Next Heli - FBL going too far too soon?

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Hi all.

Been getting much more stable with both MCPX and Sim lately and having bailed out of an old hobby and into this one I have a bunch of heli-tokens by which to set off on my next endeavour...

I'm liking the mCPX and flybarless seems to be the growing trend since electronics / sw is getting cheaper & better i'm thinking of going into this area now....

In the next week or so i'll be buying a heli so would like wisdom of the crowd

So Align Trex 450 pro v2 3GX super-combo is my aimed for platform but with a couple of adjustments ... thinking of getting some Spektrum H3000 cyclic servos to replace the stock DS410M's (given mixed reports of failure vs mounting problems)... aiming to strip the chrome off the 3GX unit straight away (given mixed reports of shorting out) or i guess buying AR7200BX instead

So 2 questions...

1. Am i crazy going FBL straight off? On the basis i prefer the simplicity of the head construction and overall wish long-term to go FBL
2. Am i even crazier to go for the BeastX rx off the bat?

Thanks all - learn so much from you all on here

J

[Stanley Speel]

That sounds like a great next heli I have more or less only had fbl helis due to the simple heads and adjustability.

I wouldnt worry about changing the servos though. The beastx should be a great choice, and it should be almost free to upgrade - £100 for the 3gx and if you add £30 for an rx that is almost the price of the spektrum-beastx (if that makes any sense )

[cjcj1949]

Yes, you probably are crazy, but that's pretty standard on here, the name of the forum gives it away. Asking for advice before buying isn't standard though, the traditional way is to ask afterwards. You've started on mcpx and you should find a 450 easier, once you've got over the fear factor and convinced yourself that it's not dangerous. Flybarless costs a lot more and puts more demand on the servos, but it seems to work. I can't think of anyone who's gone back to flybar. Align electronics doesn't seem as good as their mechanical stuff. The 410 servos come in for a lot of bashing. I bought a 520 with an align gyro in a deal. The gyro was useless but the 520 has been very good. It is on a 450 though, so perhaps not much of a test. The 410s may be ok if they are mounted carefully. If you have the discipline it would be sensible to check out as much as you can before flying, for say an hour or so of usage. Most faults happen in the early life of a component and are known as infant mortality.

Hopefully you'll soon be able to tell us what a first 450 flybarless heli feels like. BeastX sounds a better bet than 3GX, and getting an integrated unit means you only have one company to deal with if there's a problem. Spektrum have had problems, as we should expect, but they do get fixed. Just don't get too far in front of the curve. It's not called the bleeding edge for nothing. And good luck. Most people go through a bad patch, but come out the other end even more enthusiastic. Helis are not proper aircraft. They are not meant to fly. We make them fly and sometimes they behave, but in the end they win. Then you just have to get a better model to replace it. It is possible to overestimate the cost of repairs after a bad crash in order to make a new heli the cost effective option. You may also have found it too small to see or too twitchy and a bigger one will be a much better investment. May not work if your partners into helis. Vicki has just gone down your route, might be interesting to hear her opinion.

[tyjudd]

My first Heli was the Trex 450 Pro V2 3gx and I love it! It takes a bit of setting up but no more than than a flybared one and the 3gx has been great but I'm still along way from putting it through its paces properly I'm only doing circuits still. My second Heli was a Trex 600 Flybared and I didn't like it so I converted it to flybarless with 3gx after 3 months and I love too. But being at a club with lots of help has taken the sting out of it with lots of help and advice on tap, so I don't see a reason not go flybarless straight away if it's what you want, buying flybared then converting is just a waste of money, just get flybarless and be done with it.

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I'm at a club hence the choice of align. Very popular and can help with setup.

Looking forward to the build just going to take my time and make double sure to loctite everything that needs it.

Anyone recommend batteries too? Looking to get maybe 3 or 4 straight off the bat
Gonna pick up some orange tail blades too for visibility
Anything else I need to consider?

[milly0812]

Gorilla skids are great and I've not managed to break them yet lol

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Awesome info from everyone .... definitely tweaking my shopping list....

So last couple of questions if i may ....

1. Batteries .... need them (obviously) ... which brands offer the best bang for the buck?
2. Blades - I understand the kit comes with CF blades which are lovely and bling but are them some 'better' / cheaper blades that i can use earlier on .. my understanding is that CF ones don't break so easily and transmit energy elsewhere and i know flybarred heli users have used fibreglass (US available only?) ones that shatter much easier but i also read that the FBL blades are weighted differently than FB ones ..... HELP!?!?

Thanks Everyone .... nearly ready to pull the trigger on this little lot ...

[Stanley Speel]

1) turnigy batteries will be fine and are cheap too. Overlander are also very good.
2) try align 335 pro wood blades. They are cheap and although not fbl blades they feel very stable and should break easier than the cf ones.

[cjcj1949]

I've got Tipples from GiantCod. I use the 25C. I charge at 2C and still going after 2 years. The Gensace are supposed to be good.Fibreglass blades are cheap at about £3. Woods do break very easily, too easily for me, but probably the best way of limiting damage and a quick repair. It is very easy to damage the mainshaft and the little rod thing that goes through the middle that I can't remember the name of. It joins the two main blades. Make sure you get one that bends rather than breaks as you don't then lose all the bits inside.

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So a 25C battery is enough for the 450?
So...Turnigy 2200mAh 3S 25C-35C burst or Overlander Sport 2200 3S 11.1v 25C are both ok?

Not bad for £20 a piece

[cjcj1949]

I think you need to buy a battery that is about twice as good as need. I have six minute flights that are fairly smooth and use a cheap motor. I'm running at about 10C so I use 25C. I go by how much the lipo warms up. Ones that warm up a lot don't seem to last long. This may be folklore, I didn't invent it, it was passed onto me. If you get a better motor and start stick banging you would need to ask Lawrence. My £10 GiantCod motor is good enough for the moment. My Overlander is not as good as the Tipples but better than the NanoTechs. I can't feel the difference in flight, but the ir of the tipples is about half of the other two. I have used Overlander for years with NiCds for powered gliders and there have been no problems. I would trust them more than anyone else.

I think all lipos are pretty good for the sport 450 heli. So long as they are warmed before use in the Winter.