Big Midget

iTrader: (101)

Thanks, Thats what I'll do.
I did get that T-rex downloaded, looks great.

It might be awhile before I get a T-Rex.............
Gotta get this Sim down. Thanks for all the help.

Big Midget

iTrader: (101)

Wow!! Thats incouraging Wish I had some extra $$$.

helibrian

And since there is no brushless motor size naming convention standard, I still don't know why they didn't call the blade 400, a 450, since the blade uses what e-flight calls a 420 motor as opposed to what align calls their 430 in the t-rex. E-flight could have just as easily named their motor 426 and rounded up.

yoshgixxer

iTrader: (78)

i guess 450 makes it sound better? lol but true all mini helis are damn near the same size

helibrian

Sure it makes it sound better. I think they would sell more of them to the guy standing there going, hmmmm Blade 400 or t-rex 450. Instead he'd be thinking hmmmm a 450 sized heli RTF for 450 bucks or a 450 sized heli kit that I'll wind up spending 7/8 hundred bucks on to get it to RTF status.

Actually until the blade 400 came out, all the "400 sized" helis I'd ever seen, used 280mm blades (shogun, MX400, EP Caliber 400, etc.). Idunno, it just seems strange to me that they would designate it as a 400.

As far as the SA goes, I'm not sure what that stands for, but it's an economy version of the SE. The frame plates are aluminum instead of CF and there is a lot less of that pretty blue aluminum on the head and tail. Of course the SA can easily (but not cheaply) be converted to an SE. They are the exact same heli, just built with different materials. Personally I use an all aluminum head except for the blade grips. If I have to piledrive it, and somethings got to give, It's gonna be those plastic grips. I think of the grips as a sort of crumple zone. Anyone wanna buy a "never been used" set of aluminum grips?

And on dimerip87gt's question;

"I just got a sim tonight, real flight g3.5, Wow!!
Its tuff, is this really how it is........."

...oh no.......nope.
It's way way tougher.

Big Midget

iTrader: (101)

Thats kinda good to hear, this sim is so tough its almost discouraging.

Any advice on hovering?

I can fly that little helimax EZ pretty good though

rccrazy4587

iTrader: (4)

my t-rex breaks very easily. but yet again it just might be the concrete im crashing into. but they are very good helis without a doubt.

yoshgixxer

iTrader: (78)

well i learned how to hover by first starting to learn with the tail facing me at all times,also find the .30 size nitro heli with the training gear i think its the impala,its pretty sluggish and not very twitchy that should help,also pull the D/R (dual rate) switch down to de-sensitize it more....

all i can tell ya is tiny little stick movements, get it a foot or so off the ground and just try to keep it there...once you can keep it still forever then move the heli 90 degrees so the side is facing you,do this right and left, and then the dreaded nose in, once you get it down in all four ways start flying slow figure 8's........ but really the easiest thing to do is find some one near you who flys and get them to help you out, ill get on my sim tomorrow and host a flying session and you can join and we can fly together on the sim...go to online and click join and look for "dustins heli time fun fly"

dont be discouraged not long ago i was thinkin what your thinking, this aint never gonna happen! but it will, its all training your brain and your hands to work together with out really thinking about it

yoshgixxer

iTrader: (78)

that will do it has it ever really blew apart in the air from a part failure?? i doubt it?

Big Midget

iTrader: (101)

Thanks yoshgixxer, I tried that heli you sugested. Its a night and day difference. I'll join ya tomarrow for a session. I didnt know we could do that with these sims. very cool.

helibrian

the dreaded nose in... that's funny!
You're right, it's all about training the brain. To be able to split your brain into two separate halves and then be able to flip and turn each half individually. Then have your hands follow.

Mine has. And it was scawy....sniff... Align's plastic blades don't flex so well in below freezing weather! I still love my rex though. With the setup I've got it's just as stable as my 30.

I think you mighta mis-understood my answer. I shoulda made it more clearer...ly...ish. When I said it's way tougher, I meant flying an actual heli is tougher, not the sim. The sim is annoyingly easy.

Since you can fly the EZ you might wanna use it to practice nose in. Learning to fly nose in is about the most important and hardest part about it, I think. Once you've got that, everything else seems to progress easier.

Don't get discouraged.

yoshgixxer

iTrader: (78)

True cus you dont have to pay every time you lawn dart it! still flight characteristics are close, especially if you go in the sim and edit the models set up to mock your actuall helicopter (servo speed,pitch,head speed,cyclic pitch, etc.)


and at 3200rpm head speed which im sure you had em swingin at dont help either!! thats why i always buy good blades!

broken blade+face= hospital trip

Cannondale1974

iTrader: (33)

I guess everyone has their opinion but I have to completely disagree with these statements. I have close to 100 flights on my 100% stock Blade 400. IMO:

Helicopter flys incredibly well, does basic rolls loops, fast foward flight no problem. Gyro works perfect, radio is VERY NICE, motor is incredibly strong, will accelerate almost out of sight in a few seconds. I've heard several times the power to weight ratio is significantly better in the Blade 400 than the Trex 450 SE V2 since the V2 is so much heavier. Oh, I would agree the stock lipo is "so so". Mine puffed up too, but Horizon sent me a replacement free of charge in 2 days

I've also heard the Trex 450 is a better machine overall but you have to consider the price difference. My local hobby shop sells the Blade 400 for $375 (with radio). A new Trex 450 with everything is what, double or triple that price? I couldn't justify the difference. TRUST ME, you will LOVE the Blade 400. The quality and flight performance is amazing for the price.

Now, having said all that, if you've never flown anything, I'd start out with a CX2 or something coaxial. (my 2 cents worth)

GundamWZero

iTrader: (4)

Let me add something.....

DON'T get a TAIL MOTOR-DRIVEN heli!!!!

I highly advise you to find a electric heli with a belt driven tail rotor...you will be able to transition from micro to 500 and 600 size without a hiccup. A major factor is the gyroscope..... on a heli that has a motor driven tail rotor has a built-in on board mixer, so the onboard system controls the amount of pitch the tail rotor needs to counter the main rotor torque. When you switch to gas powered or advanced electric helicopters, you will need a gyroscope....something that you will have to set yourself. With RTF helis, it's all plug and go....they are indeed easy to fly, but once you want to step up to bigger or better helis, you will find that getting the proper setup frustrating.

As for hovering, follow this acronym:

Keep It Simple, Stupid.....

Trust me....you will be cursing yourself a lot when it comes to hovering!!!

Stay low to the ground.

Use small movements.

Apply small amounts of power to maneuvers such as pitch and roll. Applying power when you pitch up the heli can cause your heli to slow down, but will cause the heli to climb. As you roll (or turn) the heli, you lose lift. You are going to need to apply a little power to maintain altitude.

And no matter what you do, fly in OPEN AREAS!!! Rotor blades can do some serious damage......either gas or electric!!!

When you think you are ready to switch to scale helicopter flying, look me up. Then I will introduce you to a Governor.....which will change the way you fly forever.

yoshgixxer

iTrader: (78)

you should use a governor on every nitro helicopter scale or 3D.And yes governors are very nice, i like my ATG V3 works great and holds the head speed pretty damn good no matter what i through at it,and deffinatly maks the heli fly smoother


it way hold nice under low speed tricks im sure, but once you get into piro maneuvers you will quickly find it has very inconsistent piro rates. and with tail forwards flying it will bust loose and blow out.

As far as the DX6 that comes with it, yea its nice..but it dosnt have all of the features a DX-7 would have like the 5 point pitch curves and all of the mixing and set up functions...works good for now..but you will see once you get into advanced stuff you will be searching for options it dose not have.

This guy will msot likely buy used (why not) and you can STEAL Trex 450's now days for cheap and ready to fly,you can find DX-7's for 150 bucks all day long, so why not get the best you can get especially with a radio that way you dont have to go back and buy more stuff when you get to that point.

AS far as starting out with a co-axial...fun but you wont learn much, your better off on the sim, a co-axial VS. a CCPM driven tail heli...no similarities at all, fly 100% different. stick with the sim then get a good 5 channel heli