500 Build "Checklist" - Noob Question

[Brad_sfo]

So, I'm building the TRex 450L Dominator as my first bird. It has taken me a bit (due to not being constantly driven to work on it, time constraints, human laziness genes, etc.).

I found this forum through watching one of Tony's videos on "3GX Setup (huge applause and thanks to Tony for taking the time to MAKE these!). I'm a bit overwhelmed reading the forum stuff (SOOOooo much info here, probably should have been here a year and a half ago!).

Now the question I'm posting: Is there a general checklist that goes over the whole thing? Like, so far I have:

• Built the bird - fairly easy, except I've disassembled and reassembled areas a few times after seeing other videos and finding I've missed things or would like things in another spot.
• Begun figuring out the servos and electronics - a bit more complex as apparently the 3GX stuff takes a bit of doing, and the instructions totally suck as written (language barrier things).
• Am ready to go through the 3GX setup (heavy use of Tony's videos here!). Hping to make it through that today
• What other checklist items? In other words, has someone already done this sort of checklist on the forum? After the 3GX, do I hook the motor back up, strap the training gear on and see how things spin?

Any answers and help are of course appreciated! I feel I'm getting SO CLOSE to being ready to learn the hard part...flying it!

Thanks!

Brad

 

[Tony]

Best thing I can say is follow my videos to the letter. ESPECIALLY with that pesky 3GX. If you are running version 3 or above, get ready for it to want to tip over on take-off. It's a known flaw of this gyro. If you are using 4 or 5, you may have tail issues. 5 is a combo platter of 3 and 4's issues. Could tip or could have tail issues in the air. You just never know. I suggest version 2.1 to start out with. It was the last stable version that I remember.

Make sure your correction directions are correct. If you tilt the helicopter to the right, the swash should tilt to the left. If you tilt the heli forward (nose down), the swash should go back. If you move the tail nose left, the TRAILING EDGE of the blades should face right.

Make sure your gear mesh is set properly (I have a video on this as well). Too tight and you will heat the motor/esc/battery up a lot more than normal. Too loose and you could strip out the gears.

Make sure there is NO BINDING anywhere. Binding in a TT helicopter means something is wrong.

Make sure all of your wires are out of the way of moving parts. More specifically, the ESC wire. It goes right by the motor. But also the cyclic wires as they have to pass by the main gear.

Make sure you take your time and set the head up properly. Spending a few hours on this can make the first flight much more enjoyable. Again, I have videos on head setup. DFC or FBL, they setup the same.

Make sure you have your main and tail blades on correctly. I know, but everyone I know has put them on backwards at least once.

And finally, consider getting a better gyro. Just trust me on this. You can get the 3GX to work, but if you are a new pilot you are going to have one hell of a time trying to fly it, figure out the issue, land and program. But, I do have videos on how to set it up so if you want to give it a go, put that training gear on and have a blast. We will be here to help if you need it.

 

[Brad_sfo]

Best thing I can say is follow my videos to the letter. ESPECIALLY with that pesky 3GX. If you are running version 3 or above, get ready for it to want to tip over on take-off. It's a known flaw of this gyro. If you are using 4 or 5, you may have tail issues. 5 is a combo platter of 3 and 4's issues. Could tip or could have tail issues in the air. You just never know. I suggest version 2.1 to start out with. It was the last stable version that I remember.

Make sure your correction directions are correct. If you tilt the helicopter to the right, the swash should tilt to the left. If you tilt the heli forward (nose down), the swash should go back. If you move the tail nose left, the TRAILING EDGE of the blades should face right.

Make sure your gear mesh is set properly (I have a video on this as well). Too tight and you will heat the motor/esc/battery up a lot more than normal. Too loose and you could strip out the gears.

Make sure there is NO BINDING anywhere. Binding in a TT helicopter means something is wrong.

Make sure all of your wires are out of the way of moving parts. More specifically, the ESC wire. It goes right by the motor. But also the cyclic wires as they have to pass by the main gear.

Make sure you take your time and set the head up properly. Spending a few hours on this can make the first flight much more enjoyable. Again, I have videos on head setup. DFC or FBL, they setup the same.

Make sure you have your main and tail blades on correctly. I know, but everyone I know has put them on backwards at least once.

And finally, consider getting a better gyro. Just trust me on this. You can get the 3GX to work, but if you are a new pilot you are going to have one hell of a time trying to fly it, figure out the issue, land and program. But, I do have videos on how to set it up so if you want to give it a go, put that training gear on and have a blast. We will be here to help if you need it.

Thanks for the heads up, Tony! One thing I might say is it is always a good idea to assume initially the reader doesn't know the acronyms (though I'm also betting there is a post somewhere that probably covers these, too, as thorough as I have seen you be!).

In the section above I'm not sure what "TT" is. I figure ESC is "Engine Speed Control", FBL I know but DFC is new. When watching your 3GX video series I wasn't sure what "DIR" is referencing.

I've threatened to take my tech writing skills to the stupid 450L manual for free, but I'm not sure I have the patience. Ugh. It is only through videos such as yours (and a few others I have come across) that I am as far as I am today!

Thanks for the reply again! Peace...

Brad

 

[Tony]

ESC - Electronic Speed Control
DFC - Direct Flight Control (or as some say, Direct From Compass since Align stole the idea from them)
TT - Torque Tube
FBL - Flybarless
FB - Flybar
DIR - Is the DIRect setup mode for the 3GX gyro. It bypasses the gyros and allows you to set the gyro up.

I do have a video on building an Align Pro V2. There are very few differences between the pro v2 and the dom. In fact, I have swapped a dom frame into my pro. Just waiting on money to order parts after a tail servo failure.

As for a place that covers a lot of these, yup, it's here (it's like the app store, there's a 'page' for that lmao). I have no edited it in quite some time and need to add a lot of things to it. Just need the time.

Rc-Help - R/C Dictionary