500 size heli choices

[seefest]

Originally Posted by Tachead

Heavy in the air? It is one of the lightest on the market. Very low disc loading. Here's the weights without battery and rtf... Atom 500-1750gr, X5-1850gr, Goblin 500-1900gr, Mostro 500 not released, Cell 500 not finalized due to design changes. The Atom also flys on 2600-3300mah lipos depending on 500 or 5.5 so it also uses quite a bit lighter and cheaper lipos then your other options. That will make the in air weight even lower. The stock Atom is a light heli with a very powerful stock motor and will take all power you can throw at it with its 700 size MOD1 main gear and overbuilt design. It will handle a 600 class motor at 4000rpm no problem if stupid powerful is your preference. The only popular heli that I know of that beats it in the weight department is the Protos 500/500 stretch which is also another model you should consider. I hear good things about them too.

The Atom is light, but can't really compare published flight weights with the X5 or Goblin as both heli's are almost 550 size and can swing 520mm blades.
Disc loading is a much more accurate when determining flight characteristics and even then you need actual flight weights not published weights. Even then flight characteristics are way more complicated than just flight weight. The 7HV is a portly 700, but has some of the best flight characteristics around.

[kingmeow]

Stretched Protos?

[Tachead]

Originally Posted by seefest

The Atom is light, but can't really compare published flight weights with the X5 or Goblin as both heli's are almost 550 size and can swing 520mm blades.
Disc loading is a much more accurate when determining flight characteristics and even then you need actual flight weights not published weights. Even then flight characteristics are way more complicated than just flight weight. The 7HV is a portly 700, but has some of the best flight characteristics around.

My Atom 5.5 swinging 515mm mains and 84.5mm tails weights in at 1828gr right now fully flight ready except lipo. I am also way over built and didn't shoot to be light at all. I am running a YGE120LV with cap pack 5 and extended wires/Scorpion HKIII4020-1100kv(50grams heavier then stock), WR Hercules Super BEC G2, and all my wires are loomed. My external BEC and esc are overkill as you can see and the heli could be made at least 200 grams lighter with the same power. It also runs on 3300mah batteries which are smaller and lighter then the X5 and Goblin's and I get the same or better flight times then both. I do concur that flight characteristics are based on more then weight for sure. That's just it though, I have talked to a few different people on here that own both or all three and the Atom excels there too. I am not brand loyal and am fairly new to the hobby. I picked the Atom over the G500 and X5 based on over a year of research and really don't regret my decision at all. Compass just knows how to build a heli and is a great company to deal with. I think the fact that the 6 or 7 year old, never updated, Atom design is still around, competes, and some say beats brand new designs like the Goblin says a lot don't you?

[cyclo]

Just for the record regarding Atom 500 and 5.5 weights... I have weighted these two on a scale and posted them in the respective build threads I did a while back: Atom 500: 1.551 kg (RTF with Scorpion BUG, no lipo); Atom 5.5: 1.633 kg (RTF no lipo)

The 5.5 has a lighter disk loading and is hyperactive with the stock 9T pinion but the 500 is more stable in strong winds. I love them both... excellent flight characteristics, very tough, easy to repair.

[tomatwalden]

Simple to build/setup ...
Big as possible ...
One battery ...
Easy maintenance ..
Good support ..

Blade 550X ??

[TucsonFlyer]

Gaui X4v2. X5 drivetrain in a better designed frame. If you really want it can stretch to swing 520's with X5 TT parts.

[seefest]

Originally Posted by Tachead

My Atom 5.5 swinging 515mm mains and 84.5mm tails weights in at 1843gr right now fully flight ready except lipo. I am also way over built and didn't shoot to be light at all. I am running a YGE120LV with cap pack 5 and extended wires/Scorpion HKIII4020-1100kv(50grams heavier then stock), WR Hercules Super BEC G2, and all my wires are loomed. My external BEC and esc are overkill as you can see and the heli could be made at least 200 grams lighter with the same power. It also runs on 3300mah batteries which are smaller and lighter then the X5 and Goblin's and I get the same or better flight times then both. I do concur that flight characteristics are based on more then weight for sure. That's just it though, I have talked to a few different people on here that own both or all three and the Atom excels there too. I am not brand loyal and am fairly new to the hobby. I picked the Atom over the G500 and X5 based on over a year of research and really don't regret my decision at all. Compass just knows how to build a heli and is a great company to deal with. I think the fact that the 6 or 7 year old, never updated, Atom design is still around, competes, and some say beats brand new designs like the Goblin says a lot don't you?

You didn't mention the stretch, you mentioned the 500 which swings 430mm blades. Different animal than X5 and G500.

Just because its never been updated doesn't mean it shouldn't have been! No helicopter is perfect! (and I'm not bashing the Atom at all)

Honda, Toyota, Lexus, Porsche, MB, etc, etc all update there models not JUST because there's something inherently wrong, but to make them BETTER.
Even the Porsche 911 who's basic architecture has remained the same for 50 years has had continual updates, improvements and evolution to keep it current with the worlds best sports cars

[michael88997]

Even the Porsche 911 who's basic architecture has remained the same for 50 years has had continual updates, improvements and evolution to keep it current with the worlds best sports cars

jeremy clarkson would disagree with you


here is the important thing, what parts are easiest for you to get? since you in the high crash stage that needs to be #1..

for me flight time and performance are #1 which is why I will be buying a jr e6

[seefest]

Originally Posted by michael88997

jeremy clarkson would disagree with you


here is the important thing, what parts are easiest for you to get? since you in the high crash stage that needs to be #1..

for me flight time and performance are #1 which is why I will be buying a jr e6

He may........but 50 years of motorsports victories is hard to argue with!

[DaveHolland]

Goblin 500 is a verrrry hit and miss heli. It came out and just about every other heli in the classifieds was a Goblin 500. I cam across Dart Tin and they have a 520mm heli and it looks pretty good. I would be more apt to get the DT over the SAB.

http://onlyfinehelis.com/helicopters...ess-helicopter

[P.I.Engineer]

deleted

[JWeber]

I saw the Dart Tin and thought it was a clone of some sort. Let me know how it is.

[Slyster]

I've owned a lot of helis and various brands and to this day my Goblin 500 is my favorite, best flying, easiest to built, easiest to maintain that I've ever owned. I run 520mm blades and 6s5000mah packs.

[Corvette & Copter Guy]

Originally Posted by seefest

Even the Porsche 911 who's basic architecture has remained the same for 50 years has had continual updates, improvements and evolution to keep it current with the worlds best sports cars

Not sure about that. The Porsche (and other cars with price tags upwards of $300,000.00) still cant touch a C6 Corvette ZR1 (stock) on a road course. This from a Road & Track mag. On topic. I think all heli's listed are a good choice. Still several other choices I would consider. My advice is really research everything well. My last two purchases were after 2+ months of reading and asking questions. Good luck with your search.

[seefest]

Originally Posted by Corvette & Copter Guy

Not sure about that. The Porsche (and other cars with price tags upwards of $300,000.00) still cant touch a C6 Corvette ZR1 (stock) on a road course. This from a Road & Track mag. On topic. I think all heli's listed are a good choice. Still several other choices I would consider. My advice is really research everything well. My last two purchases were after 2+ months of reading and asking questions. Good luck with your search.

And what about my statement isnt true? I said its current with modern sports cars, not all conquering of them!
ZR1 and even Z06 is hard to beat on a road course.

Still those same car mags(R+T, Automobile, C+D) almost always pick the Porsche when all things are considered not just lap times.

[JWeber]

OK, to bring us back to Helis.....

Looks like we have strong opinions for the X5, Compass stretch and G500.

Thank you. I'm going to have to do some cost comparison and forum surfing.

[Xrayted]

Originally Posted by JWeber

OK, to bring us back to Helis.....

Looks like we have strong opinions for the X5, Compass stretch and G500.

Thank you. I'm going to have to do some cost comparison and forum surfing.

Yes, your thread is hitting the inevitable usefulness wall, as all like this do. Some take a couple days, and others will move quicker such as this one.

Typically 2-3 pages before any new, useful information will fall to the side and it will veer off course to the point that you will wonder what you asked for in the first place and the crap slinging will have begun, typically over subject matter that has nothing to do with anything you asked.

You can always ask what would be the best FBL controller with a bailout to put in this new heli to freshen it up a bit

In all seriousness, good luck with your decision.

[JWeber]

Took less than 7 hours.

[Lompma]

12S X5 so I can fly it.

[JWeber]

Originally Posted by Lompma

12S X5 so I can fly it.

So much for 1 battery Marc.