The KDS flymentor is a stabilization system that will connect in
between the RX and the Servos. SImilar to a flybarless controll (but
not one). it will try to stabilize the helicopter but also auto level
it using a camera and sensors. There is an entire section over a
Helifreak dedicated to this device and I encourage you to go there to
learn more. I have used this to buddy box students and to let "first
time heli pilots" try it out. Most if not all of my feelings on the
Flymentor are contained in the video above.
I have a KDS Flymentor. I got it working so easily that I think it has
potential. I premise this with the fact that I'm not a novice. I've been in
RC for 20 years and Helicopters for about 18. Setting up the Flymentor was aided
by an online friend that warned me about some errors in the manual (blue and
green wires are opposite what they say). There's alot of info over on the FREAK
but I don't go to that site much. Way more activity over here so I thought I'd
start to share experiances I have as I work with it. My 2 oldest kids (11
and 9) have started to fly some. 3ch and MSR in the house. I wanted a stable
outdoor CP heli platform for them. I have a 450 set up on 2 DX7's in a buddy box
configuration and I wanted to start them off with a 'coaxial' feel to it that i
can dial down over time. Here comes the flymentor. You can get them at Hobby
King (when in stock or RC-fever)
I mounted the
flymentor onto my EXI 450 Carbon SE (An align 450 SEv2 clone). The EXI was
already a stable and smooth flying helicopter before I added the flymentor so I
did not have to fight any vibe issues.
I toned down the pitch response in
the DX7 setups so the heli is much easier to fly. Not only that, but even with
the Flymentor Sensitivity set very low, the 450 is more stable in the wind than
before. Against the advise of others, I even used the Flymentor to control the
tail. This allowed me to set the tail gain in the flymentor software and use my
gear switch for the Flymentor sensitivity gain. (more gain makes it self
stabilize faster). THus I did not need a 7Ch Rx and I'm using a park flyer
AR6100e. I'm going to try to grab some noob Heli pilots, or plank pilots who
have minimal heli sim time and see how it goes in addition to my
kids.
One can debate all day that this or Helicommand type device is
necessary. I don't think it's necessary but it's an option. A 450 heli with
the flymentor is a pretty stable platform. I flew it yesterday in 10-15mph wind
and with the system turned on, it was noticably more stable. Maybe you should
not learn in 15mph winds, but it sure helped it. Learning with a FP heli in
10mph winds is unbearable to me.
I know people who have been trying to
learn to fly and they are struggling so much that I think the only way they will
enjoy themselves is to get one of these. I was actually inspired to get this the
day I finished setting up a 500 with 3G for a fellow club member then handed him
the sticks. he crashed i in about 60 seconds.
Installing one of these
does not take away all the other setup you need to do in a CP heli to get it
flyable. It adds work to it, but it might just take future work away from crash
repair as you are learning. Since I'll have my kids on a buddy box, I know that
if I need to pull the control away from them, I can rely on the flymentor to
quickly handle the cyclic (faster than I can) and I can take care of the
collective/tail.