Schumaker Drive CJ FPV with failed autorotation

GPS and I stopped by Schumaker Drive in Cave Junction for some FPV filming and flying near Cave Junction. I took the first flight and all went well until during an autorotation recovery attempt the helicopter had no power and just kept falling, did not hurt the helicopter so much, but my wooden camera mount broke up. No big loss as that was it's job anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEccnqwMw_U&hd=1

GOT IT! I figured it out! Jeeeeeeez, it was so simple! Just in-experienced pilot error, there is something in this video that I have never done before. It just took a beer and then I got all NTSB with the playback and the volume turned way up........

Loooooong Autorotation, that was the longest auto I have ever done, 12 full seconds...... So what? well it was so long with the throttle closed that the ESC went back into soft start mode! When I did not get the response that I was expecting (rapid immediate spool up), I just chose the path you would with a dead motor and lowered the collective and let it sink instead of stalling the blades and dropping it. It was too far out to try a last second flare and all that stuff, so I just let it go.

I guess this is how you gain that wise experience, by experiencing total screw ups! 

Interesting!  So how exactly are you going to handle this next time?

...Tiger

Bringing the throttle up a LOT sooner would have done it, I was only 25' - 30' up when I started. But adding a little bit of throttle during descent should keep the timer reset, I will have to try this on the ground first. And learning what a 0 - usable headspeed time would be when starting in this mode would be, keep a reserve elevation of about that time.

Did you get a chance to measure your flybar?  I'm curious to hear what you find.

Here is my video with the ground slap and dangling video camera.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CluGE2c6Z1I[/youtube]

YEP! I just did that, it was off center (weights and all) by .158"! nearly 3/16" of an inch, huge. Thanks for spotting that, I just spooled up in my living room and it is much smoother, I have it within about .006" center right now.

I did strip two servos, that is why I had a hard time hovering on the second flight.

Maybe you will have less vibration induced jello now.

I dug around a bit looking for those servo gears and did not find them, but I did find a tail shaft with the belt drive pulley and a couple tail servo pushrod guides.  If you can use them they are yours.