View Full Version : Best upgrades for CPPro?
Raysun
02-13-2007, 12:41 PM
OK here is a question...for those of us who like the CPPro ( I have 2, and an HDX450SE/DX6 and its awesome ) and I do, what are the useful upgrades and which are a waste of $$?
CNC Head?
Brushless?
Carbon blades?
Headlock Gyro?
Nothing...just fly the **** out of it stock?
Any others?
Thanks in advance!
Ray
Buzzkill
02-13-2007, 01:14 PM
I installed the G90 gyro from E-flight. Works pretty good, worth the $85 ? depends on your budget I guess. For me yes.
Carbon blades? I have them but fly with the plastic blades until I have do it better, looks good tho!
Havent tried the CNC head, seen a friends mdx300 conversion and it looks nice but didnt fly it.
slikrx
02-13-2007, 03:06 PM
Good question! Since mine is stock, and I am still very n00bish, I'm keen to see what peole say...
Another possible upgrade: dual or direct drive tail rotor.
One of the most tempting for me is the CNC head. They just appear to be much easier to work on. My biggest concerns are the added weight and what I call "failure cascade". I increase the strength of the head assy, so now other parts (possibly costlier/more difficult to repair/replace) will be the first to break.
tppjr
02-13-2007, 03:28 PM
The best upgrade for the CPP is a T-Rex!!
Now that I have said that, I really started to enjoy my CPP after gettting a decent TX and going through the Pro and getting the head all straightened out and balanced. Something you can not do with the stock tx. I also have gone with a G90 gyro and DD tail using the push on 3020 props and am very happy with it. I also have a metal swash but it tends to get bent up in crashes, not sure if it is better or not. I got it in a parts bird I bought.
Now once you go this route you will have a good tx all you need then is the T-Rex which is what I have done but will keep my Pro and enjoy flying it around the house.
Thomas
maltydog
02-13-2007, 03:36 PM
i like the brushless motor. also put th eflite gyro on it but i don't have it dialed in well enough yet to notice a difference from the stock std rate 3n1. also put the super-skidz on. those are nice$.
gw
Skiddz
02-13-2007, 03:53 PM
IMO, the 1st upgrade should be a BL motor, followed closely by a DD tail, but I do like tppjr's suggested upgrade. :)
Jermo
02-13-2007, 04:32 PM
is the T-Rex450 considered a valid upgrade for the CPP??? :twisted:
hehe..
Jermo
edit: I'd think like most heli's you'd want to upgrade those parts that break the most often..ie the head/tail, tail motors burn out..etc..
Jermo
bpd282
02-13-2007, 05:24 PM
I think the mods should go in this order:
#1) DD tail motor. Because the stock tail just does not last. I have tried both DD and dual tails and like the DD way better.
#2) Brushless motor. Do this after the DD or dual tail mod. Brushless main will increase the head speed dramatically. This will fry the poor little stock tail motor in short order (at least that is what I have found). The higher head speed is awesome and actually makes for more stable flight, just like the TREX.
#3) Battery. Get a good light lipo. I have found the helicopter to fly the best when it is light. TP 910's are great but fairly expensive. I found DN Power 900 10C batteries to have a perfect balance of weight and cost (15.95 per pack). Heck, get three at this price, I really like them.
The rest is just bling for the heli. CNC head- looks great but I think it just adds weight and is pretty expensive for this size heli. Super skids- again looks great but you pay a weight penalty. Carbon main blades- look good, fly good, yeah I think they are worth it. Head lock gyro - I don't use one with my bl motor with DD tail and it flies great. Feels pretty locked in now, so for me it is not worth the expense.
Raysun
02-15-2007, 01:31 PM
Thanks for all replies, I guess none of the other 100 CPP pilots who viewed like their helis. :D
So consensus seems power, maybe the G90, tail upgrades but no bling (CNC head)....darn I was hoping there would be some positives for this as I'm tempted.
Thanks again,
Ray
rstacy
02-15-2007, 02:05 PM
I completely agree with bpd
I think the mods should go in this order:
#1) DD tail motor. Because the stock tail just does not last. I have tried both DD and dual tails and like the DD way better.
#2) Brushless motor. Do this after the DD or dual tail mod. Brushless main will increase the head speed dramatically. This will fry the poor little stock tail motor in short order (at least that is what I have found). The higher head speed is awesome and actually makes for more stable flight, just like the TREX.
#3) Battery. Get a good light lipo. I have found the helicopter to fly the best when it is light. TP 910's are great but fairly expensive. I found DN Power 900 10C batteries to have a perfect balance of weight and cost (15.95 per pack). Heck, get three at this price, I really like them.
The rest is just bling for the heli. CNC head- looks great but I think it just adds weight and is pretty expensive for this size heli. Super skids- again looks great but you pay a weight penalty. Carbon main blades- look good, fly good, yeah I think they are worth it. Head lock gyro - I don't use one with my bl motor with DD tail and it flies great. Feels pretty locked in now, so for me it is not worth the expense.
slikrx
02-15-2007, 02:27 PM
OK, here's a question that relates to the DD tail upgrade. On the CPrepair site, it mentions that less experienced pilots might get frustrated by this upgrade. Why is that?
Funky
02-15-2007, 02:37 PM
G90, it was my first and best upgrade to make the Blade fly "like" the better helis. It doesn't have to be a G90, any cheap HH gyro will help a lot. Its hard to beat the confidence this gives you when your tail isn't kicking out all the time. DD tail would be 2nd. It makes the tail hold even better with the HH gyro. After that I would save up and buy a Trex.
Raysun
02-15-2007, 03:03 PM
Agree on Rex...have HDX450SE up and running and its great. Want to use Blades for trying simple aerobatic moves in the spring before the 450. The're sort of expendable. And can hover in my living room...450 is a bit big for that but I have access to private racquet courts for that. Boy winter is deep here.
Ray
Hey Ray I live in Mississauga and a proud cpp owner but I want to start building a t-rex 450 or an hdx 450 on a dx7 .. If you have any feed back on the hdx vs the trex would be nice.. I am new to this I have about 50 charges under my belt now ....
Raysun
02-16-2007, 09:38 AM
My only experience is with the HDX450SE, but it looks identical to the Rex, and so far any bits I've had to replace are a perfect fit for Align parts. Main reason I went for it was price vs. Rex. Build went well, and it flies very nicely. I'm using a DX6.
Ray
carlo_the_wonder_frog
02-17-2007, 10:39 AM
The bling makes the heli slow but more stable, I like pop so I have a brushless motor and better battery. Also a DD tail and HH gyro. Flies great and no bling.
Recently went to a Indoor fun fly, Even the T-Rex guys were impressed by how well it flew, and several said they were going to buy one.
I also own 4 t-rex and they do fly better, but for $400 (As equiped)the CPP is by far the cheapest to buy and own.
Hey Ray its Sat and i got bored went to replace some grips and I broke down and bought the cnc head . I can feel the diff a little slower but smooooooth compared to the stock head I should have bought a main shaft too but ohwell mine has a little bend tried to straighten it but I guess i did'nt do a good enough job .. I would say if you luv you cpp the cnc head is a nice bling add on and does make it smooth.. Paid $129 for it at hobbyhobby Bro
Raysun
02-17-2007, 04:26 PM
Is it the Microheli one? Last time I looked it was 139!
The only hesitation I had is that the Microheli looks like same design as HBCP2 which for me is a difficult head to set up.
Interested as one of my CPP's is currently headless.
Ray
no I think its made by parkermodel its nice easy to work on and BLUE lol
chopperdudes
02-17-2007, 05:52 PM
hmm... seriously though, i don't think you'll benifit much from a cnc head (maybe, but not worth over 100bux for me) the most realistic upgrade that make the heli perform good is the dd tail, the hh gyro, and a programmable tx (which you'll need with your upcoming bigger birds anyways) and if you've got $$$$ to spare, get a brushless motor, my bird's behaving well so far (futaba 7chp, zoom hh gyro, and dd tail). you might also want to check out the aluminum bell hiller blade grip+mixer combo at helidirect, i find the number one thing to break in a crash is the grips near the mixer. also, you might want to wrap some kite string around the boom and the plastic plate on top adn put 2 drops of CA on it, i find the place where the boom enter the frame teh 2nd likeliest place to break in a crash.
oh right, get urself a set of cf blades and a good lipo and charger.
it really depends on what your looking for, looks? snappy and powerful? stable and hover hands off? there's a fair amount of upgrades on helidiect for the blade.
rudderman
02-20-2007, 07:28 AM
I think the mods should go in this order:
#1) DD tail motor. Because the stock tail just does not last. I have tried both DD and dual tails and like the DD way better.
#2) Brushless motor. Do this after the DD or dual tail mod. Brushless main will increase the head speed dramatically. This will fry the poor little stock tail motor in short order (at least that is what I have found). The higher head speed is awesome and actually makes for more stable flight, just like the TREX.
#3) Battery. Get a good light lipo. I have found the helicopter to fly the best when it is light. TP 910's are great but fairly expensive. I found DN Power 900 10C batteries to have a perfect balance of weight and cost (15.95 per pack). Heck, get three at this price, I really like them.
The rest is just bling for the heli. CNC head- looks great but I think it just adds weight and is pretty expensive for this size heli. Super skids- again looks great but you pay a weight penalty. Carbon main blades- look good, fly good, yeah I think they are worth it. Head lock gyro - I don't use one with my bl motor with DD tail and it flies great. Feels pretty locked in now, so for me it is not worth the expense.
Hello im new here and am trying to learn alot about my cppro.My question is with the dd tail motors do you use two stock motors? and how do you go about getting the part to do it? Thanks
Raysun
02-20-2007, 10:01 AM
My goal for the CPP leans more to stable/hands off (not really but as close as I can get) so I can learn all the orientations, and basic aerobatics outdoors..loops (which I have already done), fast circuits, rolls, etc. 3D not a priority. I can do all these with my parkflyer planks..now want the heli up there too (can't wait actually).
Right now I don't need a fast, punchy heli, something I can grow into without tanking it too readily. Durability and smoothness/stability is good, reason I was thinking of the CNC. Already have HH, agree its great.
My Hdx450SE has full CNC, and one bump resulted in bent spindle, and broken blade, but nothing else. No bumps for a long time now..I'm getting a lot steadier.
Ray
Well then the n CNC head will calm and smooth out the blade nicely Ray. I luv mine stil fine tuning it but I noticed the change in the bird for the better....
Ohya forgot to tell if you watch the Head set up in Fins 300hdx vids the one I bought looks identical to his..
slikrx
02-20-2007, 02:19 PM
Hello im new here and am trying to learn alot about my cppro.My question is with the dd tail motors do you use two stock motors? and how do you go about getting the part to do it? Thanks
The motort is an aftermarket brushed motor. HERE (http://www.bladecprepair.com/man_tr_dd_conversion.html) is a link that lists all the parts and a step-by-step detailed instruction on doing it.
One note: he say that inexperienced pilots may not like it. I'm new myself and haven't done it, but I'm very interested and want to know WHY I might not like it. :dontknow
By the way, that website www.bladecprepair.com has a TON of goo dinfo to read through! Oh, and WELCOME!