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| Issue 32 (February 2009) |
Words: Ryan Kephart |
Curtis Youngblood, the father of modern 3D flight, is known to design products that perform well. His company has made everything from exhaust pipes to governors. This month we are reviewing his Solid G heading hold gyro and testing it in JR's newest 50-sized helicopter, the Vibe 50. The Solid G gyro is small and offers extensive programming using the G-View programming tool. Will the Solid G perform like their other products? Will it stack up against other top gyros?
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Introduction
Curtis Youngblood, the father of modern 3D flight, is known to design products that perform well. His company has made everything from exhaust pipes to governors. This month we are reviewing his Solid G heading hold gyro and testing it in JR's newest 50-sized helicopter, the Vibe 50. The Solid G gyro is small and offers extensive programming using the G-View programming tool. Will the Solid G perform like their other products? Will it stack up against other top gyros?
Features
The Solid G features heading lock capability for both hard 3D maneuvers and precision flying. This gyro can be used in combination with various tail servos, which include the JR 8900g, 8700g, Futaba 9254, 9256, and any standard servo. The gyro is encased in hard plastic, which is coated with a chrome finish. The sensor is the same size as a Futaba GY401 and it includes a small lightweight amp. The amp provides basic programming functions to get you set up quickly. If you would like a more detailed setup, the G-View s will provide all the advanced features to make your setup perfect. Programming the Solid G with the G-View is a cinch. Plug the gyro in and select what helicopter you're flying. The G-View lists several helicopters that are pre programmed to give you a rock-solid tail without having to make a lot of adjustments. The G-View can also be used to fine-tune the gyro. The Solid G has adjustable rebound, coast, piro gain, piro speed, piro offset, and much more. The Solid G is rated for up to 7 volts, which is higher than any tail servo on the market. The Solid G claims to be one of the most consistent piro rate gyros. Will the claim live up to its name?
Testing
Testing of the Solid G was performed on the JR Vibe 50 with the stock tail blades and a JR 8900g tail servo. The Solid G includes the sensor, amp, gyro tape, and a strap to wrap over the sensor. Installing the Solid G is similar to installing the Futaba GY611. I placed the sensor on the gyro mount and wrapped the strap loosely around the gyro. I then mounted the amp and proceeded to program the gyro. I wanted to check both types of setup, so I opted to first set up the helicopter using the manual menu on the amp. The manual does a great job telling you how to get into program mode and what the flashing lights mean on the amp. Going through the manual process involved selecting what type of servo I was using, gyro direction, left end point adjustment, and finally right end point adjustment. It was fast and simple to set up the heli with only a few adjustments on the transmitter. The piro rate and gain was set on the radio, and then it was time for some flight tests.
I started with a gain around the mid 70's and worked my way up until the tail started wagging. I then backed off a couple of points and took to the sky, throwing everything I had at it. I started a test with pirouetting in both directions to see if the speed of the piro was consistent. The tail performed flawlessly, and no variation in speed was noticed. Spinning the tail and quickly stopping the helicopter resulted in a minor bounce back known as "rebound". I tried to eliminate this problem by lowering the gain a bit, but the problem still existed.
I decided to try out some hard collective moves while spinning the tail. I pulled the nose up 90 degrees, fed full rudder input and slammed the collective. The piro remained consistent through the full pull without changing speed or whipping around. I was truly amazed how well this gyro held the tail. Next, I wanted to try some high speed backwards flight and began by performing a very fast Hurricane. The tail held without blowing out even when I tried bogging the head down while exiting the move.
The gyro held better than I thought when I programmed it in manual mode. I was anxious to see if I could remove the rebound issue with the G-View, so I landed and proceeded to program the advanced features with the addition of this handy tool.
Programming the Solid G gyro using the G-View is a lot like programming the ATG governor from the same company. The simple procedure only took about a minute or two. I tried softening up the rebound by increasing the left and right coast/rebound value. This will allow the tail to remain still as soon as I release the tail input. I went through the rest of the setup, adjusting the stopping force, piro gain, and other key features to see how well the tail would perform. I took the Vibe back out and noticed that the feel of the tail improved dramatically. The rebound was gone and the tail stopped exactly where I wanted it to without any problems. Piro rates to the left and the right were spot on. Piro Flips became much easier to accomplish, as the tail never changed speed throughout the flips. The Solid G did its job without any problems and programming it with the G-View could have not been easier.
Conclusion
Flying the Solid G was nothing less then a pleasure. I enjoyed the consistent piro rates and loved the way the tail would stop on a dime when doing 4-point Tic-Tocks. I believe this gyro ranks with the best of them. The G-View is a must-have in my opinion. It allows easy programming and the ability to set up the tail to meet your needs. . The G-View can also be used on other Curtis Youngblood products, so you can manage both your gyro and governor. With the reasonable price of $195.00, this gyro would be perfect for any sized helicopter, whether you are a beginner or and advanced pilot.
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HITS
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•Advanced programming features
•G-View compatible
•Very consistent piro rates
•Can be used with any tail servo
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MISSES
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•For optimum performance you must purchase a G-View
MANUFACTURER: Curtis Youngblood
PART NUMBER(S): Solid G
STREET PRICE: $195
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