EXI 450

[Grant_beltcp]

Now I have an EXI and i'm likely to mod it, does anyone know (namely dier) either where to get EXI parts from or which align parts are sirect replacements such as the feathering shaft. I presume its the SE V2 parts? I also dont like the plastic vertical fin holder but cant find a grey metal trex one.
I also want to upgrade the tail to a grey cnc one, but the align version costs a fortune!

I am trying to find someone here with a good camera so that i can post up the pics of mine, got abit of video on a freinds phone of loops/rolls/short inverted/nose in etc and hopefully that will be up soon.

These heli's are seriously amasing - glad i learned the crashing part before i bought this!!

[DierWolf]

Hey grant..

Exi 450 is direct copy of Trex 450 SE version 2.

So the feathering shaft is 4mm and drops down to 3mm at the last bearing in the grips.

everyting is 100% align, maybe check the align forum ask them if there is such a thing as align grey or black cnc parts... doubt it.... i myself just put on the cnc vertical fin holder and tail boom structs and is in blue and dont look bad at all.

You also dont have to buy actual align parts (for tail) so whatever color you can find should be fine.

I've put the xmseller trex blue grips on the exi just to see what the blue would look like and was looking perfectly fine alongside the gray, in fact it made things stand out really nice with the blue grips, and washout arms.. no need to really change the flybar cage...

but again never know ask around the trex forum if there is black / grey parts for trex.. for me i think its fine as it is stock.

[Grant_beltcp]

ah ok - i think i may have bought the wrong feathering shaft (from LHS - only pack they had).
Align have loads of grey cnc bits, im looking into the grey cnc blade grips and they also do all the grey washout arms/flybar holder/tail etc but i want to see how close a match they are. I may need to buy a blue/silver fin holder and try re-anodising it grey.
I'm hopefully getting some higher quality video today.
I think a nice set of paddles might be on the cards next too :)

[DierWolf]

Yeah,

i just did a search and found a site as well with the grey.

Washout Arms
http://store.rcsupersales.net/servlet/-strse-1971/Metal-Control-Lever-%28Gray%29/Detail

Flybar Cage
http://store.rcsupersales.net/servlet/-strse-1972/Metal-Flybar-Control-Set/Detail

Grips (NOT VERSION 2 SO BE CAREFULL!)
http://store.rcsupersales.net/servlet/-strse-1975/Metal-Main-Rotor-Holder/Detail

Tailbox
http://store.rcsupersales.net/servlet/-strse-1986/Metal-Tail-Unit-%28Gray%29/Detail


I find this store very expensive though compared to other places with the blue is much cheaper.

[DierWolf]

This is the correct feathering shaft.

http://www.readyheli.com/HS1251_450SE_New_V2_4mm_Feathering_Shaft_p/hs1251.htm

$6.00 for 2 (not bad i got 4 packs thinking only one was coming each) so i have 8 :)

http://www.readyheli.com/v/vspfiles/photos/HS1251-2T.jpg

[Grant_beltcp]

Thanks for that - i'll take mine back tommorow then and try and replace them.
I bought HS1003T.got some video today of the flying. should be on the net in the next couple of days.
How are you finding the radix blades, tempted to buy some as they are now in stock here, but not sure if i should sppend the money when i have some nice torsion ones on. I did my first bit of good inverted today :happyd lasted about 20-30 seconds but i'll practice some more tommorow and try and get it longer and lower!

[DierWolf]

They nice... sound great as well, good lift characteristics.

also got on Gorilla paddles, boy the slightest touch of cyclic results in super fast response... had to tone it down and put all the weight in LOL..

[Grant_beltcp]

Sounds like i may have to go and buy some gorilla paddles then! Did you find it much better with them on over the standard ones? The only reason i'm considering the radix is because my torsion rotors are fully black carbon and you cant see the rotors and i'm currently trying a few new things out that get the blades almost scraping the floor :)

[DierWolf]

The paddles? yes much much more responsive over the stock trex paddles.

[Grant_beltcp]

Ok thanks - your suggestions keep costing me money!!!!:lol:
Well ive decided that looking at the specs of the scoprion motor we use and the align XL motor that 11 tooth isnt enough to get the response in flips/rolls etc that i want, and 13tooth seems to be recomended for the align motor which is still slightly faster than the scorpion.
I've just changed the pinion and hope it makes a nice difference :). The only thing i am now worried about is if this motor will bog at all as its 30W less powerfull than the align XL (i should really have gone for the slightly more powerful scorpion motor).


Depending on how good the response is with the higher head speed (it seemed really fast before!) i may invest in the new paddles, although i did want something with a bit more bling factor lol.
I'll let you know what the change in pinions like, but i think it will be a big improvement.

Have you tried any loops/rolls/tic-tocs or anything?

[DierWolf]

Yes i am finding the same thing, but ja you know i went on the advise of someone and didnt really compare the numbers... I'm looking at they -8 but its got me confused theres one using 4 cells or some crap.. i made sure i got a good ESC with my scorpion in case i needed to upgrade the motor.

Let me know how you do with the 13 tooth.

Definately new paddles will help you, the roll rate with the gorilla paddles is crazy fast, i would change that as well as soon as you could.

[DierWolf]

Well LOL.

i just said screw it... the 2221-6 V2 is on its way.

Specifications

Stator Diameter ............................ 22.0 mm (0.866 in)
Stator Thickness ........................... 21.0 mm (0.827 in)
No. of Stator Arms ................................................. 9
No. of Magnet Poles ................................................ 6
Motor Wind ............................................ 6 Turn Delta
Motor Wire ...................... 20-Strand 0.21mm (31 AWG)
Motor Kv ........................................... 4400 RPM / Volt
No-Load Current (Io) ................. 2.89 Amps @ 10 volts
Motor Resistance (Rm) ............................. 0.016 Ohms
Max Continuous Current ............................... 52 Amps
Max Continuous Power ................................ 525 Watts
Weight .......................................... 79 Grams (2.79oz)
Outside Diameter .......................... 27.9 mm (1.097 in)
Shaft Diameter ............................. 3.17 mm (0.125 in)
Body Length ................................. 33.6 mm (1.323 in)
Overall Shaft Length ...................... 57.0 mm (2.244 in)



http://www.innov8tivedesigns.com/images/HK2221-6V2.jpg

[Grant_beltcp]

LOL
Thats going to be some CRAZY amounts of power!
Ive put the 13tooth on, and it makes the handling very very good - but batteries dont last as long.
Once again, another trip to the local heli shop has cost me another small fortune. 3 HS65MG servos, curtis youngblood main blades, cnc tail servo holder and align skid tubes!
I'm off to my local outdoor club as soon as my batteries have charged so i'll let you know how it goes.
Also - keep me updated on the new scorpion, if you get reasonable flight times i think i might either buy that one or the -8.

[DierWolf]

Align skid tubes? Why? something wrong with the tubes it came with??

I would have spent that money on better paddles.....

[Grant_beltcp]

theyre for the belt - im going to fix it next week. The old skid tubes snpped in half on the crash!
Im really happy now - with this heli i have so much confidence that my first day of trying proper inverted i am now doing it untill the button on the head is almost toughing the floor - LITERALLY!!!!
sod the video i'm waiting for, i'll get some more at the weekend of my inverted with some loops etc in. These youngblood blades are very nice, and the 13tooth pinion has made it loop/roll etc much faster and smoother.

[DierWolf]

now he tells me LOL.

anyways thats cool i will put the 13-14 in my Belt and put the -6 in the Exi :)

[Grant_beltcp]

I may do the same if you get reasonable flight times

[DierWolf]

did you get your 13t from innovative as well?

[Grant_beltcp]

No i bought an align multi-pack of 11t,13t and 15t for about £5 as i thought its worth buying the pack to see which reacts best. After doing some reading most people recomend the 13t on the align XL motor which is 3700Kv, compared to the scorpion at 3580Kv. The 13 tooth gives some lovely high head speed - so i see no need to go any higher. I seem to get good flight times too.
(pinions were from my local shop)

[DierWolf]

According to the calcs with the 13 tooth
and the 150 tooth main gear with 90% drag youshould be getting
around 3100 rpm headspeed.


Above the belt cp at full whip with the 138 tooth with 10 pinion. I may either
bump up to 4 cell or goto 14 tooth. The wattage is there to do it.

That would give us 3500 rpm with the 11 tooth and 4100 with 13 tooth.

I emailed Lucien Miller to find out if its ok to run the motor on 4s.

[Grant_beltcp]

:)
3k plus headspeed sounds awesome doesnt it!!
if you can run the 13-14 on 4 cell i may give that ago rather than up the motor - although so far i dont seem to get any bogging, this little thing is quite a beast. Atleast it has the power to shoot it up in the air when i get scared of nearly clipping the floor with the rotors inverted:D
I've installed the new HS-65MG servo's and love them, they are very precise and sharp compared to the SG90's, it atleast means i can get the belt back together and running. I might do the tail weight mod soon.

[DierWolf]

Ok..

Quote from email.

From: lmiller@innov8tivedesigns.com
To: eye-papi@hotmail.com
Subject: RE: Enquiry from Innov8tiveDesigns.com
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2008 07:49:14 -0700

That would really be spinning the motor up pretty good. On 4S, with a Kv of 3585, that motor would be turning around 50,000 RPM with zero pitch in the rotor head!


Lucien




Soo :) lets recalculate now...

REally dont want the motor doing 50,000 rpm but who's at zero pitch all the time anyways? :)

Anyways 4cell is ok and would give

3307 rpm with 11 tooth.
3600 rpm with 12 tooth. (would need all cnc head / tail for sure after this point)
3909 rpm with 13 tooth.
14 tooth = just crazy!!

seeing most people strive for between 3200 and 3500 safe to say i would go with the 11 or 12 tooth on 4 cells.

Or run 4 cells on either the HK-2213-16 or HK-2213-20 models with 13/14 tooth, as they have a lower KVA and we'll save the motor bearings a bit from the 50,000 rpm.

13-16 is 3200 kv so 47360 rpm or 3410rpm headspeed with 12 tooth.
13-20 is 2640 kv so 39072 rpm or 3282rpm headspeed with 14 tooth.

I much rather the 39K rpm on the motor over the 47K wouldnt wanna be wearing out the bearings every second... so looks like the 13-20 on 4s would be a super choice.

The wattage is 280... thats the only concern (Bogging)

[Grant_beltcp]

50K sounds good to me :clappp
lol. I think I will stay with 3s on a 13t pinion, it seems to give some pretty good head speed so far, scares the hell out of the other guys with their honey bee's :lol:.
I dont seem to have had any bogging yet, but then again im not into hardcore 3d yet - as soon as i hear any bogging i'll test it on 4s.

[Grant_beltcp]

I've put 3 batteries through the EXI today, getting on quite well with some really low inverted in the wind intill....
Some STUPID woman let her little dog off the lead whilst i was trying to land in idle-up due to low battery and gusty winds. I told her to keep the dog back as i have to land it, so what does she do - let go of the dog!!!!:arggg:
Next thing, batteries too low to lift up higher and the dog jumps up catching the skids and plowing it into the floor in idle-up mode.
I swear i could beat the hell out of that little shit!:DH
as soon as it hit the ground the dog got scared from the noise and ran off, along with the woman!

Damage status - Bent flybar, bent feathering shaft, possible main shaft, main gear, boom and bent frame.

NOT HAPPY!!!!

[Grant_beltcp]

about all that survived were the radix!!