General Fb vs Fbl

[GreekRotorHead]

Hi guys, I know that most of the helicopters nowadays run with a fbl head. You have less parts of the rotor to deal with, plus that the flybar you may say that some folks just don't like it. What is the difference between these two options we have relatively to the behavior of the heli? If you add a pair of weights on the flybar you can avoid the affect of a gust during a flight. Which is awesome. All of us sometimes attempt to fly on a low speed wind. But you cannot predict gusts. Can we say that the only difference is that we have a mechanical gyroscope on a fb head and an ''electronic'' gyroscope on a fbl head?
I m wondering if the mechanical set up of the rotorhead is more reliable than the set up of a fbl one. The more electronics you dealing with may be more likely to fail sometime. Now you may say, you have already installed a headlock gyro which uses the same functions with a 3-axis gyro. So what's the difference? Could you guys explain what are the advantages of a fbl head on the helicopter attitude?

 

[D.O.G.]

Hey there GreekRotor Head. This topics will get different some responce. My self, I prefer FBL unit because of less parts to adjust and break plus it's Easy to set up for individuals like me, simple. I'm also a fan DFC heads. Gyros, well I'm a big fan of the AR7200/7300BX because it's easy to set up and don't need a computer of some sort to do adjustment. I'm not very good on the computer either. Tony and the members will give you more details then just my opinion. Good Day

 

[GreekRotorHead]

Thanks D.O.G, good day to you too.

 

[callsign4223]

FBL gives you fewer things to break in a crash. Less rotating mass to twist and hit things. Also, in my admittedly limited experience FBL have been more reactive and stable. I can fly my heli in a 10-15 mph wind with a FBL head. This is important to me because I live in Oklahoma. A calm day here is wind 5-10.

 

[Admiral]

I converted almost all my models to FBL a couple of years back and only have 2 non-Trex compatible models with FB. I find FBL more responsive, easier to setup and less parts to damage in a crash, however DFC/FBL while great can also take out you servos in a crash more often. Even the cheap flight controllers on the market today are very reliable however the later high end ones have the edge with more features.

 

[Geena]

Just like everyone else, I prefer FBL over FB too. fewer parts, MUCH easier, and faster to set up a FBL head. Not to mention, that a FBL head will be way cheaper to repair than a FB head will be. As far as feel goes, I think FB is a little more stable than FBL and feels a bit more locked in. Most likely why most of the F3C guys around here still use FB helicopters. I`m not sure if one is more reliable than the other, and it really comes down to personal preference.

 

[GreekRotorHead]

Probably my second one will be fbl!

 

[Geena]

You should try FBL. It will be a good experience to be able to compare them both, and make a choice as to which one you like more.

 

[murankar]

I like both myself but prefer FBL. F.B. has a diffeferent feel over FBL. BUT some FBL units allow you to adjust it to feel like a FB heli.

 

[Smoggie]

I'll add my voice to the chorus... I'd say FBL all the way, it's simply better in every respect. About the only advantage of FB in my view is if you are totally averse to setting up of electronic gizmos. Even the setup is a lot easier on most FBL these days. Most have a setup 'wizard' that guides you through the process in simple steps, so you just need to be able to follow instructions methodically.

 

[Tony]

I tried hanging on to my very last flybar helicopter and I flew that one more than any other. Yes, there are more steps to setup the head, but with mostly solid links, I can setup one of those heads faster than programming a FBL gyro. But, that helicopter had its last flight when I dumb thumbed it so now, I'm left with only flybarless helicopters. And at this time, I have no plans on getting one with a flybar.

 

[Geena]

I honestly wouldn`t mind having another FB helicopter. Parts availability is the main reason I have not built one yet.

 

[Tony]

That is very true Geena. Although for the Se V2 you can mostly find everything you would need in a crash. Mostly lmao.

 

[Geena]

I would build a 700 though. Like the old FB Align T-Rex 700N. What a work horse that machine was.

 

[Tony]

Of course you would Geena, of course you would lmao.

 

[murankar]

.50 raptor would be such an awesome bird

 

[HanzCedric]

Interesting discussion.

I had this thought that FBL is something to step up to.

Maybe later on i will convert my FBL Tarot to an FBL system