Looking to buy a 500 3D have a few questions

[cmezip]

I currently have a Swift and HDX450. I really like both but was very impressed with the Mikado's at IRCHA this year. I am on a tight budget so a 600 is out of the question but I was considering selling both heli's and getting a 500 3D. The Swift and HDX have been great birds (110 flights on the swift over 600 on the HDX) its just time for a different heli. My question is part wise I notice the main shafts are $17 dollars for the "cheap" ones is there some other cheaper ones? that seems pricy to me. I have only crashed the Swift once and it was cheap to fix, the HDX I fly like its a sim so it has been crashed several times but it is also cheap to fix. I will be running 7 A123's ( the swift rocks on 6 and these birds are very similar in size) a Medusa Motor (cause there customer service is great and I love thier motors) and a Castle Creations 80 and the stardard Digital servo with the DX7. I looked at other parts like the fly bar and such they do not seem over priced, is there other parts that are also pricey?
Thanks

[Mercuriell]

Its the frames which are brittle and pricey - US$35 each side along with how each spare has to be bought piecemeal - there aren't many ready 'made-ups' - the beauty of the Mikados are their elegance and flying ability but I think they're hard to do on a budget - being a fairly small volume seller they're aren't a host of 3rd party sellers making up alternatives (although between you and me quite a few TREX parts are interchangeable)

[EricW]

Mhh,
I'm also going for a 500 after seeing the parts prices, and especially the lipo investments.
Roughly recalculated/estimated the frame parts to have a idea of mould, production prices and the profit they make (if they make it at all at those parts) seems very reasonable to me.
It all looks expensive but there's a big difference between producing 5000 pieces on a European Machine with a European operator or a couple of million pieces in China ;)
For me It will be THE heli, Fly it with care, and only do things that are successfully tried on my 450 many times.
Less or not crashing means less attacks on my hobby budget :)

Eric

[BruceW]

I can tell you guys that this is turning out to be a great helicopter and very fun to build. Eric, as you pointed out previously, the plastic is very high quality and durable. Getting this was definitely the right choice.

Bruce

[LITHIUMSTATIC]

Just don't get attacked by any dogs while your flying like I did. The heli can't sirvive wild stick movements into the ground.:lol: