Mini Titan or Trex 450?

[fishface]

Having learnt to fly a heli using a Blade CX2 and Phoenix Sim, I am now thinking that I would like to buy a 'proper' heli.

After looking around, it seems that 2 reasonable options are a Mini Titan or Trex 450.

Can anyone recommend either of these heli's as being more suited to a 'learner' than the other bearing in mind spares costs and ease of rebuild as well as being a stable flyer?

I was thinking of radio gear such as a Futaba 401 Gyro, 9257 tail servo, Hi-tec HS 65 cyclic servos and a DX6i 2.4ghz system. Any thoughts on if this is a good set of kit to use on the Mini Titan or Trex?

Cheers

Steve

[Rat]

The electronics there are the ones most recommended here as the ideal so you're looking good there.

However I will have to plead ignorance on the Mini Titan.
My Trex has been brilliant so far. With the only bump being a melted plastic tail drive pulley due to long grass and then it letting go midair resulting in a slightly heavy landing and cracking a blade. £25 later and back in the air.

[Kwickkwack]

I dont think you can go wrong with either, Trex lovers will say the 450 is better, I have a Mini T and i like it, two things perhaps to bear in mind
If you use a local shop what do they stock (spares etc always needed)
What do other guys (or gals) who fly near you fly. they can always help you with the setup.

[Smoothound]

Like Rob says they both do the job pretty well. I have a Trex450 V2 mainly because I started with an old Trex450X

[moyesboy]

The miniT is fine, but the spares are cheaper for the trex450 and I reckon its probably the better bet.
go for the HS65MG, rather than HB.
A DX7 is bit more future proof than the DX6i, the extra channel is useful on a bigger heli that might be nitro (used for a separate governor). You only need the 6 channel receiver of course for the small electric.

[Smoothound]

I'd advise going for the DX7 as well. Our club has recently banned the DX6i

[machasm]

Have you considered a Trex500?
There isn't that much between the two once kitted out. The only real difference is in the Battery pack price.
However, The 500 is a much easier heli to fly and more practical in slightly stronger winds.
Having owned both a 450 and a 500 I find the 500 much better to fly though the 450 is a scream too.
I have no experience of a titan so can't comment on that.
Adrian.

[moonmanflyer]

Your elecs choice is excellent, buy once buy right as they say.
Either heli will be great and you can down tune them to suit yourself and then turn them into stick banging 3d models later with little changes on the radio setup.
Personnal chioce would always be the trex for me, cheeper spares and i think looks better, with also slightly better componant materials.
An 450 V1 SE bargin at 190 ish quid, with all alloy head bling etc, battery and blades + alloy case, 100 quid cheeper than the V2, and so much more than you get with the S model.

[moyesboy]

....with a 500, compared to a 450

The charger will cost about twice as much.
The packs will cost at least twice as much
The blades will cost +50% more and there isn't much choice
You can charge many 450 packs from your car battery without damaging it, but just a few charges of a 500 pack will flatten it. so you need some sort of power source, and it will be quite big and heavy - or mains.

But the heli will no doubt fly really nicely, and much more like a bigger heli.

The heli is bigger. Fly it in the garden at your peril.

What is the story on banning Dx6i txs?

[Fixxxer]

One thing to bear in mind with the mini t is 65 servos won't just fit straight in. The mounts need to be filed out wider to accomodate them. Apart from that mine's been trouble free and copes well with wind as its got a slightly bigger head thus making the overall blade surface a touch bigger than the 450.

That said the 450 has far more backup and third party parts available for it and everybody and his dog seems to have one so you wont be short of help.

[Smoothound]

They use dry cells which is frowned on by the BMFA apparently.

I've no idea as I've never read the rules

[GizmoB73]

They use dry cells which is frowned on by the BMFA apparently.

I've no idea as I've never read the rules

To a mere mortal like me that sounds a tad picky. Surely the level of the low battery warning on the TX is much more relevant than the type of cells used? I guess that's another thread though.

I have used both the DX6i and own a DX7 and would choose the DX7 again given the choice. The DX7 has a slightly nicer feel IMO, although I do like the scroll wheel feature on the DX6i but it does feel a bit cheap but there is nothing wrong with it.

[moyesboy]

I understand its not that its dry cells, its that the batteries clip into the compartment on the tx rather than being soldered together.
However Rossendale, the local model shop, are doing a conversion to soldered tx pack for £15 that maintains the warranty, so its a bit of a non issue really - except for the fact that a club is once again turning well meaning potential members away saying a flat "you can't fly that" - rather than looking at the tx, giving it a shake, checking it works and then allowing the new member to fly subject to them getting a soldered pack fitted ASAP.

The second course of action will get the club happy new members who are very glad for the advice on the tx battery, the first will lead to people flying blade400 helis without advice and help, and possibly even at the club field with no supervision when no members are there.
...but for some people maybe its more fun to just send people away - after all rules are rules, never mind if they are BMFA guidelines rather than rules.

When you shake one of the commitee members £800 txs and the tx module falls out, that of course is a different problem and not the same sort of safety issue is it? you have to make allowances for any issues with expensive equipment, its just the cheap stuff you can ban outright!

tongue firmly in cheek...

[marktigere1]

My DX6i uses 2200 NiMH Instant cells.

Does this mean the DX6i is not welcome at fly ins?

[BobJ]

Hi

The reason behind loose cells been a bad idea on a TX is due to using loose (none welded packs) in a TX and charging the cells in place, eventually the connections will corode a little and then you will have a problem, dry cells which will need replacing every few hours shouldn't be a issue as fitting and removing will clean the contacts enough to keep everything working.

Regarding the T Rex v Mini Titan, Mini Titan flies just fine but the plastic chassis won't take a crash as well as the newer T Rex 450 models like the 450S and SE

Cheers
Bob