Trex 450 not flight ready after all :(

Well that sucked. 

Fried chip on the servo control board. 

Had to take the frames apart to get the servo out. 

After setting the endpoints for the Castle esc, I decided to reset the flight banks in the Brain FC to the following: Bank 1- sport with self level, Bank 2- sport, Bank 3- 3D. 

I then got the idea to use a channel mix to activate Bank 1 and self level, by pushing the trainer/bind switch. I successfully programmed the mix and tied it to the flight mode switch on modes 1 and 2. When in modes 1 and 2, if the push switch was depressed, aux3 would drive the governor function using aux2 for bank switching, to change to Bank 1 with self level. 

I tested it in the radio by using the channel monitor and it was sending the correct signals to the correct channels. I tested it on the heli, with the motor off, and the banks were switching correctly when switching flight banks with the flight mode switch and when I pushed the trainer/bind switch. 

I then plugged in my motor to test the headspeed  changes, which also switched flight banks. While holding the skids to the bench I spun up the motor. The 1st try it worked ok. On the 2nd try I noticed that the flight bank seemed to be stuck in bank 3, so I rebooted the FC and tried again. This time it seemed to be working correctly. So then pushed the rescue switch (trainer/bind). The servos went to a weird position and buzzed!  That's not supposed to happen!  I shut down the motor and unplugged the battery. After waiting a minute or so, I rebooted the FC. More buzzing and clicking, so I unplugged the battery and waited again. The next time I rebooted a puff of white smoke came out of a servo! WTF!  

I unplugged all the servos and plugged them back in one at a time to find the faulty servo. I was able to find it by the even bigger puff of smoke that it let out!  Servo 1 had blown a chip!  WTF happened?!

I then remembered that this FC's self level is sensitive to vibrations and my holding the heli to the bench by the skids may have sent too much vibration to the FC, causing it to freak out and drive the servos erratically, burning out one of them. At least that's all I could come up with based on the events. 

Now I don't trust this self level. Will it burn out a servo again? Or was my holding the heli down to the table the cause?  All I know is next time I plan to test the self level with the motor off, then with all the blades off, and on the carpet!

I then had to get the burnt servo out of the frame, which required that the entire frame be taken apart by removing a bunch of screws, that didn't fit any of my powered driver bits. WTF!  I need another set of bits!

I then did some research into a replacement servo. It turns out that my cyclic servos were discontinued!  FML!  I then hoped that I didn't need to replace all 3 cyclic servos so that they matched. It turns out that the servo which replaced my Align DS415M is the Align DS416M. The DS416M is practically identical to the DS415M, except for a slightly higher torque rating. It operates at the same voltage and speed as the 415.  Woohoo! Something goes my way!

I ordered that servo and a couple of parts for my 550 rebuild, so that I get free shipping. Hopefully I get the 450 back to a flying condition in time for the weekend.