Honey Bee King V2
|
 |
Esky's Honey Bee King V2 is enjoying deserved success because it has almost everything you want in a micro heli for a reasonable price.
Mostly it's about the belt-drive tail. When RC pilots fly the Blade CP/Pro or Honey Bee CP/2 they constantly wrangle with tiny tail motors that aren't strong enough to hold the tail in wind and burn out in flight. So they try dual tail motors; stronger tail motors; brushless tail motors. Or they move to a belt-drive, also known as a 'driven tail'.
Enter the King V2. It is slightly bigger than the 300 class represented by the Blades and Honey Bee CP but not by much. It is small enough to be a park flyer—with precision and reliability that tail motors don't provide—when you set it up right. Construction is very light and plastic head parts make this helicopter fragile. If you dump it you can count on breaking it. Tail boom diameter is 9 mm compared to the Trex 12 mm. The tail belt is narrow so get the tension right and inspect regularly for wear. As it comes out of the box the center of gravity (CG) is hard to locate correctly using the stock Esky 1000 mah li-po battery. But you will not be using the stock battery very long.
The stock brushed motor is a dog and must go. Insufficient power. Runs hotter than a two-dollar pistol. And wears out shockingly fast. Some people fly it two or three times before they decide to chuck it. Others buy a King from JAG Hobbies because they offer a package with brushless power installed. Or buy a King ready to fly or even without electronics ('bare bones') and install the motor of choice. Yours truly bought a barely used King from a fellow fanatic on RCgroups.com that came with a brushless in-runner. Add an Otter 35 amp ESC that happened to be on hand and bingo! Power to spare ... except the Esky battery isn't enough for that much motor. What it needs is a 3s 1350 mah, 12 or 15 C, lithium-polymer (li-po) battery. Three of them actually, to fly for 20 - 30 minutes. And the helicopter balances okay with a 1350 in the nose, although many King fliers use 1500 mah batteries.
King V2 useful modifications
- Brushless motor and ESC
- Batteries to match
- Heading hold gyro and tail servo
- Battery tray - to move the CG forward when using smaller batteries.
Let's talk about gyro's. There are a lot to choose from. Some tried-and-true choices are the Telebee, Futaba, Logitech, and new lost-cost variants such the GY400 and 401b. Esky offers a 'professional' heading hold (HH) gyro but it does not work as well as the ones listed above. My King has had a Telebee HH gyro and a Futaba GY240 and GY401. In concert with a decent gyro you need a lightweight tail servo with good centering and enough torque to control the tail pitch. Right now I am dialing in a Futaba 3154 digital servo. The Futaba 401 gyro offers both analog and digital signals to the servo. Digital servos respond faster and have more 'steps' of movement, technically called higher resolution. They also consume more power and can run hot if not set up properly.
You can also get a fiberglas main frame set for the King and CNC aluminum head and tail mechanical parts. These items weigh quite a bit more than the plastic stock parts but some people just gotta have that bling.
For extensive discussions of set-up and modifications visit these King V2 threads on RCgroups.com and HeliFreak.com:
Mods & Upgrades • Owner's Lounge • King II SupportIf you have not flown RC before the King is a steep first step. Because it is heavier than the Walkera #4 or other fixed pitch heli, and heavier than the Blade CP/Pro it has good stability while hovering and the belt-drive tail holds well. But because it is lightly built and a CP heli it is less forgiving if you tip it over, slam it down in a hard landing, or crash. Fitted with a brushless motor it is powerful so the throttle must be applied precisely.
If you have some experience the King flies well and is a nice step up from the smaller micros. Although 3D pilots say it is necessary to increase tail power, in level flight the directional control (yaw) is very adequate. The popularity of this helicopter is due to it's low cost and easily available and affordable spare parts, predictable flight characteristics, reliability, and the suitability of many upgrade parts to turn it into an aerobatic tiger.
Honey Bee King V2 first flight. |