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Bell 407 / Chadwick Vxp............


Cambox
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Anyone out there been using the VXP on their 407? What kind of luck have you been having with it etc? Any tricks I should know about?

 

Thanks,

R...

 

Cambox, you must be from the B47 days.

 

My friend Dana at the below listed company probably knows as much about the balancer that you are talking about as the inventor Bill Chadwick. We started using the systems at "Viking" back in the 70's. Dana worked for Canadian Aeromotive, which was owned by Larry C (RIP) at the time.

 

She is the Canadian expert and I mean expert and can be reached at:

 

danaladd@hopeaero.ca

905 677 8747

 

Cheers Don

 

 

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Hi Don,

 

Glad to hear you're still out there!

 

Yes, we've come a distance from the 47s and and grease in a piece of rubber hose on a pole to track them!

 

Just got the VXP to do our new 407 and had Dana out to teach us how to use it........ All went well until the first run when the equipment told us to tab up the climbing blade and all kinds of other questionable changes. Dana thought there must be something wrong with the software and she had to go back home....... Spent the last two days trying to get the ship smooth, more by guess than by faith in the equipment. A bit more challanging than a 2 bladed system for sure!

 

Been a long time since Eric Maule and Canadian Airmotive!

 

Rick

 

Cambox, you must be from the B47 days.

 

My friend Dana at the below listed company probably knows as much about the balancer that you are talking about as the inventor Bill Chadwick. We started using the systems at "Viking" back in the 70's. Dana worked for Canadian Aeromotive, which was owned by Larry C (RIP) at the time.

 

She is the Canadian expert and I mean expert and can be reached at:

 

danaladd@hopeaero.ca

905 677 8747

 

Cheers Don

 

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Had the training from dana over 10 years ago...had the same problem trying to do tailrotors...2 bladed jobies...more softwear problems...never did get it fiquired out...that was on the 8500..could do it faster with the old chadwick...haven't seen one now in over 10 years..using rads...and with it is not exact science...a lot of guessing and trial and error.... :rolleyes:

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The 407 head is a strange one. I've balanced a lot of helicopters but, the 407 seems to do some strange things. Even with the "new" mast that eliminates the middle cones and reduced the chance of the hub shifting. Not sure why some of the moves work....

 

Dana should know where the polar chart that Jim Fackler made about 15 years ago can be found. I have a copy somewhere, it makes sense out of some of the moves. Never been a big fan of the RADS.

 

On the 407 I usually get some chicken feet, a bat wing and some goat blood, toss with the head weights and see what happens. I don't understand why the moves seem to be so much different than the 350. Both are similar heads.....(fiberglass and rubber)

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MY take on the 407 is its the blades..they are very inconsistant in their make up...not to mention you have to paint the bottom of the blades for the tracker to work and who knows if the paint went on even....have flown 407 for 10 years and we get Bell to do the tracking most of the time...he reads the box and I do the adjusting and flying....the trim tabs are almost impossible to bend and they like to crack..ours are in for repairs...all 4...will see how things go :rolleyes:

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Hey Pottsy.........

 

Thought I might have made the wrong choice with the VXP, but does't sound like the RADS etc is really any better?? Thoughts???

 

R...

 

 

MY take on the 407 is its the blades..they are very inconsistant in their make up...not to mention you have to paint the bottom of the blades for the tracker to work and who knows if the paint went on even....have flown 407 for 10 years and we get Bell to do the tracking most of the time...he reads the box and I do the adjusting and flying....the trim tabs are almost impossible to bend and they like to crack..ours are in for repairs...all 4...will see how things go :rolleyes:

 

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the trick with RADS is to edit out the tab solution and just go with weights and flats..

 

the RADS will come up with a new solution if you edit out a parameter.

 

one thing to remember is the temperature limit with RADS (cannot do the 130 or 140 unless you have a minimum OAT). you will be chasing it all over *ells half acre if you do not follow.

 

should be able to get smooth as glass in 4 flights.

 

 

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I wonder if the same "trick" would work with the VXP? Anyone tried it?

 

I knew about the airspeed OAT limitation, but thanks for the reminder......

 

The four flights, I'm not sure about; the last time we used the RADS equipment with the Bell rep, it took most of a day, but we did get it pretty smooth.

 

R...

 

 

the trick with RADS is to edit out the tab solution and just go with weights and flats..

 

the RADS will come up with a new solution if you edit out a parameter.

 

one thing to remember is the temperature limit with RADS (cannot do the 130 or 140 unless you have a minimum OAT). you will be chasing it all over *ells half acre if you do not follow.

 

should be able to get smooth as glass in 4 flights.

 

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