carbon, or plastic

[shaggybirdman]

ok guys i think i'm going to get a hurricane 550, but witch frame? carbon, or plastic. i like the carbon frame, but is it that much better than plastic? i intend on only flying sport, or possibly scale. my old slow fingers don't move as fast as they used to.

i gotta be nuts. can't hover my trex yet, but ready to drop more cash on another heli.

i have 2 (at the moment) 3s 2200 25c trex batteries. will that power a stock motor well enough? i know bigger will be better, but going to start with what i have on hand.

does the plastic frame come with a wider canopy?

here's the big question. is the hurricane 550 the best bang for the buck in the bigger than 450 size helis? i guess i'm asking to be sold on it.

[shaggybirdman]

oh ya i almost forgot. i got a line on a 550 carbon with motor, esc, and i think a bec for $345 delivered.

[badriM]

Dear sirs,

I have the twoo models, plastic and carboon. I think the better choice is carboon. The main frame is more serius and the diference of price not so heavy to support in regards of the advantage.
Twice works good with the stock motor but a Z20 980 t/v is more powerfull and have finaly glogal more performance for lower price.

have good flys

[istandalone]

if i could do it again, i'd have gone carbon. they didn't sell the xes kit with the carbon frame at that time, so it's custom heli carbon from ready for me, pretty soon. not too bad either, $180 or something. i'm told that with carbon frame, you have a much easier time cg balancing with bigger packs.

[mysticmead]

the stock motor will work on the 2200mah packs, but it'll be hard on them. switching to a z20a-980 will be easier on the packs and give you a more efficient motor. I'm ordering my H550 in a few weeks and I'm getting the carbon version. it has the CNC anti-rotation bracket and the full flybar cage. those alone make it worth it. add in that the CF frame doesn't flex like plastic and it makes it even better

[ghopper]

I've been really interested in this heli as well. When are the 2008 models supposed to arrive? I think they are eliminating some of the issues with the newer models as well. If I remember right the thread mentioned no plastic frames as one of the items. I would hope they fix the links as well as it is ridiculous to have to purchase link kits from other manufacturers to fix their shortcomings :roll: I'm gonna wait for awhile and keep practicing with my 450.

Dan

[xodarap1]

I have both the plastic framed XES version with Z20A 980 motor, full metal head with full flybar cage and also run the full carbon framed version with the Z30A (has now been switched back out to another Z20A) and higher end electronics. I tried the larger stock motor as well, but it too is a power hog.. The Z30A and the larger stock motor now sit on my bench and the Z20A's are flown in both of the H550's.

For most flying, the Z20A with the new plastic frame and metal head is just fine, there is no flex in my plastic frame. Save the money you would spend going to a carbon frame and put it towards some good 2200 or 2500 li-po's and better gyro/servos.. it's money better spent.

Don't buy the carbon frame unless you plan to overpower this heli to do hard core advanced 3-D stuff or run heavier brick packs to get the increased power and a few minutes more flight time. The plastic frame is tough and if you do break it, its super cheap to replace.. the carbon one, nope.. you are in for more big bucks to replace or repair it.

There is plenty of power with a Z20A for most users. The plastic frame and stock gears with the correct pinion do some moderate 3-D no problem. The wicked head speeds that everyone is running with these larger batteries isn't a needed upgrade for everyone to do most of the stunts anyway.

The stock stamped "OK" gears are fine and the new plastic frames are fine. There is no need to spend 2 or 3 times as much for newer gear sets if you are a sport pilot using the stock motor or the Z20A if you use a reasonable pinion setup.

All the rest of the stuff is overkill unless for some reason you feel the need for the insane head speed.

With the Z20A and 16T pinion (still not sure why rediheli mentions to use higher than a 16T because it will bog the heck out of this motor) and kong power 2200 25C's in series with T-REX 600 landing gear you can get 7:00 run times cruising around in normal mode for pattern flying and can get 6:00 run times doing light 3-D (inverts, rolls, loops, flips, fff, high stall piro stall turns etc) and can get 5:15 to 5:30 run times doing harder 3-D (tail slides, tic tocs, hard piro punch-outs etc). The harder 3-D moves are slower than with a Z30 matched with more powerful packs.. and it looks like slow motion, BUT it is possible to still do cool things with this heli without spending silly amounts of cash on larger heavier batteries, new gears, different chargers and frame mods to deal with any COG issues.

I took the path of going from the Z30 back to the Z20 on my carbon H550 because of all the overpower issues: blowing out one-way bearings, snapping L-30 links, tail kick/lock issues (which i learned after the fact, on my heli ended up being all bearing and belt related problems, not tail box problems), better gears are great, but they still break teeth in a crash anyway (even if throttle hold was active before impact) and cost more than the stock "OK" gears. After 130 combined H550 flights, I have yet to have any of the "OK" stamped Gaui gears fail.

All in all the Z30 setup was a bigger expense and more frustrating to deal with. Even with all the mods now for that setup, i doubt i will ever go back up to that level of power simply because most of the flying i do can be done well enough with the Z20A, just slower. And by slower, I mean 3-D stunts. The forward speed of the H550 with the Z20A is impressive! Despite what some people think, 5:30 or 5:45 run times are fine for some pilots. It's fun and possible with 2200's in series and the Kong 2200's only cost $60.49 per pack!

Get a bunch of them and land every 5 or 6 mins and switch em out in a min and be back in the air again for 5 or 6 more mins (repeat for more fun!).. no big deal.

If you get 10 packs like i did:
http://www.readyheli.com/Kong_Power_3s1p_11_1v_2200mAh_25C_Lipo_Battery_Com _p/kp-2225-3combo.htm
, thats a lot of flying time man compared to the flying time you would get spending that same money for brick batteries.. and you CAN do a lot fun stuff in 5 mins of flight if you are flying it up and not just hovering around. Who makes these rules and standards saying that 5 or 6 mins of flight isn't good enough? That's silly when you stop and think about it.. because you can be back up in the air after a min lol.

Sorry for the long winded reply man. I'm just a happy H550 pilot and no worries about me being a Gaui puppet, paid or sponsored pilot and I have nothing to gain or lose by giving you my honest take and opinion on this bird. The beauty of it is that the choice is yours! No matter what path you take, it's not a perfect heli, but it is a great one for the money and it is a super performer without all the hyped up parts for a beginner to advanced to beyond..
Steve :)

[mjdee14]

Steve.... rather than quote such a long post.

I pretty much agree with everything you said....i to am ruinning the plastic frames with the Z20 and it is really fast in FF. I have to practice slowing it down and keeping it under control in all orientations.

One of the guys at the field flying a $3500 3D 90cu in ship was amazed at how well the 550 flew. it was a major windy day and the 550 handled it perfectly.

I have 4 sets of packs....2 hextronc 2200's 4 2500 polyquest and 2 3300 polys...tell you the truth after 6 minutes of good flying..I'm ready to come down, in fact I have been finding myself ready a few seconds before my timer goes off..... I also like the 2200 or 2500 packs better because I can feel the difference in the weight and cg of the heli.

the better and more comfortable you get with the heli...the faster you get down to the real flying.....and the quicker you get your "fix"...

I love the heli and I did purchase the CF frame and metal head when it was on sale.....but I have yet to set it up, the plastic flys so well

mike d

[shaggybirdman]

well the heli i can get is a carbon kit. i was told it came with a motor, and esc. he double checked, and found out it had neither. the original price was $345 shipped. now we play tag to settle on the price. if he asks how low do i dare go without insulting? as best as i can see it's still a deal at 345. same kit is selling for 399 most places. i guess worse case is i buy from somewhere else, and get a plastic kit. i do want the carbon kit though just to save weight. for $319 i can get a plastic bird with motor, esc, and bec. does this use 30 size nitro blades?

just looked on 1 site, and there seems to be no weight difference between carbon, and plastic birds. how can that be?

the guy seems to be motivated to sell. when i offered $345 he jumped at it, and replied in caps!! after realizing it had no motor.... he seemed i may not still want it. well time will tell. wish me luck on getting a great deal.

[mjdee14]

The Gaui stock motor is no great bargin or loss....I do like the 50A esc for the slow spool up, but you can always buy the other stuff and maybe get a better deal....I think you can even get a basic plastic frame without motor and elec for about $250...letting you buy exactly what you want for motor... Stay away from any deals that have stock motor and 18c lipos...they will puff up just hovering.....20c or above is about minimum.

This is a great heli for the price...whichever one you get you will enjoy it.

[shaggybirdman]

how much should i offer if he asks? i don't want to offend him though. could this be a older version of the carbon kit he is just trying to dump on me? dare i offer 275+ shipping? is kit number 204006 the most current version? i do hope he comes back with a decent price. i really shouldn't worry though. ready heli sells this version for 399. lol i'm getting anxious now. still can't hover my trex, but want a bigger heli now. just realized something. i'll now have 2 30 size helis. one nitro, and one electric. i gotta get a second charger now. lol i wanted a second while i was flying my cx2. i have 10 batteries for it.

hovering practice went well today in windy conditions :thumbup: it's starting to click now. can't wait for warmer weather.

oh ya. how much longer should my training gear be than the blades? trex 450. i'm getting vibration in the carbon rods. got practice golf balls on the ends of the rods.

[vicrc]

Steve, I also agree with all that you said :thumbup:. Sometimes with all the upgrade I did on my 550, I look back and think... Now why did I upgrade my 550 to such an advanced model even way beyond my flying abilities and now the cost of replacing carbon blades and all the hop ups are just so much more expensive to repair? I am now treating my 550 like I do with my Trex 500 afraid to ring it out because I might crash, this was never an issue when I had the hurry in stock form 3 months ago. I love to tinker I guess, but I really wanted to see how far I could take the 550. I am pretty happy with my upgrades and I might have to pick up another one and keep it stock form with Z20 and woodies to match and do my smashing maneuvers with it :YeaBaby:. Today I was learning to fly inverted flights and tail down funnels, maneuvers that can be done with a stock 550 and maybe without the nervousness getting the best of me.

[badriM]

All i read interset me on this thread. Like in mathematic there is a constant. All have different setup and it is normal, everyone make his hely at his hand.
Another constant is that Gaui hely are cheap, even plastic or carboon. If you want to fly with stock engine and plastic frame it is possible with 2200 lipo's. In this case this hely is good for sunday flying.

If you want a roket bomb with loot of power you can put a Z30 but it is not the same lipo. The 6s 3000 mha is a minimum for have good flying time. This seput is very good for adrenalin but less for the money bag.

Finaly i have find my best choice, carboon frame with Z20. Less power than z 30 but longer fly with 2200 lipos. This choice doesn't convince to everyone but for me it is perfect.

Have good sunday flyes

[shaggybirdman]

fly only on sundays :wow2: oh my that will never do :DOH i try to get 2 packs in everyday. gotta learn to hover! i'm on a mission.

[mysticmead]

not a thing wrong with flying on sunday :D I tried to get a couple packs a day in.. but it seems like the weather is against me.. either its raining or it's REAL windy ( 15mph gusting to 20+) or both... we're expecting over 2 inches of rain today and saturday... at least it's looking good for sunday sunny 75 and 5mph winds..

[badriM]

I am agree with you. The rain and wind works again us this time. I trie to go fly twoo time a week.It is not so simple with this windy time.

With my poor english, a "sunday flyer" is not a 3d flyer. Just have pleasure in large translation and some loops just for the fun. It is like that i like to fly, very cool. Is it the right term ?
With this kind of fly there is very poor spare parts to change on my twoo hurricane (only this damned one way bearing).

[mysticmead]

sunday flyer.. yes, you have it right.. not a 3D flyer...and you're right, less to replace if you don't do hard 3D stuff, I never really saw the attraction to hard 3D.. but that's just me... I like the FAI/F3C style of flying much better...

[badriM]

full agree with your post. I made many accrobatic figures but only with my planes (F3A). In my mind my hely's are only relaxation fly. Only pleasure to see it in fly. Also i think the hely's are more "Breakable" than a plane. when i see all this rotor turn at 2000 rpm with all this so smal pieces I can understand how it is possible to not explode it in a 3d flight.
But yet, i am very Impressed buy some hely flyer's and their Dexterity. I think their brains are pentium 4 and mine a poor 386 sx 16.

[vicrc]

Also i think the hely's are more "Breakable" than a plane. when i see all this rotor turn at 2000 rpm with all this so smal pieces I can understand how it is possible to not explode it in a 3d flight.


LOL, coming from giant scale warbirds, I have to say I can rebuilt my heli no matter size and complicated it is overnight as long as I have the replacement parts. But to do that with an airplane and putting it back in its original form is impossible.

[shaggybirdman]

ok where do i get the z20 motor, and the right esc, and bec for her. still haven't herd back from the guy. rather bums me out. for the price he wants i'd be nuts not to get it. then again i still need the motor, and stuff. guess i gotta wait till he responds with a price.

so the z20 isn't too much for a plastic bird? like i said i'll only be doing sport flying, and possibly scale. i want to be able to do inverted, and light aerobatics. rolls, loops, and such. man i wish he would respond :(

[mysticmead]

http://www.helidirect.com/product_info.php?cPath=386&products_id=6027
http://flying-hobby.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=18_76&products_id=1018

those are 2 of the places I know carry it...

[michael88997]

i think the plastic frames are under rated... my friend flys his with the rcp1100 motor and they handle fine... as long as you use two 3000mah batteries and put your tail servo on the boom cg shouldnt be much of a problem

[shaggybirdman]

what esc does that motor need? links also please. do i need a bec, or can i just use a rx pack? yes a bit more weight, but the main batteries won't have to power the electronics, or is the bec really the trick? i'll get a 401 gyro. what do i need for cyclic servos? i want her setup nice. not top of the line, but not junk either.

[shaggybirdman]

i think the plastic frames are under rated... my friend flys his with the rcp1100 motor and they handle fine... as long as you use two 3000mah batteries and put your tail servo on the boom cg shouldnt be much of a problem

well i'm open to a plastic frame. it's just that i got a great deal (if he responds back to me) on a carbon kit. $345 delivered, and possibly cheaper. to be honest i'm ready to just buy a basic kit, and motor NOW. start saving for the rest of the gear. lol still learning ta hover my trex 450. maybe hold off on the motor, and get more batteries for my trex. 2 just isn't enough. especially when it takes 2 hours to recharge them :arggg: should get another charger too.

[michael88997]

i use the gaui 50amp esp with the z20 and it works great... yea you could use a nimh battery to power the rx and servos/gyro but you wont get the performance of using a lipo and you cant recharge at the field... everybody that i know including me use the ds821 servos that come with the dx7 at 6v and their great... you could always get more expensive servos but unless your amazing pilot your probably not going to tell much difference... its your choice to use a bec and lipo or just the regular 4.8 nimh battery... the problem is your going to have to use a small nimh and you wont get to fly much in one day