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e-Century Hummingbird - Swift > My Swift crashes .... again !!!
 
 
wrathofkhan
Veteran
Location: LA, CA - US

My Posts This: Topic  Forum		I have some questions about some parts, but here goes the story of my crash. I was doing a backwards loop, and was on the vertical downwards leg of the loop. I was going very fast, and must have held the vertical drop part a tad too long – all of a sudden my tail gave, not enough altitude to recover. The sound of the bird hitting the asphalt was horrific.

The damage was so extensive that I was close to tossing the heli but decided to rebuild. I had enough spare parts laying around to manage to repair it anyhow.

BUT, couple of issues:

1) Flybar: what is the deal with it? The flat spots are not even! If I dremmeled a flat spot – it would not be aligned since I do not have the equipment to line it up and make it perfectly flat. I don’t understand, the flybar I am substituting with is brand new. How is it possible to have misaligned flat spots?

2) Ball Links: I also had a brand new package of the Swift links. I needed the 4 short ones, but only had two in the package. Does the package come with two or four of these short links? Can I substitute with any other manufacturer’s links?

3) CNC grips: broke one of the arms, and all the radial bearings on both grips. I tried heating it up with a heat guy and taking the bearings off, but they are not budging at all. Is there any trick in taking these off? And I can’t find who is selling these arms for the grips (I only mangled one of the grip arms, the rest of the grips look fine)

Will really appreciate if fellow swift flyers have any info about the above mentioned issues.

Thanks … Khan

01-29-2009 06:42 PM
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Pistol_Pete
Elite Veteran
Location: Tampa Bay non-Buccaneer

My Posts This: Topic  Forum		I can feel the pain...

Regarding your issues...
1) mine have always been on par but dont let that discourage you as you can turn over flybar and not used them at all. they "help" find center but not all that great.

2) i have only purchased two sets since 05 and those came complete as if building a kit. im sure these are bagged by hand so could have been an oops.

3)CENTURY seems to be the only one on this one...they are still open as of this posting...CALL THEM!!!!!

heat is the only way otherwise pulling by the inner bearing as in need to replace anyways...catch 22?

I manage to "straighten" out one of mine once but not the second time



<><>...the lunatic is in my head...<><>
01-30-2009 10:12 PM
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oldfart
Elite Veteran
Location: Vancouver, Canada

My Posts This: Topic  Forum		What size mainblades, tail blades, head speed and gyro/servo combo?

To hold the tail in a fast downline takes a high tail rotor speed (a function of the mainrotor speed) and the gyro servo set-up and capability. (this is where a 601/611 high refresh rate gyro servo combo really stands out compared to others).


As the Swift tail rotor blades etc. are of a length calculated for contolling torque etc. developed by 520mm blades. You may find longer & lighter tail blades help lesser gyro/servo combos keep up, if you are using longer blades.

1 - the flybar flats are designed to locate the flybar control arms in a slightly down orientation to give a better geometry to the links from the washout. But if you want a 180 degree orientation then roll the flybar 180 degrees and just tighten the grub screws directly to the flybar without the use of the flat spots.

2 - Yes, you can use any links that are for use with 2.2mm control rods.

3 - Yes, you can buy he arms seperately - check with Century.
01-31-2009 03:29 AM
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wrathofkhan
Veteran
Location: LA, CA - US

My Posts This: Topic  Forum		thanks guys for your posts/info! as far as my setup is concerned, i have the following:

1. 550mm rotortech blades/stock swift plastic tail blades
2. 10s a123 - jazz 55/governor mode
3. neu 1912/1y - head speed is around 2,000
4. JR 770 gyro/8900 servo combo

i understood the logic of angled flybar arm (to get more throw/clearance), but the angle looked kind of steep. i have attached a drawing - i am assuming that is the angle i should be trying for (center part is raised, the arms with ball links are lower than the center, inverted 'V' in blue color)

or should i be going the other way?

khan

01-31-2009 05:59 AM
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wrathofkhan
Veteran
Location: LA, CA - US

My Posts This: Topic  Forum		I was messing with the skewed mounting of the flybar. i don't have experience with this type of mounting - but to me it looks pretty angled. is this much angle ok?

i had some issues ordering the Swift thrust bearing (hobby shop didn't carry it), so, i just went ahead, and ordered the thrust bearings through ebay.

got them today, and noticed that the dimensions are slightly different from the stock Swift thrust bearings (outer dimensions, inner dimension, thickness are all the same) - but the bearings inside are slightly different, and the material they are made of looked slightly different too. the difference in the bearings are because of different groove inside the bearings.

the grips do seem to fit properly. my question is, will this give problems?

02-06-2009 04:40 AM
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imnxtc
Veteran
Location: Dawson

My Posts This: Topic  Forum		That flybar paddle configuration will work. But it does look a bit excessive.

When I want to install any flybars at 180* to each other, I pivot the flybar 90 degrees and secure the set screws directly to an area of the flybar that dos not have flats. We used flybars without flats for many years, and some helis still do - so no big deal.

As for the thrust bearings - if everything centers and there is no binding as the grips rotate on the spindle, it should be good to go.
02-06-2009 05:55 PM
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wrathofkhan
Veteran
Location: LA, CA - US

My Posts This: Topic  Forum		thanks for your post imnxtc

i am sure it is OK to mount the flybar without using the flat spots (or dremel my own flat spot as LaughingStill mentions). but since Century made the flat spots, it made me curious - and would like to try it.

just wanted to see if others have tried using the factory made flat spots - since to me, the angle do look a bit severe.

khan


PS what you said about the thrust bearings also made perfect sense
02-06-2009 06:57 PM
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just4fun2
Senior Heliman
Location: torrance

My Posts This: Topic  Forum		from watching the finless videos, when he sets up the heads on all helis, everything should be 90* to the main shaft
02-24-2009 09:31 PM
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wrathofkhan
Veteran
Location: LA, CA - US

My Posts This: Topic  Forum		well, apparently the flybar with angled flat spots are the latest type Century is selling. as mentioned in this post earlier by someone, the angle gives more clearance - so, more cyclic motion is possible with the skewed flybar arm angle.

i did fly it last weekend, with the angle - didn't feel any different than when it was straight. i didn't try to push the cyclic very hard, to reach it's limit - so, i can not really tell if there was a difference.

khan
02-25-2009 12:22 AM
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just4fun2
Senior Heliman
Location: torrance

My Posts This: Topic  Forum		yeah mine are also angled downwards, been flying like that since day one.
02-25-2009 01:26 AM
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oldfart
Elite Veteran
Location: Vancouver, Canada

My Posts This: Topic  Forum		There are a number of advantages to angling downward - of course more rotational clearnace before touching the bottom of the blade grips and also for a better (90*) relationship between the control rods at the flybar control arm attachment point.

wrathofkhan

That angle in your picture is far too excessive - I would set it up whereby I would not be using the flats or use a different flybar. If that is the angle you end up with, then there is a fault with where they machined the flats on the flybar.

Yes, it will fly but is will result in differential pivotal action of the flybar paddles at extreme cyclic commands.
02-25-2009 02:00 AM
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jamesppp
Senior Heliman
Location: carrollton georgia usa

My Posts This: Topic  Forum		6 or 8 months some flybars were were around that the flats were not properly positioned on. My buddy called heli world and I believe they sent out one that allowed a square setup. Mine are all square when tightened on the flats.
The new ones that Ive seen are anggled a bit, but not that much.

#:>)*.......................*(<:#
03-02-2009 08:25 PM
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wrathofkhan
Veteran
Location: LA, CA - US

My Posts This: Topic  Forum		i just eyeballed the flybar and tightened down on the grub screws. flew fine last weekend. had a total of 5 flights.

the head speed with my plastic blade grips are a bit high, but it seems to be holding fine (i have 550mm blades, with plastic grips, metal head, 10s a123 setup). the HS is around 2,050 - and i am at 80% on the Jazz 55 governor setting. i tried 70% - but then the HS goes way too low to fly comfortably.

khan
03-02-2009 08:55 PM
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imnxtc
Veteran
Location: Dawson

My Posts This: Topic  Forum		The plastic blade grips with the metal hub are more then adequate for use with 550/560mm blades at 2100.

I even have a couple of hundred flights on my stock all plastic Swift 16 head at 2100 with those blades.

The only thing with the plastic head block at those rotor sppeeds is that it will break off in a crash when the energy from the blades contacting the ground haas to be dissipated...but I do not think it would break from the normal forces it has to deal with in the air.
03-02-2009 09:19 PM
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wrathofkhan
Veteran
Location: LA, CA - US

My Posts This: Topic  Forum		imnxtc

good to hear that the stock head can take 2100 rpm with bigger blades. what kind of battery are you using?

10s a123s weigh about 780 - 800 grams.
03-02-2009 09:25 PM
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e-Century Hummingbird - Swift > My Swift crashes .... again !!!
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