View Full Version : Lepton EX vs TRex 500
Eduardo
02-16-2008, 03:29 AM
As always everything is about settings. Put some Gorilla paddles and remove the weights and the Lepton is very agressive. You may also try MS-420 carbob blades. The heli is then extremely fast on cyclic. Only for extreme 3D. But it remains stable on hover and fast forward flight.
Some guys did made anotheh hole on the upper levers to have a different flybar ratio. The Lepton was a lot more maneuverable.
Tail problems? Just put some longer blades on the tail. I'm using the Voyager E tail blades with success. With MJP carbon lift-kit. You may also use Gaaui landing gear without Lift-kit.
You will still have a far better quality heli. A lot more quiet too.
You also have new JR Vibe 500E to compare to the T500. Very good Heli, a lot more sophisticated than the T500. Even parts are cheaper than Align ones! Not released by now but you can order it in Japan as the Super Voyager E. As far as i know the only difference is the canopy. The Vibe 500 has a canopy looking very close to the Vibe 50 one.
Nicolas
Well done, but if we follow your suggestions we are more like creating a new machine and not talking about what it is out of the box. The T-500 is a much simpler machine and flies just too great.
Eduardo
We tested my Lepton against 2 T500s today... gotta say the lepton out climbs them both (15 and 16T pinions, 5s 3300 packs on the T500s), it's faster on cyclics and moves like a 450. Similar headspeeds on the birds, all running 2700-2800 rpms thereabout
My Lepton setup is 3xHS85MGs, G500T, DS3400G, FP 3700 4S 3700, A30-10XL, 24T Pinion, CC60 with Align/Rotortech CF blades... The two T500's Setups are 3xHS82MGS, 9257 tails, 5S 3300, Align ESC, Align motor, 15 & 16T Pinions, Align CF and FG Blades that came with in the box.
IMO, the Lepton was just quicker, moved faster and very responsive. You need to be careful of how the throws are setup.. it can ba a handful if you're not careful.
My setup isnt out of the box of course. But the weight difference was very obvious. Leptons a good choice for me...
With Kora 15-12, 5S 3300, and 18T pinion i had 2700rpm at 70% on the Jazz (governor). Now that the batts calmed down a little bit i can use 75% still with 2700 rpm.
That's the exact setup I will try next
Note that when the Jazz red light comes on you are at full power,
on my Futaba 9C this happens at 78% throttle
I'm told that I have to calibrate the Jazz to my throttle curve - must get around to trying that
rotodingo
02-16-2008, 03:38 PM
Jafa, on my setup The Jazz is full power at 98%. So 70% is far from maw power. Even programmed with the Progcard the jazz was full power before 100%. Much more around 90%. So i did what had to be done.
Rush, what is important is that you do have better performances using only 4S. The good thing is that 4S is lighter than 5S. So we have a lighter heli without batt giving as much power or even more with smaller batt so less weight again.
5S is also very good on the Lepton. a little heavier for sure. I really think it's also a good combo. I would have been glad to find some lighter batt like 5S 3000 intsead of 3300. I don't know what is the better motor for 5S: Kora 15-12 with the smallest pinion or the 15-14 wit ha biger one... I have a 15-14 on my Super Voyager E 4S/Vibe 500E. It's great too, with the same batts. But the Lepton is faster. And you could feel the weight is lower. In some points it's not a so good thing since you can feel some times that the weight is giving you something more in some maneuvers.
For the lepton buy your parts By RC champ (Japan). really cheaper.
Nicolas
docjoe
02-16-2008, 05:47 PM
OK I have to rethink my views on the lepton. I just came back from the field and flew the 500 with the only spare blades I had which were MAH, which incidentally are what I fly on my Lepton. And guess what, the 500 bogged similarly to my Lepton, even with my new scorpion motor. So I have come to the conclusion that the MAH blades are really the culprit for my Lepton's poor performance. I'm looking forward to trying that align blades with my Lepton.
This is the blade I use
http://www.readyheli.com/H50072_430mm_Carbon_Blades_p/h50072.htm
DocJoe, I use the Align/Rotortech 430mm blades on my Lepton. Setup with a TCV of 95-90-87.5-90-95 on my Hacker (900Kv), there is no bogging at all... Today, i'm gonna switch out with the White Align 425 CF blades and see how it handles with those. But i think it will still be a rocketship.
Highly recommend the Align/Rotortech 430's. Really cool blades....
OK I have to rethink my views on the lepton. I just came back from the field and flew the 500 with the only spare blades I had which were MAH, which incidentally are what I fly on my Lepton. And guess what, the 500 bogged similarly to my Lepton, even with my new scorpion motor. So I have come to the conclusion that the MAH blades are really the culprit for my Lepton's poor performance. I'm looking forward to trying that align blades with my Lepton.