Which heli next?

[Chrisrw]

I wouldn't worry too much about the LVC on the mini micros (not the 450 or 130 but msr msrx etc) - some guy (on here or helifreaks?) did some testing and found that most of the indoor micros seem to cut off leaving the cells at around 3.5-3.7v ( and when I have checked with my MSRX I found the same). That's comfortably within the cells 'good' range and wont damage them. I still use the timer on the TX (I don't want the LVC to cut in at a hight of 10m!) but I often fly to the LVC. I get 7-8mins on the msrx. Worth checking on a meter what the LVC leaves the cells at. I do tend to alternate helis when doing this though as back to back 8min flights on my msrx will reduce the life span on the motor!

Yes, I'm learning to look after batteries at the moment with my micros. I hate it if the LVC kicks in! Not a big deal when batteries are only £2.50 each but I wouldn't want to be hurting £50 batteries for the sake of 30 sec more flight time. I've got used to short flight times anyway now as I only get 3 or 4 mins out of my micros. Actually matches my concentration span quite nicely

The 450x (and maybe 130x too) will drain too low and from 3.6v to 2.9 (on the individual cells) can happen very quickly so it is also good practice to check the voltage (either when you put them on charge or beforehand on a meter) to see where you stopped. Hovering (a 450) can drain the cells quickly and I found even when finishing on 4mins (maybe I had started the timer a bit late!?) sometimes the cells were down quite low (not enough to damage them, but close to where I consider ok). As I tend to parallel charge the 450 batteries (6 at a time) you need to also check they are roughly at the same level (5% I use) otherwise you can end up with problems (to high discharge rate into ajoining cells or worst melting cables!) - Parallel charging is great providing you have a good understanding of Lipo safety and how your charger works (and the limits of your parallel board or cables). Sorry, went off on a bit of a tangent there but something to be aware of as you almost definitely will want to parallel charge once you go up to 3cells batteries (180cfx, 300cfx, 450 etc etc).

Oh, and 3s 2200mah 25C batteries (ok for 450x etc) can be found for £5 (decent Zippy's from Hobbyking). The 40C etc will be a bit more durable (should never puff), but really at our level there's no need to buy expensive batteries for a 450 (unless it's a dominator or other 6S beast!). All my Zippy 25c's are still taking 100% charge and show no signs of over discharge.

[Peteski]

Thanks Chris, lots of useful info there. Battery management seems to be a big part of this hobby.

[tomatwalden]

So I actually got to see a Blade 360CFX yesterday at my local store. I think it's a nice looking machine. The plastic canopy mounts look a bit cheap but otherwise I thought it was a good looking heli and the canopy really stands out. For me, I'd get it in preference to the Align 450L as I'm very anti-DFC (that's not a dig at DFC, just an observation about my preferences). But I think the Gaui X3 might beat it for me. The BNF aspect though is a plus I suspect as many (like me) might find building a small heli a bit fiddly..

[Peteski]

So I actually got to see a Blade 360CFX yesterday at my local store. I think it's a nice looking machine. The plastic canopy mounts look a bit cheap but otherwise I thought it was a good looking heli and the canopy really stands out. For me, I'd get it in preference to the Align 450L as I'm very anti-DFC (that's not a dig at DFC, just an observation about my preferences). But I think the Gaui X3 might beat it for me. The BNF aspect though is a plus I suspect as many (like me) might find building a small heli a bit fiddly..

Decisions, decisions! I like the look of the 360 CFX too and the 3-blade option makes it an interesting proposition, plus the convenience of BNF. I know nothing about DFC from a user perspective, but I did get the impression from reading John Salt's guide that he's not a big fan either. The Gaui X3 looks like a great choice in this category and then there's the super quiet Mini-Protos which I love the look of, but I think I need to keep researching all the options. All part of the fun

[simon1]

I may be wrong but doesnt the mini protos come with 325mm blades ? Its still essentially a standard size 450 on 6s?. The gaui x3 is another bigger class alltogether. Longer, beefier parts, more stabilty on 360 blades

[Peteski]

I may be wrong but doesnt the mini protos come with 325mm blades ? Its still essentially a standard size 450 on 6s?. The gaui x3 is another bigger class alltogether. Longer, beefier parts, more stabilty on 360 blades

It comes with 350mm blades on the 6S version. 325mm on 3S
Mini Protos also longer at 739 mm v 690 mm according to the specs.

[Peteski]

Coming back to this, now the summer is more or less here I'm looking to make a decision on my first serious heli. Having read a lot about the various helis discussed in this thread, I have to say that the new Lynx Oxy 3 has really grown on me in the last month and right now is probably my top pick. I know it's a good bit smaller than most of the other options I've been considering, but by all accounts it flies big and would probably suit my local flying field the best.

Any thoughts on build spec for general sport flying? I don't want to build a manic hardcore 3D beast, but I do want top quality and the ability to grow with it as I gain more experience. I was thinking of starting with the kit motor/esc option and taking it from there.

Many thanks,

Pete

[tomatwalden]

Looks a nice machine no doubt! Same size as my 300cfx which I really enjoy as a nice balance between small enough that I can fly in local fields without worrying too much and large enough that it doesn't suffer the usual problems of micros!

FWIW, at this size, I personally would avoid Savox (0257mg) servos. I've just sent a batch back to FL after having no end of problems with them. Replaced with Spektrum H3050 and all problems solved! Turnigy (TGY306M ??? I think) are fairly popular at this size too.

Enjoy!

[philipjdall]

Hmmm. I've not flown the oxy but in my experience I think the smaller 'proper' helis are really more for experienced pilots than beginners. They're just really quick and get small fast. You would be better off with a 450 IMO. And in my opinion the 360 thing is just a fad, my 450 pro flies beautifull on 325's.

I'd choose something inexpensive with cheap, readily available parts. As much as I don't like align they are hard to beat on these two fronts.

[Peteski]

Hmmm. I've not flown the oxy but in my experience I think the smaller 'proper' helis are really more for experienced pilots than beginners. They're just really quick and get small fast. You would be better off with a 450 IMO. And in my opinion the 360 thing is just a fad, my 450 pro flies beautifull on 325's.

I'd choose something inexpensive with cheap, readily available parts. As much as I don't like align they are hard to beat on these two fronts.

That all makes perfect sense, but I would have thought it could be made docile enough to handle with a decent FBL unit like the Brain/Ikon? I'm progressing pretty quickly with my mCPX and 130X and haven't crashed either yet and don't crash on the sim unless I'm trying a completely new move, so I'm not too concerned about excessive crash damage at this stage. Obviously the performance envelope of the Oxy 3 is massively overkill for what I'll ever need, but I really like the quality and I would hope it would fly smoother and with more precision than a cheaper model of this size. I would also hope for better reliability and relatively pain free maintenance.

If my head/wallet was making this decision, I'd probably just get a Trex 450 as the safe/sensible/logical default choice, but for some reason it simply doesn't excite me. Probably because they are so common and I like things a bit different. If I do go down the 450 size route, I'd probably opt for the Mini-Protos with it's distinctive looks and ultra-quiet belt drive. The new Blade 360 CFX also appeals as a high quality BNF option, fad or otherwise.

For the next year or so this new heli is going to be my "Sunday best" and so I may well also pick up a cheaper beater to practice new moves on and push my own limits a bit more. Maybe a used 450 pro could fit that bill very nicely.

[tomatwalden]

Just spotted that Kings Lynn have got the 360cfx pretty darned cheap if you're interested, plus pre-order for the 3-bladed head conversion ...

E-Flite Blade 360 CFX BNF Basic - Instock

[Peteski]

Thanks Tom, yes that is very tempting indeed at that price! Also avoids all the time and potential hassle of a full build. Actually I quite like the idea of building my own heli, but not sure if I really have the time right now. Whereas I could be flying this at the weekend!

[philipjdall]

I wouldn't describe blade helis as 'high quality', but then that may just be me (don't ask Tom, he practically works for them lol!).

Smaller heli gets smaller faster. Simple. Fiddly to work on, and so on.

It sounds like you've made up your mind so just get an Oxy! Or a mini-protos; I own one and it is superb, although the protos 500 isn't much more expensive and is probably the best of the lot.

The protos belt drive has to be seen to be believed.

[tomatwalden]

I wouldn't describe blade helis as 'high quality', but then that may just be me (don't ask Tom, he practically works for them lol!).

....

I've got more Goblins than I have large Blades (note my 550 is a Logo these days ). The 360cfx looks on a par quality wise with say an Align 450L (having seen one in a shop). The frame is CF, the servos are MG, the FBL is a decent BX unit. The 360cfx is a far different proposition from the 450x of old.

"High quality" ? Depends on your definition I guess. If it isn't, then the 450L isn't either I would argue ...

[Peteski]

Well the 360 CFX is certainly high quality as far as BNF offerings go, which is what I actually meant by that. It also appears to buck the trend as far as typical historic Blade quality goes, but no doubt the Oxy 3 and other high end build kits are of a generally higher quality. It's just a matter of whether or not I can be bothered to actually build one from scratch right now. Plus it would be my first ever build, so I could possibly make a complete balls of it and completely negate the higher quality!

Certainly haven't made my mind up yet by the way! The Mini-Protos was the first heli in this class that caught my eye, mainly due to its looks and the fairly unique belt drive system - presuming it isn't a pain to work on. But then I'm thinking something slightly smaller might be better suited to my local field (even my 130X can easily fly around the whole field and luckily my eyesight is pretty sharp, so I have no issues following small helis), which is why I started looking harder at the Oxy 3 and other 300 size helis. In this smaller class the Oxy really does look like the standout choice for quality, even if it is overkill on performance.

Anything bigger than a 450 simply wouldn't get flown at the moment, so totally out of the question.

decisions, decisions!