Best 450 Heli?

[byHISgrace]

With all of the new mini-helis coming out (MA Bandit, TT MT SE, Rotorworkz Outrage, TP Extreme, Etc..), which one do you think is the best performer for 3D and how do you think they compare to the benchmark Trex 450? give me the pros and cons of your favorite heli. I know this has probably been talked about a bunch here already but my searches aren't coming up with any good matches. Thanks for your help and information. Matt

[HeliSmith]

Trex 450 flies great and has so much support, parts availability and etc. Just hard to match that.

I have another 450 heli I fly but I can't recommend anything but a Trex to a upcoming pilot.

[Ernie]

I will start by saying that I have been a long time fan of the T-rex 450. I owned one of the first ones ever sent to Florida back around 3 years ago. And I have to give credit where it is due, the T-rex has come a long way. The parts availibility has thus far been un paralleled. The only glitch to this heli is the fact that even with all the modifications to original design, it still flys like a micro. Meaning, Twitchy, sort of un predictable, and not very stable.

So I will give you a little review on a particular machine that I have had the opportunity to fly over last weekend at the Birmingham fun fly.

It was the new Outrage G-5. This machine uses the basic frame layout of the G-4 conversion by Rotoworkz. The G-4 was a T-rex 450 conversion frame set with true 120ccpm design, and an outrageous frame design that was appreciated by all.

The New Outrage G-5 performs more like a 50 size model. This helicopter is a full kit, not a conversion, and includes a painted canopy as well. It is far more stable, and predictable than any other micro I have ever experienced. And will be priced very attractively, from what I understand.

The G-5 runs on a 1700 kv motor and a (6) cell 1300 mah battery pack, instead of the typical (3) cell high kv set up of a 450 model. The G-5 also uses 350mm blades, instead of the typical 325 blades of the 450 models. It also utilizes a longer boom, which I believe is only about 1", but makes a huge difference in tail authority. The models low KV motor produces a power packed 2780 rpm's on the head, which sounds lame as compared to a 450 size model spinning at 3400 or better. But dont be deceived by the lower head speed. Simple engineering design makes this heli produce power throughout the entire curve, and the entire flight.

I had the opportunity to fly this model, and I was simply blown away. I heard the low head speed and thought that this flight would be slow, and powerless. But to my mistake, it was quite the opposite. With 13 deg of pitch, the model pulled up vert effortless, and was out of sight before I knew what happened. I brought it down low to see what it had as far as punch, and again, I was blown away. It moved quickly, and no matter what I threw at it, she never bogged, not once. The motor and battery combination was simply a winner, with out a doubt. This thing amazed me.

Handling? I cant even start to cover this area. This heli had a perfect CG, and honestly handled like a 50 size heli. It was so predictable, and stable that I was simply once again amazed. I told Charlie that I do not like to fly other peoples stuff as I would my own, in fear of crashing someone else's model, but I felt so comfortable with this model that I immediately started to piro it all over the sky. Doing piro loops, flips, funnels, and all kinds of other pirouetting stuff. It just felt like a big heli. And was actually easy to perform complicated meneuvers with ease, as if I was flying "a 50".

The kicker comes now! It fly's for 6 minutes hard, and I mean hard. I flew it hard, and another pilot also flew it by the name of HC, yep Henry Caldwell. If someone will cut the flight time down it would of been him, but you know what, he flew it just as long, and with the same result as I had, which was power through out the entire battery, and this is not a type O, the pack, was 105 deg, the motor was around 120 or so, and that was what sold me on this helicopter. It fly's like a 50, keeps cool, and due to the low head speed, crash damage is minimal.

I gotta say that this helicopter should re establish the "Micro" concept all together. It just flys that good.

I have seen alot of machines perform under different pilots, and there is some good stuff out there. But I have never seen anything perform like this heli and have so many +'s involved in its equation. Especially the battery life. Average 450 flight times with a 2200 pack are around 3 to 4 minutes if you are real lucky. But 6 minutes with the new 1300 mah (6s) pack from outrage. Pretty self explanitory.

The nice thing is this. Heli direct will be the distributor for this model. Charlie has already reverse built the model, so the parts supply will be available upon the release of the kit, which no one else has yet to do. Just another plus. And Heli Direct being a distributor, is yet another big +, due to their size and inventory of many other things you may need to get one of these together.

I will have one soon, and will post video. In tell then, stay tuned, and be on the look out. It will be here very, very soon.