Cheap V expensive..

[martin_b]

Guys,

If you take two similar sized 'copters is the following true..

The cheaper one will be made from more plastic, cheaper materials, so when you crash parts are cheaper but you do more damage?

Expensive 'coptor better materials, metals, titanium etc , hence parts are more expensive but when you crash you do less damage?

thanks

Martin

[franky975]

The plastic can take some abuse while the metal will bend/brake plus more expensive. On the other hand the plastis is more flexible the metal gives you more solid/crispy feel. If you crash a lot (early learning stage) go with the plastic.

[RcRotaryMadness]

Its one of those questions that could go round in circles all day long..

I generally found plastics seem to have more "give" for crashing where carbon would just splinter, or if the part is made from metal it bends.

Trouble is, if you buy cheap - you normally find that things do break easier and sheer off.. because the screws and bolts are made from butter... then you end up with bits of broken screws stuck in holes.

Also from my experience you get a lot more slop and setup problems with cheaper helis, so if you're trying to learn fly this very problem goes against what your trying to achieve.

[GIR8]

Not quite as simple as that compare these 2 heli's Carbon T-REX 600E PRO DFC Airframe Only RH60E01XWAFO V Plastic MIK2242 LOGO 600 SE kit

[Supa Koopa]

And I know which of those two I'd take.....! (plastic fantastic for anyone in doubt)

[dogbiscuit]

And I know which of those two I'd take.....! (plastic fantastic for anyone in doubt)

well, until you got the repair bill that is!

[maddog7]

well, until you got the repair bill that is!

+1 on that!

[highlightshadow]

Its mainly down to engineering quality, machining tolerances and overall materials quality

The cheap brands (HK / CopterX for example) on a good day could produce a decent machine but you see many people ending up replacing a load of parts with the original equivalent to reduce slop, improved bearings etc...

In terms of things like Align vs Mikado etc ... its simply mass produced brands vs (arguably) more specilist brands
Both of them are fine machines but some might be more refined.

Even saying plastic vs carbon is a fools game since there are good and bad versions of both materials .... blending/weave patterns/thicknesses etc all have a mark in how they can be machined or survive impact.

[Supa Koopa]

And I know which of those two I'd take.....! (plastic fantastic for anyone in doubt)

Mine wasn't that bad, and Imade a mess of a few things to be honest. I know people want cheap repair bills and I do agree, but as soon as you move away from Align the quality really does make a difference. Until you flown/owned a Logo it's difficult to appreciate the difference, I know as I was in that same camp not so long ago. If I had to dump all my helis and only keep one, it would be my logo 500.

[Ross Northcott]

+1 on that!

well, until you got the repair bill that is!

Again useless quotes, unless you have owned one and crashed one why make comments which are not true or you know nothing about, but please do stick to you Align heli's.

[maddog7]

Again useless quotes, unless you have owned one and crashed one why make comments which are not true or you know nothing about, but please do stick to you Align heli's.

Ross,
Please see the 550x thread,
Your making assumptions then posting them here. My logo 600 is for sale for this very reason.
It's arrogant and uninformed to assume I've not owned, flown or crashed and had to repair anything like this and post as such here.
I was talking to a friend of mine whilst we sorted his X7 and remarked on how very similar the componentry looked in regard to finish and machining to that of the significantly cheaper Outrage Fusion I have. He thinks he read or heard somewhere that they are made in the same factory? If they are not, the quality of the work is exactly the same. IF that is true what exactly makes the Gaui any better?

I'd venture that the biggest single factor involved with FBL helis is the controller. I've used and still own Vbars, BeastX, GT5 and Brain in the same helis and a lot of the feel in the air is due to the controller.

How much more thought has gone into a Mikado tail boom over an Align one that the Mikado one need be three times the price?
The carbon tail supports are also three times as expensive, they're just carbon rods with plastic ends on 'em!

The tail slider pivot mount for a Logo 600 is a 0.5x1.5cm triange of aluminum, tell me, what is it about it that means it should cost £14?

Does the Logo fly nicely, yes it does. Is it well thought out, yes it is but it's arrogantly expensive because Mikado believe they are worth that much more than everyone else. A problem which seems to affect society in general.

As far as I know Tareq's current fave heli is the Protos (700 preprod I presume) but posts around mid 2012 suggested his all time fave was the Trex700 DFC. He's from the UAE and I can't imagine money is any object, he's also a good flyer.

What makes any of us qualified to state what is best in an arena where most are very good and it actually comes down to common sense personal preference.


The top and bottom of it is that your trying to force your subjective opinion into accepted truth.

Perhaps you could tell us all, with pictures of components and or videos and some commentary to support your assertions exactly why you think Mikado are king and Align are peasant?

Cheers
D

[cjcj1949]

It is difficult to generalise. Unreliable components cause crashes, but experience allows you to sort out some of the problems. Not all clones are equal and the more expensive the heli the less relaxed you tend to be flying it, and pressure is a major source of crashes. The better the quality though the less crashes due to unreliability and the more confident you'll get. It is all experience though, we all learn through mistakes.

[Ross Northcott]

Ross,
Please see the 550x thread,
Your making assumptions then posting them here. My logo 600 is for sale for this very reason.
It's arrogant and uninformed to assume I've not owned, flown or crashed and had to repair anything like this and post as such here.
I was talking to a friend of mine whilst we sorted his X7 and remarked on how very similar the componentry looked in regard to finish and machining to that of the significantly cheaper Outrage Fusion I have. He thinks he read or heard somewhere that they are made in the same factory? If they are not, the quality of the work is exactly the same. IF that is true what exactly makes the Gaui any better?

I'd venture that the biggest single factor involved with FBL helis is the controller. I've used and still own Vbars, BeastX, GT5 and Brain in the same helis and a lot of the feel in the air is due to the controller.

How much more thought has gone into a Mikado tail boom over an Align one that the Mikado one need be three times the price?
The carbon tail supports are also three times as expensive, they're just carbon rods with plastic ends on 'em!

The tail slider pivot mount for a Logo 600 is a 0.5x1.5cm triange of aluminum, tell me, what is it about it that means it should cost £14?

Does the Logo fly nicely, yes it does. Is it well thought out, yes it is but it's arrogantly expensive because Mikado believe they are worth that much more than everyone else. A problem which seems to affect society in general.

As far as I know Tareq's current fave heli is the Protos (700 preprod I presume) but posts around mid 2012 suggested his all time fave was the Trex700 DFC. He's from the UAE and I can't imagine money is any object, he's also a good flyer.

What makes any of us qualified to state what is best in an arena where most are very good and it actually comes down to common sense personal preference.


The top and bottom of it is that your trying to force your subjective opinion into accepted truth.

Perhaps you could tell us all, with pictures of components and or videos and some commentary to support your assertions exactly why you think Mikado are king and Align are peasant?

Cheers
D

I appoligise for assuming, but my experience of repairing Mikado Logo's are very different to yours then.

I have seen 4 logo's go in, each time they were between £200-£300 providing all electrics are ok, this includes canopy, edge blade replacement and parts, i added my last crash up which came tp £274 on my 600 if i would have crashed a trex 600 same size it would havecost £342.36 plus links and bearings.

Main shaft £11.24 (get 2 of these)
vertical fin £8.99
Main thrust bearings £6.75
Complete tail assembly as it went in very hard £70.36
Main grips £26.09
Both side frames £72
Main gear £13.95
Boom £8.99 (get 2 of these)
main blades £65.00
tail blades £23.99
Canopy £35.00 canomod

Mainframe left LOGO 500/600	MIK4058	£21.74	Ordered:1	£21.74
Mainframe right LOGO 500/600	MIK4057	£21.74	Ordered:1	£21.74
Spindle shaft 86mm, steel	MIK2347	£9.98	Ordered:1	£9.98
Support for horizontal fin (tailboom dia. 25.0) (PAIR)	MIK4096	£4.25	Ordered:1	£4.25
Ball bearing flanged 5 x 13 x 4 (2)	MIK3069	£5.24	Ordered:1	£5.24
Ball Bearing 8 x 14 x 4	MIK2351	£5.44	Ordered:1	£5.44
Thrust bearing 6x14	MIK2349	£8.50	Ordered:1	£8.50
Blade holder 12 mm blade grip, incl. screws	MIK2314	£8.50	Ordered:1	£8.50
VERTICAL STABILIZER, CARBONLOGO 600 3D	MIK4079	£16.50	Ordered:1	£16.50
Carbon tail boom brace LOGO 600 3D	MIK4097	£14.99	Ordered:1	£14.99
Tailboom dia.25x755 mm, LOGO600-3D	MIK4098	£15.50	Ordered:1	£15.50
Control rod 60mm	MIK1586	£1.75	Ordered:1	£1.75
Ball links 2.5 mm (10 pieces)	MIK1565	£5.50	Ordered:1	£5.50
Ball bearing 10 x 19 x 5	MIK1329	£5.50	Ordered:1	£5.50
M3 X 10 NYLON BOLTS (10)	MH-M3X10NYLON	£1.99	Ordered:1	£1.99
LINK ROD 2.5 X 65	SYN-107-065	£2.99	Ordered:1	£2.99

Plus tail assembly £25
main blades £65.00
tail blades £23.99
Canopy £35.00 canomod

[chumley]

I think there is a degree of brand name 'snobbery' in this Hobby. Not to insult anyone.....it's just the same as other Hobbies. I have had to listen to countless discussions / arguements at work over which golfclubs, football boots, cricket bats, racing bikes are best. Everyone has their favourite manufacturer. However, the choice of purchase usually boils down to a combination of personal preference, skill level and cost. I started out with Clone Heli's but regretted it once I saw an Align Kit. The quality of the Clone parts were appalling in comparrison. I have been so impressed with the quality / affordability / availability of Align Kits and Parts that I now sell them! I'm sure not all Clone Heli's are bad, however I have lost count of the number of people buying Align parts to replace various parts in their own Clone Helis.

[Andy_Ran]

As this post is in the beginners section I feel it's gone off on a tangent to the cream of the hobby helis.

when I started out again, I asked myself the same question, my answer was not so obvious. I spoke at length with various members of a local clubs, shops and the good old tinternet and the advice was always the same. When learning part supply is just as important as you will need parts. Going for a more common model will ensure you can get back in the air quickly and cost effectively. That is why I went the align route, all my local shops stock parts, they are faily inexpensive and the heli is capable of my scale and gentle sport flying right up to hard 3d with a more advanced flyer.

Also as they are popular there is always someone on hand to help should you get stuck