Horizon Hobby Blade CX4 User manual

RTF
READY-TO-FLY
Instruction Manual
Bedienungsanleitung
Manuel d’utilisation
Manuale di Istruzioni

2
EN
WARNING: Read the ENTIRE instruction manual to become familiar with the features of the product before
operating. Failure to operate the product correctly can result in damage to the product, personal property
and cause serious injury.
This is a sophisticated hobby product. It must be operated with caution and common sense and requires some
basic mechanical ability. Failure to operate this Product in a safe and responsible manner could result in injury
or damage to the product or other property. This product is not intended for use by children without direct adult
supervision. Do not use with incompatible components or alter this product in any way outside of the instructions
provided by Horizon Hobby, Inc. This manual contains instructions for safety, operation and maintenance. It is es-
sential to read and follow all the instructions and warnings in the manual, prior to assembly, setup or use, in order
to operate correctly and avoid damage or serious injury.
The following terms are used throughout the product literature to indicate various levels of potential harm when
operating this product:
NOTICE: Procedures, which if not properly followed, create a possibility of physical property damage AND a little
or no possibility of injury.
CAUTION: Procedures, which if not properly followed, create the probability of physical property damage AND a
possibility of serious injury.
WARNING: Procedures, which if not properly followed, create the probability of property damage, collateral
damage, and serious injury OR create a high probability of superficial injury.
• Always keep a safe distance in all directions around
your model to avoid collisions or injury. This model
is controlled by a radio signal subject to interference
from many sources outside your control. Interference
can cause momentary loss of control.
• Always operate your model in open spaces away
from full-size vehicles, traffic and people.
• Always carefully follow the directions and warnings
for this and any optional support equipment
(chargers, rechargeable battery packs, etc.).
• Always keep all chemicals, small parts and anything
electrical out of the reach of children.
• Always avoid water exposure to all equipment not
specifically designed and protected for this purpose.
Moisture causes damage to electronics.
• Never place any portion of the model in your mouth
as it could cause serious injury or even death.
• Never operate your model with low transmitter
batteries.
• Always keep aircraft in sight and under control.
• Always move the throttle fully down at rotor strike.
• Always use fully charged batteries.
• Always keep transmitter powered on while aircraft is
powered.
• Always remove batteries before disassembly
• Always keep moving parts clean.
• Always keep parts dry.
• Always let parts cool after use before touching.
• Always remove batteries after use.
• Never operate aircraft with damaged wiring.
• Never touch moving parts.
NOTICE
All instructions, warranties and other collateral documents are subject to change at the sole discretion of
Horizon Hobby, Inc. For up-to-date product literature, visit horizonhobby.com and click on the support tab for this
product.
Meaning of Special Language
Safety Precautions and Warnings
Age Recommendation: Not for children under 14 years. This is not a toy.

3EN
The Blade®CX4 marks a new era in coaxial performance with several new features to improve your flight experience. You’ll find that with its large size, the CX4 is easy to fly and well suited for novice heli pilots. Hinged
and rubber over-molded main blades offer safer operation, and the landing gear is rubber mounted to help absorb
rough landings, reducing the chance of broken parts from minor incidents. The CX4 sports a modern full body
fuselage, including an LED spotlight and flashing navigation tail light for those low-light missions around the house.
A 3S 800mAh Li-Po battery provides the power, and a DSM2®5-channel transmitter with matching Spektrum™
AR6100e receiver enables you to fly several CX4 helis at the same time without fear of interference. This manual
includes important information you need for successful and safe operation of the CX4, so take some time to read
the following pages before you plug in the battery and go fly.
Box Contents
Blade CX4 Helicopter
800mAh 3S 11.1V 30C Li-Po Battery
E-flite®LP5DSM transmitter
3-Cell 11.1V Li-Po balance charger
12-volt power supply
Instruction Manual
AA Alkaline Transmitter Batteries (4)
RTF | Ready-To-Fly
Length 19.7 in (500mm)
Height 9.84 in (250mm)
Main Rotor Diameter 18.1 in (460mm)
Gross Weight 14.6 oz (414 g)
Blade CX4 Specifications
Blade CX4 Features RTF
Airframe – Blade ®CX4 Included
Main Motors – 370 Brushed Installed
On-board Electronics – 3-in-1 mixer/ESCs/Gyro Installed
Receiver – AR 6100e Installed
Servos – DS75 Installed
Battery – 800mAh 3S 11.1V 30C Li-Po Included
Charger – 3-Cell 11.1V DC Li-Po Charger with alligator clip input cord Included
Transmitter – LP5DSM transmitter Included
To register your product online,visit www.bladehelis.com
Table of Contents
Charging Warnings......................................................4
Charging the Flight Battery .........................................4
The Battery Charging Process.....................................5
Battery Charging Codes ..............................................5
Transmitter Controls ...................................................5
Installing the Flight Battery .........................................6
Protecting Your Flight Battery......................................6
Transmitter and Receiver Binding................................6
Flight Controls ............................................................7
Lifting Off for the First Flights......................................8
Making Flight Adjustments..........................................8
Main Motor Proportional Mix Trimmer Pot....................9
Gyro Gain Adjustment .................................................9
After Flying...............................................................10
How To Be A Successful Pilot ....................................10
Troubleshooting Guide ..............................................11
Exploded View and Parts Listings.........................12-13
Limited Warranty ......................................................14
Warranty and Service Contact Information ................15
Customer Service Information...................................15
FCC Information........................................................16
Compliance Information for the European Union........16

4
EN
The charger included with your helicopter has been
designed to safely charge the included Li-Po battery.
CAUTION:All instructions and warnings must be
followed exactly. Mishandling of Li-Po batteries
can result in a fire, personal injury and/or property
damage.
• By handling, charging or using the included Li-Po
battery, you assume all risks associated with lithium
batteries.
• If at any time the battery begins to balloon or swell,
discontinue use immediately. If charging or discharg-
ing, discontinue and disconnect. Continuing to use,
charge or discharge a battery that is ballooning or
swelling can result in fire.
• Always store the battery at room temperature in a
dry area for best results.
• Always transport or temporarily store the battery in
a temperature range of 40–120º F (5–49° C). Do not
store battery or model in a car or direct sunlight. If
stored in a hot car, the battery can be damaged or
even catch fire.
• Always charge batteries away from flammable
materials.
• Always inspect the battery before charging
• Always disconnect the battery after charging, and let
the charger cool between charges.
• Always constantly monitor the temperature of the
battery pack while charging.
• ONLY USE A CHARGER SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO
CHARGE LI-PO BATTERIES. Failure to charge the
battery with a compatible charger may cause a fire
resulting in personal injury and/or property damage.
• Never discharge Li-Po cells to below 3V under load.
• Never cover warning labels with hook and loop
strips.
• Never leave charging batteries unattended.
• Never charge batteries outside recommended levels.
• Never charge damaged batteries.
• Never attempt to dismantle or alter the charger.
• Never allow children under 14 years of age to charge
battery packs
• Never charge batteries in extremely hot or cold
places (recommended between 40–120° F or
5–49° C) or place in direct sunlight.
Charging Warnings
Charging the Flight Battery
The Blade CX4 comes with a DC balancing charger and
3S Li-Po battery. Use only Horizon Hobby approved bat-
tery packs and chargers compatible with this product.
Never leave the battery and charger unattended during
the charging process. Failure to follow the
instructions properly could result in a fire. When
charging, make sure the battery is on a heat-resistant
surface. Charge the flight battery before binding the
aircraft or performing control tests.
DC Li-Po Balancing Charger Features
• Charges 3-cell lithium polymer battery packs
• 0.8A charge rate
• LED charge status indicator
• LED cell balance indicator
• 12V alligator clip input cord
Specifications
• Input power: minimum 1.5A at 11.5–15V DC
800mAh 3S 11.1V 30C LiPo (EFLB8003SJ30)
The Blade CX4 3S Li-Po battery pack features a balancing lead that allows you to safely charge your battery pack
when used with the included Li-Po balancing charger. The included flight battery is safe to charge up to 3C (2.4A).
CAUTION: The balance connector must be correctly inserted into the charge port of your charger
prior to charging.

5EN
The Battery Charging Process
1. Charge only batteries that are cool to the touch and are not damaged. Inspect the battery to make sure it is
not damaged e.g., swollen, bent, broken or punctured.
2. Connect the charger to a 12V power source, noting proper polarity.
3. The RED LED flashes.
4. Connect the battery balance lead to the charger. The balance connector is keyed to prevent reverse polarity.
5. The GREEN and RED LEDs glow solid when the battery is charging.
6. Charging is complete when the RED LED is solid and the GREEN LED is off.
7. Always unplug the battery from the charger immediately upon completion of charging.
CAUTION: Only use a charger specifically designed to charge a Li-Po battery. Failure to do so could result in
fire causing injury or property damage.
CAUTION: Do not exceed manufacturer’s recommended charge rate.
Battery Charging Codes
RED LED GREEN LED Instruction
Flashing Off Battery charger is powered. Li-Po battery is not
connected.
Solid Solid Li-Po battery is connected and charging
Solid Off Li-Po battery is connected and charging is complete
Flashing Flashing Charge Error
Transmitter Controls
Install the 4 included AA batteries in the transmitter. Check the power level of the batteries and operation of the
transmitter by switching the power switch on (upward). The LCD screen at the top of the transmitter will indicate
the power level of the batteries. If at any time the voltage indicated on the LCD screen falls to 4.5V or less, an alarm
will sound and it will be necessary to replace the batteries with new ones.
ON
12345678910
Trainer Switch Ch 5 Knob
LCD Screen
Elevator (up/down)
Aileron (right/left)
Elevator Trim
Aileron Trim
Speaker
Throttle (up/down)
Rudder (right/left)
Throttle Trim
Rudder Trim
Power Switch
Power LED
Charge Port
Switch positions

6
EN
Protecting Your Flight Battery
The circuit board in the helicopter includes a protection circuit for your flight battery. LVC (Low Voltage Cutoff)
ensures the battery is discharged to within a safe limit for operation. Once you realize that power is dropping off in
flight, please land the helicopter.
LVC is activated when the Red LED on the circuit board starts flashing again, late in the flight.
CAUTION: Do not continue to fly the helicopter while LVC is active or damage to the battery may result.
1. Lower the throttle to the lowest setting.
2. Power on the transmitter.
3. Install the battery in the helicopter by sliding it into the battery mounting supports/slots between the main
landing gear. Slide the battery into the slots with the label facing downward and the connector oriented
toward the back of the helicopter.
4. Connect the battery cable to the 3-in-1 control unit power connector.
NOTICE: Set the helicopter down and do not allow it to move until the red LED on the helicopter turns green
and stops blinking (remains solid.).
CAUTION: Always disconnect the Li-Po battery from the aircraft control unit when not flying to avoid
over-discharging the battery. Batteries discharged to a voltage lower than the lowest approved voltage
may become damaged, resulting in loss of performance and potential fire when batteries are charged.
Installing the Flight Battery
1
2
4
3
Transmitter and Receiver Binding
The CX4 uses Spektrum 2.4 GHz DSM technology and comes from the factory with the binding procedure
complete. Binding teaches the receiver the specific code of the transmitter so it will only communicate with your
transmitter. There should be no need to bind the transmitter and receiver prior to use. If you ever need to re-bind
the transmitter and receiver, please follow the steps below.
Each time you power the transmitter on, it will enter Bind Mode for a few seconds, as indicated by the red blinking
LED located under the door on the front of the transmitter in the bottom left hand corner of the transmitter. Once
this LED becomes solid, the transmitter is no longer in bind mode.
9Binding Procedure:
1. Disconnect the flight battery from the helicopter.
2. Power off the transmitter.
3. Insert the bind plug into the receiver
4. Connect the flight battery in the helicopter. The receiver LED
flashes rapidly after 5 seconds.
5. Lower the throttle stick to the lowest position, then power on the
transmitter.
6. The helicopter is bound when the receiver LED turns solid.
7. Disconnect the flight battery, power off the transmitter, then
remove the bind plug from the receiver.

7EN
Flight Controls
For smooth control of the CX4, always make small control movements with the transmitter sticks. All directions are
described as if you were sitting in the helicopter. For example, when the nose of the helicopter is pointing toward you, left
rudder control stick input (rotation) will move the nose of the helicopter in the counter-clockwise direction, to your right.
• Climbing and descending: When your helicopter is stable in the air, gently push/pull the throttle stick up/down to
make it climb/descend.
• Turning left and right: When you are comfortable controlling the flying height of your helicopter, try turning left/right
by moving the rudder in the direction you want the helicopter to turn (yaw). In addition, you can transition the
helicopter laterally with the aileron control. The combination of rudder control and aileron control enables the pilot
to perform coordinated turns and sideways transitions.
• Flying forward and backward: Gently move the elevator up and down to move the helicopter forward and backward.
Throttle (model viewed from left)
Descend
Throttle down
Throttle up
Mode 1 Mode 2
Ascend
Rudder (model viewed from top)
Elevator (model viewed from left)
Aileron (model viewed from back)
Mode 1
Mode 1
Mode 1
Mode 2
Mode 2
Mode 2
Rudder left Rudder right Nose Yaws Right
Forward
Elevator down
viewed from back
Elevator up
Aileron left
Left
Aileron right
Right
Nose Yaws Left
Backward
viewed from back
viewed from backviewed from back

8
EN
Liing O for the First Flight:
1. Place the helicopter on the ground with the tail pointing toward you.
2. Move the throttle stick smoothly to the 1/3 throttle position. The rotor blades will spin and the helicopter will
climb. Climb to 3–5 feet (1.0–1.5 meters) high. Reduce and add throttle as needed to hover and descend.
Use smooth control stick movements when you are flying the helicopter. Always use small control stick movements
and keep your fingers on the control sticks. If you notice that the helicopter wants to turn to the left or right, some
steering adjustments (trim) may be necessary.
Tip: Always move the throttle to zero immediately if the helicopter crashes.
Making Flight Adjustments
Left or Right Rotation (Yaw)
The rudder trim lever makes small adjustments to the flight direction of the helicopter. If the nose (front) turns right,
slide the trim lever until the rotation stops and the nose stays in place.
If full rudder trim still does not prevent the heli from yawing, please refer to the main motor proportional mix trim-
mer pot adjustments on the following page.
Left or Right Transition (Roll)
If the helicopter moves sideways, slide the aileron trim lever in the opposite direction the helicopter is moving.
Forward or Backward
If the helicopter moves forward, slide the elevator trim lever in the opposite direction the helicopter is moving.
If the heli turns right, then trim left.If the heli turns left, then trim right.
If the heli moves right, then trim left.
If the heli moves forward, then trim back.
If the heli moves left, then trim right.
If the heli moves back, then trim forward.

9EN
Main Motor Proportional Mix Trimmer Pot
Gyro Gain Adjustment
The Main Motor Proportional Mix Trimmer Potentiometer (trimmer pot) adjusts the mixing between the main motors,
which enables you to fine-tune the rudder trim. You must power down the helicopter before making adjustments to
the trimmer pot. Any changes you make will not take effect until after the 3-in-1 control unit is re-initialized. Always
ensure the rudder trim lever on the transmitter is centered before making changes to the trimmer pot. Make adjust-
ments 1/8th of a turn at a time and test the results before making further adjustments.
Enter into a stable hover with the rudder trim centered and no rudder input. If the nose of the helicopter is trying
to drift to the left, turn the trimmer pot clockwise. If the nose of the helicopter wants to drift to the right, turn the
trimmer pot counterclockwise.
The Gyro Gain adjusts the gain (response) of the gyro used to hold the tail of the helicopter straight during flight.
You do not need to power down and re-arm the helicopter for changes to the Gyro Gain to take effect.
NOTICE: Exercise caution while making adjustments to the Gyro Gain. When armed, the rotor will turn in response
to any throttle movement.
In a stable hover, if the tail of the helicopter twitches or wags quickly from side to side, the gain is too high. Reduce
the gain in small increments until the tail is steady. If the tail of the helicopter wanders and feels loose, the gain is
too low. Increase the gain in small increments until the tail is solid.
If the nose of the heli drifts to the left,
turn the trimmer clockwise
Increase the gain if the tail of the helicopter
wanders or feels loose
If the nose of the heli drifts to the right, turn the
trimmer counterclockwise
Reduce the gain if the tail of the helicopter
wags quickly back and forth

10
EN
Aer Flying
3
Power off the transmitter.Remove the flight battery immediately after flight
and fully charge before storing.
1
2
• Read the instruction manual carefully (especially the Troubleshooting section if you’re having problems).
• Small, smooth control inputs are best. Quickly moving the stick just produces instability and no real flight
control.
• Make sure the flight battery is fully charged before each flight. It’s better to run the flight battery down
to 50% or lower before recharging. A good, fully charged battery should provide for approximately 8 minutes
of flight time. If your flight time falls below 4 minutes, your battery may need to be replaced.
• Keep the helicopter dry and clean. Carpet lint, pet hair, dirt, etc, can restrict the motor and controls, giving
reduced power and control response times.
• Make sure the canopy is connected to the mounting posts. A loose canopy will cause the helicopter to shake.
• The helicopter must be sitting motionless to initialize the gyro stabilization system after connecting the flight
battery. If you are holding the helicopter in your hand or moving it around, it may not initialize properly.
Disconnect the flight battery, then reconnect the battery and place the helicopter on the landing skids.
• Make sure that the stabilizer/flybar is free to teeter up and down. This is what stabilizes the top rotor
system. If the stabilizer/flybar is restricted, your CX4 helicopter will not fly correctly.
How to be a Successful Pilot