The Century 550 vs Trex600, gotta make a decision, need input

[Caveman5150]

I am goin to buy & build one of these helos in the next 30 days
. I am going to use it primarily as a bird for FPV & wanna place a blackhawk/huey shell over it for some scale stuff. WHICH TO CHOOSE?

I'm not really into 3D flying that much, I'm going to crash alot I'm sure, & want a big fat stable bird that flies more like a real life helo. I'm new to RC helos & the numbers are confusing me.
Is a Swift 16 & a Century 550 the same helo?

My problem is this:
(1) The 550 is cheaper, has cheaper parts (meaning cheaper crashes), but don't know where to get the part online in a timely fashion. It's also smaller than the 600(?) & I assume that means not as stable.

(2) What is the price comparison between Lipo batteries needed for the Trex & 550? I don't even know how much either costs & imagine I'm gonna be buying alot of them

(3) Trex600 is bigger(?) and has tons of high quality parts that are easy to obtain, but more expensive (more expensive crashes with easier to find parts). I'm also not sure if the make scale bodies for the Trex 600(?). Is it true that the 550 is considerably cheaper to fix or is it not that big a difference?

Can you guys help me pick please. I've been himmin' & hawing over this for 6 weeks. Wanted to hear from the Century folks. I can put alot of money in to start, but cant put hundreds of dollars in every month to keep it flying after a crash.

Skill level: I have 2 Blade 400s & I can fly them non-3D pretty well (B+)

[JustPlaneChris]

I don't have any experience with the big Trex birds, but I do have a Century Swift 16 and Century Hawk Pro. I find them to be easy to build and maintain, and extremely good flying machines. There are several scale fuselages available for the Century, including some unique (and beautiful) balsa/ply kits for the Blackhawk and Cobra:

http://www.approachengineering.com/

Power systems are definitely more flexible on the Swift, you can go from mild to wild (4S to 6S or more). I run 10S A123 in mine.

[GyroAl]

I agree with JPC.

I have the Swift 16 and have flown it for over 150 flights with various power systems from 4S (mild and scale), 5S (Sport 3D & scale) & 6S (extreme 3D)and really like it. Inexpensive, flies great and holds together very well. I now have it is the Century scale A-109 fuselage on five cells.

Because I loved how it performed extreme 3D on 6 cells, I got their Carbon 550SE and have equipped it for this type of flight. I found it a good deal lighter so equiped for 3D then the T600E...so it does it so much better.

They may not be as popular as the Align helis, but I have never had problems getting parts from a number of sources and Heli-World in CA always seem to have anything you may need.

I am so impressed with it, that I am looking to get their 620E when I can get some cash together.

You will find that they fly a lot better then you 400's.

[motomanmel]

Its really no contest with the 2 birds. The Century does not even compare with the T-rex 600. flight is more stable and has the potential to do just about anything. the cost is cheaper than the Century depending where you buy it. Here is a link you will like and they have the best customer service I have ever seen.

http://www.grandrc.com/scratch___dent

The design and the ease of building a T-rex is much more superior and for repairs is a sap.
You can buy parts for the t-rex much quicker and all heli shops have parts for the t-rex. Century is not to popular in Cali...
Good luck I know you will make the right move. remember the t-rex also has a better resale price....

[warpspeed]

Rex parts are considerably cheaper, and as motomanmel points out available everywhere, but if you're crashing a lot I'd say go for the Swift.
Two reasons-main blades and lipo's. As said before you can get away with a 4s setup on the Swift. The 600 is fine on 6s but according to guys who can do the 'mad 3dz' you really need 8 or 10s setups to get the most out of it. Have you priced a 10s pack recently? OUCH!
As for blades, you can't get woodies for the 600. So dork a set of CF's and you're out a minimum of $60, usually more.
Wooden mains for the Swift=$20. Granted they're not great blades, but they do work.

I've got both the T600 and the Carbon 550, and while I admit the 600 is my favorite heli the Swift is an absolute blast, plus it really lives up to it's name in FFF.

[GyroAl]

I actually found the Swift flies as good as, or better then the T600E when set up with the same power systenms and control throws...specially on similar batteries (e.g. 6S) simply because using the same power source, the lighter Swift is stable in hover but its' better power to weight advantage is very noticeable.

And the T600 does not hold a candle to the Swift when using the lesser (far less expensive) 5S or 4S packs.

[JustPlaneChris]

It's true that Trex parts are available from more dealers, but they certainly aren't "considerably cheaper". Swift parts are comparably priced and in some cases cheaper than the Trex 600. Tail booms, for example are $3.99 each for the Swift, a tail case is $5.50, main gear is $7, blade grips are $8, etc.

I'm not knocking the Trex 600, I think it's super-sexy and I'd love to have one! But it kinda irks me when people talk down on the Century birds and try to say they are inferior/expensive compared to Align because that's just not true.

[RAV50]

I agree Chris,

I imagine many are like I was.

If one has another brand or model, they may not consider something else. But once I did get something from Century's more current stable, I was impressed. Now I am a big Century fan and think that most who under rate them have never had any of their CURRENT models.

Heck I had one of the original Align T-Rex 400's, and had to change so many items on it to get it to fly right that I considered most Align products to be POS's.

But over the years they have improved and now make reasonable helis.

For me, the experience with Century 10 years or so ago, was the same (the old original Hawk). But the helis they have now, IMHO, are great helis - specially for the price.

My Hawk Pro is as different from the original Hawk as my TRex 450SE is from my original TRex 400. But the Price on the Hawk Pro has only increased marginally from the original Hawk ($210 from $200), while the Rex has doubled in price!!!

Ditto for my Raven 50 compared to their old Falcon 46....The Raven is a far superior heli.

As for the Swifts - I love mine.

[warpspeed]

It's true that Trex parts are available from more dealers, but they certainly aren't "considerably cheaper". Swift parts are comparably priced and in some cases cheaper than the Trex 600. Tail booms, for example are $3.99 each for the Swift, a tail case is $5.50, main gear is $7, blade grips are $8, etc.

I'm not knocking the Trex 600, I think it's super-sexy and I'd love to have one! But it kinda irks me when people talk down on the Century birds and try to say they are inferior/expensive compared to Align because that's just not true.

Since I'm the one that said they're "considerably cheaper" I'll provide the reality check. If you'll notice, I was AGREEING that the Swift was the way to go, btw. I don't think Align products are all they're cracked up to be and have had my share of issues with every one of 'em. (2 450's, 1 500, 1 600)

BUT, there's no question Align parts are cheaper. $7 for a main gear?
$12 gets you 2 600 gears.
$8 blade grips? Same for the Rex.
Ok, the tail case is $2 less, but really how often do you break that anyway.

Some parts are comparable, but overall (again w/the exception of mains) the 600 will always be cheaper to crash. I know this because I crash 'em all equally, and my Ready Heli bills are ALWAYS less than the ones from Heli World.:P

What counts are the consumables, and availability. ONE main shaft for the Swift 550 is $14.99. (Rex, 2 for $12) ONE feathering shaft for the Swift=$6 (Rex 2 for $6) Of course as I mentioned before that's a wash when it comes to main blades-I'm not sure you can even get woodies for the 600! But if I had to count down time in dollars the Swift would be far more expensive simply because quite often replacements are out of stock. Hell I waited 2 months to build my Swift because I couldn't get bellcrank spacers! Any hobby shop around here carries Align parts, but for the Swift it's mail order only. From what I've read that seems to be the case for most of the country.

Nonetheless I still think Century is HIGHLY underrated and I don't think many people give 'em a fair shake. Not only that, but their customer service is great. I was an early adopter of the 550 and had tons of issues with the kit, but not only did a manager at Century take a personal interest and make things right, he also gave me the majority of the ali upgrades completely gratis!
Very rarely does anyone rave about Align taking care of problems. Their attitude seems to be 'ignore it and it will go away.'

[flux]

Since the Original poster mentioned using a scale fuse, I think that would be a big factor in which brand he chooses. The swift 550 and Trex600 are a fair bit different in size, with the 550 being the same size as a regular swift16 and running 550 blades. The Trex uses 600 blades. This will affect you choice of fuse as you want the TR assy to end up in the right place. The swift suits "30" size bodies well and the Trex 600 fits "50" size bodies.
The basic (non-carbon 550)swifts' biggest advantage is it is cheap and will run on a cheap power system. The mechanics are quite compact and the motor placement may suit your setup better. It is a little weak for the bigger power setups. You can get the kit for under $200. The Carbon 550 is around $300.
For that same $300 you could get a GF Trex600 kit that is a much beefier machine, which may or may not suit you. The Trex comes standard with thrust bearings in the tail, heavy duty auto hub, and much stronger landing gear. The fine pitch 170 tooth main gear of the Trex will give you more motor/batt options than the limited 96 tooth gear on the Swift. There is also a torque tube option you can get for the Trex, which may suit some scale body apps as you dont have the hassle of trying to adjust the belt tension of a tail boom buried in a scale body. The swift is belt-drive only.

The swift also does not crash well, it always seems to break a lot more parts than the Trex in a similar impact. This is highly subjective though. Your mileage may vary. A basic 4-5s swift is a lower cost machine that will perform well and be easy to maintain. If you want a much more powerful machine you should look at the Trex600 and an 8s or higher setup that can take advantage of the Trex's bigger drivetrain.

[RAV50]

The swift also does not crash well, it always seems to break a lot more parts than the Trex in a similar impact. This is highly subjective though. Your mileage may vary. A basic 4-5s swift is a lower cost machine that will perform well and be easy to maintain. If you want a much more powerful machine you should look at the Trex600 and an 8s or higher setup that can take advantage of the Trex's bigger drivetrain.

I have always been very surprised at how LITTLE damage my Swift 16 sustains during any crash (I have had 3 very hard ones, and am still using the same mainframe!).

An good 8S Lipo power source (like FP or TP Extreme) can deliver a LOT of WATTS (hp) to 600mm, 610mm or 620mm mainblades. Consequently, I agree, the whole drive train and mainframe system, must be very robust.

These systems on the T600E was designed originally for use with the power available from a 6S (22.2V) lipo. I find that of the Century Carbon Fiber 620SE, which was built for 10S power systems to be my choice when considering the power delivery capability from 8S (29.6V) & 10S (37V) 20C or 30C packs.

e.g. an FP 5000mah/10S/20C pack can deliver 3700 watts...that is almost 5 horse power!!!...more then most 90 size nitro engines. Flying on of these with 615mm or 620mm blades re-defines "ballistic"

I have found that scale flight requires FAR less power then extreme 3D or even sport 3D. And the loads on the system are far LESS. So using longer blades (e.g, 550mm on a Swift 16) and gearing for lower head speed (1500 to 1600), gives the advantage of smoother scale like flights that are much longer on the same battery packs.

[flux]

These systems on the T600E was designed originally for use with the power available from a 6S (22.2V) lipo. I find that of the Century Carbon Fiber 620SE, which was built for 10S power systems to be my choice when considering the power delivery capability from 8S (29.6V) & 10S (37V) 20C or 30C packs.

e.g. an FP 5000mah/10S/20C pack can deliver 3700 watts...that is almost 5 horse power!!!...more then most 90 size nitro engines. Flying on of these with 615mm or 620mm blades re-defines "ballistic"

.

Ah, My bad. I was under the impression that the Swift620SE had the same maingear/autohub layout as the basic Swift. That is, A 10mm ID torrington running directly on the mainshaft surface. The same as the Logo 10 that the swift was based on. As opposed to the what the Trex, and most high-power helis use; a bigger one-way and hardened sleeve for the bearing to run on.
Can you eleborate on what makes the Swift620 "built for 10s power systems" as opposed to the basic Swift or the Trex600? I have seen quite a few 10s and 12s Trex's run hard.

[centuryman]

I would go for the swift for you're flying.

make it a 16 and it's even cheaper. Ihave over 500 flights on my first swift 16, parts are cheap,but they don't seam to break many in crashes so that's even cheaper.they work good on cheap electronics and they performe better then a 50 nitro if you use a 6s setup.

As for the trex 600e . i just got my first one flying about a month ago. i love it. it does every thing better,but you will need to spend alot more money to do so. I,m use neu motor abd cc hv85 and 8s power.my second trex 600 is almost done.it will be 12s. it has a scorpion hk 4035-560kv motor. witch is speced at 4200 watts continous.witch is 5.6 hp, and it should spike well past that to 8 on more hp.should be fun.

my point is to get a trex to work well costs alot of money,and for what you're doing is'nt needed.

[aramsdell]

Swift 16s, got two. Smashed first one into a sidewalk and broke the main frames, bent the lipo, broke some other parts. Ordered a second one figuring the first was toast. Had the first one repaired and flying before the new ARF arrived !. Simple bird. Easy to repair.
Built the second special for aerial photography. I lowered
the tail boom about 1/2 inch and used longer main shaft and 2nd main gear to get constant drive t/r. I autoed it a few times before the camera mount went on. NICE!
There are a variety of power options if you use other than motors from Century. I don't know if Century still has the original 600 motor but it had a lower kv rating so you could use more lipo cells. I think the motor is still available from Z Power. That would be nice for scale.
I'd love to have a TREX 600,500 or even a 700. I have 2 Rex 450's. Love them too.

Parts? Heli-World. Century's storefront shop. Tower Hobbies. Carrying less for the S-16 now. Other shops online too..

If you are going to get an electric then you need an ESC. Get one that you program the minimum cutoff voltage. You can't on the Century esc's and in my opinion if it goes into low voltager warning mode you are already hurting the lipol It's set to too low of a voltage and not adjustable.
Love mine.

[neilius]

hi,
Own both. For your needs i would highly recommend a swift 16 on a a 4/5S set up and you'll be loving it! You can always upgrade the swift as you go relatively cheaply to a full 6S 3d monster as your flying progresses, and if thats were your flying takes you. Then later on you may wish to go to a Trex 600 and more powerful setups. For where my flying is now (hard 3D) the swift just doesnt cut it like the 600 but thats just my opinion :-) its still a very capable machine indeed.

the 16s a good machine! go for it.

[skunkworx]

Ever considered the 500 instead of the 600? I've been around both and I gotta say, the 500 flies darn-near as well as the 600 at about 1/2 the price. On a 6S setup, they sure are tough to beat. Besides, if you decided to get rid of the 500, you wouldn't have it for sale for more than a week before someone would be pounding down your door to buy it!

The T500 has a TT now which is only about $50, so it's still the unbeatable Align price without getting waaaay too much heli to be reasonable. If it were my decision though, I'd ditch all 3 of those helis and get a Compass Knight 3DE. I just built a nitro version and was so impressed by the design and finish that I bought another one! Parts are just as inexpensive as the 'Rex, without a lot of the Align "quality" :tongue

As to the bang for your buck, I'd say it's a pretty good toss up between the Swift, the T500 and K3DE. I would also say the Gaui 550 might work, but I'm pretty sure the Swift would be a better choice than that (Same class I think?). Good luck!

[centuryman]

I have a swift 16, swift 620 , trex 600 ,knight 50 nitro and my last and favorite heli witch gets 90% of my flying a trex 500 on 6s .

the 600 trex's are awesome to,but for my back yard the 500 is best, needs less room to do 3d.and i fly out of my back yard 90% of the time.

but the swifty is a good heli to my first 16 has 550 plus flights on it.if your going 6s go swift, if your after allout performance the trex has it, but you need atleast 8spreferably 10 or 12s to get it done.on 6s the much lighter swift will get you better performance and longer run times and performace is as good as most people need.