Hurricane 200, will it stand the test of time?

[surgicalCFe]

So whats everyones over all opinion of this heli? Personally I love it. I won't be doing anything that requires a rock solid tail for awhile and hopefully by the time I get to that point Gaui will have released a new tail assembly which they need to do very very badly. The after market tail assemblies are nice but from what I have read and seen its impossible to get replacement parts for them. Is Gaui going to stick with this heli and bring it to the level of their 500 with a plethora of oem and 3rd party upgrades? Is the demand for a heli this small not great enough to keep the Hurricane 200 going and getting better?

[Buzzkill]

I love my Gaui's. All helicopters have some issues in some form or another. It's size was the main draw for me. The low cost of the electronics, parts and batteries is a huge bonus. I'd have $910 in 450 size batteries (@-$70/each) I spent around $260.

Gaui is comming out with upgrade parts. I'd like to see CF blades (just for bling factor).
The list of new parts is promising www.Gaui.com.tw/new and I suspect I'll be flying these little heli's for quite some time . Everything that I've seen points to increased demand for the Gaui 200. Heli's come and Heli's go. I think the Gaui will be around longer than some that has seen their day.

Bottom line for me, there's no other Heli in this size class that comes close to the 200. The low cost of replacement parts, indoor flight ability (try hovering your 450 or 600 in your living room) over all quality of the Heli and the shear fun of having the smallest belt drive fully 3D capable helicopter make this bird a keeper in my book!

[surgicalCFe]

I agree, awesome little heli indeed. Is that a new tail pitch slider in the pics? Ohh, and the battery prices were one of the big reasons I sold my 450 and picked up this little guy.

[rotorhead58d]

i think the question isn't whether the bird will stand the test of time, will the pilot...

this thing is freakishly small. buying new tools is a must, unless you already have a set of micro screw drivers, and hex heads. i treat mine like it was the hope diamond. not because of the money factor, but because it is delicate. you will need some kind of magnifying device also. :wow2: it is a shrunken trex 450. it's very cool to look at. i don't think i will be hammering on this thing, ever. in fact, until i become alot better flyer than i am now, i won't be doing much more than hovering...inside. say what you want, but ultimately, i'm the one paying the bill on this thing.
:DH

[rstacy]

http://www.gaui.com.tw/new/H200/h200parts/203599.jpg

[rstacy]

We have been hammering on them it pretty hard. Outside of one tail rotor belt and main blades (due to scraping) both machines are original.
We just posted a new video on Monday. They are still flying very well.

[rotorhead58d]

tell kyle to hammer it some for me. do all the r&d work, then i will upgrade. lol that kid is just amazing. he should run for president.

[rstacy]

tell kyle to hammer it some for me. do all the r&d work, then i will upgrade. lol that kid is just amazing. he should run for president.

I agree that it needs some updates. I see a new main gear on their web site. I hope that it helps the belt angle as it comes out of the boom.

[robl]

http://www.gaui.com.tw/new/H200/h200parts/203599.jpg

this is the problem, we don't need a metal version of a plastic part. What is improved on that? Its got the same crappy links. We need one that works well.

I sent a picture of my custom slider to gaui, maybe they will listen.

BTW, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but all the parts on that site listed as new are the same parts already out there. The new main gear is not new I believe, I believe they are finally selling them without the bearing so that they aren't 10 bucks a pop. The new rotor head is already hear as is the universal links set. I do not see the torque tube listed yet.

[rstacy]

this is the problem, we don't need a metal version of a plastic part. What is improved on that? Its got the same crappy links. We need one that works well.

Oh. Whats wrong with the "crappy links"?

[robl]

at least for me, and I don't mean to insult anyone, but first they pop off on any landing. I've tried a couple of sets already. Main issue is I can't get enough throw with those links to stop the heli from turning on full positive pitch. With the slider that I have, I can get enough throw so the heli will not turn. If I try that with the original setup, the links pop off. YOu can see the slider here. I wish the guy who made it still made them. http://www.helifreak.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=38781&d=1203175598

[rstacy]

at least for me, and I don't mean to insult anyone, but first they pop off on any landing. I've tried a couple of sets already. Main issue is I can't get enough throw with those links to stop the heli from turning on full positive pitch. With the slider that I have, I can get enough throw so the heli will not turn. If I try that with the original setup, the links pop off. YOu can see the slider here. I wish the guy who made it still made them. http://www.helifreak.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=38781&d=1203175598
http://www.helifreak.com/picture.php?albumid=220&pictureid=1650

Hey Rob,
Its hard for me to tell in this picture but if those links are secured to the pitch plate without a good pivot point, you will have binding either at the ends of the travel, in the middle, or both. We used to get around it by leaving the screw that secures the link to the plate a little loose but it still never worked as well as a pinned link. I think early T-Rex helicopters were like this. Some guys were filing slots in the pitch plate to make them a little more flexible.
The pitch arm in the picture looks OK but is that a bearing that it pivots on or a ball?

This design tends to work well and doesn't suffer from that binding at the ends or in the middle
http://www.helifreak.com/picture.php?albumid=131&pictureid=1652

[Buzzkill]

In regards to the new parts, I think upon closer inspection you'll notice some differences in the parts. Not all of them but some. For example, the main rotor cnc boom look the same at first glance but notice no more plastic boom supports? New FG canopy, canopy mounts (no more little screws that pull the rubber dampers out of the canopy.

Personaly, I think the 200 is still pretty new and it takes a lot to design, manufacture and distribute parts all over the world. Gaui has responded well to the Heli community IMO. Try getting E-flite to change something. I have 2 200s that fly very well. Better than well. The tail issues I experienced were due to my own errors not the design. Could it be better? Yes. I really believe the binding issues is just improper setup. Any metal parts Gaui makes is an improvement over the plastic ones in my book. I bet as this Heli gains popularity Gaui wil continue to improve the design with upgraded parts. As far as the tail. Check your setup closely. Your electronics (gyro,TX) has a lot to do with it too.I've found the tails to be solid unless I screwed it up tinkering with it. I'll soon have the third (I hope, come on Gaui ship those parts) flying as well. I'll have over 2g in these little beast before I'm done and I wouldn't have dropped that kind of spring is coming I need a Trex 600 money if they had that many problems.

I seriously think either you have a freakishly defective 200 or your setup is wrong.

[robl]

http://www.helifreak.com/picture.php?albumid=220&pictureid=1650

Hey Rob,
Its hard for me to tell in this picture but if those links are secured to the pitch plate without a good pivot point, you will have binding either at the ends of the travel, in the middle, or both. We used to get around it by leaving the screw that secures the link to the plate a little loose but it still never worked as well as a pinned link. I think early T-Rex helicopters were like this. Some guys were filing slots in the pitch plate to make them a little more flexible.
The pitch arm in the picture looks OK but is that a bearing that it pivots on or a ball?

This design tends to work well and doesn't suffer from that binding at the ends or in the middle
http://www.helifreak.com/picture.php?albumid=131&pictureid=1652

yes, there are definately better designs out there than the one I'm using for sure. Yes, it is as you suggested with the links secured to the pitch plate. I do have to loosen the screws slightly to elimnate binding. However there is as little or less slop than with the original setup. I only have the slider in that picture, I do not have the rest of the parts so I can't tell you how the setup is on those.

With my setup, I can have the tail rotor as far out on the tail shaft as possible by using double nuts allowing lots of pitch when the slider moves towards the tail case. Without doing this, the heli would always rotate when giving full pitch.

Ray, Does your heli rotate under full pitch? I'm open to any suggestions on how to fix that in a different manner.

[robl]

My little heli flys very well now. If the stuff was so good, you wouldn't have ordered microheli tails :) I'm very anal about my stuff and I expect it to be perfect. If my trex 450 and 600 can do it, I expect this one to do it. Maybe I'm expecting more than the heli can deliver. Right now the tail is nice, although I'd like to have no rotation in the heli on full pitch along with full tail pitch travel in both directions. I will live with one or the other for now.

I hope it doesn't seem like I don't like the heli, its actually the only one I"m flying right now. I didn't bother to rebuild my 450 after the last crash so I hope this heli stays around for quite awhile.

In regards to the new parts, I think upon closer inspection you'll notice some differences in the parts. Not all of them but some. For example, the main rotor cnc boom look the same at first glance but notice no more plastic boom supports? New FG canopy, canopy mounts (no more little screws that pull the rubber dampers out of the canopy.

Personaly, I think the 200 is still pretty new and it takes a lot to design, manufacture and distribute parts all over the world. Gaui has responded well to the Heli community IMO. Try getting E-flite to change something. I have 2 200s that fly very well. Better than well. The tail issues I experienced were due to my own errors not the design. Could it be better? Yes. I really believe the binding issues is just improper setup. Any metal parts Gaui makes is an improvement over the plastic ones in my book. I bet as this Heli gains popularity Gaui wil continue to improve the design with upgraded parts. As far as the tail. Check your setup closely. Your electronics (gyro,TX) has a lot to do with it too.I've found the tails to be solid unless I screwed it up tinkering with it. I'll soon have the third (I hope, come on Gaui ship those parts) flying as well. I'll have over 2g in these little beast before I'm done and I wouldn't have dropped that kind of spring is coming I need a Trex 600 money if they had that many problems.

I seriously think either you have a freakishly defective 200 or your setup is wrong.

[rstacy]

Ray, Does your heli rotate under full pitch? I'm open to any suggestions on how to fix that in a different manner.

It doesn't and there could be many reasons why yours does. I might run a higher head speed or less collective pitch. Is your head speed bogging. What gyro do you run? Heading Hold?

I'm very anal about my stuff and I expect it to be perfect. Right now the tail is nice, although I'd like to have no rotation in the heli on full pitch along with full tail pitch travel in both directions. I will live with one or the other for now.

I never expect perfection. That would just set me up for disappointment because that helicopter hasn't been made yet. Some are very good and some are not so good but perfection doesn't exist.
You can get your stock tail rotor to give you no rotation at the proper pitch. Full pitch travel is relative and not necessarily required.
Its called modeling for a reason :)

I hope it doesn't seem like I don't like the heli, its actually the only one I"m flying right now. I didn't bother to rebuild my 450 after the last crash so I hope this heli stays around for quite awhile.

I don't think that at all. This has been good conversation.

[robl]

It doesn't and there could be many reasons why yours does. I might run a higher head speed or less collective pitch. Is your head speed bogging. What gyro do you run? Heading Hold?



I run about 12-13 degrees pitch in each direction with stock motor and 15 tooth pinion on woodies with 2s 800mah battery. Latest battery I'm using is 7.4v 850mah kong power. I am running gy401 gyro with futaba 3153 servo. Headspeed doesn't seem to be bogging.

[Buzzkill]

Hey where did you get that Kong Power 850mah? How are they? I havent had any issues with the Gaui, E-flite or Flight power batteries but would like to know how the Kong is. Whats the discharge rate?

[robl]

I got one from readyheli, they happened to have one there. I have only used it a few times. To be honest, flying on the stock motor, I don't really notice much of a difference, but not having to worry about puffing is a good thing. I believe they are supposed to be 12c continuious and up to 18c burst. you can read the specs on kongpowers website, I'm not home now so I can't tell you for sure. It is pretty light though and fits the frame nicely.

I have some elfite 3s batteries and they get pretty hot pretty quickly. I haven't really been able to heatup the kong power and it definately stays cooler than my other 2s no name battery from flying-hobby.

[legobrains]

I contacted readyheli to see if they had the 800 mah kong powers and they said:
"Right now we are currently sold out of the 850 size packs although I think we may be getting a few more in in the coming weeks."

Also Robl:
1) You said your pack does not have the TP balancer plug on it. Does it have the Hyperion style, which is what the old kong powers used to have.
2) Does your battery fit inside the frame?

I'm using the hyperion 800 mah, they stay cool and have 20 continuos and -30C burst

[robl]

it has an align tap and it does fit between the frame. it is pretty light as well.

[surgicalCFe]

i think the question isn't whether the bird will stand the test of time, will the pilot...this thing is freakishly small.
:DH



For me at least the size of the heli isn't a problem. I am relatively young (30 May 1st) and my eyes are good and I don't have gorilla fingers so working on it has actually been problem free (aside from dropping a couple screws and having to search for them in the carpet). I did get lucky with a tail blade screw that came out (amazingly the blade didn't fall off) while the tail blades were spinning, managed to find that and have since locked those screws in place.

I to have had experience with the tail binding, thankfully not while in the air. What I found was that by positioning the the tail pitch slider just right you could eliminate the possibility of binding and the proper location is NOT in the middle of the slider, its actually a bit farther from the tail boom (for me anyways). I can see extreme 3d maneuvers or fast full rudder pyros possibly still causing the tail pitch links to bind but I won't be doing that on purpose at least for awhile.

Anyways, its a great heli just needs a new tail assembly. I sent Gaui an email about it actually. You should all do the same.

[Buzzkill]

Believe it or not the Trex 500 is having simular problem. It can be solved by setting the tail up correctly and adjusting the limit on your gyro. That is if your gyro has that feature.

[R.Lim]

My Gaui 200 is doing very well now, despite I am using very cheap gyro, walkera WK011, cost about $ 25, from Hong Kong. The reason is because this heli is very fragile, and it can have a huge cost in a chrash, so, as an experiment, I am using "cheap equipment"such as servo's and gyro. Amazingly, this bird fly very beautyful and the tail is "rock solid"
http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/6039/img00011en2.jpg

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/3833/img00021wk7.jpg
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/1637/img0091ec5.jpg
Hovering in the back yard
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/7458/img0094gh0.jpg

[AutumnSummers1]

slightly larger tail blades would fix the tail issue imo If your links are loose try to heat
them up with a hair drier till they are very hot and then after they cool they will get much beter.
I used this on all my helis with great outcome.