RMB677

While flying my E500 this morning I finally am tired of the lack of control response to the sticks. I need to push the controls for pitch and roll to their limits to get the heli to respond. I can see the lower set of blades change angle but the response is slow if at all. Anyone else notice this on their E500 or possibly Big Lama, the BL is essentially the same but with a lrger body?

If you think it might be a pitch adjustment, how does one adjust the pitch on the E500?

aircrash

Hi there,

I have two batches of Big Lama.
The first one uses the inner ball links on the swashplate. Agenuine Big Lama swashplate has two different length pairs of ball links.
The second one uses the outer (longer).
This affects the response.

Still both fly the same, with the same response.
I had bound the Tx of the one to the other helicopter and then all the sudden the response was not the same.
So they have a different radio, affecting differently the servo movement Isuppose.

So, try the outer ones in any case as you want to get the extra response. And make sure you have the servo linkages horizontally.
Something else is that the Big Lama at least is tail heavy. So if you don`t move the battery a bit to the front then it will barely move forward, as you use the trim to compensate the bad center of gravity.

Well, you can`t change the pitch.
But make sure the swashplate to blade grips linkages are the right length.
Again both batches use different length.
If I can remember I use 35mm for the first batch, but I can`t recall exactly. Never mind, just measured it for you. It`s 30mm from center of the ball to the center of the other.
This affects response too.
Sorry but I have no second batch Big Lama at an easy to reach point. I use the first batch tx so all (most of them) are set this way.

Another thing that makes the bird more responsive is the extended shaft. Less stable, better outdoors flying, no blade strikes (outside as inside there is not much problem anyway), more response and forward speed.

RMB677

Thanks for the info Aircrash. When I first glanced at your location I thought you might be just up the road, then I noticed Greece. I'm near Athens, Georgia, USA. I do have the Xtreme extended shaft and blades. I'll have to start fooling with the linkages a bit more than I have and see what happens. There isn't a heck of a lot of info. on setting up or tuningthe E500 or on many of the other E-sky products.

aircrash

Same city, different country. I`ll try to give you a hand, if I can. I think I can as I love the Big Lama and have a few of them with many flights on some of them.
Hmm, something else you must check.
The upper rotor blades must have an almost perfect tracking.
To achieve this you must adjust in small steps the little linkage that goes to the flybar.
Once the blade tracking is good then the helicopter will be stable but also responsive. Except if your E500 is already stable, don`t do anything about blade tracking.
The lower rotor blades should have a very good tracking too. When you mess with the linkages make sure both of them have exactly the same length.

Now if you have the classic first gen Xtreme blades then they are a bit soft and they may lack of responsiveness.
Try a set of Esky blades. Ilike them better than any other as they are both cheap and good.

Make sure the swashplate does not hit the fuselage and can bind there. At least this can happen to the Big Lama fuselage and so you get a limited movement thus less response.
The same applies to the servo horns too. They can hit the fuselage and so you get the same problem.

Hmm, yes, as Ihave seen there is not much action, neither many shops. Too bad. The Big Lama and the E500 (I have two fuselages that Imust install some time) is a very nice looking helicopter, easy to fly, harmless if you got hit and cheap to repair.
It can fly indoors or outdoors.

Keep it posted.

RMB677

I may have just stumbled onto the cause of my problem(s). I noticed the gear for the front motor was not meshing with the main gear, I tried to tighten it, tested flew and the heli sat on the ground, no lift, spinning counterclockwise. Checked and the gear was not meshing again. Tore the heli down and found the front motor bearing is shot, the shaft can wiggle a good 1/16". Just ordered a replacement motor, wish me luck.

RMB677

Changed the motor out this morning and tested it while the wind was minimal and all worked well. I'm surprised that no wear showed on the main gear considering the motor shaft may have been under stress. When setting up the motor I followed a hint found on another thread to run a strip of paper between the gears and observer the condition as it comes through, corrogated = all OK, punctures + too tight.

Also had a problem with my HB King 4 not lifting off. Found the gear on the motor worn, I would have thought the plastic main gear would have worn first. Just in case changed out the motor and main gear, all working fine.

I hope to get out to Grayson Hobby this week and pick up a DX6i and receiver for the HBK4, the E-Sky TX that came with the heli takes about 5 min. of switching on and off before the LED stays lit.