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E-Flight Blade CX2 AAR - alt.games.warbirds
Grabbed one last Friday from Hub Hobbies.
Unboxed it and RTFM's and viewed the vid CD.
The first items of note were the care and feeding of the Li PO (Lithium Polymer) batteries.
It is recommended to watch them throughout the charge cycle.
I suppose that is more legal boilerplate than it is absolutely necessary.
I got a hold of a ceramic (fire proof) dish and charge them there unattended at times although I do keep an eye on the process.
The second issue for me was tweaking the trim.
Having no previous RC experience I find it best to approach this slowly and methodically.
First few flights were frustrating trying to get a low hover.
While attaching the training wheels I had managed to pop the skids out of the models body.
After several abortive attempts to get in the air I found that the skids (and attached training gear) balance much better if you reinstall them with the fronts facing front.
Things got a bit better but were still just short hops in the air while trying to dial things in.
It seemed that settings would get squirrelly between separate flights (battery packs) as well.
I then noted the binding process in the manuals and realized that I was not setting the chopper down soon enough after connecting the power.
Apparently there is some gyro cal going on as the binding process between the receiver and transmitter takes place.
I had two pretty good sessions flying tonight with minutes in the air hovering and so far (knocks on wood) no crashes.
For anyone who has one a couple of questions.
Do you reset trim controls to center each time you power up the transmitter?
Have you opened up the cowling (cut holes) to aid cooling?
Have you found a better charging system than the stock one supplied with the kit?
Do you charge it unattended or keep a close eye on the charge process?
So far it is a fun experience and fulfills another of those "things I always wanted to do" categories for me.
I can cross the aquarium, Lake Michigan Salmon fishing and now RC flying off the list of things I haven't tried now.
Next I gotta replace the fancy goldfish with game fish and later replace the CX2 with a true tail rotor bird.
Then go look for the next thing.
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Yes, i usually center my trims back up after a flight except for throttle trim which i slide all the way down and off until ready to fly again.
I havent done any modifications to the canopy at all.
I dont monitor my batteries constantly while they are charging but i do charge them on a non-flammable surface as a "just in case".
Make sure you let the battery cool down a bit before you put it on the charger again.
Im glad your flying is going well!
It is a heck of a lot of fun once you get the hang of it.
Once i got used to lfying i started giving myself challenges like landing on specific spots or flying under tables...stuff like that.
I rigged up some fishing line and a big hook (taped the end up so it wasnt sharp) and i try to pick things up...usually some small scissors from a coffee mug.
When you get ready to move up in helicopters let me know if you need advice.
I dont fly them alot but i have plenty of friends that fly everything from micro helis to 90size gas copters.
Search your area for a local flying club as well.
Most folks are very helpful and it is nice to go out and watch them fly the airplanes....thats how i got hooked on it and now i have the Blade CX, a bigger electric copter from Helimax, a mini-stick electric plane and 3 gas planes....a high wing trainer, a p51 and a giant scale Extra 300
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I've had my eye on that for awhile.
Went to the local hobby shop today with the intent to buy one, but it turned out they were sold out and won't get any in until next week.
I've messed around with smaller helis like the Air Hogs and Mosquito, but they proved to be very difficult to control.
My intention isn't to use the Blade as a trainer for more advanced helis though.
I just want something small and relatively easy to control, yet challenging, to mess around the house with.
The guy at the hobby shop had a 1st gen Blade CX lying around and he did a quick demo for me.
He was able to hover it and move it about the shop quite nicely.
Can't wait to get one.
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CX2 is a great little heli I own a few of them...
None stock any more tho...
Upgraded blades, blade grips, booms, bodies etc etc....
Fun little birds...
I have mine bound to a DX7 spectrum radio which allows much more control over the servo movement.
I highly recommend the after market moters and blades as a must have upgrade.
The common sense digital charger is much better than the stock charger and there are some great after market batteries too.
You shouldn't but I do charge mine un-attended, but never over charge or charge a damaged one.
These are very fun and durable heli's but be warned if you like them, some how you will magically start aquiring larger and larger heli's...
I also fly a Trex 500 and have a few Trex-450's that I putter with.
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After a few more hours of flight time I'll have to investigate teardown and rebuild upgrade etc.
I was thinking of the motor heat sink but if after market motors and rotors make a noticeable difference then I'll wait.
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The Blade CX2 finally came in to the LHS today.
Had stop off there to pick up a new canopy for my PZ T-28 Trojan anyway.
I ended up buying that one last week when they were out of the Blades.
I had my eye on that one for awhile too and heard a lot of great things about it.
I also like to practice TOs and Landings and this is a nice, rugged, well-performing little plane, ready to fly right out of the box.
It's really fun to fly and practice touch and goes.
Performs aerobatics quite well and flies pretty scale.
The canopy is secured with a couple of prongs and a magnet.
I must have knocked it loose on a hard touch and go cause it flew off while doing some loops.
Tried to follow the canopy down but had to watch the plane at the same time.
Unfortunately, it fell somewhere in some very heavy brush and I gave up trying to find it after almost an hour of looking.
New canopy was only $8 so no worries.
So back to the Blade.
After flying two LiPos worth on the T-28, I got home, unboxed the Blade, and charged up the battery.
I missed that part about setting the Blade down after connecting the battery when I skimmed the manual.
Will have to try that next time.
Even so, I started off slow and trimmed it out pretty good.
Enough to get it to hover with only very small corrections.
I really don't have a lot of space indoors, so I headed out to the carport where there's a bit more room and it is somewhat protected from wind.
Only a slight intermittent breeze anyway.
I spent most of the first charge practicing the hover and a little movement.
Before I knew it the battery ran out so I let it cool down a bit and am recharging it right now.
So far I'm surprised at the stability and the ease of control.
It's a big step up from those crappy little helos that I've messed around with.
The guy at the LHS was touting the Blade 400 which he's flying now.
It's a nice package and I may have to upgrade one day.
For now I'll stick with the CX2 and cut my teeth until I get bored.
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Do not buy the Blade 400 get a Trex 450 you will be glad you did.
The Trogen is a good kit for the money but watch the range of the rx in the we find it to be limited and should be replaced with a better one.
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Well I gone and done it.
Grounded myself that is.
Got a couple more good flights in yesterday evening.
Started getting dark but I wanted to have one more go.
I was feeling pretty confident and started to try to fly a little higher and add forward flight.
Was going well but it seemed that I got myself into a bit of a stiff breeze at the higher altitude than what I was feeling on the ground.
It was almost imperceptible at first but I realized that the Blade was getting away from me.
I lost lateral control and the ability to bring it back.
Before I knew it it was up above the rooftops and moving away.
I didn't want to bring it right down for fear of putting it down on some-one's roof.
Beyond that was a very tall grove of trees.
Despite all my attempts to bring it back the breeze was too strong and my only hope was to try and clear the trees and let it come down somewhere beyond in the park.
I tried to chase after it but lost sight of it.
By that time it was too dark to see which tree it may have come down in.
It didn't land anywhere on the ground.
This morning I went back out with little hope of spotting the little Blade in the thick tall trees.
I brought my binocs with me and after a bit of searching I caught a very lucky glimpse of red at the top of one of the trees.
A closer look revealed that it's perched on an outer branch some 30ft up at least(best guess).
I have no idea how I can get it down from there.
I don't trust myself or the tree to climb it.
It's way out of reach for any kind of ladder.
I thought about throwing something at it but I doubt I could be accurate enough and with enough force to knock it from the branches.
Even if I did, it probably would keep getting re-stuck on the way down.
On one hand, at least I know where it is.
On the other hand, I have no way of reaching it.
I'll have to work on some ideas.
It all just happened so fast and I can't stop kicking myself over it.
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Ouch Wicked
That sux
I've had the nose of the chopper peek out of the front of the garage a couple of times but have not ventured out in the wind with it.
Only thought I've had so far would be a weighted line (splitshot) on a fishing pole and attempting to snag it and work it free.
Of course the line will grab branches quicker than it would your cx2 body or blades and it sounds like there is not a chance you'd have a path to cast the line up there.
The splitshot should slide off the line if you get wrapped badly in the branches.
OK, its a crap idea but at least its the first one.
Lets see what the hive mind can come up with.
JG
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Well it's better than my tennis ball & racket idea I tried today.
Just no way to be accurate enough.
It's like trying to shoot a proton torpedo into a two meter wide exhaust port...without a targeting computer or the Force.
Regardless, I ended up just getting the tennis ball stuck in the tree as well, haha.
It's tempting to want to try and climb the tree but I know better that all that will come of that is a lot of cuts and scrapes and the possibility of having to call the fire department to come and get me down.
The up side is I might be able to convince them to get my Blade while their at it.
The down side is my pride and a good chance of ending up on the evening news.
If I had a rod and pole I would give that a go.
I thought about fashioning some kind of grappling hook and line and making a go for the branch and shaking it loose.
I kind of have a pretty clear shot at the tree(not straight under).
I just don't know if I can accurately place a hook that high up.
If I get very desperate I've thought about hiring a tree trimmer for the job.
I've actually had to do that once many years ago when my pet iguana got out and perched itself in a high tree.
FD and animal rescue were no help but a tree trimmer was a real sport.
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Go down to a hardware store, buy 4 or 5 chain link fence poles (the horz poles that go between the anchor poles), I think they fit into each other.
Now get a role of Duct tape...
Tape the poles together at the joints.
Get a ping pong paddle and tape it at the top, wrap the pong paddle with duct tape, sticky side out, and there you go...
It breaks down easily for the next time this happens.
Please video tape the rescue You can send it in to AMFV
Should have done that with the table dance!
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Wow MP, sounds like you have experience with this.
Think I'll head down to the Home Depot tomorrow and see what I can MacGyver up.
Might have to use a little trig before that to get an guesstimate on the height of the branch the Blade is perched at.
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Quote: : Wow MP, sounds like you have experience with this.
Think I'll head down to the Home Depot tomorrow and see what I can MacGyver up
hehe, nope never happened to me...
Yet, as I have not owned a RC but plan too...
And as such, I have thought that the first time i go out with a RC, i figure that I will most likely need something like this, maybe not for a tree but a water resuce
How have you been, its been a LONG time since we were at a gathering together.
Hope all is well!
Where might you be located these days?
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A piece of PVC pipe works well for poking items from trees and can be extended cheaply and easily...
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I'm doing well MP, thanks for asking.
It indeed has been a long time.
I'm still located in the Bay Area.
I was down in Santa Monica for a short time a few years ago.
Still working in the broadcast industry, now as a freelancer.
Most of my work comes from corporate and sports.
Namely Cisco and for the Oakland A's.
Don't really fly the online sims anymore except for FSX.
Every once in awhile I'll check out AH again but my Cougar needs new pots and I always wanted to mod it, but could never justify the cost vs the amount of time I fly.
Other than that and my R/C hobby, I lurk around here and post the occasional inane comment.
I'm about to head out the the hardware store right now.
I went out to the tree to make sure the Blade is still there.
Was a bit windy the last couple of days so I thought that maybe it might have been knocked loose or fallen a bit.
Same place. I used a bit of trig to make a rough estimate that it is sitting approx.
38'-45' high. I'll have to make sure to get enough pole.
Don't know which is going to be cheaper, fence pole or PVC, or which is going to hold up to the weight of the entire thing.
Will have to make a hands-on decision.
I don't think I'll be able to capture this fiasco on tape.
Don't have a camcorder right now or anybody to help film.
Figure I'm going to have my hands full of pole on this one.
Wait....ah heck.
I'll let you know how it goes down...hopefully.
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Well that failed nicely.
I ended going with 5 lengths of 3/4"x10' PVC.
I underestimated the stiffness over multiple lengths.
The fence post was a bit thicker and the same length but cost much more.
Plus each pipe was substantially more heavy.
With four overlapping lengths of PVC + one doubled up in the middle for added strength, the thing just kept bending over.
I tried using branches for support but my strength began to give out after wrangling with the thing for awhile.
I got maybe within 10' of the Blade but the pipe was swaying all over the place, wanting to buckle.
I don't think I would have nearly the strength to try this with 4-5 fence poles fastened together.
I wonder how much it costs to rent a cherry picker.
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Hummmm, maybe two EMT electrical pip joined by EMT connector, then add two pvc for the top, might work...
They have different size EMT pip, i would think the smaller would or might work...
It would give you a sturdy base, might have to go three of the EMT and one PVC.
The EMT(wyou will find this in the Electrical area) Pipe is considreably lighter than fence pipe, dont know what it would cost down there, couple bucks a stick at least.
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Wicked, I have pulled more than a couple RC planes from trees thru the years.
Here is what you need.
Kite string and a weight substantial enough to allow you to throw it over the limbs with the string attached.
I have used various sized combination wrenches on different occasions with very good luck.
Once you have thrown the string over the appropriate limb or branch and have both ends of the string in your hands, tie a heavier line, cotton clothes line for instance, to the string and use the string to pull the heavier line up and over the branch.
Now you can either pull on both ends yourself or if you have some help you can change the angle a bit and get the branch or limb a rockin.
If the clothes line is not strong enough, then use it to pull up some nylon rope.
Good Luck
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Well, my Blade still sits comfortably in its tree.
Fortunately, the weather has been pretty decent these past weeks so it is probably still in pretty fair shape.
I feel like I have tried everything in Wile E.
Coyote's arsenal.
I found some guy's blog on how he got his plane out of a tree and wish I had read it before suffering the exact same trials and tribulations that he did.
He did come up with a solution very similar to yours Fli.
But instead he used a slingshot, weight, and some tough fishing line.
I like that idea a bit better because I just don't trust my throwing arm to be accurate enough at that distance.
But a slingshot might get me close enough.
I think I have it in me to give this one last idea a go.
Now it's off to the sporting goods store to pick me up what I need.
Thanks for all the advice so far everyone.
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I was going to mention the possibility of using a fishing pole with round sinkers to do the initial shots, but I thought for a 30' throw it wouldn't be needed.
But I have used that method also on some long shots.
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SUCCESS!!!
The slingshot turned out to be a non-starter.
I bought a cheapo one and couldn't get the smaller sized weights I bought to launch with the fishing line attached.
Not sure what I was doing wrong but the line kept snagging, so I gave up on that approach pretty quick.
Next move was to just tie one of the bigger round weights to the end of the string and swing launch it over the branch.
A lot of perseverance paid off and I somehow managed to get it down in stages.
The last branch, which was about 18' high, proved to be the hardest.
No amount of shaking would dislodge it so I had to go back to the PVC pipe(good thing I kept them around).
Two lengths and I was able to knock it lose.
Unfortunately I couldn't get to it in time to catch it and it landed on the rotor head.
Looks like a slight bend in the rotor shaft and fly bar.
Not sure how it will affect its flying ability though.
The battery seems dead too.
I had a feeling it would be, being left plugged in all that time.
All parts are easily replaceable and not too expensive so it should be back up and flying in no time.
Man, this is a huge weight lifted off my mind.
Every day, driving by that tree knowing that my Blade is just sitting there.
Almost all hope lost.
What a happy day!
Thanks again everyone for your advice.
In retrospect, a fishing pole would probably have been the ideal method.
I don't own one but could have bought a cheap one just as easily as a slingshot, which I'm now going to try and return.
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Glad to hear that you have recovered your Blade Wicked.
I have to thank you for helping me resist the temptation to take mine outside.
I took my cx2 up to the cabin last week where the main room is a bit bigger and taller with the vaulted ceiling.
I had thought earlier of flying it off the deck outside.
Thoughts of your Blade eating tree experience kept me from attempting it.
So far I've had only one 'hard' landing (not on the skids) and one where it was headed for trouble and I caught it.
I noticed a bit more vibration on the flight after the hard landing so I may have to look at the rotor balance or a bent shaft.
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I've been flying RC helis for a year and a half now.
A great resource is www.helifreak.com .
As someone said earlier in this thread if you decide to get serious go for a larger / better / more expensive heli.
You get what you pay for really applies here.
I started on an old .30 Hirobo Shuttle then went up to a Sceadu Evo .50 (both glo / nitro fueled).
I also have a couple Trex 450s, one blinged and one in a scale body.
Tons of fun but not for those looking for something cheap to enjoy.
I also have a bunch of planes both electric and glo.
Fly every weekend.
Oh, and the lipo scare is usually due to improper charging or a damaged battery.
They will burn, so do be careful if you are not sure about your charger / battery.
Here's a crappy video of my Evo last summer.
I've gotten better and the heli has had a lot of upgrades since.
And one of the scale bodied Trex in flight...
I'm known as "tz250w" on Helifreak if you decide to join up.
Max
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OK, I just received one of the Blade CX2's from the owner of the company I work for for helping him through the move of the company.
He just sold his shares to the current president and is starting a new company manufacturing RC pylon racing planes.
What a coincidence!
Hehehe
He was a world champion control line pilot many years ago.
He hasn't flown in years though, that is until recently.
He was offered a plane to compete with at an event here in the states and won the event.
He shows up this morning and hands me a box from Horizon Hobby and says this is for you.
I'll let you know how it goes.
I might make time for putting it together this weekend.
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Mine is out of commission right now.
Had a couple rotor strikes that I think bent the main rotor shaft and/or the fly bar.
It's oscillating pretty badly and starts to track all over the place on power up.
Gonna need some work.
I really wish I had a bigger indoor space to fly in.
My little living room area is a bit small.
I'll have to check around to find access to some larger indoor spaces.
The summer weather pattern here in the Bay Area makes it a bit too windy to fly any of my small electrics most of the time.
I need to get me another foamy glider to fly out at the coast for days like these.
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I have a warehouse I manage that has enough room to practice in a controlled environment.
If I want a cooler environment I can probably find a nice quiet time at the local ice arena I teach at.
I'll be looking forward to flying outside with no obstructions to worry about.
It's still in the Horizon Hobby box behind my desk chair
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OK, so it's RTF. I charged it up and set the radio and transmitter.
I have only barely hovered so far.
I have been indoors in a very small space trying to trim it.
I have one trim control all the way to one extreme and it's not quite there yet.
It looks like I need to recalibrate the receiver, is that right?
This model has the new 3 in 1 controller and a separate receiver.
All the pins fit into one end and are not easily accessible.
There is no room to grab them and pull them out without pulling the receiver off from where it's stuck (with double sided tape) to the controller.
The instructions I have show the 4 in 1 with easy access to the side of the old style controller.
When I saw the difficulty of removing the plugs I thought to myself tha they may have eliminated the need to calibrate on this controller.
So far no damage as I've shut it down before it slides off into a table leg or computer case.
I'll take it to work tomorrow and work late, yeah, that's it, work late tomorrow night
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