Flight parameters
Mit den Punkten C bis K des PARAMETERMENÜs können Feineinstellungen am System vorgenommen und das Flugverhalten des Helikopters an die persönlichen Vorlieben des Piloten angepasst werden. Für den Erstflug muss hier im Normalfall nichts verändert werden.
Einstellung am Gerät
Wenn das BEASTX System betriebsbereit ist, halte den Taster kurz gedrückt, bis die Menü-LED neben Punkt A schnell zu blinken anfängt, und lasse den Taster wieder los. Dadurch wird das PARAMETERMENÜ aufgerufen. Die blinkende LED neben Punkt A steht für Einstellpunkt A. (Wenn die LED neben Punkt A dauerhaft leuchtet, ist hingegen das SETUPMENÜ geöffnet!) Einzelne Punkte können übersprungen werden, indem wiederholt kurz auf den Knopf gedrückt wird, bis die LED den gewünschten Punkt anzeigt. Üblicherweise lassen sich die Einstelloptionen am jeweiligen Punkt durch Antippen des Hecksteuerknüppels nach links/rechts verändern. Farbe und Zustand der Status-LED geben an, welche Option gewählt ist. Über die StudioX Flow App lassen sich die Werte meist in noch feineren Stufen einstellen. In diesem Fall ist die Status-LED aus, wenn die Einstellung keiner der Vorgaben entspricht. Über das Menü am Gerät kann jederzeit wieder eine der Vorgaben gewählt werden, die benutzerdefinierte Einstellung wird dann gelöscht.
Wenn Du die Bankumschaltung verwendest (nur mit PROEDITION Firmware), können über das Menü am Gerät nur die Einstellungen für Parameterbank 1 verändert werden. Die Parameter der Bänke 2 und 3 müssen über die StudioX Flow App eingestellt werden. Wenn die Bankumschaltung nicht verwendet wird, werden übrigens immer die Einstellungen von Bank 1 verwendet!
Setup with StudioX Flow
Please note that editing parameters is only possible once the device has completed initialization. So as long as the system is not in operation mode, the button to open the "Parameters" section is greyed out. If it does not complete the initialization sequence, check the device status shown in the middle of the screen. If the system does not finish "Receiver init", check the receiver settings and radio setup. If the system does not finish "Sensor init", make sure it is standing perfectly still and that the power supply is stable.
Click the "Parameters" button. You will find the special parameters mentioned above under "Bank 1 - Parameters". You can edit them using the given adjustment buttons. When using the Bank Switching feature (only with PROEDITION firmware), you can set parameters for banks 2 and 3 accordingly and switch between those settings in flight. When bank switching is deactivated, you can only set parameters for bank 1, as this is the default bank.
Parameter explanation
Speed flight stability (Point C)
In fast forward flight, apply jerky collective pitch inputs to test this parameter. The helicopter should mainly remain in its horizontal flight path during climbing and descending. If the nose of the helicopter is pitching up and down heavily like a swimming dolphin, increase the setting to compensate for this effect. But if the value is too high, the helicopter might feel sluggish and lazy. So it's best to try finding the lowest suitable setting. Note that the Cyclic Gain must also be set as high as possible. Otherwise the pitching up may just be the result of too little reaction from the gyro system in general.
If the helicopter is still pitching up at the highest value and maximum possible cyclic gain, check whether the swashplate has enough cyclic throw at high collective pitch values, or use faster and stronger servos and rotor blades with very neutral phasing (for example blades specifically designed for flybarless helis).
| Status-LED | Speed flight stability |
|---|---|
| purple | very low |
| red flashing | low |
| red | medium |
| blue flashing | high |
| blue | very high |
Rudder rate consistency (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 value is set 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 with a delay to fast directional changes, and the rudder stick control will feel very imprecise. Additionally, the tail might bounce slowly after stopping a rotational movement and oscillate gently while hovering or flying around. So only adjust this parameter as high as necessary.
Parameter menu point D only adjusts part of the tail gyro control loop. First of all, you must adjust the tail gyro gain via 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 with each other.
| Status-LED | Rudder rate consistency |
|---|---|
| purple | very low |
| red flashing | low |
| red | medium |
| blue flashing | high |
| blue | very high |
Additional information
Please note that poor tail performance is very often a sign of stiff tail mechanics, slop in the tail linkage, or an inadequate rudder servo! In this case the tail rotor system does not react as precisely as necessary and prevents 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 oscillate slowly or bounce after coming to a full stop, it is very likely that there is a mechanical issue. Likewise, if the tail does not turn consistently at high speeds, or does not turn at all even with the "very high" setting, this may again be due to a mechanical cause.
Make sure that the maximum blade pitch at the tail rotor is neither too large nor too small. A large pitch angle can lead to a stall of the tail rotor blades; the tail rotor then produces hardly any thrust, similar to a very small angle. Also check that the entire tail mechanics run smoothly and without binding. Make sure the rudder servo is strong enough and supplied with sufficient power (long supply leads cause high voltage loss!). Check that the rudder servo does not lose power at maximum servo deflection - this can happen if the pulse range of the servo is exceeded. Lacking tail thrust can also be caused by tail rotor blades that are too small or too soft, or by a tail rotor speed that is too low.
For 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 easily, move the linkage ball on the servo horn further inwards towards the center. If, on the other hand, you have a very large amount of tail gain and the tail gyro still does not seem able to hold the tail rotor in any flight condition, move the linkage ball on the servo horn further out from the center to get a faster response speed when the gyro needs to control the rudder.
Do not change the rudder rate consistency at menu point D if the tail gyro does not hold well through abrupt directional changes - the rudder rate consistency does not compensate for sudden movements! In this case, increase the gyro gain (if possible) or make use of the RevoMix feature (point F).
Stick deadzone (E)
The deadzone defines the range around the very center of the stick in which the BEASTX System will not react to stick inputs. Unfortunately, some transmitters available on the market have the problem that when the sticks are brought back to the center position after a stick input, they aren't exactly at the same center position as before. This generates a continuous deviation on the corresponding function, even though the stick seems to be at mid position. This deviation is interpreted as a small input by the system, which leads to an unwanted drift on one or more axes. You can see and feel this especially in hovering flight, when the helicopter keeps turning slightly in one direction or another. This makes it difficult to hover precisely, as it is hard to find a stick position at which no input is sent to the system. This can be very dangerous, as it may cause the helicopter to tip over when trying to take off, or it can cause the pilot to lose control of the helicopter entirely! So increase the stick deadband stepwise, just until you no longer see such effects. Note that as a result of a large stick deadband there will be a wide range around the mid-stick position in which the system will not react to stick inputs - this makes the control less precise. So if using a "large" or "very large" deadband is necessary, we recommend having your transmitter checked by its manufacturer for damaged or worn stick potentiometers.
| Status-LED | Stick deadband |
|---|---|
| purple | very small |
| red flashing | small |
| red | medium |
| blue flashing | large |
| blue | very large |
Torque precompensation/RevoMix (F)
Since the BEASTX System always knows the collective and cyclic inputs, it can help the tail gyro hold the tail in position by precompensating for torque variations on the tail rotor just before any noticeable deviation occurs. This method of torque precompensation (RevoMix) relieves the tail control loop and improves tail performance, especially on helicopters with insufficient tail authority and/or extreme motor torque (e.g. overpowered electric helicopters), where the tail otherwise blows out for a short moment when a sudden collective or cyclic input is applied.
In general you can see the compensation when you move the collective or cyclic control sticks. With precompensation activated, the tail rotor produces a deflection that counteracts the rotor torque. Since at 0° pitch the main rotor produces the least torque, the tail rotor also makes the least deflection, and the tail slider is in the center position. If you move the pitch stick in either direction, or move aileron or elevator, a deflection is added to the tail rotor that acts against the torque of the main rotor. For helicopters with a clockwise rotating main rotor, the precompensation must always push the tail to the left (nose of the heli to the right). For helicopters with the main rotor turning counter-clockwise, the precompensation must push the tail to the right (nose of the heli to the left). The deflection direction stays the same for positive or negative pitch, as the torque only ever increases. So when making the adjustment, first check which direction is needed for your helicopter. Then choose the amount of precompensation from the given presets, or adjust it freely using the StudioX Flow app.
When making the adjustment at the device
The rudder servo will move directly in the direction of compensation. So you can easily see where the tail will move when adding pitch. When precompensation is set to "high", the servo will move further than with "low", giving you an additional visual reference for what you're adjusting.
| Status-LED | Torque precompensation/RevoMix |
|---|---|
| purple | off |
| red flashing | low - normal direction |
| red | high - normal direction |
| blue flashing | low - reverse direction |
| blue | high - reverse direction |
Use torque precompensation when the tail moves away in the torque direction on a sudden pitch input, even though the tail gyro gain is properly set up. Increase the amount of precompensation stepwise until the tail holds well. If the tail moves against the torque direction, the amount of precompensation is already too high. If the tail blows out even worse when torque precompensation is active, the direction of precompensation is probably wrong! If you can't find a good setting, check the mechanical conditions. Use different (larger) tail rotor blades or a higher tail rotor speed to get better holding force. Also check your tail gyro gain: if it is very low in general and the rudder tends to oscillate very easily, move the linkage ball on the servo horn further inwards towards the center; if, on the other hand, you have a very large amount of tail gain and the tail gyro still does not seem able to hold the tail rotor in any flight condition, move the linkage ball on the servo horn further out from the center to get a faster response speed when the gyro needs to control the rudder.
Torque precompensation can only be used when you have 0° of pitch set at SETUP MENU point H (servo trim)!
Cyclic response (G)
Point G lets you set how aggressively the BEASTX System responds to cyclic control commands (roll and pitch). This can reduce the usual uniform, linear control feel of flybarless systems and bring it closer to the feel of a flybarred helicopter.
If you want to use this feature, start from the "slightly increased" setting and gradually increase it until you find your ideal setting. A setting that is too high will result in uncontrollable, imprecise rotation and worsened stopping behavior for each control function. How far this feature can be adjusted without causing adverse effects depends on many factors, such as heli size, swashplate servos, main rotor blades, main rotor speed, servo power supply, and the particular heli setup.
| Status-LED | Cyclic response |
|---|---|
| purple | normal |
| red flashing | slightly increased |
| red | increased |
| blue flashing | high |
| blue | very high |
Pitch boost (H)
PARAMETER MENU point H lets you set up the collective pitch boost function. The faster you move the thrust stick, the more additional collective pitch will be applied. This can be especially useful in 3D aerobatics, where very rapid collective pitch changes are needed for certain flight maneuvers, as it dynamically reduces the required control stick deflection. However, the maximum pitch value will never be exceeded.
If the setting is too high, this can cause the rotor blades to stall on very fast collective pitch commands. The collective pitch will feel slow and spongy - precisely the opposite of the intended effect. Also note that a high setting can make pitch control imprecise and overly sensitive, as the pitch will overshoot on fast stick input.
Start from the "low" setting and gradually increase it until you find your ideal setting. How far this feature can be adjusted without causing adverse effects depends on many factors, such as maximum pitch values, pitch curve, swashplate servos, main rotor blades, rotor headspeed, and pilot skill.
| Status-LED | Pitch boost |
|---|---|
| purple | off |
| red flashing | low |
| red | medium |
| blue flashing | high |
| blue | very high |
Throttle response (I)
Use PARAMETER MENU point I to change the response of the internal Governor control. This determines how fast and how far the system opens the throttle when the rotor speed changes. Ideally the response is set as high as possible. If it is set too low, the main rotor will speed up in unloaded conditions, as the system reduces throttle too slowly. The internal Governor will also increase throttle very cautiously when the rotor is loaded, so the headspeed will drop. If, on the other hand, the response is set too high, the throttle may stutter audibly and kick in very hard, so the motor speed overshoots when the rotor head is loaded - making the headspeed even more inconsistent than with a lower setting. How high the throttle response can be set depends heavily on factors such as heli size (blade size), motor power and performance, and/or the throttle response behavior of the speed controller (when flying an electric heli). If you need to adjust the throttle response, we recommend starting with the lowest value and increasing it stepwise, just until you get the most consistent rotor headspeed. A heli with good motor power and a fast-responding speed controller (on electric helis) typically allows high throttle response values (up to "very aggressive"), which gives very consistent headspeed. Helis with less power (small nitros, gassers, scale helis) prefer low throttle response settings for softer throttle management.
| Status-LED | Throttle response |
|---|---|
| off | soft |
| purple | normal |
| red flashing | slightly increased |
| red | increased |
| blue flashing | aggressive |
| blue | very aggressive |
Slow rampup speed (J)
When using the internal Governor function, full throttle is not applied immediately when switching into idle up - instead the motor speed increases slowly until the desired headspeed is reached. At menu point J you can determine how fast this soft start occurs when the Governor is activated initially. The speed is given as the number of revolutions by which the rotor speed increases per second. The higher the value, the faster your preset headspeed will be reached. Please note that the given rates are only indicative - depending on the response of the speed controller and the inertia of the rotor system, it may actually take longer or shorter to reach the desired speed.
| Status-LED | Slow rampup speed |
|---|---|
| purple | 50 rps |
| red flashing | 100 rps |
| red | 200 rps |
| blue flashing | 300 rps |
| blue | 400 rps |
With the StudioX Flow app you have the option to disable the soft start feature, which sets the ramp-up rate to "0". This is necessary when using a speed controller with a built-in soft start feature (but without headspeed governing!). In this case the system will add half throttle immediately and wait until the speed controller has finished its spool-up, then activate governing.
Please note that you can't set a speed lower than 50 rps in StudioX Flow because of the reason noted above. Setting the speed below 50 has the same effect as setting it to 0, i.e. it disables the soft start!
Fast rampup speed (K)
When using the internal Governor function and you change the headspeed on the transmitter in flight (i.e. by switching to a different flight mode), the change will not be abrupt - instead the system increases the rotor RPM at a rate that can be adjusted here. This rate also determines how fast the rotor headspeed increases when reactivating the Governor after an autorotation maneuver (autorotation bailout). In that case, since the heli is still in the air, the normal soft start (set at point J) would take far too long for the rotor to speed up again, so this faster spool-up rate is used instead.
| Status-LED | Fast rampup speed |
|---|---|
| purple | same as slow rampup speed (J) |
| red flashing | 300 rps |
| red | 500 rps |
| blue flashing | 700 rps |
| blue | 900 rps |