 120deg swash except that two corners of the triangle are closer together than to the other. Using the same picture as above you will see that C=B, but A < than C or B. Below is a picture of a typical 140deg swash plate.

This swash plate is in essence the same as the 120deg swash, which is better known as the CCPM system. It suffers the same positive and negative issues. Though, there has been discussions about the available travel being less than on the 120deg swash. Another concern is that servo loadings may become unequal due to the unequal spacing of the points on the swash plate.

90 deg 3 servo (Also known as the HE3 setup)

This is also a CCPM setup like the 120deg swash setup, but the points on the swash plate is set at 90 deg to each other. Belo is an example of such a setup.

The advantage of this swash plate is that the interaction between the servos are a bit less, but proper setup is still required for proper flight.

90 deg 4 servo (Also known as the H4 setup)

This is a derivative of the 90deg 3 servo swash and is considered as probably the best setup for helis. Below is the swash layout of this layout. The other picture is basically the same, but the 90 deg cross is just turned sideways.

This setup has been considered to probably be the best setup for helis still. The main reason is because you are using four servos in a 90 deg configuration, the force you can assert on the swash plate is so much more. This means that you can do harder maneuvers without the danger of stripping a servo.

Well, not you know more about the types of swash plates out there.

Happy Landings.

Helicopters: Radio Setup

2011-08-13T12:50:00.003+02:00

Setting up your radio for heli flight

By Lood Birk

Ermelo Radio Flyers

http://rcnav.webhop.net/erf

There has been some questions as to go about setting up your radio so that it’s ready for hover, normal and 3d flight. In this article, I want to touch on just the radio setup. I will try not to be radio specific, but rather just touch on the basics like the pitch and throttle curves. What idleup1 means and so forth.

Setting up your heli on the radio is but one part of the entire exercise to get your heli in the air. What precedes the radio setup is the hardware setup. If the hardware setup has not been done correctly, no amount of fiddling with the transmitter is going to sort out your problems. Having said that, the reverse is also true. No amount of fiddling with the hardware will sort out a wrongly set up radio. So what are the setups that has to be done to get your heli airborne? Well, there is not really a lot to do. All you have to do is set up the swash plate type, the servo directions ,the sub trims, the swash plate travel, the pitch curves and the throttle curves. It all sounds like a mouth full, but not really all that complicated. So lets get cracking.

Before you start, make sure that all trims are centered and that there is no throttle or pitch curves programmed on the model when setting up a new model. Sometimes I reset the programming for that specific model and start all over again just to be sure.

The first step is to set the sub trims. This should actually have been part of the hardware setup, but I am going to just discuss this in short again. A chopper’s setup rests on one fundamental rule. This rule states that all controls must be at a right angle to the next. So, if you have a control rod that hooks onto a servo arm, the have to be at a right angle to each other (90deg). Now on servos, you never get the servo arm to correctly fit at a 90deg or 180deg angle to the servo, so we have to compensate for that by using the sub trim. All heli radios has got a sub trim function in the menu of the radio. Using this feature trim each of your servos so that it is at the desired angle. If you find you have to sub trim too much then rather see if you can find a servo horn that fits better.

The next step is to program in the swash plate type. Your radio should have a menu entry that lets you choose the swash plate types. Some radios the menu can only be accessed by pressing certain buttons on the radio while switching on. Currently there are one servo, 90deg, 120deg and 140deg are the most common ones. There are more, but they tend to be less common. Some radios tells you which servo will be elevator, aileron or pitch, but if it does not, consult either the heli instruction manual, or the instruction book for your radio.

Once you have selected the correct swash plate type, you have to select the servo directions. This sometimes is not easy as the swash mixing can interfere here. Especially when you are setting up a CCPM system. Let me try and see if I can easy the confusion a bit though. Let’s start with the tail servo. That is the easies to set the direction of. Firstly plug the tail servo directly into the receiver. Rotate the tail rotor till you have a blade pointing down. Now look at the leading edge of the rotor blade pointing down. If the leading edge of the blade moves to the left (seen from behind of the heli), the nose of the heli will move to the right. If the leading edge of the bottom rotor moves to the right, the nose of the heli will move to the left. So no you must set your servo direction in such a way that id you give left rudder input, the leading edge of the bottom rotor blade must move to the right and vise versa. As easy as that.

As to the gyro direction, it is just as easy. Connect the gyro into your system and make sure it is set to headlock mode. Center your rudder and move the helis nose to the left. The leading edge of the bottom rotor blade should move towards the left as well and vise versa. As simple as that. Do not forget to set your end points on the gyro.

The next step is to do your servo directions on the swash plate. The description on how to do this will vary from heli to heli, but the basics still apply. When you press the down elevator, the swash plate must tilt forward and when you pull up elevator, the swash plate must tilt backwards. I turn, if you give left aileron, the swash plate must tilt to the left and if you give right aileron the swash plate must tilt to the right. On a singe pith servo system, this is very easy to achieve, but on a CCPM system you will have to fiddle with the swash mixing as well as the servo reverse. Let us assume your CCPM system has one servo in the middle rear (call it the middle servo) and one on the 120deg left side of the swash plate (call it the left servo) and one on the 120deg right side of the servo (call it the right hand servo). The important thing you need to know is that with CCPM when you give down elevator, the middle servo moves upwards and the left and right servo moves down. When you pull back on the elevator, the left and right servos needs to move upwards and the middle servo needs to move down. When you give left aileron, the left servo moves down, the right servo moves up and the middle servo stays static. Should you move the ailerons right, the left servo moves up, the right servo moves down and the middle servo stays static. If you stick to these rules, it becomes a matter of setting your radio correctly. Not always and easy task though. So now you know which direction the swash plate must move on your corresponding stick movements and we need to change the settings on the radio so that we can get the swash plate moving in the correct direction. I suggest you use the swash mixing feature in your radio to do this. Before we do this, make sure that there is no EPA (End Point Adjustments) or trims on your radio. This will just make your life difficult. The Swash mixing is your EPA for the heli. The other thing you must remember is that your hardware setup HAS to be correct for this to turn out OK in the end. Right. You will notice that the swash mixing has three values. These are Aileron, Elevator and Pitch. You will notice that all three of them has got the same value for instance 60%. When you set these values you must keep them the same otherwise you can get unexpected swash movements which will make your life difficult whilst you fly. No say you wish to change the direction of the aileron servo, all you do is move the aileron value to -60%. This will reverse the operation. To increase the swash plate’s movement, increase the values, but be careful not to se it so much that it binds or presses somewhere when you give cyclic input.

So now you know your controls are going in the correct direction. The next thing that has to be done is the setup of the pitch and throttle curves. So, let us start with the pitch curves. In essence most radios has two settings, hover and 3D. My radio has provision for three so I normally set it up as hover, flight and 3D. I will do the flight mode as well to show you what it looks like. When setting up the pitch curves, always make sure that you work from the 50% pitch mark on your radio. At the 50% pitch mark, your rotor blade pitch has to be 0deg. The reason for this is that when you switch between flight modes and you did not set you radio and hardware to be 0 pitch at 50% input, you will get that the heli will unexpectedly climb or fall when switching modes

Let’s Start with hover. Just a quick note, the pitches I give might be different from your chopper model. Reference your chopper’s manual for the correct pitches.

In hover, you want little negative pitch to prevent the heli from slamming into the ground on landing, but enough to get you down if the wind is blowing. Mostly I use about -3 deg till about +9 deg pitch on my chopper. So the curve will look something like this…

Notice that my pitch lines always are in a straight line.

For the flight mode, I want more negative pitch because as the chopper picks up speed the rotor starts acting more like a wing and generates more lift. To be able to descend, you need more negative pitch to be able to bring the chopper down. You also want a bit more positive pitch because with practice you can do simple aerobatics in your flight mode. So the curve looks something like this …

Notice again that the lines are straight.

During 3D flight, you normally want the same amount of negative as positive pitch for that crazy upside down maneuver. So you will probably will be needing a pitch range of about -11deg to about +11deg depending on your chopper model. Thus the pitch curve looks something like this …

Notice that the 3D Pitch line is straight. No bends.

Lastly, we want to set up the throttle curves. Now the throttle curve is different to a heli with a governor that to one without. I am going to be doing the curves without the governor because you should know the principle of operation. I can tell you this though, your governor throttle curves normally runs in a straight line.

The basis to which you setup your throttle curves is to try and give you heli a constant rotor speed, so you might have to fiddle with the curves once you start flying. I am going to give you the basics though to try and help you understand the curves.

Let’s do hover first. In hover you want to have zero throttle on startup, spool it up till it’s ready for hover, but you might need that little push if you should open the throttle fully. The curve looks something like this…

This is a sample curve. You have to fine tune the engine by moving the flat part up or down to increase motor speed and tilt the flat part if you see the motor over speeding on the lower pitches but no having enough power at full throttle.

In your flight mode, you never want the throttle to close completely, so your throttle setting at 0% is going to be of such a nature that the rotor keeps its speed, but does not over speed as the chopper descends. So it will look something like this…

On your 3D throttle curve, you want your engine to produce proper thrust toward the full negative and the full positive, so your throttle setting will look like this...

As you can see, you have 100% throttle when the stick is at 0% as well as 100%. Needless to say, NEVER EVER start your chopper in this mode.

As stated before, you might have to fine tune the curves, but the basic principle stays the same.

I hope that you now understand the cyclic and rudder setup on your radio.

Happy Landings

Helicopters: Controls

2011-08-13T12:44:00.002+02:00

Know your heli controls

By Lood Birk

Ermelo Radio Flyers

http://rcnav.webhop.net/erf

This is quite a strange article to write about and I know that most of you will probably laugh to think that I am writing an article about what happens on the heli when you give certain control inputs on the transmitter. Yet, many of the new guys that buy their first heli either don’t read the manual of the heli or they don’t understand what they read, so I still end up having to explain just what happens when you move the stick forward. A couple of years ago, I wrote something similar for a kid who lived far from “heli help” and it aided him to no end, so I decided to do this for everybody else out there.

For this article, I am going to use a standard variable pitch chopper. If you are starting with a coaxial chopper, don’t worry, the principles are exactly the same except that instead of pitch you will talk about rotor speed to make your heli rise. I am also using a mode 2 radio as example as most heli pilots flies mode two. To understand what is meant by mode, read my article on transmitter modes.

On your transmitter you will find two control sticks, also sometimes called gimbals. There is a left hand one and a right hand one. By moving each stick in either a horizontal or a vertical direction, something specific will move on your heli’s control surfaces. It is these interactions that you need to know before you attempt to fly your heli. If you don’t know them your road to flying your heli is going to be a bumpy one.

First let’s look at the different controls that is required to make a heli fly. You need cyclic, pitch and throttle and lastly rudder control. Cyclic is the control that makes your heli tilt forward and backward as well as rolling it from left to right.

Pitch and throttle control is based in two places. Throttle is either on your engine’s carburetor or the ESC in the case of an electric heli.

Pitch is the tilting of the main rotor blades to produce more or less lift as you move the stick.

Rudder control is when you move the tail of your heli left and right and is better known as yaw.

I am now going to look at them individually, starting with the cyclic. As I said the cyclic controls the forward backward and roll of the heli. Take your transmitter and look at the right hand stick. You will notice that the stick can move in a forward/backwards movement as well as a left/right movement. If you move the stick forward, you will notice the swash plate move forward and the heli’s nose will tilt down. Move the stick backwards and the swash plate moves backwards and your heli’s nose will move upwards.

Move your stick to the left. Here you will notice that the swash plate tilts to the left and the heli will roll to the left. Move the stick to the right and the swash plate will tilt right and the heli will roll to the right. Moving your cyclic does not cause the heli to climb or descend. Below is a snapshot I took from a heli manual.

Moving over to the left hand stick. This stick controls two different parts of the heli, so a bit more thought has to go into what you do there.

Let us look at the forward backward motion of the left hand stick first. The forward backward motion of the stick makes the swash plate move up (when pressed forward) and down (when pulled backwards). This will increase the pitch (stick forward) and decrease the pitch (stick backwards) of the main rotor blade. Increasing the pitch will make the heli climb and decreasing the pitch will make the heli descend. Blow is a picture I took from a heli manual as a visual reference.

Coupled with the pitch is your throttle. Now on the throttle side you do not have to worry to much, because it is directly linked to the pitch of the chopper and it will increase or decrease as you increase or decrease the pitch on the main rotor blade. It does require some fancy setup on your radio, but you don’t have to worry about it at this stage.

Lastly we look at the left/right movement of the left stick. The left/right movement does not move anything in the heli’s rotor head. Instead you have to look towards the back of the heli at the rudder. The rudder controls the yaw of the heli. Yaw is when the tail of the heli moves from side to side. When you fly, however, you DON’T look at the tail, you look at the nose of the chopper. It is just easier this way. So, if you move the left hand stick to the left, the nose of the chopper will yaw left. If you move the left hand stick to the right, the chopper’s nose will yaw right. Once again, I include the picture from my heli manual for you.

Flying your heli is an action of continuously giving input on both sticks and in all four directions per stick. You can probably see now that knowing which stick input controls what helps you to understand the control inputs necessary to keep your chopper airborne.

Happy Landings.

Pics from Sunday 7 August

2011-08-12T20:11:00.005+02:00

Helicopters: Night Flying

2011-08-12T18:16:00.001+02:00

Here is a challenge for all those heli pilots who think they have done it all. You'll need a couple of extra channels for those fire works at the end. And maybe keep a fire extinguisher handy if you fly a nitro... Let me know when you try this, I want to watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHUXgc_bNYA&feature=feedrec_grec_index

Helicopters: Forward Flight Transition

2011-08-12T17:01:00.003+02:00

Heli Forward Flight Transition.

By Lood Birk

Ermelo Radio Flyers

http://rcnav.webhop.net/erf

I have been flying helis for some time and when I was asked how to move from a hover into forward flight I had to sit down and think about it quite deeply. You see, I have been doing that quite a bit and it has become second nature. None the less, it is a very good question. I am going to try and explain to you the type of stick movements that could expect when you transition from a hover into forward flight and vice versa.

You might think that there is nothing to it, but you are mistaking. To explain why I am going to give a very simple aerodynamic lesson. When a heli hovers, or flies, it generates a downdraft of air. For the sake of simple understanding, call it an air bubble. It is this air bubble that makes the difference when you transit between flight modes (hover and forward flight). During hover the air bubble generates lift for the chopper (keeping it very simple). Because the chopper is stationary, the lift is more or less equal on all sides of the rotor blade. To put it another way, the heli is balancing on the air bubble. When you fly, the heli is always trying to get away from the bubble and the lift forces becomes different and the heli starts reacting a bit differently. Making the move from the one to the other is called flight transition. Geesh, I make it sound so complicated, but it’s not really that bad. If you have mastered the controls on your heli, the corrective inputs normally comes quite naturally and you don’t even think about it. Coming to think about it, on a properly set up heli the inputs are quite small.

Ok, onward ho. You are hovering your heli and the mood strikes you to try some forward flight. No problem. Just push the stick forward. Right. Partly yes, but don’t forget that you are now moving away from your air bubble, so two things are going to happen. Firstly the heli’s nose will keep tilting forward as your air bubble suddenly gives more lift at the rear of your rotor than the back and it will lose height because the lift balance changed. So, as your heli starts moving forward you will give some back stick and some pitch. Now comes the fun part. As the heli speeds up the rotor becomes a like a Frisbee and start to generate lift like an aircraft wing. Because the rotor is nw generating more lift, your heli will start to climb, so you can bring back the pitch a bit to keep it at one altitude. Once you are in forward flight, your heli will more or less become balanced and you have transitioned into forward flight.

So now you are flying around and as your fuel becomes less and less you make the decision that maybe it’s time to bring your heli back into a hover and ultimately land. By this time you are shaking because you know you have to do that transition thing again. Once again, it is no real biggie. If you had the skill to move into forward flight, going back to hover should be no problem. Lets look at the procedure. Firstly you will have to slow your heli down. You do this by pulling back on the stick. Now because you are pushing your rotor disk into the wind (remember to thing of your rotor as a Frisbee) it will start to generate a lot of lift, so you will need to reduce the pitch a bit. As your heli slow down, the lift will become less and you will have to give a bit more pitch. Remember now that you are almost stationary and you will be riding on top of your air bubble now, so the chopper will tend to fall backwards on it’s tail. Here you must give it some forward cyclic to bring the heli nose down again and there you go. Nicely established in a hover again.

I just want to emphasize that it all sounds so complicated, but it’s really not all that bad. It is something you should be aware of, but if you are proficient at hovering your heli, the control inputs to counter the transitions will come naturally. So, don’t be scared.

Hope this helps a bit. (for those who asked)

Happy Landings

Helicopters: Nose-in hover

2011-08-12T16:59:00.001+02:00

Heli Nose-in Hover

By Lood Bik

Ermelo Radio Flyers

http://rcnav.webhop.net/erf

Ahh, the age old subject of the infamous nose-in hover. I know of guys that spend a lot of time and money to get that right, but if you think about it, the principle is pretty easy. In this article I want to give you a couple of pointers to help you along.

For a heli pilot the nose hover is kind of important as it is the most difficult maneuver you will learn after the hover. It also is the last step in being able to control your heli on all four points (tail, left side, right side and nose in). In all fairness, it is not the easiest of moves to master at first, but hang in there.

Firstly, simulator, simulator, simulator. A simulator is a great place to start learning any funny maneuvers on a heli. Not to mention a whole lot cheaper. But we have to be honest and say that flying on a simulator and controlling your chopper out at the field are two different things altogether. I suggest the following to get your heli to nose hover.

Firstly you probably will not start by taking off, swinging the tail 180deg and try to nose hover the chopper. Well, you can, but I don’t advise that course of action. I suggest the following.

Make sure that you are able to hover your chopper on both sides properly. Then start to fly figure of eights and make the heli turn away from you at each turn (left and right). In the beginning have the chopper fly past you so that you fly the chopper while seeing the side. In time, make the circuit look more like an eight. Once again, in time make the chopper fly directly towards you before turning it out towards the outer side of the eight. Now comes the tricky part. Once you can fly a proper figure of eight with the heli flying directly towards you on the section where the flight path crosses, begin to fly the figure of eight slower and slower.

What must be remembered now is that the controls are now reversed. Yes. That is what makes hovering in the nose so difficult. Just remember this little tip. If the heli to the left, your instinct is going to be to move your stick to the right. Fatal. Your chopper is actually banking right, so left input needs to be given. Or easier to remember. If the heli banks left, push the stick under the side that is dipping. Almost like putting a pillar under the rotor to stop it from tilting.

If the heli’s tail starts dipping, move the stick in the same direction of the tail movement, so you will have to push forward. Like putting a pilar under the tail to stop it from dipping. And vice versa.

The tail is easy. Normally when you hover, you reference the nose to determine which direction to push the stick to counter the rotation. During nose in hover, use the tail as reference and the control input will stay the same.

One big thing that people normally forget during the first couple of nose hover attempts is the pitch. Guys, please don’t forget to control the pitch during that moment of intense concentration.

It takes a lot of practice to get it right, but it is not impossible. It just feels like it in the beginning.

Now, if things start to go pear shaped during the hover, don’t panic. Just flip the tail around 180deg and bring your heli in a stable normal hover, you might also want to open the throttle and climb to give you some time to think. It might be a good idea to land your chopper and take a breather before the next attempt. To steady the nerves so to speak. BUT, you must keep trying till you get it right.

Lastly, I would just like to add that it is advisable to try this at a fair height in the beginning(say 10 - 20feet) so that you have time to recover in case things go really pear shaped.

Happy Landings

Helicopters: How to get rid of those shakes

2011-08-12T16:41:00.001+02:00

How to get rid of those shakes.

By Lood Birk

Ermelo Radio Flyers

http://rcnav.webhop.net/erf

RC Helicopters are probably THE most amazing piece of engineering available to the man in the street. The mechanics and aerodynamics of the heli is truly amazing and at the same time mind boggling. In this also lies the problem. The heli has so many moving parts that interact with one another that finding something as simple as a vibration or a shake can be a monstrous task. Well, my aim today is to give a rough guide at how to go about getting rid of the shakes.

Well, let us start by talking about why vibrations are present in your heli. There are three main reasons why a heli can give you the shakes. The first is quite simply that something is out of balance. The second is that something is loose and the third is that something is bent. The trick is to find the offending part or problem.

So, with all those intimidating moving parts in your heli, how do you go about finding the offending part. Well, I normally tackle the problem from big to small. Let me explain a bit better. Firstly you determine where the vibration is coming from. Once you know if it is coming from the tail rotor or the main rotor you are halfway there. Then it just becomes a matter of following a good couple of rules and you can sort out your vibration problem chop-chop.

Right-o, so let us start at the beginning and take it down in steps. Firstly, find out where the vibrations are coming from, the main rotor or the tail rotor. To do this, start up your chopper and have a look at the oscillations you find on the chopper. If it’s a slow shake with the tail mostly moving in an up/down motion, the problem most probably lies at the main rotor blade. Beware though, a badly installed motor can also give you the same symptoms as a unbalanced rotor head. Also, a too low rotor speed can also cause a slow up and down movement of the tail, so just be aware of it. If you get a high frequency vibration and is mostly from side to side, the problem most likely lies with your tail rotor assembly. So now you know in which area you are looking at to find your fault. I am now going to break this article up into two sections. One will give a breakdown of possible problems in the rotor head and the other in the tail rotor.

Main rotor

Finding vibrations on the main rotor is generally not that difficult, but it can become quite a bit of work, so be prepared to be at it for some time.

Check the blade tracking. As I described in a previous article on blade tracking, a pitch difference can cause vibration.
Make sure your rotor blades are balanced.
Are the main rotor blades tightened equally?
Also check if your rotor head (complete unit) is out of balance. To do this, you have to use a balancer like the one on the WiFly site, Extreme accuracy Prop/Rotor balancer. In essence what you do is place the entire rotor head in the balancer and see if it balances.
See if anything is bent. If anything is bent, it will most probably be the feather shaft, the main shaft or fly bar. To check these two shafts properly, you will have to remove them and I normally roll them on a piece of flat glass or of you are fortunate enough to have a clock gauge, you can use that as well. Do not forget to check all the arms and levers to be straight.
While you have the feather shaft out, check the damper rubbers to be in a good condition. The damper rubbers are situated inside the main rotor head housing and the feather shaft goes through it.
Are the paddles from the fly bar level and at the same distance from the center of the main shaft? As a matter of interest, I have heard of professional flyers that balances their paddles, but normally the difference of the paddles are not of such a nature that it would influence a beginner or intermediate pilot. Though, might be worth the while just to check.
Check if anything is loose. Check that all the nuts and bolts are fastened properly. A loose arm flopping about can also cause vibration. At the same time look for extensive slop on the ball links.
Is the feathering shaft installed to tightly or to loosely? If the nuts on the ends are turned too tight, the rotor blade grips will not be able to move and vibration will occur. Too loose and the shaft will move from side to side causing vibration.
Is anything binding or tight in the head? A too loose head causes slop and a too tightly assembled head will prevent the parts from moving freely as they should and that can also cause vibration.
Does the main shaft move up and down?
Are the bearing and bearing blocks OK and fastened well? This is something that is generally overlooked.
Is the main and autorotation gear running true? It’s not wobbling or oval in shape. Yes, I have found that. Are all the teeth present on the main gear?
Is your auto bearing OK? Properly lubed and working properly? It must be run freely in one direction without sticking or grinding to the main shaft.
Has the motor been mounted too tightly to the main gear? If you do this, there is no room for any play between the main gear and the motor pinion and this can also be a source of vibration.

If by now, the vibration that originates from your rotor head is still there, I would suggest you disassemble the entire head and re-assemble it from scratch. When you do this, make sure you have the manual for the chopper at hand to check if all the bits and pieces are there and assembled in the correct order. Most of the decent choppers out there have got websites where you can download the manuals.

Tail rotor

The tail rotor moves about three times faster than the main rotor. For this reason diagnosing vibration problems on the tail rotor unit can be more difficult. I have had instances where there are no vibration on the tail rotor until a certain RPM and then it would shake. All I can say is keep to the list below and go over the setup again and again till you find the problem.

Are the tail rotor blades balanced?
Is anything bent? To check if your tail rotor shaft is bent, you have to remove it and roll it on a piece of glass.
Is the tail casing loose? This and a bent tail rotor shaft are probably the most common reasons for vibration in the tail rotor assembly.
Is the tail rotor shaft moving from side to side?
If your heli has a belt drive, is the belt tensioned correctly? When you turn the main rotor head, is it skipping teeth on the belt?
Check to make sure that the tail pitch slider and tail pitch arms are not loose or sticky.
Is your tail pitch control rod properly supported? A vibrating tail pitch control rod can be the cause of vibration and normally wrongly diagnosed as a faulty part in the tail rotor assembly.
Is your tail servo loose or worn?
And then lastly, is your Gyro gain set too high. This is rarely the case as mostly vibrations progressive in nature.

Now for those of you that are flying glow helis out there, there is an added section that I briefly want to touch on. Having an engine turning your heli brings added problems and is sometimes very difficult to find due to the high precision needed. A clock gauge here is, I would say, a must. So if you have done all of the above and you are still struggling, look at the following that could possibly be wrong.

Incorrectly installed clutch lining. This can cause shudders and vibrations that are mostly found during spool up. BUT, if your clutch is unbalanced due to incorrectly installed clutch lining, it will cause vibration even at high RPM.
Worn or faulty clutch. A worn clutch normally causes imbalance due to the fact the one arm normally expands more than the other when worn, which unbalances the clutch
Damaged clutch bell.
Loose lock nuts. If your locking nuts are not tightened properly it will cause play in the assembly and in turn cause a vibration.
Bent shafts. Not common but a very real possibility.
Imbalance inside the motor. This is really not very common as the motors are normally balanced at the factory and I have not had a case like this myself, but I have read on forums that it is possible.

As you can see from the list, vibrations are in general caused by something that is imbalanced or loose. I hope that this gives you a basic guideline to sorting out your helis Parkinson’s disease.

Happy landings.