michael marshall

I just got my humming bird elite ready for trimming and every thing else. I just got a couple of questions. First is it normal that when thrust to weight ratio is 1 to 1 that it drifts to the left. And secondly when an input is given lets say to go forward is it suppose to go just forward or forward and left. Because for some reason it does'nt just go where I left it to go it goes in other directions as well. Now any help will be greately be appretiated (and a long version even better) for explaining my humming bird woes.

kagreen2k

Micro helis tend to drift left until you get out of the ground effect. When you say the thrust to weight ratio is 1, what do you mean ?

michael marshall

When the lift it pruduses is eqaul to the wieght of the heli. eg. the heli weighs 350g and the lift is proding now is 350g would be a 1:1 ratio, if is producing 700g of lift is at a 2:1 ratio.

kagreen2k

I wouldn't say that there's a correlation between the drift and thrust/weight ratio. Assuming you acheive a ratio of 1 just as the heli lifts off or at hover. Mine Hummingbird drifts left when taking off but not while hovering.

VinceHerman

Are you are talking about when the heli is light on the skids, but not in the air?
If so, yes, there will be a left drift, due to the tail rotor using thrust to the left to counter the main rotor torque.
And also, if a heli is restrained (such as scooting on the floor) you will get some mixing between pitch and roll, making forward commands include some side command, and vice versa.
Go ahead and use the scooting to get used to what transmitter controls do what to your heli. Practice keping the tail pointed towards you. (Read Radds)
And keep in mind that much of that mixing and drifting will go away when you are 2 or 3 feet in the air.

michael marshall

Well vinceherman thanks for the help, but If got one more question. If you tell it to go forward should it go forwar or should it go forward and some where else? Because when I tell mine to go right it does'ent do there it like it more slugish comerd to when I Tell it to of left. is this normal?

Botanist

My hummingbird seemed a bit sluggish at the begining, when I give right ail. it will take a while to respond and all of the sudden bam against the wall. Now I can hover out of GC, waist heigh, and responds very well. Forward it goes forward, but you will have to constantly give commands to keep it in line. This birds are very light and heads speed is not very fast, making them very difficult to fly, but when you get it, they are great ;o)

michael marshall

Well thanks man that just gave me more hope lol.

VinceHerman

If it is still scooting on the floor, this sounds right. On a restrained heli (on the ground) forward commands will result in mostly forward and a little sideways. This should go away when you are in the air.
And the "easy left, difficult right" thing is likely the result of the left drift that you get from the tail rotor. This also should go away when you are in the air, becuase the heli will naturally lean slightly to the right in a stable hover.

VinceHerman

This ALWAYS makes me wonder if the linkages are all friction free. A friend's Hummingbird (nice heli, btw) came with ball and sockets that were stiff. He learned to fly but had unexplained slow response. Loosening the sockets using the pliers-squeeze method made it a much better behaved heli. I know that all of the Piccolos (5?) that I have put together or worked on needed adjustment to the sockets to get them friction free. The Piccolo instructions cover this if I recall correctly.