Toddp
Heliman
Location: Spokane, WA
My Posts This: Topic Forum | I have been fighting a pitch problem on my Hawk IV for over 2 weeks. The collective would move up and down freely with no friction while on the bench, but when the blades get up to speed, the swashplate would "lock" in place and become immovable. I have pulled my hair out trying to figure this out. I have pulled the main shaft many times cleaning and polishing the shaft. Making sure there were no burrs or indentations keeping the swashplate from moving freely. I was pretty well convinced that my servo did not have enough power to raise the blades while under load and have gone so far as to order another servo with 70 oz. of torque.
I have been flying some, but its been pretty much like a fixed pitch machine, only will go up so far until the blades reach rpm. Anyway, today while driving my car, the lightbulb went on. There are two washers on the ends of the feathering shaft that hold the blade grips on. One washer is small, the other large. I had these two washers reversed with the large washer to the inside, and as a result, binding against the blade grips when the blades began pulling out.
The first chance I had this evening, I tore it apart and fixed it. Then took it outside and haven't quit smiling since. I'm pretty sure its never been right, because its never had the vertical acceleration it has now. Hovering is so incredibly easy compared to what I've been fighting.
Attached is a picture from the Hawk IV instructions. Hopefully someone else can learn from my mistake...
Todd
click to enlarge
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