bobforapples84

I just bought a skylark off of a friend of mine, $200 bucks, with a crash kit, training gear, and two extra batteries. The only thing is: The main shaft is broken, but I have an extra to replace it, and the Shaft connecting the side wings is also broken, I am goign to use one of the shafts for the training gear. My main question is: What kinda charger do I use, the batterys are 750ma ni-mh and 8.4 volts, I have the adaptor, can I just use a 8volt power supply, and how long should these charge for. Any thing I should do before my first flight this weekend?
Thanks!
Bob Wilson

sduckett

i say throw away the crappy nicads and get lith polymer batteries.
i have a skylark and this thing ROCKS with the lithium batteries.

go here:

http://www.helihobby.com/html/piccolo_electronics.html

the nice thing about the charger is.. when its done charging. the light goes off.
i also have the orion motor, and this little heli is great with it.. a little tip, feda blades fit on the skylark. but you have to attach them on the under side of the rotor head, instead of inside the blade grips.

bobforapples84

Thanks, did you ever try, or know anyone who tried putting the piccolo tail fins on the skylark? I think I'm also going to purchase the aluminum swash plate conversion (fixed pitch) for the piccolo, I think it should fit and be much stronger

sduckett

you konw.. i have had no problems at all with the stock swashplate.. and see no point in adding additional weight.

LTEDT

Piccolo Tail blades work fine on the Skylark so does alot of Piccolo parts, most to be exact all but the rotor head and a few things in that area. You can even retrofit the Piccoboard for your Skylark. Its easier to name the things that dont interchange!
Good Luck
Matt

bobforapples84

I was going to change out the swashplate becuase it looks like it has a lot of play in it, but I'm just going to make a larger spacer between the body and plate, is there any avantage to thoose rear tail fins, they look cool, but is there a purpose for them?

sduckett

rear tail fins are useful in forward flight. when in forward flight the fin makes the heli "weathervane" in other words the fin keeps the tail behind the heli and helps keep it stable in flight. when just hovering the fin is of no real use .. the skylark i have didnt come with a tail fin. it just has a rod to keep the tail rotor from smacking the ground. hope this helps.

bobforapples84

Can the carbon fiber flybar be replaced with a piece of 2mm piano wire? or will the extra weight really slow it down?

Hoverup

My Feedback: (11)

2mm music wire can be used for the flybar and the T/R axle without a problem. It's a tad heavier but not enough so you'll notice any major changes in flight characteristics or duration. Spend a few seconds roughing up the ends of the wire flybar so that the paddle mounts will have some purchase at the interface.

Cheers - Boyd
AMA 80393
Major USAF
Retired

bobforapples84

Hey what shoudl i do with my antenna? whats the best place for it?

Hoverup

My Feedback: (11)

What brand receiver do you have?

bobforapples84

all the radio equipment on the skylarks is by GWS, whats a good way to completely decharge the batterys before charging them again?

bobforapples84

Hey yet another question, what do you guys think about the clutch you can put on the rotor gear? It seems like a good idea, I'd imigine throtle responce might be a little bit slow, but if the battery dies it can still coast, worth the $$ and work?

Hoverup

My Feedback: (11)

Well it's a one-way bearing and on a CP heli it allows you to do auto rotations. These are not possible on an FP heli as you must alter the pitch to suceed in autorotations. They do take some of the strain off the gear train when the throttle is chopped since the blades continue to rotate freely as the drive train gears come to a halt. Do you really need one on an FP micro. Don't think so. Keep it simple. Things will be complicated enough when you move on to a CP heli. Spend the saved money on LiPolys or a good charger or a micro "Z" antenna to get rid of all the wire looking to get eaten by your rotors and gears.

Cheers - Boyd
AMA 80393
Major USAF
Retired

ALLISONMO2

My Feedback: (35)

what is this micro z antenna you speak of? my antenna is now 4" long. oops.

Hoverup

My Feedback: (11)

http://ecubedrc.com/

ALLISONMO2

My Feedback: (35)

thanks.

Hoverup

My Feedback: (11)

Glad to help