Blade mSR notes

Training Wheels

Definitely get this set of training wheels if you're just starting out.  It will pay for itself in no time.  You can drop the unit from quite a distance, and it will bounce on the training wheels with no problem. They're about the width of the blades as well, so it can keep you from grinding your blades into the wall when you get too close.  I like keeping them on all the time now... the X arms are neat looking IMHO.

They're about $4.  Of course, I didn't have anything else to order, so I also paid $6 shipping.  They should put a note about these on the mSR product page.

        EFLH3023 Carbon Fiber Training Gear Set: Blade MCX, MCX2, MSR

I secured the legs with a drop of CA.  I've bounced the thing enough times to make the white foam balls become loose.  CA (a very tiny drop) worked to put them back in order.  When you're gluing the legs, be sure you've got the tiny rubber bands in place, and DONT let them  fall into the glue.  Tape them up until the glue is dry.  I didn't do this, but a bit of black thread works nicely to hold everything in position.

Transmitter

I'm using my DX6i, so I dialed in some expo which made it much more manageable as I was learning.

Book

J. Salt has written a number of useful (by all accounts) helicopter ebooks.  I bought a copy of Getting the Most out of your Blade mSR and 120 SR and learned a lot about helicopters in general as well as some nice tuning and radio setup tips.

Battery

I really like the Turnigy Nanotech 138 mAh battery with this unit.  It fits just right, and maintains the COG well.  I tried the 160 mAh, but it seemed like it was stretching out the battery mounts.

Motor Replacement

I had to replace my motor pretty early on... after I did, it flew a lot better.  Here's the motor:

    EFLITE BLADE MSR EFLH3003 CORELESS MAIN MOTOR W/ PINION

I got it from this ebay vendor:

        http://myworld.ebay.com/38oceanss/?_trksid=p4340.l2559

A lot of people order the replacement motor for the Parkzone Sukhoi.

People have reported using the HobbyKing replacement motor for the Solo Pro 2.  You need to keep the old pinion and swap it out.  It's pretty reasonable, about $4 and 17g shipping weight. I'm going to get one on my next order and keep it as a spare.

Blade mSR: Motor Replacement

 The motor on my Blade mSR started getting weak:

• losing lift.
• blades needed a flick to get started.

Consulting RCGroups, the diagnosis was a new main motor replacement.  I ordered a replacement motor from 38oceanss on eBay.  Delivery was quick and replacement was quick and easy.

 First, detach the canopy.  The little grommets pull off the mainframe, and stay attached to the canopy.  Here you can see the first grommet coming off.

Pulling on both sides worked pretty well.  Press your thumbs against the frame and "pinch" the grommets and canopy off.

Here you can see the port side grommets.  They stay quite attached to the canopy.  If you're pulling hard enough on the canopy for the grommets to become loose, reposition your fingers so that you're pulling against the grommets.

With the canopy removed you can see the motor and motor wire.  The motor wire is attached with an L-shaped connector, and the wire goes down the front of the main card.

 Detach the landing gear so you can get a good grip on the bottom of the mainframe.  It's all a bit delicate, so be careful not to grip the card, the servos, and especially any of the tiny wires.  Especially watch out for the antenna wire on the top right (facing forward) of the main board.

 Disconnect the motor wire.  It will slide out easily.

 Here's the tricky part.  Use needle nose pliers to hold the motor, and apply gentle traction.  Wiggle the motor gently and it will start to slide out.  Be careful, the pliers are right next to the servo rods.  Don't break them off!

 After the old motor has been pulled out, use your fingers to push the new motor in.  It will slide in smoothly.  Line up the pinion with the main rotor gear and make sure everything spins smoothly.

 Attach the new motor connector to the main board with the same orientation as the old connector.  The wire will go down and not up.  Power up the unit and check to make sure everything is operating smoothly before reattaching the canopy.

Any use for an old motor?