wrighty338
New member
After throttle up and not touching any other input - should a heli drift to one side on its own?
If not how do i fix this?
If not how do i fix this?
Should a helicopter drift
- Thread starter wrighty338
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uncle twist
Well-known member
Yes, they need constant control, no matter how slight.
flightengr
Active member
There was some discussion about this a while back.
Yes, real helis need constant correction - it is NOT easy to fly a collective-pitch heli. Still, I think the drift to the left in RF is a bit extreme. For example, I would expect the Blade 230S to be a little more tame in Stability Mode. If the real 230S drifts as much as it does in RF in that mode, I'd be disappointed in the real thing.
Yes, real helis need constant correction - it is NOT easy to fly a collective-pitch heli. Still, I think the drift to the left in RF is a bit extreme. For example, I would expect the Blade 230S to be a little more tame in Stability Mode. If the real 230S drifts as much as it does in RF in that mode, I'd be disappointed in the real thing.
Left slide helicopters
Running RF Evolution, with the wired controller via usb hub. All the helicopters slide left.. have recalibrated controller via RF, removed wind, turned bird around and still slides/crabs to helicopter’s left… On real helis it is a simple adjustment to the aileron trim and everything is good...
forums.realflight.com
csgill75
Well-known member
Even in Stability Mode, It will drift. The helicopter would require GPS stabilization to keep it in one place. Those systems do exist for helicopters, but it pretty much turns the helicopter into a drone. Stability mode is much easier to handle than flying a heli without it, or even a flybar heli with nothing but a Gyro to keep the nose pointed where you want it. You must fly the helicopter from the moment it takes off to when the blades stop after landing.
flightengr
Active member
Of course... I don't expect SAFE to lock the heli in place like GPS would. But I would think that it would hold a little better in Stability Mode than in the other modes.
csgill75
Well-known member
Nope. I have flown the 330s which is a little bigger than the 230s at my local hobby shop, and it is stable, but it does move around. It's own air coming off ground effect will move it in any direction and it wants to not stay in one place. At 6ft high it is better but you still have to keep a finger on the cyclic, it will crash if you aren't paying attention. What we see in RF is pretty accurate.
After getting my 230 set up probably it didn’t drift much. But after I changed the frame after a crash, I haven’t been able to get rid of the drift completely. Not flown it for long while now prefer my M1. Stability mode puts in the opposite cyclic control movement when you centre the stick to cancel the movement, but as csgil75 says it will drift around a little and need constant inputs to keep in one place. The 230 model in Realflight does drift left due to the thust from the tail motor. To counter that you have to hold some right aileron. Also due to the automatic correction, you have to hold inputs to make turns etc. This get’s you into bad habits and makes it harder to really fly the helicopter in non self levelling modes where you have to cancel the movement yourself. There’s no escaping having to do hours of practice to successfully hover a helicopter. After 5 years I’m still learning orientations that’s what makes it interesting to learn.
flightengr
Active member
Several years ago I tried learning to fly CP helis. I fully understand how it works and how it takes lots of practice just to hover in one spot. I never did get very good at it, and didn't have the patience and time required to really learn it. I got to a point where I didn't do too bad with hovering and moving around a little bit, until something unexpected happened and then I'd have what I'd describe as a panic over-reaction which usually led to a crash.
I also understand how the tail rotor can cause thrust to the left. Still, I feel like RF models that drift left a little excessively, and it's pretty consistent across all models in RF. I had some micros, Blade 450's, and an Align 450. I know it needs constant input, but I just don't recall any of those models having a tendency to constantly drift to the left as fast as RF portrays it. Instead, I recall those models moving in all different directions, not just left. Again, I know that movement is normal and constant input is needed. It's not going to sit still in mid-air. But in RF, I find it easier to keep the heli from going forward, backward, or right than the real models; it's the constant drift to the left that I find unusual.
I also understand how the tail rotor can cause thrust to the left. Still, I feel like RF models that drift left a little excessively, and it's pretty consistent across all models in RF. I had some micros, Blade 450's, and an Align 450. I know it needs constant input, but I just don't recall any of those models having a tendency to constantly drift to the left as fast as RF portrays it. Instead, I recall those models moving in all different directions, not just left. Again, I know that movement is normal and constant input is needed. It's not going to sit still in mid-air. But in RF, I find it easier to keep the heli from going forward, backward, or right than the real models; it's the constant drift to the left that I find unusual.
wrighty338
New member
Thanks everyone.
yes the RF 230 does have more drift than a properly set up 230. But maybe it’s preparing you for what might happen when you fly a new one out of the box or in my case after changing the frame. Best not to fly in stability mode, once you can fly, stability feels scary like have your hands tied with lack of manoeuvrability.