Flasher 500.Something different...

[McKrackin]

Ditto ditto ditto.........

I'm about to scrap the whole thing and get another Trex 500 ESP.
Everything about it is too stiff and too tight.

The lower bearing carrier on the main shaft got so hot it melted the gear a little.I ordered new Align bearing blocks and bearings.
I also ordered an Align main shaft as I doubt the integrity of the Flashers.
The torque tube is pre-bent and badly out of balance.
The tail mounting block won't tighten down enough to hold the boom in.You have to count on the tail struts to hold it in place so use some damn good glue on the ends.

I'm not ordering anything else for it.Well maybe.It may be cheaper to get a new TT tail complete and new rotor head and main gear assembly.
I'll check and see which is cheaper.

I may even use the servos and motor and other electronics for that JR Vibe 500e I've been eyeballing ;D

By the way,I installed the Scorpion motor in the EXI 450 today and it suffered similar melt downs.Belt is shredding and the rotor head is so stiff now that you have to use your finger to help the motor get it turning.The Align 35amp ESC is so hot it is just short of bursting into flames.I even used the 60amp to run it and it overheated as well.



You pay junk prices,you get junk.
Live and learn

[McKrackin]

OK.I finally got enough parts piled up to move ahead with the Flasher and I gotta say,I LIKE IT ;D

It had a few real issues but with the help of some Align parts,it's shaping up nicely.

As you can see,I'm not a bit embarassed to call this a Trex 500.





I started with the tail.
A DS520 servo and some Align GF fins getser done...





I put the tail gear together and paid some attention to detail and it works great.
Notice it has an aluminum CNC washout where the Align model is plastic...



Moving on to the rotor head,I replaced the bearings and carriers with Align and it is smooth.There is a noticable difference in quality on visual alone...





On to the main gear.I replaced the oneway bearing and hub with Align.
The bearing is a mildly tight press in.Just slip the oneway through the hub and then through the main gear.Then after sliding the brass bushing on the oneway,press the whole thing into the auto rotation gear.If you align the hole in the oneway with the hole in the gear while inserting it,you'll save a lot of headache.





The main shaft should be upgraded as well.
Of course I used Align.



The Align shafts come in a two pack.



Now I started slapping all this junk together.



The Align tail blades are a nice touch.I love the looks of the painted CF...



I had these Align CF paddles lieing around so,hey...




I threw on a nice set of 425mm CF Align blades and a new canopy and there you have it,an Align/Flasher hybrid Trex...





Don't you just love finding the little things that you didn't know you had.Like a Trex 500 foam blade holder.



I still need to finish the set up and balancing but it is damn close right now.
The swash is dead level but I have like negative 20 degrees and positive 8 degrees.lol....need a little tweaking.

So,any feed back so far?
Have I missed anything?

[nunyabizniss34]

Dammit Ernie, every time I think my Blackhawk is hot you go and out something like this together and make me wanna puke ;D Kidding man, she looks amazing.

Colin

[McKrackin]

Aug 14, 2009 17:53:00 GMT -6 nunyabizniss34 said:

Dammit Ernie, every time I think my Blackhawk is hot you go and out something like this together and make me wanna puke ;D Kidding man, she looks amazing.

Colin

lmao....Thanks dude ;D

[elkmaster01]

I noticed that little grey thingy inside the frame,,,,did you ever get that looked into?

Looks great Ernie. I'm still trying to dial in my 500,,I still don't like the roll/flip rate. But it is a blast to fly. I took it out into the wind today,,,,,15 mph with 25 gusts,,,,,it holds the wind very well. It never gets tippy,,,,just ballons a little with the gusts.

Get 'er in the air!!!!

Randy

[McKrackin]

Hey Randy,don't you worry a second that I'm getting it in the air.lol....

Yup,the HC is in there.
It's easier than reprogramming everything.

I have it completely disabled now but the mix still runs through it.

It's wierd.On the 600 it flopped it left.
On the 500 it flops it right.Hmmmm......

I just put it in for the off the wall chance I need to take some pix from 500 ft.
Unlikely since I can't see this heli like I could the 600 but hey,I got nowhere else to put it and I have $600 in it.
It's going airborne one way or another.lol.......I don't give a ratz azz if I crash it or not.
I bought it to fly and it is going to fly even if it is in a coma ;D

[elkmaster01]

Ernies montra;

" I don't care if the horse is blind ,,,LOAD THE FREAK'N WAGON!!!"


;D LOL ;D

[akent]

Nice posts Mckrackin!!
And nice transformation of the Flasher!

Your Exi 450 problems sound odd.
All of my Exi's have always been nice and free. The links have been tight on all of them, though, and needed considerable resizing.

I have read good things about the Vibe 500!

[McKrackin]

Welp,should have replaced the main gear as well.
The heli flys nice and crisp but it chewed up the main gear and spit it out so I got to do an unexpected auto on my second pack.
It's getting easy.lol....

Gotta order a gear set but I'm beyond broke

[akent]

Aug 15, 2009 15:28:43 GMT -6 McKrackin said:

Welp,should have replaced the main gear as well.
The heli flys nice and crisp but it chewed up the main gear and spit it out so I got to do an unexpected auto on my second pack.
It's getting easy.lol....
Gotta order a gear set but I'm beyond broke

BUMMER! I assume this was on the Flasher 500?

Gears. Dam things are all over the map for strength and consistency.

I actually spun a main gear with the Exi 450 after I installed the Scorpion motor.
I was doing lots of punches and then for some dumb reason I did a full throttle from a zero rpm thing. I turned off the soft start and just did a full throttle punch from nothing.
OOOOeeeeeeee PHHRRRTTTHHH!!! Stripped that dam main gear in a heartbeat. Stripped every tooth off the dam thing.

I have read stories where folks have stripped main gears on pretty much every helicopter EXCEPT for Align. Yeah a few stories exist there too, but I am not 100% sure those weren't just operator headspace.

Anyway, I have never had a problem with Align gears.

I also just ordered a couple of Microheli CNC delrin gears for the E-fart. So, I should be Ok, if the E-fart gears suck.

Best,
Kent

[McKrackin]

[akent]

Aren't those Align gears?
CopterX and the others tend to be black.

Dayum. How did you do that?

[McKrackin]

Aug 16, 2009 19:39:20 GMT -6 akent said:

Aren't those Align gears?
CopterX and the others tend to be black.

Dayum. How did you do that?

Nope.Stock Flasher gears with Align bearings.

Doing some flips in NORM mode.No idle up.
Just wanted to know if it could do it.
It can't.lol....Cutting the throttle to get negative pitch and then blasting it wide open again just shredded the gear.

Got plenty of headspeed and power to do the job just junk gears.
The Align gear is already ordered.
Wonder how long til I blow out the TT gears?

[akent]

That's amazing that it stripped like that.

Hey, I actually ordered an Align TT tail kit.
I 'almost' ordered one for the Flasher, and now I'm sure glad I waited a bit.
So I'll soon know how it works compared to the belt. I look forward to that.

I hope your new gears show up soon!
How is it flying otherwise?
Kent

[McKrackin]

It was flying perfectly.Sharp,crisp fast movements.
I'm even adding some expo next time up.lol...

There's a small vibration that is probably the TT not being perfect.