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Flying the Blade mSR
Note: Attempting to fly the helicopter without completely reading the manual may
cause injury to yourself and people in the vicinity, as well as damage to the
helicopter.
Having followed the proper 5-in-1 control unit initialization and arming procedures,
confirmed proper control of the servos and motors, and found a suitable flying area,
your Blade mSR is ready for flight.
Note: In addition to reviewing the flight maneuvers outlined below, we recommend
that you watch the Instructional Video located on the product page for the
Blade mSR on www.horizonhobby.com to see many of these maneuvers
and adjustments performed by the helicopter and pilot.
The Blade mSR is a stable helicopter ideal for pilots who have been successful with
the mCX or other coaxial helicopters. Although the Blade mSR is stable, it can easily
be flown too fast and may cause you to fall behind the proper control inputs.
Team Tips: We highly recommend you begin by using very slight control inputs
to get familiarized with the feel and performance of the mSR. Using
maximum control inputs will make it very hard to get familiarized
with the mSR.
Keep the tail towards yourself when flying the mSR for the first time so that your
forward/backward and left/right controls can easily be recognized and orientation
of the helicopter will not be lost. The Blade mSR has helped many new hobbyists
transition from coaxial helicopters to fast moving high performance single-rotor
helicopters. Patience will help ensure your success in the R/C helicopter hobby.
Please visit us on the web at www.horizonhobby.com for instructional videos and
other information regarding your Blade mSR.
• If you are transitioning from a coaxial helicopter, or you are a beginner helicopter
pilot, you may consider installing the specially designed training gear, available
separately for your Blade mSR. Follow page 27 of this instruction manual for
installation instructions.
• Slowly raise the throttle stick, increasing the speed of the main rotor blades until
the model begins to lift off. Do not raise the throttle stick too quickly as the model
could climb too fast causing you to lose control or make contact with objects
above.
• Lift the model off the ground just a few inches and concentrate on balancing the
throttle (left-hand) stick position so that the model holds a steady hover altitude. In
some cases it may be best to make a few short “hops” to an altitude of just a few
inches until you become familiar with the control inputs and trim settings required
to maintain a steady hover and altitude.
As you will find, the Blade mSR requires minor throttle adjustments to maintain
its altitude in hover. Remember to keep these throttle adjustments as minimal as
possible as large adjustments could result in a loss of control and/or a possible
crash.
• While attempting to establish a low-level hover, you can also check to see if
any trim adjustments are required to help keep the Blade mSR from constantly
drifting in various directions. If you find the helicopter constantly drifts without
any directional control input, it will be best to land the model before making any
adjustments to the trim settings. Additional details regarding the location and
function of the trim buttons can be found in the “Understanding the Primary Flight
Controls” section of this manual.
If the nose of the helicopter is drifting to the left or right, you will need to adjust the
rudder trim.
If the helicopter is drifting forward or backward, you will need to adjust the elevator
trim.
If the helicopter is drifting to the left or right, you will need to adjust the aileron
trim.
Continue to make trim adjustments until the helicopter can hover at a low altitude
with very little drifting and directional control input. If the Blade mSR is your first
helicopter model, it may be best to have the help of an experienced helicopter pilot
to trim the model for you before making your first flight.
• Once you have the Blade mSR properly trimmed and maintaining a stable low-level
hover, practice using the rudder, elevator and aileron controls to get a feel for how
the helicopter responds to control inputs. Remember to keep the control inputs as
minimal as possible to prevent over-controlling the helicopter, especially when in
hover.
After becoming comfortable with hovering the Blade mSR at low-levels of altitude just
a few inches off the ground, you can transition to hovering and flying the helicopter
at higher altitudes of approximately three to four feet. At these higher altitudes you
will be able to get a feel for the flight characteristics of the Blade mSR when it is
flying out of “ground effect.”
• If at any time during flight you feel like the helicopter is drifting out of control,
simply release all of the controls except for throttle. You will need to use the
throttle to maintain altitude, but due to the inherent stability of the specially
designed rotor head, the Blade mSR will simply return to a stable hover on its own
if space allows.
• Don’t be afraid to set the helicopter down on the ground quickly by lowering the
throttle when approaching walls or other obstacles to help prevent main rotor
blade strikes.
• IN THE UNFORTUNATE EVENT OF A CRASH OR ROTOR BLADE STRIKE,
NO MATTER HOW MINOR OR MAJOR, YOU MUST LOWER THE THROTTLE
STICK TO THE LOWEST POSSIBLE POSITION AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO
