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| Issue 37 (July 2009) |
Words: Chuck Bassani |
Futaba has been in the RC industry for longer than I can remember. They have come along way since their start and have contributed to the community with breakthrough technology and innovations. Futaba is one of the leading manufactures of heading hold gyros and has continued to improve their designs over the years. Their newest gyro, the GY520, happens to be their smallest for anything from a micro to turbine sized helicopters.
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Features
The GY520 features state of the art Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) sensors to detect smaller angle deviations than the standard gyro. The 520 also feature a compact design that only takes up a footprint of 20x20 millimeters and weighs a lean 6.9 grams. This new gyro incorporates an improved processing rate and an 800° per second rate range which offers faster, smoother, and consistent piro rates. The Futaba GY520 can be used with any servo including the 760uS neutral type.
The Futaba GY520 is packaged in a small black box and has a foam insert the holds the gyro and other included items. The 520 come with two sets of gyro tape and a metal plate to help reduce vibrations that can enter the gyro. It also includes a plastic tool and two connection cords to plug the gyro into the receiver. The tail servo does not come with this unit, as Futaba wanted you to be able to select any servo you wished for your particular setup.
Installation and Testing
TREX 250 Installation and Testing: I first installed the Futaba GY520 on the small and capable TREX 250. With the receiver right in front of the gyro I did not need to use the long connectors that were included. I opted to use a pair of short 3" female-to-female leads to make the connection from the connector box to the receiver. After I cleaned the wires up, I slipped the gyro mount back into the frames and reassembled. I set up the gyro using the manual and found it quite easy to follow.
During the first flight I wanted to make sure the gyro was set up perfectly, so I set the gain to Rate Mode and adjusted the linkage until the helicopter would not drift I during a hover. After adjusting the linkage, I set the endpoints for the servo travel. At this time I also bumped the gain up to 70% and gave the helicopter a try. I noticed the gain was a bit too high so I lowered it to 68% and tried again.
Flying the GY520 on this small helicopter was amazing. The tail held rock solid throughout demanding maneuvers. I noticed one thing that was a little weird on the TREX 250; when punching the rudder the piro rate would surge forward and then slow down to a moderate rate. After this initial surge the piro was very consistent. This is not a feature of the gyro, but rather a fine-tuning issue that can be fixed using the USB programmer. The programmer was not out during the testing phase in the TREX 250 so I went ahead and flew this helicopter the way it was. Overall, the Futaba GY520 outperformed many gyros. The piro rate was consistent, the tail held during tail demanding maneuvers, and it fit where most gyros could not.
Raptor 50 Install and Testing: The installation of the gyro on the Thunder Tiger Raptor 50 was straightforward and easy to mount. I used the thicker foam that is included with the gyro to eliminate the additional vibration that is seen on an engine-driven helicopter. I opted to use the Futaba brushless servo for the tail to check out the performance of the gyro with a 760uS digital servo.
After performing the initial setup I pushed the helicopter to its limits and the Futaba gyro held throughout the flight. Punching maneuvers and quick direction changes did not phase this gyro. The superior performance of this gyro when using the 760uS digital servo really made a difference. The gyro did not have the same surge effect as when it was installed in the TREX 250. The tail was very solid and consistent, allowing for a cleaner looking piro flip. Tail reversing maneuvers were very crisp and allowed the tail to quickly change directions. Overall, this little gyro performed as well—if not better—than its bigger brother the GY611.
Conclusion
After flying this gyro for several months now, I have had a chance to really test the product for both reliability and performance. I loved every aspect of this gyro from the multi colored LED's and small, compact size to the ability to program the basics on the field with just the gyro or to fine tune the GY520 using a USB programmer. This gyro is perfect for anyone looking for the ultimate in consistency, which leads to a faster learning curve when it comes to 3D. I also like the fact that it does not come with the servo because many different manufactures of helicopters use different sized servos and I would like to choose the appropriate servo for the helicopter. I think the GY520 is worthy of a ten. It performs as well if not better than expected, takes up little space, comes with a great price, and has the Futaba brand behind it.
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HITS
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• Small footprint
• Lightweight
• Can be used with any servo
• Solid performer
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MISSES
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• Fine tuning can not be done without the use of the USB programmer
MANUFACTURER: Futaba
PART NUMBER(S): FUTM0810
STREET PRICE: $199.99
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