Considering an E6-550 - is it a reliable and fun heli to fly 3D with?

[OrbitalGolem]

I'm very happy with my Forza 450 and am considering a used E6-550 with ~24 flights on it. It looks to be an older heli (release date in 2012) - can anyone comment on its reliability, build quality, and its ability to do moderate-hard 3D?

Owner bought it as a full combo (servos, ESC, motor, etc) from Horizon in 12/2014.

How is the servo quality? It appears that though the output shaft on the cyclics is aluminum, the rest of the gears are nylon/plastic? I'd like to use an MKS HV9780 tail servo on it - would that fit?

I've been very impressed with the parts quality of the Forza. Is the quality similar on the E6?

I'm also considering a used Goblin 500 - would it be unfair to compare the two?

How is the quality of the torque-tube gears in the E6? Any issues with stripping?

Does the stock ESC have a decent governor? That's the big negative with the stock ESC on the Forza 450.

[LaDon]

Sure the e6 is a nice Heli. As far as comparing to the goblin I couldn't answer that. I would have to look up info on the gears but jr does use a sacrifice gear usually. That way it says servos. Can't answer about mms servos I don't run them we use all JR and are happy with them and service is second to none. Parts quality is typical jr some of the best. I have never run the esc on that one so there again I can't answer that one. If you get it for the right price a castle would t be bad to get for it. That is what we run in all of ours

[OrbitalGolem]

Originally Posted by LaDon

Sure the e6 is a nice Heli. As far as comparing to the goblin I couldn't answer that. I would have to look up info on the gears but jr does use a sacrifice gear usually. That way it says servos. Can't answer about mms servos I don't run them we use all JR and are happy with them and service is second to none. Parts quality is typical jr some of the best. I have never run the esc on that one so there again I can't answer that one. If you get it for the right price a castle would t be bad to get for it. That is what we run in all of ours

Is $500 a good price to pay without a FBL?

[justinspicer]

I love mine.

No subtrim swash and tail setup with adjustable horns.

Very light and precise feel in the air.

[Pfeil]

I love mine too. Hands down most precise heli I have owned to date. Very nimble. Excellent build. Outstanding parts quality.

I like mine more than my Forza 450s (handling, size, performance) and prefer it to a Logo 480 that I had. The maximum head speed is a bit on the high side (2600). I am using it with a YGE 90LV ESC that I had on hand so I could use the VBar Governor. It is a bit difficult to fine tune the settings with the VBar Governor because of the high kV of the motor but it does work.

I am running about 2200 in IU1 and performance is just fine. At 2400 RPM you may want a shot of adrenalin beforehand.

The reports I have read claim the governor mode on the stock JR ESC isn't great but the ESC does work very well with the recommended throttle curves (fixed point mode).

The helicopter has a slightly higher pitch sound to it than the Logos, but it's not particularly noisy despite the high RPM and straight-cut gear.

Torque tube seems fine to me, but I only have about 50 flights on mine. You might want to consider the tail upgrade - the pitch arm is like the one on the Forza instead of just a single point on the bottom. Be certain to lubricate the front tail gear assembly (the metal ones) regularly. I bought some Tamiya Molybdenum Grease that is similar to the one applied at the factory.

I'd buy another one without a doubt. I'd buy two if it were a true 550 or 600 size.

[LaDon]

I was hoping Justin would chime in I knew he had one. $500 would be ok I would think. Anyway with it being that complete I would buy it

[justinspicer]

If more people knew how the heli flies. They wold be everywhere.
That's a good price for a used one.

If you were buying new I would recommend the version with the 3 blade head and the boom cover looks really nice on this heli.

[Pfeil]

Justin,

Have you flown the three-blade version? How does it compare to the 2-blade? Any major changes in flight time/handling or VBar settings? I have found a used one but am reluctant to pull the trigger without knowing how it handles.

[OrbitalGolem]

Thanks for all the input everyone - much appreciated. I wanted to make sure that my first really big heli is reliable and excellent for 3D.

[OrbitalGolem]

Originally Posted by Pfeil

I love mine too. Hands down most precise heli I have owned to date. Very nimble. Excellent build. Outstanding parts quality.

I like mine more than my Forza 450s (handling, size, performance) and prefer it to a Logo 480 that I had. The maximum head speed is a bit on the high side (2600). I am using it with a YGE 90LV ESC that I had on hand so I could use the VBar Governor. It is a bit difficult to fine tune the settings with the VBar Governor because of the high kV of the motor but it does work.

I am running about 2200 in IU1 and performance is just fine. At 2400 RPM you may want a shot of adrenalin beforehand.

The reports I have read claim the governor mode on the stock JR ESC isn't great but the ESC does work very well with the recommended throttle curves (fixed point mode).

The helicopter has a slightly higher pitch sound to it than the Logos, but it's not particularly noisy despite the high RPM and straight-cut gear.

Torque tube seems fine to me, but I only have about 50 flights on mine. You might want to consider the tail upgrade - the pitch arm is like the one on the Forza instead of just a single point on the bottom. Be certain to lubricate the front tail gear assembly (the metal ones) regularly. I bought some Tamiya Molybdenum Grease that is similar to the one applied at the factory.

I'd buy another one without a doubt. I'd buy two if it were a true 550 or 600 size.

What are your service intervals and procedure for the metal gears?

[Pfeil]

Service intervals and procedure for the metal gears:

I just do a visual check on the metal gears and add a small amount of grease (molybdenum) so that it is just wet otherwise it flings it all over. I did the first at around 30 flights I believe. Justin recommended every 10 flights but he probably flies it much harder than I do. ;-D

I didn't grease the main gear and auto gears with the recommended grease. Instead I used silicon spray lube (bike stuff) for the initial flights. Seems fine. I did find the recommended backlash (two layers of plastic bag) from the manual seems a bit much but I have left it like that and so far the gear is fine.

[OrbitalGolem]

Any recommendations for battery size? I'm partial to Glaciers and they're available in 3300, 3700, and 4000 mAh sizes:

http://www.buddyrc.com/glacier-30c-3300mah-6s1p.html
http://www.buddyrc.com/power-system/...700mah-6s.html
http://www.buddyrc.com/power-system/...0mah-6s1p.html

The JR manual gives guidance of 3 minutes of hard 3D with a 3300mAh battery. I'm intending to smack it around quite a bit. What is the best size? I'm happy with between 3 and 3:30 of flight time.

[Pfeil]

I use the following:

- NanoTech 4500 45C - these fit fine, but if they swell at all, they can be tight width wise.
- GensAce 4400 45C (Goblin 500 version). These fit the best in terms of width and height.
- GensAce 3850 45C - these fit, but are tight in terms of width. I could rotate them 90 degrees for an easier fit but then I'd have to add extra Velcro; I use them in pairs a 700.

In terms of CG, the 4500 is better BUT I have the tail boom cover on mine. It is still a little tail heavy even with the battery as far forward as possible. I like the way it handles with the 3850 mAh packs but both fly very well.

I have the battery cables facing aft (ESC is rear mounted for better cooling). The GensAce with protruding discharge cables is a little more work to get in sometimes compared to the straight leads on the NanoTech.

Obviously the biggest limiting factor is the width of the space between the main frames. Stick to the recommended max. width or less. There is a fair amount of space below (above landing gear).

Note - I am using the optional battery tray. It's not ideal because it isn't a full rail system, just four points. It works fine but it takes a bit more fiddling than a TREX 700 for example. It also uses up a bit of vertical space, but they provide extra separators with the tray kit for the landing gear if you need more vertical space. The biggest limitation for me is that you can only move the battery to about half way on the locking tab otherwise it interferes with unlocking the tab itself when removing the battery. If it were a push button design like on the Aligns, it would allow moving the battery forward a little more. This will probably not be an issue for you with a pod and boom though.

I get an easy 6 minutes at just over 2200 RPM on mine and return with 3.82 to 3.85 V per cell. I am not smacking it around, just fast forward, sport and some vertical manoeuvres (lots of big stall turns).

[OrbitalGolem]

Originally Posted by Pfeil

I use the following:

- NanoTech 4500 45C - these fit fine, but if they swell at all, they can be tight width wise.
- GensAce 4400 45C (Goblin 500 version). These fit the best in terms of width and height.
- GensAce 3850 45C - these fit, but are tight in terms of width. I could rotate them 90 degrees for an easier fit but then I'd have to add extra Velcro; I use them in pairs a 700.

In terms of CG, the 4500 is better BUT I have the tail boom cover on mine. It is still a little tail heavy even with the battery as far forward as possible. I like the way it handles with the 3850 mAh packs but both fly very well.

I have the battery cables facing aft (ESC is rear mounted for better cooling). The GensAce with protruding discharge cables is a little more work to get in sometimes compared to the straight leads on the NanoTech.

Obviously the biggest limiting factor is the width of the space between the main frames. Stick to the recommended max. width or less. There is a fair amount of space below (above landing gear).

Note - I am using the optional battery tray. It's not ideal because it isn't a full rail system, just four points. It works fine but it takes a bit more fiddling than a TREX 700 for example. It also uses up a bit of vertical space, but they provide extra separators with the tray kit for the landing gear if you need more vertical space. The biggest limitation for me is that you can only move the battery to about half way on the locking tab otherwise it interferes with unlocking the tab itself when removing the battery. If it were a push button design like on the Aligns, it would allow moving the battery forward a little more. This will probably not be an issue for you with a pod and boom though.

I get an easy 6 minutes at just over 2200 RPM on mine and return with 3.82 to 3.85 V per cell. I am not smacking it around, just fast forward, sport and some vertical manoeuvres (lots of big stall turns).

Many thanks for the info. Is the heli tail-heavy without the tail boom cover? If so, then I'm thinking that a 3300 mAh would be too light for decent CoG. The weight differences are:

3300 -> 518 g
3700 -> 590 g
4000 -> 613 g

Thanks for mentioning the Goblin 500 in your reply - that reminds me that the battery I choose should also work with that one.

[justinspicer]

I am also using the Gens Ace 4400mah packs in mine.
The battery tray is must have.
I run 2700 rpm for 4.5 minutes.
It's a rocket.

[Pfeil]

I can't say if the heli is tail heavy with the pod and boom only because I have never flown it without the full fuselage (which came with my combo).

I did read some posts comparing the E6 550 to the Goblin 500 that you may find interesting:

http://www.rctodayshow.com/forum/vie....php?f=5&t=819

Short of it is that the E6-550 is 25% lighter than the Goblin...

[hairymuffin]

Only issue with heli is stock servos can strip in a crash..cheap to fix..they work great for me..tail servo is nice,better than the cyclic servos they give you..I love the heli..also easy to setup

[OrbitalGolem]

Thanks everyone - pulled the trigger today when the seller dropped the price $75. Couldn't pass it up any longer.

Also picked up Tamiya molybdenum grease for the metal gears per the earlier recommendation.

I am a little concerned about the plastic/nylon gears in the stock combo servos, but I'll see how it goes. Has anyone heard of these servos stripping in flight?

Any recommendations for an IU throttle curve for moderate to hard 3D using the stock motor and ESC? The JR manual shows a flat curve at 85% - is that too ballistic?

I'll be running a BeastX on it - any recommendations for the pot settings?

This is my first heli larger than a 450-stretch - any recommendations for carry cases or bags, or should I just toss it in the rear seat and go?

Sorry for the 20 questions - is a bright orange canopy available for the bird?

[justinspicer]

Run a shallow V curve. Lower the throttle response a little in the esc. I have stripped the main gear due to a very aggressive throttle curve.
IU2 70-60-70
IU2 90-80-90 = Ballistic!


I haven't flown this heli with a Beast X.
Every other fbl unit I have tried on it has flown very well. Vbar, Spartan, Tags mini, Neuron

The stock plastic are ok.

If you run high head speeds and pitch pump in the VBar. Stripping a tooth in flight can occur. Happened to me. Felt weird so I landed it.

I run the stock cyclic servos with the metal gear upgrades. Makes them great.

I use the newer QRS mini tail servo. Stock was fine. I just hate nylon servo gears.

I have stripped the rear TT gears in high grass. Landed a little hard. Usually only the the gears in the tail box strip. It's a 2 minute fix.

I highly recommend the upgraded battery tray.
As for blades, I have only flown stock and Cyclone 505 on it. Stock tail blades.

It will auto almost as well as nitro 600.
I believe you will be very happy with the E6. Let me know if you need any help with it all.

[OrbitalGolem]

Originally Posted by justinspicer

I use the newer QRS mini tail servo. Stock was fine. I just hate nylon servo gears.

Do you use the ELG01 QRS tail servo?

Would the best place to mount the AR7200BX be on the front or rear deck?

Also, regarding the metal gear sets, does this kit include metal gears for three servos or only one? It appears that the kit contains gears for all three?

http://www.jramericas.com/217023/JRP970710/