Trex 700 at Charmouth

[Tim Procter]

Can we cut down on align bashing on this furum at what seems to be any oportunity it's getting a bit boring.. If you dont like it sell it. Every manufacturer has its problems aligns are just advertised more as more people use align products..

Well said.

[Ashley Davis]

yeah, let's stick to just bashing JR heli's please

[Made2Fade]

Can we cut down on align bashing on this furum at what seems to be any oportunity it's getting a bit boring.. If you dont like it sell it. Every manufacturer has its problems aligns are just advertised more as more people use align products..

agree 100% , well said... i can name a problem or 2 on every helicopter out there

[kuss.72]

i would not bash any heli as long as i get to fly one i'm happy even with a gear problem

[HiroboFreak]

I've had no problems (with the main gear that is) by adjusting the mesh & engine alignment.

As I quoted on another Forum:

Tighten up the mesh & allow engine/clutch stack alignment.

Remove a little material from each side of the clutch bearing block locators, & replace the Align stepped bolts in the clutch bearing block & engine mounts with standard M3x10mm cap screws & the recessed washers from a T600n.

Simple quick fix with no mods except to the plastic clutch bearing block. (What's that $5-$10)??
You will then be able to adjust the mesh & alignment.
No more problems.

Other problems I've had are clutches breaking & balls & links wearing FAST!
I fitted a brand new set of Align balls & links only to have slop again after about 10 flights.
I haven't been unfortunate enough to have the ball links break causing a mid-air explosion, unlike a friend of mine who had it happen 5 times.
(Needless to say he no longer owns a T700)

Don't get me wrong, the T700 flies great & is good bang-for-buck, IF you're crashing it!
If you're not sticking it in the deck, the quality (or lack of) really stands out.
Durability leaves a lot to be desired.

When your crashes are few & far between, you really learn to appreciate the higher end models.

For arguments sake, Align clutch: ~$40 - lasted 20 flights.
Synergy N9 clutch: ~$75 - 150 flights, no issues, I've since sold it to build an N9 SE but it's still going strong & the rest of the machine is slop free for the new owner. Nothing wore out (except the dampeners), but yes it can hurt if you bury it.

The 700 is nice & cheap & flies great. Fly the absolute crap out of it, but be prepared to replace things a lot more often due to failures & pre-mature wear.

Quality & durability will cost you a bit more.

Once again, the T700 is great, but don't expect a Mercedes for the price of a Hyundai.

[kuss.72]

thanks for the info and i've been looking for parts to replace stock parts and i found a cnc bearing block that is adjustable they make an upgrade clutch
your quick fix looks interresting have to think on it might be worth doing once to see if i can make it work

[ChrisB]

Is lasting durability the issue people are justifying other companies charging much more for their 90 size models and spares.?

It would fool some i suppose

I am sorry but all these horror reports of Aligns falling to bits after 20 to 40 flights are either pure fantasy or more likely the owners are not competent enough to even own a heli let alone fly it.

The purpose of this thread was not to bash them but to raise awareness hopefully back at Align HQ that something is amiss with the main gear,apart from that i cannot fault mine and my main gear is still OK anyway but an investigation would be nice.

[Tim Procter]

I am sorry but all these horror reports of Aligns falling to bits after 20 to 40 flights are either pure fantasy or more likely the owners are not competent enough to even own a heli let alone fly it.

Well said Chris.

I fly the pants off my Align helis every week and other than pilot error my helis are faultless and need nothing.

[trvo]

Is lasting durability the issue people are justifying other companies charging much more for their 90 size models and spares.?

It would fool some i suppose

I am sorry but all these horror reports of Aligns falling to bits after 20 to 40 flights are either pure fantasy or more likely the owners are not competent enough to even own a heli let alone fly it.

The purpose of this thread was not to bash them but to raise awareness hopefully back at Align HQ that something is amiss with the main gear,apart from that i cannot fault mine and my main gear is still OK anyway but an investigation would be nice.

Thanks Chris, I'm glad that 4 in flight explosions and links snapping on me every 3-4 flights were down to my lack of ability to maintain a model...How the hell did my 600e make it into it's 4th year??? I seem to have been able to successfully maintain my 700 for a further 60 flights after I put the quick uk links on it and 690 blades???

Trev

[ChrisB]

The only thing that annoys me with Align is that in the Uk we have no feedback to the factory to put these concerns to.I believe Align USA are far more open to their customers.

[ChrisB]

Trev

I thought we all agreed there was a link issue that was sorted via Quick Uk or Align more discreetly

What i mean,and its not on this forum so much is the reports of bearings failing after a dozen flights(unless Scorpion make them) and loads of slop developing compared to more expensive models etc.

I am on about general wearing out prematurely as i just dont see it and i cant say many people i fly with as a whole do either.

As you say your 4 year old 600E is a good example of reliabilty as are most 700`s as a rule now.

In a nutshell i dont buy into the idea that if you buy an Align model over a more expensive option you will have a model that is destined to wear out quicker every time.

To add i also have the Quick Uk links and balls and i run 680 blades on the 700.

[SRH990]

The clutch on my 700 lasted up until around the 120th flight, now replaced with the Quick UK upgrade. I will admit I did replace the balls & links with the Quick UK set very early on so there's no free play on these at all. The only bearings replaced were the mainshaft bearings after a crash, more a precautionary measure although one did feel decidedly notchy. 120 flights on and I'm still on the original maingear too, fingers crossed.

A fellow 700 owner at my club checked his original Align links out after around 70 or so flights and there was noticeable play in some links, thats when we checked mine, he's replaced the links with original Align links for now and this has taken out the slop.

Overall, I'm old enough to remember how long a Shuttle clutch lasted and how much they cost so I'm not aggrieved at replacing the clutch after 120 flights, I could replace it nearly 3 times for the cost of one Shuttle clutch from only a few years ago. The issue of the links is a reasonable criticism, they really should last longer although the cost of the Quick UK set still leaves the kit price well below it's competitors.

[Stuart]

Well as far as I'm concerned Align are what they are.....they produce mass volume kits the consequence is you don't get the durability and quality control doesn't appear to be consistent.

I've flown from Raptors, Hirobo, Avant, Robbe, MiniAir, JR, Synergy and now on Align. I can honestly say I've never replaced so many main bearings, dampners & ball links.

Its a cheap and cheerful, if you hit the ground then in comparison to the rest it will cost less, but you get what you pay for at the end of the day.

Concerning product bashing. To me any product bashing will be generally as a result of a common frustration that the manufacturer ignores. They are very quick to use forums to give sneak previews and spread the message as quick as possible. But they have to also accept the fact that equally what travels in one direction can flow in the other just as quick and in most cases when its a negative the drive will drive harder and quicker. Failure to re-act and publically resolve will do nothing more than fuel the frustration.

Its Ironic that I would have said 6mths ago the forum was to pro Align - Now I feel its on the fence and swaying over the other way.

[StuSmith]

I think at the end of the day it comes down to people not likeing the fact that so many people fly align helicopters and they just want something different, so any fault on an align product will be advertised and people keep on about it even if they don't own the helicopter just so they can warrent spending extra on the model they own.. I am not directing what i say at this thread i want to make that clear, i was just speaking in general from what i have been reading around the forum. I also don't think it is fair to comment on how much testing a company does as we don't have figures to back that up.. I would imagine Align do as much as anyone else but as i said before faults are advertised more as more people fly the helicopter.

[Stuart]

Granted that some will have frustrations on the fact that so many Align products are at the fields. However, please remember I fly Align (NSP) and I took the veiw that I'd go for the NSP looking for better quality and durability given the premium price for it. (Baring in mind I downsided from a Synergy N9)

However, though its fly's well and I enjoy flying it my frustration is that its in need of constant maintenance to ensure I get the best out of it but to make sure its flight worthy. Taking any heli to a field to fly with potentially a wear and tear issue that could result in a major failure and at worse could harm someone is extreme though plausible.

Align have developed a massive range of products even invented a new sector, but have consitently suffered the same issues time and time again across just about every heli they've produced.

Quality & Durability.

From 600 Swashes, 500 Battery Tray's, Cheesy Screws throughout, Ball Links the list just goes on.

It would appear that they are unable to learn from thier mistakes and continually keep making them, or the RC market in the whole picture of Align's business does not warrant the investment to get it right. Where as the rest are living and breathing RC and know that if they operated the same way they'd be out of business by now.

Yes more people have them so the issues can be raised quicker, but that's more of a reason to sort it quicker because failing to do so will hurt far quicker when those .50 users jump to the N5, Vision, Outrage that sit right on Align's core customer base because Align failed to see the writing on the wall.