Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+ Picco Z clone help

[BoneyskinX5]

Well I'm the owner of a Picco Z (if they're still called that) clone. However this time, the clone is not in the shape of a helicopter, but of an astronaut. I got it for free, so thats all that matters. Anywho, the instruction manual is in the worst translation to english I have ever seen, and I have not the slightest clue to operate this. I kind of got it actually, but I'm sure this has the same PCB and motor setup as a Picco Z. Any quick mods I can do? And how can I make it more responsive moving it left and right? Thanks fellows

This post has been edited by BoneyskinX5: Jul 31 2009, 06:50 PM

[UmiRyuzuki]

Weighting the front for foward flight is typically the only mod I have done.
I also tried twisting the tail rotor for some down wash for forward flight, but
that seemed to make the heli a bit unstable...

You might try pitching the tail rotor a bit more. and then retrimming the controls. It should make the yaw quicker to respond.

[BoneyskinX5]

Hmm well I lightened mine significantly and I added a little weight and a much bigger tail for stablitiy but I can't quite seem to get a good right movement, it turns left perfect, actually too perfect and too strong that if I hold it to the left it'll just go to an uncontrollable tumble. Any way to make it go better to the right?

[baratacus]

if you can't adjust it on the trim control on the controler you twist the tail boom a little bit.. I don't remember which way makes it go which direction, but you just give it a little twist, not very much or you'll break the boom.

[BoneyskinX5]

Yeah I tried to do that and It only provided me with really ridiculous foward trust. It's kind of better now, and I kind of OD on the weight reduction, it's just down to the lipo and PCB, there is no body what so ever. I don't know why it's not turning right though. Like sometimes it turned right, but its real slow and gradually.
here's the thing:
http://tinypic.com/r/2nol91/3

if i put a faster rotor motor would it turn much quicker?

This post has been edited by BoneyskinX5: Aug 2 2009, 04:07 PM

[UmiRyuzuki]

What if you put the propeller on backward?

[BoneyskinX5]

What if you put the propeller on backward?

nononono! It only fits one way! i kind of got it fixed now, but it kind of "stalls" in turns for some reason. It moves perfectly equally left and right but it kind of like does a little stop into the turn and then goes lol.

[baratacus]

the reason why when you twisted it you got a lot of forward thrust was because you twisted it too far and the rear rotor was blowing downward, causing the tail to lift and the nose to drop. check to make sure your prop on the tail isn't cracked. If it is replace it. if it's not you can give it more thrust by bending the prop a little. Don't flex it too much or you WILL crack it. It's all about tiny adjustments.
Hanging that Giant flag down there will help keep it straight, but it has to fight against that when you want it to turn. I had picoo heli's that had no tail fin at all and they could fly straight.
Going lighter is the only way to go with these to make them better. The motors and batts and electrics are strong enough to opperate it with ample power at their stock weight so shaving weight means even more reserve power. The only problem is that there's not a lot of resolution to the throttle at the lower speeds.

You won't find a stronger 4mm motor than the one they use. If you put a LARGER stronger one on there it won't get the current it needs and it will be excessively heavy. That will give you a big underpowered motor weighing down your tail that you will need to balance out by adding weight up front. Mario tried to over-screw the design of this picoo-z heli by making stronger rotor components. Since it was heavier, he had to add a bigger battery so it could fly longer and get more current to the motor. That made it even heavier. Then he needed bigger motors to lift it and then had to put larger FETs in to make up for the larger motors current draw... etc... etc... untill he had a helo mod kit that was a lot larger and heavier and was eventually just a kit you could buy to make one of HIS helo's out of the picoo-z. If people wanted a Mario helo, silverlit would be mass producing those right now and all the chinese knock offs would as well.

The picoo-z can go super light and still be pretty stable. The new ones are almost half the size of the originals and can fit inside a compartment on the charger!

This post has been edited by baratacus: Aug 2 2009, 11:05 PM

[BoneyskinX5]

the reason why when you twisted it you got a lot of forward thrust was because you twisted it too far and the rear rotor was blowing downward, causing the tail to lift and the nose to drop.  check to make sure your prop on the tail isn't cracked.  If it is replace it.  if it's not you can give it more thrust by bending the prop a little.  Don't flex it too much or you WILL crack it.    It's all about tiny adjustments. 
Hanging that Giant flag down there will help keep it straight, but it has to fight against that when you want it to turn.  I had picoo heli's that had no tail fin at all and they could fly straight. 
Going lighter is the only way to go with these to make them better.  The motors and batts and electrics are strong enough to opperate it with ample power at their stock weight so shaving weight means even more reserve power.  The only problem is that there's not a lot of resolution to the throttle at the lower speeds.

You won't find a stronger 4mm motor than the one they use.  If you put a LARGER stronger one on there it won't get the current it needs and it will be excessively heavy.  That will give you a big underpowered motor  weighing down your tail that you will need to balance out by adding weight up front.  Mario tried to over-screw the design of this picoo-z heli by making stronger rotor components.  Since it was heavier, he had to add a bigger battery so it could fly longer and get more current to the motor.  That made it even heavier.  Then he needed bigger motors to lift it and then had to put larger FETs in to make up for the larger motors current draw... etc... etc... untill he had a helo mod kit that was a lot larger and heavier and was eventually just a kit you could buy to make one of HIS helo's out of the picoo-z.    If people wanted a Mario helo, silverlit would be mass producing those right now and all the chinese knock offs would as well. 

The picoo-z can go super light and still be pretty stable.  The new ones are almost half the size of the originals and can fit inside a compartment on the charger!

Yeah that giant flag was what the problem was lol, I made a better tail fin or whatever that resembles that of stock and I got the majority of my right turning ablities back. I'm trying to make mine lighter, but it comes in at 10.1grams (im not sure how far off my scale is)? thats almost about stock, so its not a major difference. I think I gained weight when I put a plastic support so I can tape the PCB and Lipo together, but its almost the weight of the original styrofoam body! not sure how that happened.
And I don't know who that mario guy is, but all of that seems way silly. how big of a motor did he use? Like, zipzap sized ones?
There are new smaller picco Z's?! I gotta see this, where available?

[baratacus]

here's a link to the airhogs site. Theres a few companies that make the 3 channel helo, but silverlit/airhogs is the only one making a single rotor adjustable pitch. They also make a dual rotor, heavy lifter style helo. I don't see it on their website though. http://www.airhogs.com/

[BoneyskinX5]

Whats the best prop for the tail rotor? I'm going through the stock ones like crazy. will i be able to turn better with a bigger prop? in that case i'll just get a carbon one thats equivalent in weight to the original prop..
And how do i fix the flimsyness around where the motor mount meets the rest of the rear assembly (if that makes sense)? the tail of my picco feels really flimsy and im sure it moves around in flight.

This sub micro heli stuff is real fun.

This post has been edited by BoneyskinX5: Aug 5 2009, 06:19 PM

[baratacus]

I dunno.... my picooz's never felt flimsy in the tail... maybe the carbon rod is loose? Some CA glue will firm it up but you won't have any adjustment once you glue it. You'd have to tweak it right where you want it and then glue. Some tape will hold it in place and is adjustable and less permanent. but its heavy and not as solid. The stock tail rotor prop is perfect, You must be pretty rough on them to be going through them so much.