Setting up the 401 Gyro and improving tail performance

[turkana]

Hi
I have often been asked how to improve or help in Gyro setups on Helicopters. since this seems to be some kind of tricky at times. Well I have now decided to try to give some tips and tricks on the Futaba 401 and improving tail performance.Lets me start with some general points.

1: Use a decently fast servo for your tail, preverably a digital servo with speeds from 0.05-0.10sec
2: Make sure that there is no or as less as possible slop in your Tailcontrol system
3:The tailcontroll should be smoth as silk and is not allowed to be hard to move ,nor notchy.
4:Gyro should be mounted to the supplied gyropad and as far away as possible from vibes(I will get to that point later).

So far so good to the general setup. Now to the tips concerning the 401!
As said bevor mount the Gyro to the supplied gyropad. If you secure it, do not tie it down with a tierap,that will cause the vibes to come right through.
Now to the setup!
Make sure all mixes in the radio are off!Trim on tail set to middle.Install Gyro as written in the 401 manual.
1: Set delay pot to 0
2this point is diffrent from the manual)! Set the pot limit to 120!
3:Instead of adjusting your limits with the pot you do not touch it anymore, leave it at 120 !
4:Now, if you have to adjust your limits on the tail, only do that mechanicaly with the length of the servoarm.If you are not at the end of travel use a longer servoarm(or outer hole). If you are binding shorten the servoarm, till your travel is fine.
So far for the setup on the heli.
Now to hovering adjustments.
Always initialise(switch on ) the 401 in HH mode, you can change to normal mode after initialisation, but always initialise in HH. During initialisation do not move the heli!
1: Initialise in HH
2:switch to normal mode
3:Start hovering heli, tail will probably tend to drift into a direction,trimm tail on transmitter till there is no more drifting!That can mean alot of trimm on the radio, it does not matter!
4epending on your flying skills you can now rapidly switch between HH and normal mode(at least 5 times in 2-3 seconds), while heli is in Hover, so the 401 memorises the new neutral positions on the trimms you adjusted in point 3
5:Or you can land the heli, switch the Gyro off and reinitialise it in HH mode, doing that the 401 will also memorise the new neutral position.
6: Thats is, have fun.You can take the sensitivity up now until the tail wags, then reduce it again gradualy till wag stops and you are good.
7: Never Trimm the 401 in HH mode, never!!

If you want to improve Gyro performance, espacialy on small helis like the T Rex you can install "chinese wheights" on the Tailblade grips, that will reduce the load on the servo and help it with speed, performance. The mod looks like this(attachments).
Another tip is if you want to keep vibes away from the Gyro do not wrap protective tape etc all the way up the leads to the Gyro, that will cause the wires to be stiff and transfer the vibes directly to the gyro, always leave the leads 3- 5 cm without wrapping!

The 401 is a exelllent Gyro when set up prperly and for aerobatics, sports flying and even high level 3 D and there is no need for high cost Gyros like 601 and 611, spartan etc exept you are a high level competition 3 d hotshot(but thats my piece of cake!)
I hope I could shed some light on 401 setup and help, if there are questions do not hesitate to ask, if I am at the field I am also happy to help.Have a good week! Regards Pete

[PaulG-rc]

Thanks Peter
I have played so much with Gyro's in the past year and seen what they can do or cause and you got it right on the point