Payload Trex 450

[diveman123]

Best guesses at a trex 450's payload weight for onboard camera.

[Efliernz]

I recently test-flew my T450 with an old Sony P92 275g camera on the front, battery 2" behind the fuse mounted on the rear boom stays!!! 335mm Prowoods with a auw of 1125g. Very stable - almost a joy to fly but heavy. If it ever experiences a flameout, it will be flat like a dropped pancake...
This was just an experiment as I had the camera spare... There are better cameras...

[Tonystott]

My AP Trex 450XL weighs 1165 grams-
Details:-
Align metal head and tail
Kokam 15C 2000 LiPo
JGF motor
335 Align woodies
JR RS10DS receiver
SpartanRC 2000i stabiliser
Than Tranh's lights/LiPo alarm
Align 35A ESC
Medusa UBEC powering Rx & servos
Askman Pro mount
10mW downlink powered by 2S 300mAh LiPo, with
DE adjustable regulator feeding Pentax Optio A10 camera

Autos like a rock as suggested above, but fortunately the AP2000i meant it landed flat from 50 feet, "only" mashing the previous Samsung S800 camera.

[1hoptycopter]

This did fine. The motor boged slightly when I did the loop. I don't think it will handle the Hammie The Hampster as the pilot, with the camera now. 1hoptycopter

http://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=49033

[SeismicCWave]

You don't have to guess. Go to a fishing store and get some lead weights. You don't need much for the Trex 450. Probably just a bunch of 4 ounce weights. Or you can use 8 ounce weights. Tie them maybe 12" apart with a rope. Tie the rope to the bottom of your Trex and lift off.

Your heli will lift up the string of lead weights until it cannot lift anymore. Now you know the max weight that it will not lift.

[Anson]

My AP Trex 450XL weighs 1165 grams-
Details:-
Align metal head and tail
Kokam 15C 2000 LiPo
JGF motor
335 Align woodies
JR RS10DS receiver
SpartanRC 2000i stabiliser
Than Tranh's lights/LiPo alarm
Align 35A ESC
Medusa UBEC powering Rx & servos
Askman Pro mount
10mW downlink powered by 2S 300mAh LiPo, with
DE adjustable regulator feeding Pentax Optio A10 camera

Autos like a rock as suggested above, but fortunately the AP2000i meant it landed flat from 50 feet, "only" mashing the previous Samsung S800 camera.

Tony can we see a few pics of your trex fully loaded? I've been thinking of getting the 2000i for my 450 V2 but haven't run into too many people using it for such a small heli.

[Tonystott]

Tony can we see a few pics of your trex fully loaded? I've been thinking of getting the 2000i for my 450 V2 but haven't run into too many people using it for such a small heli.
Sure. Pics attached. It ain't pretty, as there is nowhere for the rat's nest of wires to hide, but it works well :)

As for the AP2000i, I reckon it is even more valuable precisely because of the small size and general twitchiness of the Trex450.

Have a look at the video of it climbing out, almost hands free...
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7096593&highlight=Trex#post7096593

[jascamera]

Do you always have the API 2000 on during your flights? I thought people only turn them on when the heli climb above the trees?

[Windbreaker]

You don't have to guess. Go to a fishing store and get some lead weights. You don't need much for the Trex 450. Probably just a bunch of 4 ounce weights. Or you can use 8 ounce weights. Tie them maybe 12" apart with a rope. Tie the rope to the bottom of your Trex and lift off.

Your heli will lift up the string of lead weights until it cannot lift anymore. Now you know the max weight that it will not lift.

That's ingenious!

However, have you noticed how much fishing weights cost nowdays? The average price of an 8-oz sinker is $1! Makes you want to avoid fishing over rocks or coral!

Dean.

[Tonystott]

The claimed sensitivity to trees etc is IMO over-rated. As long as there is a reasonable space around the heli (25 feet or so), the effect of local obstacles is within the normal range of tiny stick corrections. You can "feel" a slight tendency for the heli to shy away from the obstacle, which would result in a drift, but that's about it. That video shows a wall of trees about 25 feet away, yet the pilot wasn't even conscious of making any adjustments to the sticks.

Of course, when the heli is at altitude, and photography is the task at hand, AP gain can be increased to strengthen its trend to keep the heli level.

[Ruud Westerhout]

I have been following this thread with big interest. For myself I have a T-Rex 450SE V1 loaded with :
430XL, cooling block
HeliCommand 3A on tail (+33 gr.)
ParkBEC 5V (+6,2 gr.)
DPR-50 with TMP-LED (+20 gr.)
Askman APLG (+150gr.)
X31 Minolta (+165 gr.)

I do NOT have a downlink or blinking cables, so I was sure to be way lower than the mentioned numbers, but NO, may scale shows 1,4 KG (OK, that's a scale for persons which will change on 0,2 kg only :( , but a 1 Liter bottle is shown as 1,0 kg, so I AM over 1 KG for sure.

But then again, it is flying nicely on 315 Carbon blades at the moment, 325 carbon on the way. Can go high enough for me (and come down hehe)

Regards,
Ruud

[Anson]

Ruud, can we get a look at your heli too?

I'm split between getting the Ap2000i or the HeliCommand for my 450. I'm pretty sure the HeliCommand will suit my needs better, but the cost is a big issue...but I guess that discussion is going on in other threads.

[SeismicCWave]

>>However, have you noticed how much fishing weights cost nowdays? The average price of an 8-oz sinker is $1! Makes you want to avoid fishing over rocks or coral!<<

It used to be $1 per pound. Then again everything goes up in price.;-)

[Ruud Westerhout]

Hi Anson,

the Helicommand I fit on the tail. I used servo-holders to get it to be further away from the tail. In this way I can have an open window for the sensor in the HC to look down.

http://www.rstl-w.spb.ru/Helipictures/P9261859.JPG

The top of the heli has been changed a little, to fit the RPM sensor looking at the main shaft lock ring. I drilled the second hole inside that ring out a little to fit a magnet (glued with epoxy). After that the whole ring was closed up with a "heat shrink tube", that's why it is black now :)

http://www.rstl-w.spb.ru/Helipictures/PA191945.JPG

The whole heli looks like this, same as said before, looking aweful, but the cables have to go somewhere :)

http://www.rstl-w.spb.ru/Helipictures/PA191953.JPG

If You need any more pictures tell me.

I was wondering, the 1165 mentioned by Tony, is that without the Pentx then ? I cannot imagine where I am "passing" him, as I do not have a downlink, nor the battery needed for it. Or should I be looking out for a new scale :)

Regards,
Ruud