Oh god what have I done...

[pgkevet]

Nowt worse than overpriced or hard to source heli brand spares or you get into the dare not risk it flying attitude and never progress. Boom supports shouldn;t be a big issue though...can usually make those up or stetch standard supports with carbon tube sleeving epoxied over a cut section. Booms are harder unless you find the diameter matches another brand and you can fettle the ends.

[trillian]

Nowt worse than overpriced or hard to source heli brand spares or you get into the dare not risk it flying attitude and never progress. Boom supports shouldn;t be a big issue though...can usually make those up or stetch standard supports with carbon tube sleeving epoxied over a cut section. Booms are harder unless you find the diameter matches another brand and you can fettle the ends.

Well, it's not the 'worst' as long as the parts are being made and can be bought somewhere. The thing is, these days it seems like unless you're flying Align, or the latest popular heli of the month, spares just may not always be in stock. There are so many brands going now and the shops tend to keep in stock what sells the most.

The Avro boom is just a little shorter but would probably still accomodate 690/700mm blades on the Rave. It looks like the ENV/Ballistic 700 boom is about 835mm long and 22mm diameter. (The Avro boom is 800mm long)

The ENV boom is actually long enough to fit 740mm blades and still have a couple mm clearance with 105 tails (I don't know if anyone even makes blades 740mm)

[trillian]

Here's an idea for a part time biz, I thought of this a while back. Have an online shop that makes booms for any heli. At the end of the day it's a bit of ali tube you just need the right thicknesses and diameters of tubing stock and the tools to cut them to any size and make slots or holes as needed. One shop could supply booms for any heli and what would be cool is if they could be ordered in lots of different colours.

Someone should do that IMHO

[PeteStewardson]

Thing is using the boom from another heli is just a bodge. And I'd still want the esc plate etc. I'm seriously thinking of selling both the rave 450 and ballistic, keeping the 500pro, and getting a 700dfc. I've only had seriously stupid offers on the 500 anyway.

[pgkevet]

Here's an idea for a part time biz, I thought of this a while back. Have an online shop that makes booms for any heli. At the end of the day it's a bit of ali tube you just need the right thicknesses and diameters of tubing stock and the tools to cut them to any size and make slots or holes as needed. One shop could supply booms for any heli and what would be cool is if they could be ordered in lots of different colours.

Someone should do that IMHO

Unless you're chinese the problem is postage and economy of scale 'cos you'ld need to be global to make it work otherwise the setup time for each small order or the massive stocking would kill the biz - even worse if anodising small batches. You'ld do best putting the idea to fusuno or HK - at least for boom tube by the length.

[trillian]

Unless you're chinese the problem is postage and economy of scale 'cos you'd need to be global to make it work otherwise the setup time for each small order or the massive stocking would kill the biz - even worse if anodising small batches. You'ld do best putting the idea to fusuno or HK - at least for boom tube by the length.

Oh don't go spoil it with all that economic reality stuff You wouldn't be selling booms for Aligns (except maybe sometimes in special colours). Anyway, it's sort of off topic, my bad.

[trillian]

The kit should come with one ESC plate. Do you want an additional plate or did you not get one at all?

[PeteStewardson]

The kit should come with one ESC plate. Do you want an additional plate or did you not get one at all?

The 635 doesn't have an esc plate in it, to save weight or something, but that just means you end up strapping the esc to the side which is untidy.

[George J]

What is the problem with getting parts from another country, it's not a black art! We've ordered as much from abroad as from Fast Lad etc and have had zero issues and as long as you choose the correct postage the worst case it will take a week from anywhere in the world. My last order from Amain was for Rave booms etc, carbon bottom plate and tail fin for the Env, pricey parts here and even after post it was still cheaper than FL. Our engines & pipes, various electronics etc come from Japan (even after tax they're cheaper than you'd ever get them the UK, batterys from Far East, heli kits from the States, parts for Kasama from Denmark and the list goes on.............never a problem though.
No doubt Align parts are the most common, thats a fact, your Ballistic will be better though....even if you do have to supply an esc plate!!

[PeteStewardson]

What is the problem with getting parts from another country, it's not a black art! We've ordered as much from abroad as from Fast Lad etc and have had zero issues and as long as you choose the correct postage the worst case it will take a week from anywhere in the world. My last order from Amain was for Rave booms etc, carbon bottom plate and tail fin for the Env, pricey parts here and even after post it was still cheaper than FL. Our engines & pipes, various electronics etc come from Japan (even after tax they're cheaper than you'd ever get them the UK, batterys from Far East, heli kits from the States, parts for Kasama from Denmark and the list goes on.............never a problem though.
No doubt Align parts are the most common, thats a fact, your Ballistic will be better though....even if you do have to supply an esc plate!!

No it's not a black art, but not cheaper. I added the parts I needed into Amain and then checked the total after vat and a £188 order at FL was £233 from amain. That was for the parts to stretch, a 13T pinion, the esc plate, and a set of RadixV2 blades. I can have the parts on Wednesday ( Thursday now I guess ) but it's a big premium by having to order out of the UK.

[helijohn]

I was considering the YEP actually. Seems like it could be good for the price.

Some time later I know but I am new to bigger ESCs.

The YEP is IMHO really super mainly because of the programming card, makes it a cinch, but I just love the super soft start. For me the start is real heli like.

[George J]

No it's not a black art, but not cheaper. I added the parts I needed into Amain and then checked the total after vat and a £188 order at FL was £233 from amain. That was for the parts to stretch, a 13T pinion, the esc plate, and a set of RadixV2 blades. I can have the parts on Wednesday ( Thursday now I guess ) but it's a big premium by having to order out of the UK.

I wonder how much the blades added to the postage Pete? Is that a CY slant cut pinion? If so you could buy a straight cut main gear (I did this anyway as just made it easier to keep spares all the same) and buy yourself one of these...RevCo Hard One 1.0M -13 T Hardened Pinion, 6mm Shaft - HO-0800H-13T
CY pinion is way over priced imo.

[trillian]

I wonder how much the blades added to the postage Pete? Is that a CY slant cut pinion? If so you could buy a straight cut main gear (I did this anyway as just made it easier to keep spares all the same) and buy yourself one of these...RevCo Hard One 1.0M -13 T Hardened Pinion, 6mm Shaft - HO-0800H-13T
CY pinion is way over priced imo.

Yeah I don't know where the pricing on their pinion comes from. I just got a 12 tooth Align slant pinion as I am moving down a tooth now that I'm using a motor with a bit higher KV and I think it was something like 7 quid. In fact, I might even have a spare 13 tooth pinion Pete, I have to check but I'm pretty sure I had two because a while back I bought a motor that came with another one.

I also have a 14 tooth revco from when I was using the Scorpion 450kv motor!

Soooo, definitely Revco or Align on the pinion and prob just get the blades in the UK (I'd put up a wanted ad for some of this stuff on the BMFA, you never know)

----just checked and I do indeed have a spare 13 tooth slant pinion.

BTW - not sure if you saw this, a heck of an inexpensive motor / ESC combo; http://www.rcheliaddict.co.uk/sale/1...rain-sale.html

[PeteStewardson]

Actually I might have some pinions in my spares box. Will have to check.

[PeteStewardson]

Just tried taking the blades out of the amain order and the shipping didn't come down so it wasn't that. It's probably because of the length with the order having booms and TT. Might try rcbits as well.