65
Chapter
– 14
First flight
Before flying, you should put the helicopter on the table again and look at it calmly from all sides. In the head once again
everything go through.
- All screws have been tightened, even those which have been solved in the later construction phase.
- If all cables are securely routed, neatly inserted and secured if necessary.
- Operate all control inputs correctly and also control the sensors in the correct direction.
- If the rear blades are mounted correctly (please keep in mind that they are rotating differently with the TDF than with
most other helicopters).
- If the rotor head damping is correctly set (maximum 5 holes for the first flights) and secured.
- Are all linkages attached.
Take DRY FLUID GEAR and lubricate the main gear, if this has not already been done. It is best to apply the small
toothbrush with the small enclosed brush. The pinion is then automatically greased by the pinion. Also grease the rack, if
not already done.
Mount the cannopy and check whether the linkage of the swashplate touch it anywhere.
Look for a calm and dry day for the first flight. It makes no sense to fly a new model with hurry under adverse weather
conditions just to get a little earlier in the air and then lose days after repairing the model.
There are also risks with a first flight. Always be on the safe side and ensure that there is sufficient safety clearance
between you and the model.
Also, many curious people who are too close to the action are not exactly conducive for the own nerves.
Make a final Servotest on the pitch, if everything goes right.
Take time to mount the canopy and secure it with the pins.
In any case, turn the rotor head crosswise to the helicopter prior to mounting the canopy so that the linkages are not in
the way.
Attention!
In any case, place the helicopter on a non-slippery surface such as grass. Even rough, dry concrete is a
necessity, but grass is the best for the first flights. Dangerous are places with hard slippery subsoils or even ice.
This can lead to extreme ground resonances when the rotor is running up due to the slipping of the skids so that the
helicopter will tip over.
Also make sure that the lower speed (idle up 1) is not set too low (controller should not be less than 50%), so that the
blades can be aligned by the centrifugal forces.
Do not overtighten the blade screws, because just before the flight, when the blades are not aligned, the blades can
shake very strong if they can not orient themselves as early as possible by the centrifugal forces.
I always thighten the screws so that the blades are just clamped so tightly that they do not fold by their own weight while
holding the helicopter in knif edge position. If you shake the helicopter a bit, they should do so.
Start the engine and run it up to Idle Up 1.
Get familiarize with the helicopter. If Idle Up 1 is a bit restless and does not yet run smoothly, briefly switch to the next
higher speed and then down again, so that the blades align correctly.
Now you probably have to adjust your tail sensitivities to the individual flight conditions and speeds.
Keep in mind that the hovering sensitivity can be set higher than in the fast forward flight.
You may be able to make a final adjustment a little later if you are familiar with the helicopter that you can fly it more
spaciously and quickly.
Do not be astonished if the tail is swinging slightly during the first 10 flights while hovering and is not quite calm yet. This
is because the new belt is still very stiff and does not really run smoothly. This will change soon and will improve from
flight to flight.
Note: Avoid turning the rotor backwards by several turns at the table. Due to the fact that the tail rotor rotates with the belt
and the belt does not then run from the bottom over the guide pulley onto the large pulley at the rear, but from the top
freely through the long tailpipe, there is the danger that it runs down from the belt pulley.
In flight operation, the belt does not run on the center of the pulley but is flush with the left belt pulley side.
The belt pulleys are deliberately wider, so that you can change to an optional 8mm wide belt. The 6mm strap is usually
strong enough.
If the belt produces loud whistling or chirping noises during the running process during operation, the teeth can also be
applied with Dry Fluid Gear. After that it usually runs softly and smoothly.
If the belt touch the inside of the boom very often under load, the belt tension can be increased somewhat by slightly
pushing the rubber suspension in the oblong hole backwards, or even slightly more tensioning the boom tube itself.
Note: Due to the fact that the freewheel is mounted directly on the motor shaft, the friction resistance is more noticeable
than in a system where it engages the rotor shaft. Just in the new state, you will register a relatively fast loss of speed in
autorotations. Therefore, avoid autorotations during the first 10 flights.
Finally, still have many nice and relaxed flights with the TDF to enjoy. The maintenance or repair of the machine proves to
be quite easy, since everything is very clear and easy to reach.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me by e-mail.
Also, check out if there is a more up-to-date version of the manual for download, as the latest findings are added.