MS Hornet X FP Micro Helicopter

MS Hornet X 3D CP (H2+, HII+)
setup tips here

For the latest MS Hornet NEWS
check RCGroups, RCHeliSpot, RunRyder and the old Hornet Forum (died)

Hornet X FP specific tips:

Video: Hornet-X-FP-Learning.wmv 13 megs 2.5 mins

- Reduce head teeter. To reduce cyclic delay and add crisper cyclic response. Do this by packing either the head or the pivot block (e.g.. Pack the head sides with... match stick or small pieces of cable tie or JST battery connector cut in half long ways). Make sure the flybar can move freely as before and only reduce the head rocking. Again this is a must for outdoor FF action other than see-saw swinging hovering. More info at http://www.iroquois.free-online.co.uk/hornind.htm

Picture needed here... but have none.

- 11.1v lithium power. Upgrade to 3 cells Thunder Power 1320 mAh packs for 20+ mins of flying, particularly for an outdoor power reserve. Try a smaller pinion (8T) to help keep the stock motor cooler. The MS-055 may not last long though. AUW = ~320g. Hover rpm is 1700-1800 rpm.

- Blade mounts. Use wide plastic washers to mount the rotor blades and save lots of money by never breaking any more blade mounts during most tip overs (spreads the load point). The plastic washers should not be larger than 8 x 2 mm or they may interfere with the flybar push rods causing some strange unwanted handling effects. You may need to use longer 2 mm cap bolts with lock nuts, available from appropriate local hardware shops for pence.

- Lock the tail with a HH gyro or a good rate gyro plus a radio with mutli point REVO mixing. Not the cheap up/down % mixing which is useless for FP throttle characteristics. Lock the tail so that it doesn't kick left and right when you add and reduce throttle sharply. Otherwise you'll spend too much effort controlling the tail rather than comfortably flying.

- Reduce all vibrations (vibes = tail wag)
Read this forum post. Also note that if you remove main blades, tail blades and preferably disengage tail drive from crown gear and remove head and swash OR just disengage the motor pinion from the main gear but may require some load. Then spool up the Speed 300 brushed stock motor and see if you can feel high frequency vibrations in the frame through your fingers. Then take a good look at your gyro/servo behavior, if it's in HH mode I bet the tail servo is jumping around from the vibes. The Speed 300 had solid bush axle bearings that can wear and lead to such vibes. If the tail servo is jumping around on the ground then you can be sure it will be wagging the hell out of the tail in flight ;).
If you can't stop the tail from wagging for whatever reason then don't be stubborn and just use standard rate mode on your gyro, it will hold well enough for the FP and probably won't wag.

- Kill that throttle when you bail out!

- Plastic motor pinion slips easy, use CA glue.

- Main shaft bends easily and causes most vibrations. Symptom is an oscillating swash plate. Bend the main shaft back straight by hand carefully.

- Pivot head block pin tears through the plastic in hard crashes. CNC metal upgrade may help.

- No.1 mod!!! Swap in an Ikarus Eco Piccolo V2 head, 2x200 mm CF flybar, paddles, bearing hub, links and swash complete, yes right down to the custom paper clip servo links. Mount MS E080 CF blades on Piccolo head as described here (the hardest bit really) + home made head stiffener etc. Ali hub with grub screws will be required long term.

This is seriously the best upgrade so far, as (in my opinion) the MS FP head design is VERY poor in comparison. The result is excellent sharp crisp cyclic response, more stable hovering and greater agility. Which are two attributes not normally enhanced without the expense on the other. Less bobbing in Ground Effect.

This bird now has a chance to do what it says on the marketing blurb... controlled Fast Forward Flight, loops and rolls. You also get the benefit of rotor head detachment in crashes and far better flight characteristics, and a great shaft driven CP tail rotor. A lot less crash damage and NO more busted pivot blocks.

Prototype pictures from odd bits n pieces:

Video to follow... nope sorry, it's not coming ;(
...will try soon as I saw her fly 100% better last week with the bits I donated.

08/2006 finaly! ...HERE IT IS:
Sadly the flying wasn't his best demonstration.

...Hornet-X-FP-PiccoloHeadAction.wmv
35 MB 2.25mins 360x288 50fps

With taller Venom NR3D landing gear (Walkera 22E rebadge),
X-CP canopy and X-3D tail rotor with steel drive shaft.

Picornet X FP 08/2006
Stock 300 motor 20A Extreme ESC 10T/180T
MS-080 CF FP blades hover at ~1750 rpm
MS-044 HH gyro, HS-50 + X-3D tail rotor
3xTP1320 (GenII 91g) ~20 mins, AUW=~325g
Piccolo head transplant (swash, ali hub, 20cm CF flybar etc.)

More Hornet 1 FP tips at http://www.iroquois.free-online.co.uk/hornind.htm

For the latest MS Hornet NEWS
check RCGroups, RCHeliSpot, RunRyder and the old Hornet Forum (died)

Back to CP General Tips

For the latest MS Hornet NEWS
check RCGroups, RCHeliSpot, RunRyder and the old Hornet Forum (died)

Intro Buying Building Learning Flying Upgrades & Mods Tips Video Heli BB Glossary Links