Starting the engine
1. Manually check the gearbox output shaft is free from restriction, ie turn the heli fan a small
distance or rotate the prop to make sure both are free. After a shutdown and cooling the output
shaft can stick slightly from the main with main housing cooling, this small turning normally
unclicks it and runs free.
2. Set the throttle stick down and the trim up (“Idle”). Confirm that the screen shows "Ready" ie
Ready to start!
3. In the case that the exhaust temperature is over 100º, the ECU will power the starter to cool
down the engine. Wait until the cooling sequence finishes.
4. Move the stick to full throttle and immediately back to idle again within 2 seconds. The ECU will
begin the startup sequence as described below:
5. First the internal glow plug will be energized. Soon after, the starter will be powered up to have
the engine turning at slow speed (around 5000 RPM).
6. Once the engine is at correct speed, the fuel pump and solenoid valves will be energized. A few
seconds later (depending if the fuel is already at the engine or not) the fuel will ignite and the
exhaust temperature will begin to increase. The rpm and pump power will increase automatically.
During this phase the display will display “IGNITION”.
7. When the ignition is detected, the display will change to “Preheat”, during this phase fuel is also
routed to main injectors and speed of the rotor will be progressively increased to about
8,000RPM. You may hear some clicking coming from the engine, this is the valves pulsing.
8. Once this phase is finished, the RPM rises to 10,000RPM and the reading will be “FUEL RAMP”.
In this phase the ignition system is switched off. The fuel flow and starter power will be increased
automatically to increase the RPM quickly up to idle at 60,000RPM. At arriving to idle the ECU
will automatically disconnect power to the starter. When the rotor speed reaches idle, the screen
will change to “Run IDLE” and the engine speed is adjusted to the idle RPM.
The engine is running!
Helicopter engine running
You may now see the fan spinning around or just a whirring sound if it is enclosed. It should be slow
enough not to engage the clutch so little or no power will be going to the main rotors. But sometimes
there is a small drag and the rotors gradually begin to turn slowly.
Hot gas will be coming out of the exhausts so be careful.
If you have telemetry fitted you should see an rpm reading for the gearbox output shaft divided by the
rotor reduction, even if the rotor is not turning yet. This is because the reading takes account of the heli
reduction ratio so you see only the equivalent rotor rpm, which is the most useful value, even before the
clutch has engaged.
The gearbox blue light should be flashing to indicate it is reading rpm from the output shaft. If there is no
signal you will not be able to increase the throttle beyond idle and you will get a flashing warning display.
With the rpm pickup is working correctly it will be possible to gently increase the throttle and the clutch
will start to engage. Be ready for any tail-swing that may develop.
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