Axe CP CNC Bell-Hiller Rotor Head Upgrade Kit

[jbrazington]

I have been thinking about trying this upgrade and was wonddering if anyone has tried it and what their opinion is of it?

[skunkworx]

Ummm...your best bet would be putting a GY401 gyro in it first. The stock plastic parts will fly just fine, and the metal won't help it fly better unless you can keep your tail steady. Metal is stronger, but it also is heavier, way more expensive and transfers the damage elsewhere in a crash.

Trust me, even if you can't swing the extra pocket change for a 401, you'll be glad you upgraded the gyro. The GY240 will work too, but I wouldn't bother with anything else unless you know for a fact that it will work (first hand experience, not "This one dude, said another dude used this gyro and he liked it!", so I'm going to get it!) It pays to know what works right the first time instead of wasting your time and $$$ on second best or crappy stuff!

Besides that, you can usually find a cheap used one by postinga WANTED ad in the FOR SALE - ELECTRONICS,ESC's/Gyros section of this forum (usually under $100 compared with a G90 for $89 new that doesn't work nearly as well)
To top it off, GY401's are in good demand so you'll always be able to re-sell it if you decide to get out of helis or get a different heli (in which case you wouldn't get rid of it anyways!!!)

After you get to that stage, you'll be better situated to make the decision on your own. I hope I don't sound like I'm badgering you into something, this is just my honest opinion. You won't be disappointed (unless you set it all up completely wrong!) if you try this first!

Good luck!

[jbrazington]

That's great information and I was actually thinking of doing just that. Heli-Max recomends the gy240, i am not sure why. Is the 401 something I should concider instead? I am not a skilled pilot (yet) but can hover nose out, right and left angles, and nose in (although a little drifty, but controlled) But I have not tryed forward flight yet, I am just practicing by walking the dog first. I was just interested in the mechanics of the Bell Hiller upgrade because of the linkage to the rotors and the paddles.

[skunkworx]

To be honest with you, the upgrade to the bell/hiller will only be noticed if you are doing some higher-end sport flying to light 3D and/or until you put some better servos on it. The reason being is the stock servos don't pack much punch compared to say a 65HB or MG. Another thing is the BEC used in the 3n1 won't send tons of juice to your servos either, so it'll be a bit sluggish anyways.
By far, the gyro will make a HUGE, HUGE, HUGE difference in flight performance!!! If not, you're either doing something wrong or you need to get out of the sport! :thumbup: The 240 will be ok, but you're better off spending the extra change on the 401 because it just works better (and once again, re-sale is good if you decide to sell it and it will work on anything up to a .50/600 size heli in case you upgrade later). A used one will work just as well as a new one! You will undoubtedly spend some decent money on any heli you get, so be prepared to dump a ton of dough on it and be able to sell it for less than half what you paid! (Even the T-rex's are the same way) Helis are like an exclusive club. Costly for no other reason than to say you're just that bad@$$, or you've got money to burn! (and more addicting than heroin once you get hooked!)

You might decide later on that it's better to get a 500 or 600 which is fine, but the ACP will be good enough to teach you how to fly if you have the patience to learn everything on it. The next best thing you can do for yourself is get a simulator. The G3.5 has a heli trainer on it and it will teach you how to do everything from simple hovering->slow forward flight -> orientations -> inverted flight -> loops/rolls -> to more advanced maneuvers such as tic-tocs and piro flips, all in one package. You can probably get a used one for pretty cheap or even a new one for less than $180 if you look around. I can't speak for the G4, but it's just an upgrade to the G3.5 and will run a tad over $200 new.

This is not meant to get you buy that exact sim, but I feel it will do the best job to get you going and then keep you into the hobby, and that's the goal! The more people in the club, the cheaper it gets to have a membership!!! :Bang

Any more ???'s? I'd be happy to help!

[skunkworx]

BTW, Heli-max recommends it because it was made for non-digital servos or motor driven tails. The 401 is just a bit more precise, but well the worth the extra $20 to get it over the 240. They are both dynamite though, so you can't go wrong either way! They are the same size as well, and fit perfectly in the back of the frame, but the 401 might be a few grams more (trust me, the weight won't be enough to notice between the two)

Check out my other thread;Trex upgrades for the ACP. That might help you a bit as well!

http://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=59480

[PilotLight]

The reason the 240 is suggested is because the stock radio doesn't have an adjustable 5th channel. The 240 has the gain on the gyro, the 401 is from the Transmitter on channel 5 which would require a TX upgrade.

[supajsk]

But since the Axe CP only comes with a 5 Channel system, will the gy401 even work? I keep reading on some other boards that you can't even use a gy401 on the axe cp. I would rather get the gy401 and use it on my next upgrade too.

[Edwinssiv]

Unless you have upgraded your radio, you can't use the 401 on the Axe with the stock radio...there is no way to adjust your gain.
The 240 will work because you can adjust the gain on the gyro...the 401 does not do that.

[daufhammer]

I just upgraded to a GY240 gyro and it has made an AMAZING difference. Its a great little gyro, and everyone else is right, to the best of my knowledge the 401 won't work because it uses a remote gain adjustment on the TX which you can't do with the AXE stock radio. The 240 allows you to adjust the gain on the gyro itself.
Just follow the instructions in the Axe CP manual for upgrading to that Gyro and use the C-12 esc (or i heard the C-7 works just fine too and is cheeper) and you will have a great little heli.
Hope that helps,
-Drew

[skunkworx]

You have it correct. If you do happen to have a better radio on hand, the 401 is a little better to have. Essentially they perform exactly the same way, so you aren't losing anything by going with the 240. Most guys have a nicer radio anyways in which you would just replace the RX module, adjust the gain and go fly. Good to hear about the 240 working out for you!