Esmart Progress Pictures

[Jonnyheli]

TBH, I don't have a clue what im doing when I go to college. I will probably do something involving computers or computer graphics.

Back on topic. I have heard people say that they would rather their Esmart than their trex 600. That is quite a compliment to Esky if they really mean it.

-Jonny

[Grant_beltcp]

maybe for hovering around, where if they crash its cheap but thats the only reason, if a reason at all to prefer their e-smart to the T600 that i can think of. I have been looking for 3d flying videos of the e-smart, all i can find is good aerobatics/basic 3d. There must be some reason why not a single full on 3d video is on the internet and never seen used in a 3d competition in the uk (not sure about anywhere else).
I would like to have a fly of one to see what theyre really like, but ive flown almost every other Esky heli and they all have a similar feel and quality.

[DierWolf]

LOL damn i type a few words and all hell breaks loose..

yes you can probably scrape up a trex kit someplace by searching the world down for 200 pounds / 383 US Dollars... if your going to buy from a respectable online shop which will give you some sort of warrantee the prices are a little higher than that for a regular or combo kit ranging from 450 to 540 us dollars w/ motor and esc.

I got my Esmart off Ebay, not becuase of the price, the price everywhere was $199.99, only reason i got it from ebay is because the regular shops checkout was not accepting my Out of the USA Visa Card, it wasnt a search for days to get the 199.99 price that was the price!.

Like i said, to me its all about value, guys here have trex 600's and Avants (which by the way is what i would buy next even over a Trex 600) they have all flown my Esmart and pretty much 80% of them got an esmart after flying mine.. Simply becuase its a Trex Quality style heli for 1/2 the price.

My price includes a radio that is even more expensive than the DX6i. The rest i did as everyone does and searched for the cheapest price on Ebay.

I try to help people and i dont like HYPE, if someone is limited on money i suggest to them the Esmart over the Trex, even if they have money i suggest it. Just cant see a kid there all huffy puffy because he dont have enough money to buy his "Trex" that everyone so much talks about.

As for 3d Capability, dont underestimate it, most people putting up videos on youtube with the esmart are beginner flyers and not advanced in 3D Flight... Put the Esmart in capable hands and you will see what it can do.

i have hovered and flown around a buddies 600, which his radio is set to be so called "touchy" with no expo.... it flys like my Esmart which has on massive amounts of Expo to cool her down, without expo my esmart would flip and roll on a dime its that quick, which is why i like the head mechanics much better over the Trex, very responsive and VERY quick.

Anyways, didnt mean to start this whole "Trex is the best" crap all over again... we fly what we fly... i have flown both and dont see the need to purchase something 2 times the price simply because of a name.

[mnwizard]

All I can add to this conversation is the following -

I fly every single day. Sometimes my co-axials, sometimes my 450s, sometimes both.

I can afford to fly and crash and mod the Lamas, Belts and EXIs.

If I had to buy and repair an Align or one of the higher priced helis I could only have one, maybe 2 if I stretched, but I wouldn't have had all of the fun and experience I've had with the inexpensive Eskys.

Even if you find a great price on a more expensive heli, it is going to cost more to fly and maintain.

I've heard all the arguements about how buying high quality right off the bat is cheaper in the long run, but the reality is, that heli for heli, it is not. More money is more money. I can spend $1000 for an Align, expensive servos, a gyro and a DX7. Or I can spend $1000 on a couple Belts, a couple EXIs, a DX6i, a couple Lamas and a sim.

Over a long time will I end up spending more? Sure, but it's small amounts of money I can afford to spend out of the budget every month and I've got SIX varied helis to play with vs 1 heli that I'm afraid to crash.

Admittedly, I am not aspiring to be a 3D champion or to win a corporate sponsorship, but how many of us really are? I just want to be able to go out and chase the rabbits around my garden and not face financial hardship if I dumb thumb it into the fence.

[DierWolf]

There you go, that to me is what its all about, not being able to say "I got a Trex!!" and still cant fly it worth the Shit.

[Heli Yea!]

I agree My dad's friend Tim got him into helis aprox. 23 years ago. Tim is now a Align dealer and could get me a new heli for cheaper, but I decided to go w/the belt because parts are cheaper to replace. Don't get me wrong I would love to have one but I guaranty I would have not been able to afford the parts to fix it as many times as I fixed the belt. Now with the EXI out there for $99 seem like a better deal cause it's the Trex frame and your heli is what you put in to it! If you are overloaded w/money get one if not get somthing comparable. You'll get a lot more flight time. That is really what this hobby is about!:thumbup:

[mnwizard]

Flight time! That's the term I was looking for. For the money, the Esky stuff gets me more flight time because I'm not a great pilot and I can afford to fly to my limits, smash 'em up, fix 'em and go do it again.

[Jonnyheli]

But your missing the point. We have all spent hundreds on our belt cps to make them more like the trex. You have spent more money on trying to make a belt cp into a trex 450 than than actually buying one.

If you have a stock belt cp and you think it's great fun and good money then thats fine but don't go saying about how expensive the trex's are when you have spent more trying to get yourself a cheap trex 450 clone than the real thing.

I bet some of you have spent more on your belt cp's than I have spent on my trex 500 which doesn't need any mods what-so-ever. And is one of the best helicopters.

DW, I bought my trex 500 kit from a well known online shop which did come with an esc, motor and blades. And I know they would happily send it back if it had a problem.

And infact if you could be bothered to look at the prices of the trex parts they are nearly the same price as the esky parts. As you know the quality align blades are not much more than the stock esky blades which are a pile of ****. Unless you know what your talking about then don't mention it. The whole, "I cant afford to crash a trex" is aload of bull. In the long run the trex is probably cheaper because of:

1. Less crashes because of good parts and less failures.
2. Parts are the same price as Esky parts.

Well. I am sorry to the people who are not involved in this but I don't like the fact that people are insluting others that have bought a better heli and don't know what they are talking about. I suggest you go and look at the prices of trex 450 parts and come back and then tell me you can afford to crash with a trex.

DW. The head mechanics that come with the $199 are plastic which will need to be replaced anyway. Also, find me a video of a esmart out performing a trex 500 and show it too me and I will smash up my trex 500 if you do find one. (Not really:d)

-Jonny

[muppetman0]

I would like to point out 2 things:

1. This it the Belt CP forum NOT the We Hate Align forum and also not the Align Is Best Forum. I have both a Belt CP and a Trex 450 but to say that one is better than the other is impossible. They are bother better in different ways - The belt is better value for money, the Trex is better quality.

2. There are loads of threads on this forum about using Align (and other brands) spares because they are better quality. There is infact a sticky about this, so the argument about Align helicopters being too expensive to repair/maintian holds no water as far as I'm concerned unless you use ONLY Esky spares on your Belt.

[Jonnyheli]

2. There are loads of threads on this forum about using Align (and other brands) spares because they are better quality. There is infact a sticky about this, so the argument about Align helicopters being too expensive to repair/maintian holds no water as far as I'm concerned unless you use ONLY Esky spares on your Belt.

Great point muppetman. Whats the difference crashing a trex 450 and a belt cp when you go ou tand buy the trex 450 parts anyway.

Thanks for mentioning that. That's exactly what i'm trying to say.

-Jonny

[helihathnofury]

How's your trex Alastair?

Mike

[muppetman0]

Hi Mike, The Trex is fine. Haven't had much flying time, it's been a bit wet and windy.

[Jonnyheli]

Alastair, its been the same here. I hate the weather here:( Oh well..

-Jonny

[helihathnofury]

Have just returned from sailing where there were 15 days of continual blue skies, no cloud, 35C and nice 10-15 kt winds - paradise!!!!!!!!!!!
Got home yesterday - yuk!!!!!!!!!!!

:thumbdown:

[Ian 777]

It makes you realise you've been away though Mike, when we came home the plane dropped through the clouds into Birmingham to reveal a dark wet glowering cold miserable scene that looked like it came from Wuthering heights or something, A few hours earlier I was walking on perfect beach with perfect sun on perfect sand and the most turqoise sea you imagine, trying and failing to remember what the weather could be like in England:YeaBaby:

[Ian 777]

I don't think A Trex 450 costs any more than a belt or an Exi to keep in the air though.

Most of the spares I buy for my Belt are now align, featheing shafts, blades, mainshafts, etc.

[Jonnyheli]

I don't think A Trex 450 costs any more than a belt or an Exi to keep in the air though.

Most of the spares I buy for my Belt are now align, featheing shafts, blades, mainshafts, etc.

Exactly!

[Grant_beltcp]

EXI costs EXACTLY the same as a trex to repair:thumbup: lol.
The number 1 difference in repair costs in a trex 600 is the blades. Everything else is actually not far off from a 450, infact the tail belts are cheaper! and the main shaft/feathering shafts dont seem to bend easily at all :). Booms are only £8.50 for two so apart from blades which are just a size factor, its pretty cheap. Just comparing some e-smart prices to the t600 out of interest, it doesnt work out much different, booms are £5.85 each for the e-smart so more expensive on bits. I do agree that some of the parts are dramitically cheaper for the e-smart such as side frames, but they rarely go on a T600 and are thick carbon single peice frames.

[Jonnyheli]

Yeah. I noticed the same with the trex 500. The blades are very expensive. All the other parts are fairly priced.

DW would have to crash his Esmart alot of times before he catches up with the price of the t600 though..

-Jonny

[mnwizard]

If you guys look back at my post, I said "buy and repair" a Trex. Sure, you can use Align parts on the EXI, but the point was that you have to spend several hundred dollars more, up front, to get the Trex in the first place and that I would be giving up several of my helis in order to get just 1 Trex. Also that I would be much more hesitant about pushing my limits with a more expensive heli.

And Jonny, I didn't call anyone names.

[Grant_beltcp]

Oh well, each to his own i guess lol:thumbup:
I personnally feel i can fly the hell out of any trex more than a i can my belt, because im not so worried about mechanical failures , even though the tail hub failed on my EXI after a few crashes that was about the only EXI part left apart from the frames.

[DierWolf]

Costs are the same to repair between Trex 450 and Belt cp, i was not arguing that point... Start up Costs however are MUCH less with the belt cp.

As for upgrading it to be like a belt cp, thats not necessary, most people only do it so they get rid of the plastic parts (the same you would do if you bought a Trex 450xl)

Upgrading it to a trex head costs under 100 bucks and you have a heli thats just as capable right off the bat and still is under the price of a trex... This is what we are saying, i didnt spend Hundreds of dollars to get my belts flying like Trex.

I am also not a trex hater, they are wonderful machines, what i dont like is all the HYPE about it, as if its the end all be all of helicopters... Trust me its not, and Exi for instance shows exactly how the exact same heli can be sold for more than 50% less.

Lets compare apples to apples why dont we.

Trex 450xl is pretty much the same as Belt CP, same crappy bellcrank setup, plastic everything... (yes great it has underswung flybar vs overswung).. but eccencially the same sloppy mess of bellcranks and cheap plastic parts.

Cost $198 for the kit, comes with motor and esc.

Belt cp costs the same amount but comes with everything. So as a beginner flyer
what would you suggest to a newcomer? suggest the xl and have him buy radio, gryo, servos which would come up again to another 200+ dollars? or spare him the
cash (coz you know heli's arent for anyone and 60% of the people never get a hang of
it and put it up on a shelf never to be flown again) and suggest teh Belt CP, and in time save that extra 200 dollars he would have spent (if he gets the hang of it and wants to continue) buy a better radio? better head? hell an EXI? or 2 for that 200 bucks?

Let me put it this way, if my son got interested in Heli's one day and he never touched one before, i wouldnt dump him into a Trex 450xl/se or any of those, i would either put him on the Belt cp or get him a Belt CP and Exi kit for under the price of a trex and when he was ready and capable swap it over to the exi frame.

Thats bang for your buck, and thats all i am talking about here, not bashing Align (although they could get their heads out of the clouds and drop their price, but they never will until people get out of the Align is God mindset).

As for Esmart outperforming a 500, never compared it to a 500 but i remain as i said, put both of those helicopters in capable hands and lets see what they can do. But ya certain people arent allowed to touch anything but Align becuase they are sponsored :)

so there you have it, if you got an align, perfectly fine with me, but where did you start??? think we all started with our trusty Belt CP's and Lama's.

[DierWolf]

DW. The head mechanics that come with the $199 are plastic which will need to be replaced anyway. Also, find me a video of a esmart out performing a trex 500 and show it too me and I will smash up my trex 500 if you do find one. (Not really:d)

-Jonny

For those that jumped on it right away its plastic... i got mine 1/2 plastic and 1/2 metal. And upgrading to full metal is still doesnt bring it near the price of a 600 kit,

Metal Grips $36 (i shouldnt even include this as the T600 kit comes plastic as well)
Metal Center Hub $17
Metal washout $26 (i shouldnt even include this as the T600 kit comes plastic as well)
metal swashplate $24
Metal Tail kit $ 26.00 (i shouldnt even include this as the T600 kit comes plastic as well)

Total : $ 129.00

Total cost metal version Esmart $329 (items bought seperately) and still under the cost of a Trex 600 kit and with more metal parts.

Show me a video where a professional flyer is flying a Esmart :)

[Grant_beltcp]

In all seriusness, after owning a belt cp i wouldnt recomend one to a begginer unless i was there to show them exactly what needs upgrading. The problem i dont like is that all the electronics are pure dog tod and the rest needs upgrading to trex bits to fly nice, yes the copter x heads are very good and cheap but its stil that hassle and dissapointment of having to change almost everything. I would quit the hassle and get the EXI or trex from the start. I would actually get a trex 500 if i started again, but that could be a bit costly if your not 100% sure you want it. Doesnt anyone want to buy a belt cp with full esky bling? My brothers selling it as he didnt get on with it lol.

[helihathnofury]

I agree Wolfie. The Belt is a great value RTF package, not just the Heli. It is a fine way of starting off on single rotor helis. Sure, if you have a lot of experience on other types, then it might seem a bit low-tech compared to the Align Trex etc. But for a first machine which you can tinker with, upgrade, and really get into the nitty-gritty of the hobby, I personally believe it to be the best option.

Mike