Hello and welcome here Fly4fun,
I am considering using a CC3D controller on a flybarless Trex450.
Could somebody tell me whether it would be anymore stable using the CC3D than your standard flybarless controller.
Also could GPS be added to give more stability?
Would there be a more suitable controller I could use instead of the CC3d?
CC3D works fine in 450 size helis, I have had several. I am still using the smallest version of the CC3D board called Atom. Its the about the same size as the Revo Nano board
(
https://librepilot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/LPDOC/pages/26968079/OpenPilot+Revolution+Nano )
Its so small it can be fitted even in a 250 size Heli and its absolutely adequate if you are flying line of site doing normal, sport or mild 3d flying and not any autonomous things that requires a gps and mag, like position hold, waypoints etc.
Its really nice and enjoyable to fly in Vbar flight mode, which gives a great handle similar to having a real flybar heli. Its very different than flying in Rate mode.
I have used the standard flybarless controller from Align, its very stable and I don't think you should expect additional stability with cc3d. The reason to use Librepilot is you will have much more options to tune and change your settings.
In my experience, adding a GPS and mag and step up to a Revolution type board, will give you much more trouble to set up but gives you very limited 'bail out' rescue when you get in trouble. It happens too darn quick. The button you should train to use is the Idle-Up switch on the TX, for most cases as long as you are quick to switch it and kill the engine, the damage is limited.
There are lots of other controllers. But if you plan to use Librepilot software then I can recommend the little Atom guy.
I can share a set up file for a nicely tuned tree 450 you can start with. Attached at end of post.
You still need to fiddle around a bit to get thing set up okay.
If you want to move to more autonomous flights then I would go for Ardupliot and some board with onboard memory card for detailed logs. b t w they quite recently added Vbar flight mode so Open/Librepilot was years ahead
What I like about flying quads is if in trouble one flick of a switch and problem fixed.
Helicopters are a different matter as one small mistake can create hours of repairs back in the workshop. I think that baulks me more than anything flying helicopters is having to repair them. Any mishap with a quad is relatively easier to repair. I recently changed my helicopters over to flybarless and they are a much more stable platform but still don’t have a get out trouble switch. Anyway shall plug away and keep practising and hopefully accomplish my goal before I fall of the perch.
Agree with you, helis are soo much more mechanically complex airframes than quads. Very fragile for any out of the normal handling like just letting the tail rotor touch the ground while landing can make you spend weeks with spare parts etc.
But I have noticed that I don't fly my quads nearly as much as the helis - they are more troublesome and therefor interesting. I like to get the mechanics to work well and to do surgery on them
Its a marvel and most rewarding when everything is working smoothly.
They are stable enough and no need for super fast reaction time.
Its mostly about tuning it to your taste.
I think I posted a picture of them way back when
https://forum.librepilot.org/index.php?topic=2892.msg20125#msg20125