TRex 450 SE nV2 to 500E Makeover ...

[Snoopy6]

Hey Warpspeed, I like the Army Model! That's the one I started to get, but was afraid I might really lose orientation if I had a background of trees! . I don't need those kinds of distractions at this stage of my flying career. :YeaBaby:

[LEOHeli]

Well I just finish putting on my 5 main blade rotor head last night. The part was ordered from rc-expert.com which came from Hong Kong. I have not flown it yet....that will happen later today. I still need to work on the graphics side of it. If anyone has any ideas for it please feel free to chime in.

[SimonV6]

Well I just finish putting on my 5 main blade rotor head last night. The part was ordered from rc-expert.com which came from Hong Kong. I have not flown it yet....that will happen later today. I still need to work on the graphics side of it. If anyone has any ideas for it please feel free to chime in.

Very nice, here is a real life helicopter very much the same as your colours, to give you an idea for graphics :)

http://www.helifreak.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=37968&d=1202519827



Simon

[Dudemeister]

Simon- That looks great!

Bob- I talked to Jay at Dee Tee today and he says they have no idea when they might get more of them. He says to just keep checking their site and snap one up as soon as they pop up.
This might not happen for quite awhile, I'm afraid. I found a decent looking one on good ole Ebay. The only thing I'm concerned with is that it ships from Hong Kong. The seller has decent recent feedback but it will probably take 3 weeks or more to get here. I sent the seller a messege asking what colors they come in. If he responds quickly with an intelligent answer, I might do it. I'll be happy as long as it gets here...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=300181515494&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=020
Hey Turbine50,

I've been reading this thread only since this morning and I don't know if you already bought that canopy, but I got one of those.

I got mine from a different vendor though on eBay, jettechmodels (http://myworld.ebay.com/jettechmodels)http://pics.ebaystatic.com/aw/pics/s.gif, if you search for "Hughes 500 trex 450" you'll find him as well as Sylvan1975. Since he had a make offer I offered $70, and we eventually settled on $75. He shipped the fuse on Wednesday, I got it on Saturday. That's pretty good !!!.

Anyway, to the fuse, it seems to be a copy of the HeliArtist but ther are a few differences:

1. No instructions what so ever.
2. Paint job on tail fin is not perfect (rough edges where masking tape was)
3. ABS plastic landing legs, not fiberglass, but sturdy none-the-less
4. No magnets on front canopy, just screws and pins
5. Missing tail boom star spacers
6. The stripes (windows dividers) on the clear pellucid canopy is not very well done.

Anyway, I did find a great site with instructions on how to put it together:

http://bigfilsing.dyndns.org/TREX%20H500-d%20build/trex%20build.html

I used some foam rubber on the tail boom and I think it's better than the solid spacers that HeliArtist uses. Currently the screws that attach the canopy are OK, as I can reach inside the cockpit to attach the battery wires fairly easy, but I will eventually get some magnets and retrofit it.

I also needed a 1/4" spacer to attach the tail fin. this was not provided with the kist, but it was easy enough to make.

I haven't really flown it yet (just finished it yesterday), but I did spool it up and did a 10 second hover in the living room to make sure there's no binding. The beast is very tail heavy, so I'll have to add some dead weights in the front to balance it.

Currently the total weight is 33oz. or about 935g. Eventually it will way a bit more once I add the CG weights. My 450SE v1.5 weight 28.85oz which is about 818g. Not a lot of difference.

BTW, I did not use a real T-Rex 450 in here, rather I used the EXI-hobby 450, which is nearly identical to the Align. I did not want to mod my SE, as I like it just the way it is, but I wanted to do a scale fuse, and the the EXI was the perfect candidate. It's a 450SA equivalent, all aluminum frame, with CNC and plastic mechanics.

If you're considering building a scale machine, but don't want to mess with your precious T-Rex, I highly recommend the EXI, which at $99 is a steal.

Will post more info once I get it in the air. The San Franciso Bay Area is currently under a storm warning so this weekend is out, but hopefully soon.


Cheers.

[CT4]

Snoopy6
It does not have to be green I did mine in a Columbian camo I have some shots of it here. I have to make now are the rocket launchers
http://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=54979&page=7

LEOheli
Have you flown the 5 blade head yet and if so how does it affect the handling?

[BlackTitanium]

4. No magnets on front canopy, just screws and pins


I have the HeliArtist 500D (http://www.heliartist.com/product_hughes_500D.html). I tossed the stock canopy screws, installed Blind Nuts and use Cap Screws to mount the canopy.

http://www.helifreak.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=31705&d=1196107670

[redrsv]

Hey Kids,
I just finished my 500 red tail. Wow all my other copters look stupid now.
Thanks to all on this thread, it was a HUGE help !
Here is what I did:
1) used a 450 S, its cheap and lighter than the metal version.
2) used a micro Futaba tail servo so I could use the stock control rod. Is responsive enough for my level of flying, is light too.
3) The left servo is mounted inboard on the frame with additional spacers. It dosn't hit anything.
4) I moved the whole heli foward IN FRONT OF the front landing gear. I did not want to have a tail heavy copter. I also didn't want to add ANY weight, its has enough all ready.
In doing this I had to slot the rear of the fusalge, so I could get the tail on. This actually holds the boom in place perfectly. I looks fine too. This flys perfectly with NO trim or tipping swash.
5) I bent the battery tray down and extended it 1".
6) I put double stick foam tape on the bottoms of the standoffs and bolted the standoffs to the platform in front and used allen cap screw on the back.(I can get to them through the top back window with a long reach allen). My screws loosened up on the first flight, shook enought to throw off the canopy. There is NO vibration now.
7) I use a Medusa motor (for a trex) and a flight power 3 cell 2500. It runs 7 minutes before the battery dumps and in not to hot .
I hope this helps!!!
Cheers,
STeve

[sb930]

I'm itching to build one of these after seeing all the photos.

Have checked both local shops that carry Align and also poked around on-line and no one seems to have any in-stock.

Does anyone have a source or know when these will become available again?

Hoping to get my hands on the red tailed version....

[smk]

Grandrc has one red tail instock, and five green ones

[sb930]

smk,

Thanks for the heads-up. I actually found Grandrc.com mid afternoon with some continued web searching and they showed two red tail in stock (so looks like my order wnet through!).

Grandrc is in CA if anyone else is interested...

[turbine50]

LEOheli:

are you using any gyros for elevator and/or aileron? curious to know how it flies with the 5'er.

Dudemeister:
I got mine in a hurry, the shipping was fast. The paint was kinda lame though. Also, mine had a crack in it so the guy is sending me a new one. I told him to send the unpainted version so I can do it myself. I received extremely good cust, svc. from this guy.

[warpspeed]

n/m

[LEOHeli]

No no servos yet! They are coming also I have not had a chance to fly it. Today after the daily hobby shop visit it will be in the air. I will post again with results and maybe pictures.

[Snoopy6]

If anybody is looking for the (Align) "Hughes Fuse", HeliProz South has them in stock; they have a note that stock is low. I got mine there about a week ago. www.ronlund.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=heli&Category_Code=0New_Products

[mdflys4fun]

I would like to Thank You sb930 & smk for your posting on the 500 body's. I was the Lucky one to get the 2nd red tail.

:noteworthy :noteworthy :thumbup: :cheers

[Snoopy6]

3) The left servo is mounted inboard on the frame with additional spacers. It dosn't hit anything.


6) I put double stick foam tape on the bottoms of the standoffs and bolted the standoffs to the platform in front and used allen cap screw on the back.(I can get to them through the top back window with a long reach allen). My screws loosened up on the first flight, shook enought to throw off the canopy. There is NO vibration now.


Cheers,
STeve

Steve, how did you get to the rear part of the frame to drill holes for the rear standoff? I got the screws in O.K., but would much rather use socket heads & nuts....just can't see how to get back there to drill holes. I am trying to avoid moving the left servo inboard; will see how it goes after first test flight.

Joe

[redrsv]

Hey Joe,
I left the 2 small top windows out. I used longer than stock allen cap wood screws (Don't know the correct name) Attach the heli to the standoffs first (out of the fus) After you center and attach the front standoffs (I use a nut, bolt and 2 washers per side ) you go through the window with a long t handled allen wrench and screw the 2 back ones in.( they will thread themselves in) I also put foam tape on the platform to stop any vibration (you see it in the tail) were the standoffs sit. Put small holes in the tape for the screws to go through, or the screw will spin the tape up.
My heli sits just foward of the skids mounts inside the fus. It flys great with no additional weight to counter the tail heavy design. Some people will not want to slit the boom to do this. Its very easy to do with a dremel ,looks fine and supports the tail well. (the fin is1/2 way inside the boom) but if flys perfectly with no trim or tipped swash.
Hope this helps! :thumbup:

[Snoopy6]

Thanks Steve. I misunderstood and thought you were fastening down the rear standoff with a bolt & nut. I do have mine secured with a self tapping screw so I'm almost ready to go; just have to hook up the tail rotor and do a test flight. :)

[Snoopy6]

WhooHoo! Got everything secured this morning and got in my first test flight. Boy, she is heavy....however, I don't have any vibrations and CG is almost dead on (just slightly tail heavy, but not enough to warrant any dead weight in front). There is nothing unique about my build, so won't publish any pictures. Since this was my absolute first scale model, I could never have done all this without all the help I was able to get from this forum. Thanks to everyone!! Now I will just start working on little details , like lining doors, etc., etc.. :happyd

[crazyerick]

Hey Snoopy6,

Well done buddy, welcome to the club. Would have been cool to put a DVD together of everyone's birds. We need to start some sort of Hughes builders club :-P

Bob C. for chairman :-P

Cheers,
Erick

[BlackTitanium]

Snoopy6,

Which pinion do you have on your motor?
The thing about scale models, is that you'll need more power (headspeed) to compensate for the extra weight.
You need at least the 13T pinion on the stock 430xl motor.

[Snoopy6]

I am running the 12T right now, which was for my test flight. I figured I would have to make some adjustments and pull the mechs out of the fuse. I didn't locktite my TR servo install, so I have to pull it out and do that, so will change to 13T and am ordering some 335mm blades.

It is slightly tail heavy so I will make some subtrim adjustments. I don't want to add any nose weights if I can avoid it.

[warpspeed]

I'm running the 335's too and so far no power issues with the V1 on the stock 11 tooth pinion, except for some bogging on full throttle punch outs. No vibes either and for some reason the rotor has a lower pitched sound that's just MEAN buzzing past your head!

Isn't someone (Bob maybe) running 340s? Looks like there's some room to play with...

[Snoopy6]

[quote=warpspeed;572575]. No vibes either and for some reason the rotor has a lower pitched sound that's just MEAN buzzing past your head!

I noticed the difference in sound with the 325's too; I assume it is due to the extra loading on the blades.

Next question....what are you guys doing for blade holders? T600 holder maybe?

[warpspeed]

Wow Snoop you and I are on the same wavelength-I was just thinking about the very same thing!
This is what I'm going to try-Grand RC sent me a free blade holder once that looks like it was designed for a .90. There's enough material at the bottom I should be able to cut out a bigger 'circle' to fit the fuse.
The only trouble I forsee is taking it on and off will probably destroy the lettering Align stuck on the boom-you guys with the red/blue versions shouldnt have any trouble.