Best place to buy an X5 today?

[lucidchaos]

So a few days back many sites, including Empire's own, had the X5 FES super combo in stock. The inventory seems to have dried up quicker than expected however...

So far I have found it in stock at http://www.helipross.com/gaui-x5-fes...bo-208009.html

I've read bits questioning the reputation here... has anyone seen them in stock from a reputable dealer?

[onemetre]

I'd think Dave @ Anything Heli will have them next Tues or Wednesday. Not sure how many are spoken for...

Rob

[darkfa8]

Empire is all out as of late this afternoon...

next bath due in about 1.5 weeks...

[lucidchaos]

Just placed my order at Anything Heli. Thanks for the heads up. Picked up some green dampeners and a jolly bee T-rex canopy while I'm at it

[dannylightning]

it's amazing how popular this helicopter is right now, when i got mine i was eyeballing them for several months and they always seemed to be in stock. i got mine not long ago and man, every one just feels the need to buy what i have. i dont get it.

glad you got one though..

[Discount_Bob]

I'm a tightwad...waiting for a sweet deal in the classifieds....

[lucidchaos]

Ugh, turns out they aren't in stock at AH. Dave was great about the communication and funds have already been refunded. And I just ordered 3 Gens Ace 4000mah lipos - I guess I am committed now

[stelo]

Nice! Where did you order your lips from? I'm in the same boat.

[fusionsx00]

Originally Posted by Discount_Bob

I'm a tightwad...waiting for a sweet deal in the classifieds....

Right now that is the best place to buy, classifieds

I'm glad I got mine when I did, but it was my lucky unluckyness streak at play, my 425 had a real bad wreck , I was sick of fighting the dam owb, so I just said screw it and ordered one online. Got a real good deal at hobby hut.

I almost got it at the lhs, but empire and I have some history, and there team pilot would not answer my question about the tt in a lite kit, even though he had one in his hands.

[lucidchaos]

Originally Posted by stelo

Nice! Where did you order your lips from? I'm in the same boat.

http://www.xheli.com/98p-25c-4000-6s1p.html

There's a 5% off code posted on the home page

[lucidchaos]

Well, to follow up, after learning AnythingHeli did not have one in stock I did go ahead and order one from HeliPross on May 6th. I inquired on the 8th about my order and shipping. This morning I woke up with this in my inbox:

Dear Sir/Madame:
Thank you for your letter

About your order XXXXX
We have a problem
Accessories.4. MICROBEAST V2 to Change the v-bar(Small)
If you can accept a Change
We will arrange shipping for you as soon as possible

If you have any inquiry, please feel free to let us know.

Fortunately I was on a notification list for Clubheli and received notification Rick there was back in stock. I cancelled my order with Helipross and ordered from ClubHeli and added some CF skids

[Discount_Bob]

Wait, were they going to give you a vbar instead, for the same price? That would have been pretty sweet.


P.S. I just got a used kit! Woohoo!

[lucidchaos]

From what I remember Emil saying, the Super Combos in Taiwan include the yellow Vbar - beginner's model.

[irishmatt18]

Yes they include the yellow Vbar but you can not get that in the US. Ready Heli has rights to the Vbar distribution in the US. It wont happen.

UNLESS you get one shipped over. But I don't even know if that will happen.

[fusionsx00]

you can buy direct from gaui. i have before alot

just dont let empire find out you stepped on there toes, im sure you would buy here local if empire had them avaiable

[onemetre]

Word is the last shipment to Empire had only 36 X5 FES kits (of the 225 ordered). Empire asked to have what was ready shipped. Sounds like it's a Gaui thing. Success has it's problems as well!

[emil_dimitrijevic]

In Taiwan - we can choose - between mini v bar (yellow one) and beastX.

mini v bar (yellow one) - costs around 1800 nt dollars = approximately 60 US
beastX - costs 5800 nt dollars = approximately 190


and the REAL mini v bar (the blue one) - 10500 nt dollars = 350 US

so most of us here in Taiwan fly with beastX, and the yellow one has got a nick name here - beginner fbl.



X5 - is not very popular as some of you think (the bird is great - honestly) but GAUI is such a small company that is trying so hard to manage everything (they have signed contracts with Scorpion, with v bar, with SDC, with so many other companies).
GAUI even didn't have enough money to produce X7 super combo - so in Taiwan if you wanted to buy it - you needed to pre pay it, not pre order it.
GAUI has signed a contract with another company to buy the servos from them. GAUI couldn't pay them - so they didn't want to produce the servos for their super combos.
Later on, GAUI announced they cannot send the servos to LHS around Taiwan, because there are so many orders - but Taiwan is a small island so the rumors are spreading fast and easily.

They are trying to put all together into one box - but it's quite difficult. Similar thing like Luxgen car in Taiwan (Nissan's engine, Mitsubishi's alternator, Ford's gearbox...)
They have fired the whole department (they call it department ) 3 ladies that used to work on orders - they screwed up the orders here in Taiwan - so everything was delayed. And now the new team - of 3 new workers are trying to figure out everything.

I admire GAUI's trying to fight against ALIGN's monopoly - but as far as I can see - sooner or later it is going to drown - maybe I am wrong, I wish I am wrong, because I replaced all my Align's birds to Gaui ones.

I am in Taiwan and having problems to find the parts for X2 and X7, but X5 is still easy to find or order. So I am scared of crashing - I have never been before - but now after 4 weeks of waiting for CNC servo holder - I am scared of waiting...

USA guys why don't you buy the helicopters made in USA? I would like to have one, but here is nearly impossible to find the parts for them.


Emil

[Colonel Sanders]

This is getting me concerned , I thought GAUI was a booming growing company. Thats why I bought my X5. I wan't the X7 but if parts are gonna be that hard to get over there we're gonna have problems over here. I might lean towards a Synergy E7 or a Whiplash when I can afford it. There's good deals in the classifieds on them.

[lucidchaos]

Originally Posted by emil_dimitrijevic

USA guys why don't you buy the helicopters made in USA? I would like to have one, but here is nearly impossible to find the parts for them.
Emil

Helis made in the USA have the same issues at times. Just look at Horizon - there was a time frame over a month and a half where landing skids for the MCPX could not be found. Same goes with the Blade 450 tail control slider.

I would think that with such a strong following and positive reviews that the production of the company would actually ramp up. Nearly every single post regarding X5 vs Align 550 super combo states the X5 is the way to go. And the X7 seems to be doing well also, although the price is more in line with the value. The X5 however seems to be actually priced very aggressively considering the rate of production, figuring the quality of the parts inside and what it would take to buy them all new.

Also look at the aftermarket support - KBDD dampeners, several canopy options... I wouldn't think these companies would invest in the R&D for a "Ma and Pop Shop" helicopter.

I suppose we will all know in time.

--EDIT-- Nothing against Horizon, they have a good product and great product support, but they don't have anything in a 550 class and up until now have been more in the entry level segment. I had my eye on the Chaos 550 as well and would love to support RC Aerodyne but they have been sold out of most helis on their site for months and I missed the 550 "Beta Test" window. I already ordered my X5 but I am curious if there truly is competition in this market segment other than the Align 550 Super Combo...

--EDIT 2-- Parts availability looks pretty good to me... http://www.clubheli.com/Gaui-X5-Part...ies_c_161.html

FYI the good people at ClubHeli are fantastic.