Logo 700

[crash-test-tomo]

but GBP has gone down the toilet.

No it hasnt, last time I exchanged euros was 2011 and I got 1.04, today it is 1.17 so the pound is stronger atm than it was 5 years ago

[trillian]

No it hasnt, last time I exchanged euros was 2011 and I got 1.04, today it is 1.17 so the pound is stronger atm than it was 5 years ago

Well, earlier this year it was around 1.32 Euros, so it took a dive just recently.

[mahbouni]

Actually it was 1.42 last year. Just because it was worse during the credit crunch doesn't mean it's good now. It may recover over the next year or two but this year you can expect a more expensive hobby.

[waveydavey]

Nice to see we keep bringing this back to the exit of the UK from the EU, what has that to do with anything. Yes, I understand that the £ has dropped in value but £900 for some plastic, get real. I love the look but like Don, I'll wait for some cast offs, does it really compare that differently from the Protos, plastic, belt driven, some ally and a big fibreglass nose. Helis are overpriced, have been for ever and we only help this situation

[mahbouni]

Who mentioned exit? Easy to say it's overpriced when you're not earning a living from it. Maybe all RC companies should cut staff wages so we can have cheaper toys

[waveydavey]

In fairness nobody it was just the general tone of my £ is worth nothing my hobby is so expensive It's only expensive if you follow the crowd and have the next best greatest slab of carbon or plastic.

RC companies should do what they need to in order to maximise turnover, whether thats low volume or high volume, high cost manufacturing or low cost it's down to volume.

[mahbouni]

Using the slimmer gear , not the one from the old model which would you use ? 750-50 0r 750-56 Kontronik ??

Ill be phoning Midland first thing to get my name on the list , woohoo !

How many cells and hat head speed are you aiming for?

[Varelco]

Is there any info on recommended set ups?

I wonder if they will continue to sell the 690sx along side this 700. Mikado pretty much have it all covered with the 600se 690sx and the 700.

[r4nd0m]

schweighoefer in austria offers this combo for pre-order

• Logo 700 Kit
• Manual
• VTX 717 Rotor blades
• 3xSavöx Servo Savöx SB-2271 SG Digital Brushless HV
• Servo Savöx SB-2272MG Digital Brushless HV
• ESC Platinum Pro 160A HV 5-14s BEC 10A for 700-800 Class Heli 3D
• Pinion 13 tooth Modul 1 / Ø 6 mm / 25°
• HK-4525-520KV Scorpion Motor Ultimate (6mm shaft)
• VStabi Neo 6.1 Express

for 2300 € or £ 2000

[Granpappy]

Well I always wanted to try a Logo so I just pre-ordered the new 700 from Midland with the VTX 717 blades.

I think I might try the new Align 130 Amp ESC with 10 Amp bec on this one. Looks good.

[tomatwalden]

...I'll wait for some cast offs, does it really compare that differently from the Protos, plastic, belt driven, some ally and a big fibreglass nose. Helis are overpriced, have been for ever and we only help this situation

I think if you look only at the final product - yes, the Logo, and other innovated products are expensive. Because you're not buying just the plastic or carbon fibre bits - you're paying for the R&D, for the staff who design, manufacture, market, ship, and support that product. You're paying for the legal team that ensures the packaging meets standards, for the retailers/distributors etc.

That's the reason the clones are cheap - you're avoiding many of those costs as the cloners ride on the back of other's work.

Or as you say, buy second hand.

[bigpops]

Nice one Granpappy. I can't help but be a little envious.

I'd certainly give the Align (Hobbywing) 130 a go. I watched Steward Mott beat on a 3 blade Trex 700 at Weston Park that had one of them in it. It didn't look like it struggled at any point.

I must admit, I have my eye on one myself for my 700L.

[waveydavey]

I think if you look only at the final product - yes, the Logo, and other innovated products are expensive. Because you're not buying just the plastic or carbon fibre bits - you're paying for the R&D, for the staff who design, manufacture, market, ship, and support that product. You're paying for the legal team that ensures the packaging meets standards, for the retailers/distributors etc.

That's the reason the clones are cheap - you're avoiding many of those costs as the cloners ride on the back of other's work.

Or as you say, buy second hand.

I didn't realise all of that Tom, thanks for clearing it up It's an argument that's gone on before, where does Mikado have their manufacturing done, where does Synergy for the purpose of a similarly priced comparison have theirs done. I think you'll find they take advantage of cheap labour and manufacturing in the Far East, can't say for certain with Mikado but defo Synergy. Yes the cost of design etc have to be factored into the final cost that a product enters the market at, but they also have to look at forecasted sales. I'm not a salesman, too honest for that but volume sales with lower margin helps with manufacturing costs and increased margin etc. Low volume sales with higher margin, well you don't need to be a salesman to realise that ain't doing squat for numbers. Now my bollocks above might be just that but I know as a consumer if the Logo was positioned even slightly South of £700 I'd be in the waiting list, that's the truth of it, been looking for a change for around a year and this floats my boat. Where it is for a Saturday hobby, I just can't justify it. The comparison to Protos V2 above was a good one, similar R&D, marketing, tooling (plastic) costs and half the price(ish) with a FBL unit in the box.

[tomatwalden]

I didn't realise all of that Tom, thanks for clearing it up

Sarcasm aside, of course you knew that! - but "heli's are overpriced" as a statement focused solely on the end product. FWIW, I'd also add the equally well known fact that the RC heli market is contracting massively so margins are probably getting tighter for manufacturers in general.

The comparison to Protos V2 above was a good one, similar R&D, marketing, tooling (plastic) costs and half the price(ish) with a FBL unit in the box.

It's a fair point - although whether or not the Protos will be a commercial success or not remains to be seen.

FWIW, the Logo 700 is too much for me too - but there are more expensive 700s out there. Who's to say whether they are worth the money just because they are more complex or use CF in place of plastic???

[Granpappy]

I think if you look only at the final product - yes, the Logo, and other innovated products are expensive. Because you're not buying just the plastic or carbon fibre bits - you're paying for the R&D, for the staff who design, manufacture, market, ship, and support that product. You're paying for the legal team that ensures the packaging meets standards, for the retailers/distributors etc.

That's the reason the clones are cheap - you're avoiding many of those costs as the cloners ride on the back of other's work.

Or as you say, buy second hand.

I think there are other factors at play here. Brand loyalty and reputation can have an influence on the opening market price of a product. Everyone say's Logo's are good so I'm not going to ignore that. I certainly don't have brand loyalty but I'm very curious.

A good example would be with camera's. Canon can pretty much step up to the mark with 35mm full frame digitals compared to Leica. However with Leica you can add an extra '0' to the price and people will still buy them. The same with Pentax and Hasselblad in the medium format world. An annual service for a Hasselblad cost's more than this helicopter. They are however professional tools and there is probably some brand snobbery at play which you might not get with helicopters.