500 Agile 5.5 another disaster

[treff]

Another disaster with the Agile 5.5. Another exploding bevel drive. This time damage to the tail and tail servo.
What I did notice before I lifted off and I was rather stupid in continuing was that the tail was not working as it should.
I could not get it to work in rate mode so I clue there I think. I will repair what damage there is and sell this heli on.
I think now is the time to change hobbies. The cost is over my head I'm afraid. Before I do any more damage it time to let this go.
Cheers

 

[Blackwarrior]

Ohhh hey Treff, that's sad to hear mate. I thought you had more than one heli?

Is it going to be expensive to repair like... What's the damage?

 

[treff]

Hi Tony. It's not the damage which is enough. It is the fact that I do not know what is going on with this
heli. Last flight out smooth as silk. Next flight, exploding drive gear. I have most of the parts but I can not
keep flying this hell in which I have no confidence at all. Also I have run out of money. I do have another hell
to fly same as yours lol a hk 450 with lots of modes and spares from Align. I'm just bitterly disappointed
because no one seems to come up with a concrete idea. Maybe I am setting it up wrong, I don't really know
because the instructions are useless in that regard. I have followed the advice on Youtube from the manufacturer
and still having a problem. The hell flies great, no doubt about it but I can not afford feeding money into this beast. Cheers

 

[Blackwarrior]

I do recall a vid you done with the tail bobbing up and down. Weird why nobody has the answer to this issue. Most problems can be solved by somebody out there...

I know the feeling about spending all the time on heli probs. my blade 450 3d was a money bucket, only because I kept crashing the dam thing. Then after the FBL conversion I didn't crash it, until it decided to dive into the pond... Which is where it's staying...

The heli you gave me is getting loads spent on it so far, but it's going to be awesome... Lol...

There has to be a time when you just draw the line and say no more money, I understand you fully there. So sell it and keep your 450 going, there cheap enough to repair..

Happy flying mate, let's get some more vids posted...lol

 

[stokke]

Sorry to hear about you crash When you say explode, do you mean it literally explodes of the shaft? Or do you mean it is being stripped?

 

[treff]

Hi stoke, thanks for the
Reply. The bevel drive for the
Tail disintegrates with a loud bang.
The vibs were so bad the tailblades
Shredded, completely destroyed and they never Touched the ground. I am at a loss of what to do.
The helicopters will be up for sale when I have replaced
All the parts. Enough is enough. Cheers

 

[stokke]

Are you sure there is no binding or poor mesh back there?

 

[treff]

Hi stokke, thanks again for the reply. No, there is no binding. tail silky smooth. I flew yesterday and it was really
good, no problems. I have tried setting the mesh on the loose side, on the tight side and every where in between.
This is now the third time this as happened so I think some thing is out of line or not right. I am now changing the main shaft
and the torque tube drive because there is a lot of free play and the bearing in the tube rattles. I will change all these things
get it flying and then sell it on. Cheers

 

[treff]

If anyone out there in the vast ether of the internet can help with the meshing of the bevel gear on the Agile 5.5
helicopter I would be most grateful for any ideas, thoughts or what ever. I would like to get to the bottom of this
problem before I sell. I do not want to pass on this thing to someone else without at least finding out what is
going on. Is it the design? poor components. Am I doing something wrong? I need at least some one to come
back with a little advice. Desperation is beginning to creep into my bones. So once again, a plea. ANYONE OUT THERE!!!!!
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[stokke]

Seeing as the gear explodes while in flight, I would guess the gear has some sort of manufacturing fault - which is plausible, but not likely.

After sitting on this forum for over two years, I have seen pilots point their finger angrily at the manufacturer - only to see a few days or weeks later that the pilot him/herself was to blame. Usually, it's some sort of building error or setup error. Don't get me wrong, manufacturers do make mistakes once in a while - and that may be the case this time. But I'm still not completely convinced

Do you mind building you 5.5 back up again, then take some good photos of your tail?

 

[treff]

Hi, Stokke, thanks for the reply. Yes I agree. I am not pointing the finger at anyone or anything. This could be me, a component. I just do not know.
I have rebuilt the helicopter today I changed the main shaft, feathering shaft. I changed the torque tube which I built last night giving time for the glue
to go off. I followed the instructions to the letter in the building and there is a fault with this design. When I use the washer in between the bevel gear and
the main gear when the main shaft is pushed through and the bolt applied the bevel gear will not turn independent of the main gear they are solid so you can not auto the hell.
This is wrong. Wether this would cause the bevel gear to shatter, i do not know. The tail I disassembled then put back together. It is smooth like silk.
Again I noticed that the bearing in the torque tube make a noise when I spool up so something in this helicopter is amiss, something is not right but to what I do not
know. Thanks again for the reply.
Tomorrow I will try to find time for photos.
Cheers

 

[stokke]

I thought it was the rear plastic gear which was exploding, but you are talking about the front auto gear right?

 

[treff]

Hi stokke. Yes the front bevel gear the one on top of the main gear is the one that breaks. Another idea is that the metal gear that engages the plastic bevel gear
maybe wrong somehow and causing the gear to disintegrate. I will order one. It's worth a try because I have now changed everything in
the drive chain. Thanks again for the reply.

 

[stokke]

When you hold the main gear tight with your hand, are you able to turn the rotor clockwise without issue?

When you turn the rotor counterclockwise, does the motor spin?

 

[Lee]

I wish I could just pop over to Wales and have a look for ya.

 

[stokke]

I wish I could just pop over to Wales and have a look for ya.

Same here.

 

[treff]

Hi stokke, yes I can but if I tighten the bolt that goes though the main shaft, the one with the nylon nut then no the bevel gear will not spin on its own so
it will not auto rotate. If I remove the thin washer that goes between the front bevel gear and the main gear then everything works correctly and I can
tighten up the large bolt holding the drives to the main shaft. Somewhere something does not line up correctly. The way it is now with that bolt tight
I can turn the head in either direction and the motor turns so all is not well. Tomorrow if I get the time I will do a video. Cheers

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks Lee, I will pop over to Spain and bring the helicopter, the weather here is terrible at the moment lol

 

[pvolcko]

IS that washer actually .5mm thick per the manual? There is another one that goes below the gear assembly, between the lower face of the OWB shaft and the lower bearing block bearing, another .5mm thick one (smaller diameters). Is it .5mm? Maybe try a thinner shim washer for that lower one?

Also, when next you spin this thing up, make sure you have a low tail gain setting. Perhaps it was set too aggressively, resulting in a lot of strain on that bevel gear. Coupled with the possibility it wasn't allowing for any one way free wheeling, it may have resulted in overstress and breaking the gear?

When you are mounting the gears to the hubs you aren't cranking them down, are you? Tight, but you don't want super tight on those small screws or else you may deform or even crack things, leaving the door open to premature failure.

Last idea, when you have the gear assembly together, with the washer in between the two hear hubs, but not yet mounted in the heli, does the bevel gear spin fine when the main is held? Does it only "lock up" or bind when installed in the heli?

It does sound like there is something not quite right. Something too tight or shimmed up too much against the tail drive conical gear. Pictures and maybe some video showing the mesh play would be helpful. Maybe?

 

[Slobberdog]

Treff check this out Mucca, seen some of your posts and found this

5.5 one way problem - HeliFreak

 

[stokke]

...Something too tight or shimmed up too much against the tail drive conical gear. Pictures and maybe some video showing the mesh play would be helpful. Maybe?

I agree with Paul on this.

Treff - if it is as you say, that the rotor cannot freewheel on it's own - then you have your problem right there. The freewheeling is not just for auto rotations - the OWB acts like a clutch, letting the momentum built up by the rotor generate lift and releave stress on the motor, drivetrain, motor belt, tail gears and torque tube.

Firstly, check that the main gear and one-way gear, works smoothly outside the heli.