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Model Forum / Radio Controlled / Helicopters / October 2007'Best' electric Heli nowadays
I finally went back to the dark side and got out my Nexus. After not running it for 3 years, I got the engine working, charged the batteries, and went to the field. Several nice guys helped get it working, adjusted the tracking, trims, and even the hover settings (Evidently, the industry has decided that a 3/4 stick hover is better than the 1/2 stick that I learned on and had my heli setup for). I got back into what I was able to do before I quit the hobby several years before: nose out hover. I did pretty well for a few minutes until the plastic ball link on my pitch slider broke off. We were able to drill and replace it with a steel one someone had laying around. OK, back to hovering. OOPS into the gravel it goes and now the pitch slider on the tail rotor is broken, along with the tail rotor blades and who knows what else! So, here is where I am at: I have a 5+ year old Nexus in need of about $35 worth of repairs. Due to age, other plastic parts may start failing pretty quickly. Parts are hard to find because they quit making them also. I can probably sell my unit on ebay for $75 or so and get some money back out of it. I am thinking of buying a new electric and getting out of the glow business. At the field, everybody likes the TREX models. A new radio, etc combo would set be back about $600 for one of those. On Towerhobbies, they have a special rebate for a Heli-Max Axe RTF that would set me back around $200. I don't want to go really cheap. I don't want to go really expensive. What are the current thoughts on the "best" electric heli for a beginner today? I still have my trusty Futaba 8U super on channel 24 and 00 with several regular sized recievers. I also have my Arcamax gyro. Thanks for any advice you can give me! Alex Brewer. >I finally went back to the dark side and got out my Nexus. After not > running it for 3 years, I got the engine working, charged the [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > > Alex Brewer. Alex, Welcome back to the addiction! : ) I have a T-rex 450SE that I love but I find the 450 size is a screamer and it is easy to lose orientation when it gets out away from you (my opinion). I must have old eyes/brain but my old eyes/brain loves my Raptor 50 Titan. You want to get out of gas so I would definitely go for the T-Rex 600 CF... Big batteries mean big money though. Ilike the electric for ease of use but I love the nitro for the ability to fuel up again and go. Also, the nitro keeps the power going where the battery loses power over a few minutes. Anyway, you weren't looking for an electric vs. nitro debate... My opinion is that the Nexus size heli is best to build your skills. That would be the T-Rex 600. Both size T-Rex's are not cheap however... Good luck, Gary >Welcome back to the addiction! : ) Man, you ain't lying! >I have a T-rex 450SE that I love but I find the 450 size is a screamer and >it is easy to lose orientation when it gets out away from you (my opinion). >I must have old eyes/brain but my old eyes/brain loves my Raptor 50 Titan. >You want to get out of gas so I would definitely go for the T-Rex 600 CF... >Big batteries mean big money though. I have two 450s - the SE and the SEV2 and another SE in the mail (for a scale project) and a 600. The 600 is easier by far to fly simply due to the stability of the larger helicopter. However, the flying field options for the 450s are much greater. You can't toss a 50-sized heli in the local park and bomb around... Money-wise, the costs are roughly $1000 for a 450 ready to fly with a couple battery packs, radio and charger. Double that for the 600. Good packs for the 450 will run you about $70 each. Figure $300 each for the 600. >Ilike the electric for ease of use but I love the nitro for the ability to >fuel up again and go. Also, the nitro keeps the power going where the >battery loses power over a few minutes. You need better packs.. Flightpowers run very strong through the entire flight - you just need to set a timer so you don't overdischarge the packs. >Anyway, you weren't looking for an electric vs. nitro debate... > >My opinion is that the Nexus size heli is best to build your skills. That >would be the T-Rex 600. Both size T-Rex's are not cheap however... The E-Raptor 620 is a nice sized bird as well, but you're still looking at expensive battery packs and support equipment. Check the various RC forums Classified sections for used helicopters. If everyone near you is flying Trexes, fly one as well. You'll get good support and potentially free crash repair parts. Crash costs fo the 450s are pretty low as well. I planted my SE this past weekend and total costs to get it flying again were less than $25 including a new set of main blades. (I suggest the Tech-MP woodies at $28 for 3 sets) I just bought a 450SE from a guy on Helifreak who's getting out of the hobby. Never finished assembling it, servos, gyro, blades etc (pretty much all the stuff required to make it fly and good stuff as well.) all for $225 so there are good deals to be had. Has anyone tried the Hurricane 550 ? I think that was supposed to be a bit kinder on the battery £'s ? Colin W >>Welcome back to the addiction! : ) > [quoted text clipped - 46 lines] >much all the stuff required to make it fly and good stuff as well.) >all for $225 so there are good deals to be had. >Has anyone tried the Hurricane 550 ? > >I think that was supposed to be a bit kinder on the battery £'s ? > >Colin W I've heard pretty good things about that one but have no 1st hand experience with 'em.. Also, the Trex 500 is due out in the next few weeks. Supposedly it's supposed to be capable of sport flying on 2 3S 2100mah packs in series. Another option is the RC-Tek Diablo or Sky Shark. Look to be high quality and Scott (RC-Tek's pres/owner) certainly looks to be ready with the parts support based on what I saw at last month's funfly here in SD. Pricing is comparable to the Trex450 SE as well.. Another option might be the Blade 400 that E-Flite is soon to be selling - if they're not out already.... 2.4GHz radio, RTF. Folks that saw it at IRCHA said it looked to be pretty decent and said pricing would be right around $400. That might be a good option to minimize the "sticker shock" of the other "name brand" birds... Thank You I have had a Kyosho Concept EP for a long, long time now .... very moderate performance, but it is a useful size at 950 mm (ish) rotor disc , and at least I can see it !! Spares were just about available last summer, but there is no Kyosho agent in the UK as far as I know, so spares now come from France. The 400's are just too small for me, and the 600's too expensive on batteries. So I hope these 2 x 2100 mah Li-Po models will have me reaching for my wallet. Thanks for your reply. Colin W Harpenden, England PS - I really liked San Diego when I last there in 2001. ====================================================== >>Has anyone tried the Hurricane 550 ? >> [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] >pricing would be right around $400. That might be a good option to >minimize the "sticker shock" of the other "name brand" birds... My two cents... I've built and flown several different T-REX 450 variations and clones. To keep the costs down you can go with something like the Align 450XL. I actually learned to fly with the 450XL HDE. If you want a more solid bird I would stongly suggest the HDX450SE from HeliDirect. It is cheaper than the Align 450 SE and in my opinion it is has better flight characteristics and it is definitely a much more solid model. >I finally went back to the dark side and got out my Nexus. After not > running it for 3 years, I got the engine working, charged the [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > > Alex Brewer. > My two cents... > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > the Align 450 SE and in my opinion it is has better flight characteristics > and it is definitely a much more solid model. I see HeliDirect has the 500 size as well ....is this the same size that the t-rex 500 would be. > > My two cents... > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > I see HeliDirect has the 500 size as well ....is this the same size that > the t-rex 500 would be. Belt-CP is the good one to go, price is reasonable and quality is good. - check this video: http://www.linknety.com/modevideos/demo/zoom.php?id=76 > I finally went back to the dark side and got out my Nexus. After not > running it for 3 years, I got the engine working, charged the [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] > > Thunder Tiger Mini Titan. Stable, good 3D, good price, well made, cost of spares not too high  SignatureClive Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take..... but by the moments that take our breath away. |
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