Parameter menu point D
At Parameter menu point D the rudder rate consistency can be adjusted. This parameter comes into play when the tail gyro is operated in HeadingLock mode. It determines how hard the tail gyro tries to maintain a given rotation rate from the transmitter. If the rate consistency is too low, pirouettes will be inconsistent during fast forward flight or in crosswind conditions and the helicopter will slowly drift on the vertical axis when in stationary hovering flight with crosswinds. If on the other hand the setting is too high, the tail gyro will respond delayed to fast directional changes and the rudder stick control does feel very inprecise. Also the tail might bounce back slowly after stopping from a rotational movement and commute gently while hovering or flying around. So only adjust this parameter as high as necessary.
Parameter menu point D only adjusts some part of the tail gyro control loop. First of all, you must adjust the tail gyro gain in the transmitter and use it to switch the gyro to HeadingLock mode.
- Before adjusting the rudder rate consistency always try to find the maximum amount of tail gyro gain by flying around and using the tail gyro in HeadingLock mode.
- After adjusting the rudder rate consistency it might be necessary to readjust the tail gyro gain! Both parameters interact to each other.
The currently selected value is indicated by the Status-LED color and state. Move the rudder stick into one direction until the Status-LED lights in the desired color.
| Status-LED | Rudder rate consistency |
|---|---|
| purple | very low |
| red flashing | low |
| red | medium |
| blue flashing | high |
| blue | very high |
| off | user defined |
The option “user defined” allows you to choose your own setting that can be edited by using the StudioX software bundle and the separately available USB2SYS interface.
Additional information
Please note that poor tail performance very often may be a sign of a stiff tail mechanics, slop in the tail linkage or an inadequate rudder servo! The tail rotor system in this case does not react as precise as necessary and hinders the tail gyro from working properly. If you cannot increase the rudder rate consistency further than “very low“ or “low“ without the tail rotor starting to slowly oscillate or bounce after doing a full stop, it is very likely that there is a mechanical issue. Also if on the other hand the tail does not turn constantly at high speeds or not turn around at all even in the setting „very high“, then again this may be due to a mechanical cause.
Make sure that the maximum blade pitch at the tail rotor neither is too large nor too small. A large pitch angle can lead to a stall of the tail rotor blades. Then the tail rotor produces hardly any thrust, similar to a very small angle. Also check the entire tail mechanics running smooth and without binding. Make sure that the rudder servo is strong enough and that it is supplied with sufficient power (long supply leads cause high voltage loss!). Check that the rudder servo does not get powerless at maximum servo deflection. This can happen if the pulse range of the servo is exceeded. The cause for lacking tail thrust also can be that the tail rotor blades are too small or too soft, or because the rotation speed of the tail rotor is too low!
To gain better tail gyro performance also check for correct servo horn length. If the tail gain in general is very low and the rudder tends to oscillate very easy move the linkage ball on the servo horn further inwards to the center. If on the other hand you have a very large amount of tail gain and the tail gyro still does not seem to be capable to hold the tail rotor in any flight condition, move the linkage ball on the servo horn further out from the center, to get faster response speed when the gyro needs to control the rudder. Do not change the rudder rate consistency at menu point D in case the tail gyro does not hold well when abrupt direction changes occur as in general the rudder rate consistency does not compensate for quick changes.
Push the button to save the configuration and to proceed to Parameter menu point E.