The Cutting Edge Blade CP
Written by: Ron "GMRO" Osinski - Team JR Article Type: How-Tos
Posted: 7/21/2005
Copyright: Horizon Hobby 
Ron Osinski talks about the Blade CP RTR
Just short of a
year ago, some good friends at Horizon asked me for my input on a micro e-heli
for their product line. Since I’ve been flying e-helis of various sizes for
many years now, I jumped at the chance to contribute. Over the months of development
with Horizon folks, I have had a great time experimenting and conveying ideas.
And I’m happy to say that our joint effort is something that we are all proud
of. While this heli is aimed to get people flying quickly right out of the box,
it also offers a long list of features not found on any other ready-to-fly heli
in its class. The result is a great-flying heli that belongs in everyone’s
fleet: the Blade™ CP RTF. There was a long shopping
list of requirements that we all wanted to achieve. High on the list was to provide
the pilot with a great-flying heli that gives no-fuss enjoyment. I’m happy
to say we accomplished this and much more with the Blade CP. Unlike other micro
e-helis in the same price range, the Blade CP features collective pitch through
a three-servo 120° CCPM setup and a transmitter that is aerobatic-ready with
an idle-up switch. Add a stylish canopy with preapplied decals, and the Blade
CP is sure to complement you as your skills develop. So
what do you get? Almost everything you need to get in the air just minutes after
opening the box—only 8 “AA” batteries are required. Included
are the completely assembled heli, a 6-channel FM 72MHz CCPM transmitter, an 8-cell
Ni-MH battery pack and a 2-hour wall charger. The Blade CP features collective
pitch for better flying control and a unique “4-in-1” receiver/gyro/ESC/mixer
combo unit that controls the three servos via the 120° CCPM setup, as well
as the 370-size main motor and separate N30 tail rotor drive motor. The Blade
CP is factory-adjusted with the 8-cell flight pack arriving partially charged
for immediate use. The 4-in-1 receiver box has an adjustable pot for gyro gain
control and tail-motor-to-main-motor proportional mix to allow the pilot to tune
the Blade CP’s tail rotor for his own flying style.
 Ron
Osinski’s Blade CP RTF is being flown in the picture with the stock E-flite
transmitter, the Aerobatic Enhancement Kit and a Thunder Power 900mAh 3-cell Li-Po
battery.
Go
Inverted!
Article Type: How-Tos
Posted: 5/13/2005
Copyright:
Team
JR member Ron Osinski flies the new E-flite Blade CP RTF. Inverted flight is achieved
with E-flite's Aerobatic Enhancement Kit (EFLH1168) and a 3-cell 860-1320mAh Li-Po
battery pack (EFLB1005 or THP9003SJ). Upgrading
the Blade CP for inverted flight and aerobatics is quick and easy using E-flite's
optional Aerobatic Enhancement Kit and
a 3-cell 860-1320mAh Li-Po battery pack,
offering an excellent balance of weight, power and duration. First,
remove the flat-bottom main rotor blades, making it much easier to work on the
heli. Next, we suggest checking the gear mesh of the stock pinion (10-tooth) and
main gear before removing the main motor for future reference. This is the proper
gear mesh that you will also want to achieve when installing the new main motor
with 9-tooth pinion included with the enhancement kit. Also, be sure to take
note of the wire and plug orientation of the main motor power lead in the 4-in-1
control unit-you will want to plug the new motor power lead into the 4-in-1 with
the same polarity and orientation to ensure the main motor and main blades spin
in the proper direction. After removing the stock main
motor with 10-tooth pinion, install the new main motor with 9-tooth pinion, making
sure to set the proper gear mesh before tightening the motor mounting screws.
Proper gear mesh is important to prevent damage to the main gear or drag in the
drivetrain that could lead to power loss, shortened flight times and excessive
motor heat. With the new main motor installed and proper gear mesh set, plug the
motor power lead into the 4-in-1 unit, ensuring you install it with the proper
orientation and polarity. With the new main motor installed,
now is a good time to also install the main
motor heat sink. This heat sink should be a snug fit on the motor can, and
is best placed just below the two open slots near the end of the motor. Don't
cover these open slots with the heat sink, as they aid in motor cooling. If your
heat sink is a loose fit on the motor can and slides up and down with ease, you
can remove and pinch it slightly by hand to increase the friction fit. We also
suggest the addition of heat sink compound to further improve the effectiveness
of the heat sink. This is also a good time to install the tail motor heat sink
following the same installation tips. It is easiest to remove the tail motor from
its mount first, and then install the heat sink near the middle of the motor can
before reinstalling the tail motor in its mount. With the
new main motor and both heat sinks installed, all that's left to do is install
the symmetrical main blades and mount the 3-cell
Li-Po battery pack. When installing the main blades, they should be tightened
so they can pivot in the blade grip when moderate pressure is applied. Never allow
the main blades to swing too freely in their grips, as this could cause a boom
strike during aggressive flying or aerobatics. Blades that are too tight in the
grips may also be difficult to track, so take your time finding just the right
amount of pressure. When mounting the 3-cell
Li-Po battery pack, you can slide the battery support plate fore and aft to
achieve the proper center of gravity (CG) for the model as outlined in the manual.
We suggest the use of hook and loop material, as well as rubber bands for the
most secure battery pack mounting. With all the components
installed, along with a fully charged battery pack, follow the 4-in-1 control
unit and blade tracking adjustment tips in the manual to ensure you have the tail
rotor proportional mix, gyro gain and blade tracking adjusted properly by making
a few quick test flights. Typically, only minor adjustments to the proportional
trimmer and gyro gain pots will be required when switching from the stock setup
to the enhanced setup and 3-cell Li-Po battery
pack. (Most often, you will only need to reduce the tail rotor proportional
mix and gyro gain slightly.) Take your time when making
adjustments, and the end result will be a smooth and solid performing model capable
of a wide variety of aerobatics including loops, rolls, inverted flight and more.
For the best overall aerobatic performance, we suggest the use of 3-cell
860-900mAh Li-Po packs with packs up to 1320mAh best used for mild aerobatics
and long duration flights. You can use the throttle trim
on the transmitter to finely adjust the throttle and pitch curve of your Blade
CP once the 4-in-1 unit has been armed. Increasing the trim will allow for more
positive pitch, while decreasing the trim will allow for more negative pitch.
Depending on the setup of your particular model, you can achieve an equal amount
of positive and negative pitch in the idle-up (stunt/aerobatic) flight mode with
the trim near center. You can also better adjust the stick position at which your
model hovers in the normal flight mode by also using the throttle trim. Don't
forget to lower the throttle trim all the way to arm the 4-in-1 unit first before
flight, and to power down the motors after flying.
By
Gary Katzer Making Your Blade a Sharper Performing Machine There
are some things that, when you see them for the first time, all you can say is,
“Wow.” That was my reaction the first time I had a chance to see experienced
heli pilots Jason Merkle and David Ribbe fly the E-flite Blade CP. I had never
seen any sort of aircraft perform the types of maneuvers and aerobatics these
two guys were able to do. That speaks very highly of their skills, but it also
speaks directly toward the capabilities of the Blade CP. As good as the Blade
CP is right out of the box, you can further fine-tune and improve its capabilities
with some strategically placed hop-ups and option parts. It’s time to take
a ride on the wild side here and unlock the added performance potential of the
Blade CP while also answering some of the most common questions. 
Training Gear Set There are
pilots of all skill levels who have been snapping up Blade CPs at an incredible
rate, and while the Blade CP is not intended for people who have never flown or
never flown a helicopter before, there are some things that you can do to protect
yourself and your model. First of all, if the Blade CP is your first helicopter,
please have an instructor or more experienced pilot with you when you start flying.
Additionally, if you can spend some time on a simulator before your first flights,
you’ll find the learning curve to be much accelerated with less time spent
on repairs and more time in the air. There’s also an add-on for the Blade
CP that will make learning to land and hover a bit less likely to result in a
costly crash; a purpose-built set of Training
Gear specifically for use with the Blade CP. In the event that your landing
isn’t quite as perfect as it could be, this training gear set has four balls
attached to the ends of strong and lightweight carbon fiber supports that will
help absorb a moderate impact to keep the Blade CP from tipping over, damaging
the main blades, main rotor shaft or more. The Training Gear Set is a small investment
now that can pay huge dividends later on! Lithium Polymer Batteries Li-Po’s
are here to stay, and for good reason. When compared to Ni-Cd and Ni-MH packs
of the same capacity, a Li-Po pack will typically offer less weight and more power.
But there are a few things you must remember anytime that you use a Li-Po battery
pack. For starters, the battery charger included with the Blade CP absolutely
cannot be used to charge a Li-Po battery pack. If you try to charge a Li-Po pack
with the included charger, the pack could ignite and start a fire. Only use chargers
that are specifically intended for charging Li-Po cells, such as the E-
flite Celectra 1- to 3-cell Li-Po DC Charger or the Thunder Power 1- to 4-cell
Li-Po DC Charger (THP425). Both chargers are configured specifically to charge
Li-Po packs correctly and safely every time you charge. Just
about everyone will admit that they would like as much flight time as possible
on single charge with a single pack, but in order to increase the capacity of
a given cell, manufacturers need to put more material into the casing of the cell.
This extra material typically offers added capacity and duration, at the expense
of added weight. For this reason it is recommended that you use 3-Cell
Li-Po packs between 860mAh and 1320mAh in capacity to provide the best balance
of weight, power and duration for the Blade CP. After watching both David and
Jason fly their Blade CPs equipped with the optional Aerobatic
Enhancement Kit (David, using a 1320mAh pack and Jason with an 860mAh pack),
Jason’s model was noticeably quicker to respond to stick inputs and appeared
to perform maneuvers at an accelerated rate due to the lower disk loading. For
all-out aerobatics and durations up to 15 minutes per charge, we definitely recommend
860–900mAh packs. For basic aerobatics and flight durations up to 25 minutes
or more per charge, we recommend 1200–1320mAh packs. It is best not to use
packs with more capacity or weight than the 1320mAh packs, as the added weight
will result in a loss of maneuverability and added current draw which could further
shorten the life of the main motor even if using the proper main motor/pinioncombination
for your chosen  
Brushed
Motors and Gearing Motors and batteries
go hand in hand, and one of the problems that some people have run into directly
corresponds to their choice of gearing and battery. Not only will a Li-Po battery
have higher capacities in comparison to Ni-MH packs, but they typically have higher
voltage output too. For example, the 8-cell
Ni-MH battery pack included with the Blade CP has a nominal rating of 9.6
volts, 650mAh, while the recommended 860–1320mAh
Li-Po packs have a nominal voltage rating of 11.1 volts (an increase of roughly
15% in voltage, and a 30–100% increase in capacity). Due to these increases
in power and duration, you MUST change to a main motor with a smaller pinion than
the motor with 10
So which main motor with pinion gear should you use? That
is best determined by exactly how you plan on flying your Blade CP. If you plan
on simply flying with the included flat bottom
main rotor blades , the 370-motor with
an 8-tooth pinion is definitely the way to go. If you plan on installing or
have installed the optional Symmetrical Main
Blade Set or the Carbon Symmetrical Main
Blade Set , then you should use a 370-Motor
with a 9-tooth pinion gear . If you continue to use the included motor with
the 10-tooth pinion when changing to 3-cell Li-Po packs for power, the combination
of the increased voltage and current draw will cause overheating problems with
the motor, which will shorten its overall useful life. Excessive heat and current
can also cause problems with the 4-in-1 speed controls as well. You should also
install a heat sink on both the main
motor and the tail motor . Remember:
heat is your enemy. For those interested in a quick and
convenient way to upgrade the Blade CP for aerobatics and inverted flying using
3-cell 860–1320mAh packs, the optional Aerobatic
Enhancement Kit, which includes a wooden symmetrical main rotor blade set,
main motor with 9-tooth pinion and heat sinks for both the main and tail motors
is an excellent choice. 
Main
Rotor Blades Speaking of the symmetrical
main rotor blade sets, these are definitely going to be the hot ticket if you
are looking to perform aerobatics like loops, rolls or inverted flying with your
Blade CP. As mentioned earlier, there are two different versions of the symmetrical
blades: the standard wood set and the carbon fiber set. If you are an experienced
pilot, you will definitely want to consider giving the Carbon
Main Rotor Blades a try. They are more efficient, helping the rotor develop
more head speed as the surfaces of the blades are smoother for less induced drag
and they are stiffer too. If you are into flying all-out aerobatics, the carbon
blades allow the Blade CP to ‘cut’ faster, hold position better, and
generally be more responsive. 
If
you happen to crash your Blade CP, there are several things that you should look
over before taking to the air again, such as your main rotor blades. While the
outer covering may look to be intact, the blades could have been damaged under
the covering where you’re not able to see it. Even if damage is visible,
you should not simply repair a damaged blade; you need to replace it. Flying with
a questionable or repaired set of main rotor blades is dangerous as they could
fail unexpectedly in flight, potentially causing bodily harm to yourself and others
as well as damage to the helicopter. With the relatively low cost of a replacement
main rotor blade set when compared to the replacement cost of an new airframe
or other parts, your best investment for the safety of yourself, others and the
machine is to immediately replace main rotor blades that have been damaged in
handling or in a crash.
When replacing main rotor
blades, it’s very important to replace both blades at the same time. New
main rotor blade sets come out of the package as a matched and balanced pair,
and if you only replace one blade at a time you could run into problems such as
excessive vibration. And if you are only using the flat bottom main blades that
are included stock with the Blade CP, save yourself a few dollars down the road
and just pick up the Crash Kit
whenever you need a new main rotor blade set. This convenient kit, available for
just a little more than a set of flat bottom main rotor blades, also includes
a new flybar, landing skids, and a tail rotor blade. It’s a great value! Out
of the box, there’s simply no-other ready-to-fly micro helicopter that compares
to the price and performance of the Blade CP. And whether you love the feeling
of inverted flying and aerobatics or simply desire longer flight times, the Blade
CP can be configured to fly just about any way you like!
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