Advice on next heli please

[Madcowz]

Hi,

I'm going to be 40 in December and as part of my mid-life crisis which is going to include a natty little sports car and some hookers as well as a bigger heli.

I currently have the 120 SR and the mSR, am hooked and know that I will stick with this hobby. I used to fly planks when I was younger and have been waiting to get back into the RC hobby. The 120 is good but limiting in as far as it is very susceptible to wind.

I can't afford anything too big as the prices are eye watering so I am thinking a 450 size would do me just fine. At this level when I crash it, it isn't going to be prohibitive to repair unlike the 500 and upwards.

What I am looking for is some advice.

Ebay is full of cheap Align 450's which I am assuming are all from Hong Kong and made of cheese?
I hear a lot about Align Trex, are there any other manufactures you would recommend?
Which version should I go for? SE Pro etc etc

A pretty open question this I know but if I start researching now, I can hopefully pick up the right bargain off Ebay later.

thanks.

[tiddler]

I bought my Trex 450SE from a forum member on here. Got a good deal and I'm very happy with it. As for eBay Hmmm, well you take your chances, you might be OK or you might get a dog

I suppose you could always look at a clone like the Flasher 450 perhaps. By all reports there meant to be quite good.

[coptermanic]

Also, have a look on the BMFA Classifieds. Personally, I'd sooner buy off there or from a member of this forum.
Trex 450v2 would be a nice second machine, as would a Blade 400.

[Dannyyy]

Get a 450 pro..... Awesomeeeeee!!!

[Madcowz]

Is there somewhere where I could see what the differences are between the SE, v2 and pro?

Not that they would make any difference to my flying style unless one of them was encased in rubber?

[Vanquish]

This is definitely where my pennies would go.... Fast Lad Performance

The pro model basically is the fully upgraded version of the v2 with all the metal goodies as standard.

[tiddler]

Oh and another heli you might consider is the Thunder Tiger Innovator MD530.
OK they cost a bit more than an Align heli. But they are an absolutely fabulous beginners 450 size cp heli. REALLY stable and easy to fly.

[coptermanic]

There is another option by selecting a 500 size heli. With the new 550, there are "pre-owned" 500s around with all the kit!!

[tiddler]

The problem with the 450 pro is it had a shaft driven tail which is easy to damage when learning. Much better of with a belt driven tail tbh

[Si Goodchild]

Agree with the previous 2 posters. Belt-driven tails are far more forgiving. A pre-owned 500 would be a cracking heli, but crash costs (especially blades) will be higher. The basic consumables for a 450 (blades, shafts and batteries) are as cheap as chips, but the heli is a lot less stable in the wind than a 500.

At least you have phoenix, so you can get some quality sim time in. Very much your choice, I'm afraid.

[Biggles]

You could always go for the sport which in reality is an SE V3, £299 just add lipo and reciever!!!

[Balders]

you have PM

[Kozmyk]

I've had 3 sweet pre-owned helis from members on here.
Definitely a good budget way to progress I reckon.

Well ... I say "progress" ...

[Western]

Have you considered the Copterx clone. from what I am led to believe it's one of the better clones. Just buy better quality screws and make sure that you dismantle in ready assembled bits and loctite them all.
As you bend it you can replace the parts with CopterX bits or genuine Align bits. That's what I plan to do eventually.
I'd rather spent less while I am learning and have more crashes.
Still enjoying your MSR?
Regards, Mark

[Davy Crockett]

like yourself, i'm 40 soon and thought its about time i did something i've wanted to do for years, started last year with a blade cx2 and then got a twister cp which didnt think much of. bought a blade msr and was hooked...so i bought a trex 450 se v2 aug 2010 (from ebay, but since learned a member here and had so much help and advice..thanks silverlyx)
Its a stunning heli and better than i expected
all i can say is practice (lots!) on phoenix cos its cheaper than binning the real thing, and having flown the real thing after phoenix it really does make practice worthwhile