My Blade CX3

I have to start out by saying I LOVE this helicopter.  It really is a nice scale model of the MD 520N.  When it flies you think it is the real thing.

Though I did control line aviation as a kid, I'm new to RC and to heli's.  So I didn't know anything about setup or anything else.  When I first got the heli, it was all over the place.  Our local hobby shop was VERY helpful not just getting the heli "dialed in", but in training me on what had to be done.  I thought I would share with you the things I've done and read.

First - I learned that though the instructions explain how to adjust the 3-n-1 control unit, the factory settings are actually very good.  The main initial control issues and unusual flight characteristics I experienced out of the box stemmed  from the swash plate and it's position.  By adjusting the Servos and their linkage bars to "level out" the swash plate, flight was dramatically improved.  I put "level" in quotes because on my Blade CX3, true level gives very poor flight characteristics.  But if it is drifting one way or the other, hold the heli facing you and move the elevator/aileron stick on your controller to understand which direction the servos need to move to counteract the drift you're experiencing.  Turn everything off and either adjust the linkage bars, or simply move them up or down.  I've discovered that everytime you powerup, the heli resets and thinks the new starting point is actually "centered".  Therefore, you can avoid having to disconnect the linkage bars too much and avoid over twisting them by pushing the servos to a new resting spot.  JUST NEVER DO THIS WHILE THEY'RE POWERED UP.  If you do that you'll risk ruining your servos.

Now let's move on to the next lesson I learned the hard way.  I was so excited to fly and I was so bad at controlling the heli that I really needed lots of space.  I tried my parents supersized garage - but the ceiling was constantly a challenge.  So I went outside.  It was probably more windy than I should have allowed.  But I was flying anyway.  I switched my DX5e to the High position to get more play in the servos and away I went.  The heli really struggled to fly against the wind, but WOW was the space freeing.  I started to get cocky and next thing you know I'm flying into the wind, the wind shifts and I'm crashing into the ground.  At first glance, I had just cracked blades.  However, I ran out of daylight and decided to come at it another day.  The next time I flew the heli, it was spinning out of control.  I adjusted the 3-n-1 and used all of my available trim and was still spinning out of control.  I visited my FAVORITE site for heli setup - http://www.rchelicopterfun.com/index.html . It is the only site with specific and detailed setup information for the Blade CX3 that I've seen.  Anyways, in the setup documentation on that page, it describes that when you have this issue with spinning out of control, it is often a loose connection between the upper blades and their shaft.  Sure enough, when I held the gear for the upper blades still, the upper blades were still able to move around.  It turns out my nice little crash had loosened the upper collar.  Once I tightened it up and got the 3-n-1 back to factory settings, I was up and flying again.

OK - next I started to get "good" at flying (compared to where I started).  And again over confident, I started doing lots of nose in flying in the house.  On several occasions I got disoriented and panicked and hit furniture and walls and lost lots of blades.  However, as I started to understand the heli more and how it worked, I was getting better at adjusting it and setting it up to fly right.  I finally got it dialed in and watched some tutorials online (linked on our website - www.RCAviationSouRCE.com) which gave good perspective on training and the need to ease into nose in flight.   Of course I still had a pretty rough crash inside and now I noticed that my swash plate was "loose". 

Today I learned my latest bit of advice for anyone who cares to learn from my experiences.  I decided to get a new swash plate because my flight characteristics seemed inconsistent.  I wanted to get the aluminum upgrade but it wasn't available (out of stock).  So I just got the cheap plastic replacement and came home to work on my heli.  I took off the upper/lower blade assemblies and removed the upper shaft.  Removed the body and now I was just trying to get the lower blade collar off  (I had upgraded mine to aluminum) and it was on super tight.  Like so tight I was using a screw driver and a rubber mallet and could not get it to budge.  I went to the hobby shop and they explained that it was bound, but heating it with a heating gun would get it off.  Sure enough they heated it up and it came right off.  Now the swash plate was exposed and I could do the repair.  I got everything back together, went through all of the same swash plate "leveling" exercises described above.  And now my Blade CX3 is flying PERFECT!.  Hovering with almost no input.

Hope that helps!!  If so - let me know - make comments - send emails -  whatever.

Sincerely,

Michael Coletta