Worst RC Heli ever made or owned?

[Ade_Law]

its the wrong week, this week is CSM, next week it is back to the hawk :-)

Ade

[Biggles]

I am gonna put my neck on the line here by saying that....l(et me attempt to word this right)... it's not the worst heli by far but the biggest white elephant award of 2006 has to go to the Synergy N9. It's a bit like the original vigor (pre CS)that was advertised as the most awaited release of the decade, so we all thought it was gonna be like curtis's and it wasn't.

So let's take a look at the synergy, you need parts from other helis to make it fly right (x-cells). Mr Osbourn made it to 4th (hmm) in the masters, beaten by a JR (Disc) there were more failures with synergys at the masters and charmouth had them falling out of the sky left right and centre.

And did you notice that JK pulled out of the comp (did fly followed by a wicked crash)

So I suppose I am trying to say is that it is not the worst heli coz it's not but more like the most dissapointing heli!

Their motto should be more bounce for your buck!!!!

[Ade_Law]

i think thats a little unfair biggles. not flown one have you? the failures at charmouth were down to a dodgy thrust race that had been damaged in a previous crash. no heli is going to come off too well in that situation. Did you see the model after the crash? it survived very very well, very little damage.

I flew bobs later that day... truely amazing heli beats the crap out of my Dyna-x that i was flying last year. definitly on my shopping list sometime next year.

Ade

[paddy]

i agree ade, just wanna pull up something said by biggles.

"Mr Osbourn made it to 4th (hmm) in the masters".

Thats 4th IN THE WORLD REMEMBER.

Im getting a synergy or two next year for the masters. As ade has said the synergy survives crashes very well, it was designed to have as mimimal damage as pos in a crash with minimal rebuild time, and it fits this purpose very well.

[Smoothound]

Synergy is next on my shopping list once I get a new site sorted out

[ChrisB]

I dont personally like any 90 size models now,i prefer to stick to 50`s

I have not flown a Synergy but have had a look at one close up and i reckon it looks pretty sorted to me,very simple layout and beefed up where its needed..

[Smoothound]

I dont personally like any 90 size models now,i prefer to stick to 50`s

I have not flown a Synergy but have had a look at one close up and i reckon it looks pretty sorted to me,very simple layout and beefed up where its needed..

Only thing really putting me off currently is the 4-5 tanks to a gallon

[ChrisB]

I did have a Raptor 90 and seeing that Magnum bottle going down so quick used to pi*s me right off

Lets start a debate!!!

50`s rule 90`s suck

[Biggles]

Ok lets try and get this back into context.

I am in trying not to come across as slagging the model off but you said something like it was bearings damaged in a previous crash, now was that a crash or a failure?

Duncan was fourth, hell of an achievement but where do you think he would have got if he had stayed with MA (be honest).

Curtis defended his title year in year out with JR

Any high end heli that requires parts off others can't be classed as a good heli.

As for waiting a new heli maybe it's worth having a look at the aurora????

Then again we might be dissapointed with that too?

I am not into slating models (cheap chinese stuff asside) but I do expect something good for 700 squids.

[Ade_Law]

i think your being a bit unfair...

look at the raptor 90se

720ukp in skyline
after 3 years of the raptor 90 being available and the 60 for a while before that.

the auto bearing still locks up and the tail rotor hub STILL breaks and the tail grips STILL dont have thrust races..

I gotta be honest i havnt been following many synergy threads. especially not on certain american forums. what bits are you talking about?

Ade

[Smoothound]

I've not followed much in the way of forums but the little I've read has been positive and the current MHW has a pretty positive review(not that I pay a lot of attention to the arse licking rags anyway )


Most posters on the forums have an agenda, know what I mean Ade

Biggles what is yours? What do you fly?

I see nothing else out there that floats my boat as far as 90 ships go...and I'm not totally sure I want a 90 as currently there is nothing I can do with a 90 that I can't do with a 50...

To be honest, in my opinion as soon as the manufacturers get over the 30 size threshold it's just a licence to see how expensive they can make the kit and still suck the lemmings in

[Biggles]

I pinched this from a website. I will then explain the parts needed to fix it.

I think this is a fair review.


Lots of people have emailed me asking how the Synergy compares to my Vigor. It’s a difficult comparison. The Synergy is fun to fly and does snappy 3D extremely well, it feels light in the air and is extremely nimble. You might think then that the Vigor would have been relegated to the sideline.

Well no, you see the Vigor is just so easy to fly well. By well I mean fast and smooth, it’s a forgiving machine in that it will let you get away with input mistakes. The Synergy won’t. The Vigor walks all over the Synergy when doing high speed smooth flying.

In my opinion the Vigor is much easier to work on than the Synergy, although if the metal used in the start shaft and other components was harder, there would be less problems.

My Synergy has got more slop in it than any machine I currently own (excluding the T-Rex) but that slop was in it from day one. The tail in particular has a lot of slop in it. It should be mentioned however that Synergy RC are aware of all of these problems and I know the slop issue is being addressed.

Here in Australia, the Synergy is priced at the higher end of the market, costing more than a Vibe and a Raptor 90 SE, therefore, it’s a tough call and I’m not convinced that the Synergy is a better machine than the Vibe or the SE.

While some parts on the Synergy are downright CHEAP (fuel tank), others are more expensive than most would have expected (bevel gear), but that’s the same with all helicopters, God knows Vigor pilots know ALL about expensive bevel gears…

The Synergy is an excellent machine and while some will be surprised that I haven’t given it the glowing endorsement they expected, we should remember that all of the contenders in the 90 size market are excellent machines with their own advantages and disadvantages. The Synergy is a very worthy contender in this market space.

It's not the cheap machine to own and repair as some had expected prior to release, infact as I have said, it's noticeably more expensive than a Raptor and right up there with a Vibe. Repair prices are more expensive than a Raptor, and in general you'll need to replace more parts (ie all the soft shafts and other metal bits than bend).

Should you sell your Raptor, Vibe, Stratus, whatever to buy a Synergy? Don’t do it cause you think you’ll suddenly fly better with the Synergy because you won’t, buy it cause you want to try something different.

P.S:
Since I finished this article, I had a further bit of drama with the N9. During a piroetting flip the starter shaft with the attached hex starter flew out of the top of the machine. Those familiar with the Synergy will know this part is pressed into the clutch shoes from the factory, there are no user assembled parts here. I had noticed something slipping during some prior starts and assumed it was the hex starter loose on the shaft. It appears the shaft was moving within the clutch shoes.

As I said, this part is factory assembled which failed. When the shaft flew out of the helicopter, it ripped off one paddle, then proceeded to destroy the main blades and tail blades (ripping 15mm off each tail blade).

While I immediately hit hold and got the machine down with a bit of a bump (which snapped the landing gear), the damage had already been done. The repair list was Hex Starter Adapter, various link rods, Clutch start shaft, spindle shaft, paddles, landing gear, and tail blades as well as main blades. A fair bit of damage that cost more than expected to fix. Certainly more expensive than a Raptor and getting VERY close to the cost of Vibe prices...


X-cell 99 se with open gearbox (this is my fave)

[ChrisB]

I've not followed much in the way of forums but the little I've read has been positive and the current MHW has a pretty positive review(not that I pay a lot of attention to the arse licking rags anyway


It depends who wrote the review

[Disc]

Hum

If your saying any Helicopter kit that needs something tweaking out of the box or another part makes it a crap Helicopter the Synergy N9 rides in as a modern new Helicopter thats crap.

Until the N9 issues are sorted avoid the kits for now its a white elphant at the moment. They have issues.

Ball links still not right.

Tail drive lets go in heavy 3D needs modding out of the Box not good.

Fuel Foams in the Tank. needs a mod as well to stop it.

While if they are built right they fly right but like anything we goto buy should we have to mod it out of the box?

My Predator Needs one part so I make that a bad kit but the N9 is brand new with issues....

so crap stuff does the N9 get added to the List?

We know Century models are crap

[Disc]

i think your being a bit unfair...

look at the raptor 90se

720ukp in skyline
after 3 years of the raptor 90 being available and the 60 for a while before that.

the auto bearing still locks up and the tail rotor hub STILL breaks and the tail grips STILL dont have thrust races..

I gotta be honest i havnt been following many synergy threads. especially not on certain american forums. what bits are you talking about?

Ade

Raptor 90 added to the Crap list then ?