Wondering to buy a Trex 600 , but should i go for N or E ?

[xzodiackxs]

Im thinking of buying a larger bird , moving up from a 450 to 600 . I've been thinking a lot lately about the Nitro , but I'm kinda skeptical as i heard that there are a lot of engine tuning , i have no problem as long as it is not that complicated . So what is engine tuning exactly ?

Are there any difference to the T-rex 600 Super combo and LE V2 ?

[povern]

The real question is:

Do I want to tune engines when the weather changes and have to worry about collective management or do I want to charge batteries and fly with a ton of power (esp on 12s)

However, I do know that Nitro 600s are pretty cheap in the classifieds.

(I have my flame suit on and am ready for another Nitro vs electric thread!)

[xzodiackxs]

Thanks for the rely povern , yea I guess your right .
But what is the process of tuning ? And is it crucial to retune when weather changes ?

[povern]

Crucial?

Not really, if you don't mind not having all the power available.

I know a few guys that just run a little rich and live with it.

I cant really help more than that,because I had a Nitro for about a month before I just gave up on it.

I can also help, by pointing you here: http://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=424546 (sorry, couldn't resist)

[pilot4fn]

Originally Posted by xzodiackxs

Thanks for the rely povern , yea I guess your right .
But what is the process of tuning ? And is it crucial to retune when weather changes ?

Nitro's are not that difficult as some say. If You have basic understanding of engines and how those work, You'll be very happy with nitro.
Tuning comes to be real deal when You're pulling every bit of power out from Your engine.
I'm flying Trex-600NP and Trex-450 FBL. Both have their benefits. Mainly due to their difference in size. 450 electric I'll can fly at my front / back yard. 600NP I'll go to larger field for neighbor relations and safety issues.

When at heli field, I always have both helis with me, but fly almost only the nitro, while some of my buddy's charge their electric helis batteries using generators and watch me flying.

[texasclouds]

I like taking my 600N to the field and being able to fly 10 tank fulls w/o popping the canopy or charging batteries. i have a 2S 3500 life receiver pack mounted.

with the TT56 flying as hard as I can, I get 8 min flights. it seems to burn less fuel than my OS50.

you can't do that with an e-heli unless you invest in a bunch of batteries.

plenty of power for me, but the 12S 600-e looks to give better performance.

[pilot4fn]

Originally Posted by texasclouds

I like taking my 600N to the field and being able to fly 10 tank fulls w/o popping the canopy or charging batteries. i have a 2S 3500 life receiver pack mounted.
with the TT56 flying as hard as I can, I get 8 min flights. it seems to burn less fuel than my OS50.
you can't do that with an e-heli unless you invest in a bunch of batteries.
plenty of power for me, but the 12S 600-e looks to give better performance.

56 size engine will give nice power to 600N heli. If You need more power, You could jump to YS91 powerplant and have fantastic power on Your Trex-600N

[xzodiackxs]

I'm not really seeking for power right now as i have not started aerobatics and 3D ( practicing on my simulator ) . I'm basically just doing fast forward flights , stall turns etc . So what do you guys recommend , Nitro or electric ? I somewhat like nitro more for some reason .

[Geardaddy]

They are both fun in their own way.. I have an TRex 500 (Electric obviously) and a 600 Nitro.. I probably fly the 600 more, but the 500 has it's place.. Tuning is not a big deal, lots of good info here.. I set my mixture needle to 'about right' and it never get's moved more than a click or two at the most.. If you are a beginner, you don't need to eek out every ounce of power from these motors.. Even a somewhat rich running os50 is going to be WAY MORE power than you need at this stage.. If you like smoke and noise, and don't mind a little cleaning up when you are done flying, and like to be able to fly back to back flights without worrying about charging batteries.. go nitro.. If you want something with uber high power to weight ratio, hate cleaning up, and don't want to learn how to tune a nitro.. then go electric.. i'd also consider if your field has any noise issues with nitro..

Love my 600!

[texasclouds]

If nitro fuel is easy to obtain locally I think you will learns faster with it since you will be able to fly more each outing. It has plenty of power but not as much as the current 12s e helis. That said I've seen videos of the pros flyin very hard on nitro....

[gehrbox]

Originally Posted by xzodiackxs

I'm not really seeking for power right now as i have not started aerobatics and 3D ( practicing on my simulator ) . I'm basically just doing fast forward flights , stall turns etc . So what do you guys recommend , Nitro or electric ? I somewhat like nitro more for some reason .

I have both a 600n and a 550e. I got the 600 a year before the 550. I fly heavy sport and light 3d. Since getting the 550, my 600 generally waits for the 550 to crash. Once that happens I fly the 600 til parts come in for the 550. I usually take both to the field.

I do plenty of inverted and even with that cleanup is minimal on the 600. Partly because I run 15% nitro fuel instead of 30%. It's cheaper, puts out less oil and since I also fly planks I only need one bottle of fuel. Also a lot less smoke fogging the field.

Tuning can be a challenge if you have never tuned a glow engine. Some of it depends on the fuel you run. Because I use 15% instead of 30% it is a bit more sensitive to temperature changes and down on power. Usually I need to change the main needle setting one or two clicks with 10 or more degree temperature change, more when the seasons change and temps change 20 or more degrees. Keep in mind that I am not tuning for maximum power, just tweaking for minor temp changes with the weather.

Engines need to be broken in, which usually takes a few tanks before you can start leaning the mixture significantly. This generally means just running the mixture very rich, with minimal power available. You then begin leaning it out to pull up the power.

I usually run mine a tad rich to save the potential for a lean run which can damage the engine. Its more art than science getting a heli engine tuned for proper mixture. Once you figure it out it's easy, but getting to that point takes trial and error. There are tons of threads, videos and how-to's to explain how to do it and different methods to determine when it's right.

[dmcn2010@hotmail.com]

I am also new to nitro and like to get a flight or two before work in the morning, obviously the neighbors wouldn’t appreciate the nitro. I have a stack of batteries for my electric but verses gas…. When I went looking to go big, the option electric or gas. Looking at more batteries hanging from the bottom didn’t look appealing. Like mentioned earlier, unless pinching every ounce of power, tweaking the engine is not a problem.
Making my choice was,,,, I looked at it like if I had a can of gas and a stack of batteries especially the size to power that size heli sitting next to each other, id rather fly than spending more time charging batteries. I like the fact that my power source for flight (engine) was separate from directional control (battery). Batteries are great less mess, all you have to do is strap it down and plug it in.
Pro’s and con’s ford vs chevy for both and it’s a personal preference. As long as your having fun.......
Good luck!!

[xzodiackxs]

Thanks a lot guys for the info , really helped me out .
My Local Hobby store offers the Trex 600 Super combo and they will help me tune it as a beginner . But i've seen a Limited Edition version V2 online and got kinda confused , because i really want the best version out there . The LE v2 looks a bit upgraded , of course , but can you guys tell me whats the difference between SP and le v2 ? If its just the aluminum rotor head and tail and just gonna stick on the SP and upgrade the head and tail later on ,

[bshinn]

Originally Posted by xzodiackxs

Thanks a lot guys for the info , really helped me out .
My Local Hobby store offers the Trex 600 Super combo and they will help me tune it as a beginner . But i've seen a Limited Edition version V2 online and got kinda confused , because i really want the best version out there . The LE v2 looks a bit upgraded , of course , but can you guys tell me whats the difference between SP and le v2 ? If its just the aluminum rotor head and tail and just gonna stick on the SP and upgrade the head and tail later on ,

Bunch more Alu in the LE. Not sure if it comes w/the .50 or .55, If it's the .55, I'd consider it, but not just for the Alu bits. KDE makes much better Alu stuff than Align, & why waste the cash on the Alu flybar head when u'r going to toss it in a few months for a FBL head anyway?

[hpcc]

I fly mostly nitro at the field. Yes, it has alot less output than electrics. But an internal combustion engine makes the flight alot more interesting IMO.

Electrics fly awesome, even from a hover you can see it flies alot more crisp. That is why even F3C helis are changing to electrics now. What I just feel though is that they lack some character. Plus if you don't have a van full of batteries, charging can be boring. On nitro helis you just tune (not always though), refuel and fly.

For someone learning, I highly suggest nitro for the longer flying hours without waiting to charge a pack. It's not that hard to learn anyway to tune.

The difference between LE v1 and LE v2 are the rotorheads (more tuneable), cabron tail control rod, and plastic boom support ends (aluminum breaks too easily, hence the 700s have plastic ones too) plus the GP9000 or something gyro.

[Himilou]

I just got a Nitro 600. I have 4 450s besides that. Its a little more complicated but I love it so much more.

It makes noise and smoke !!
I didnt have to buy a bigger battery charger.
It makes noise and smoke !!
Add fuel and go!!
It makes noise and smoke !!

[hamstar78]

tuning an engine doesnt take long at all, heck with my os 55 i barely have to touch the needles if any on a day to day basis. plus electric flight times are ridiculous, thats why i sold my 600 pro was only getting barely 4 minutes

[jimIII]

I've had my 600 Nitro for four years now. "More power" becomes more and more important as your skill level increases. Don't discount electric. Brushless motors and LiPo batteries have TONS more power that you will soon appreciate. This is where technology is headed.

my 2 pennies

[flyguy27]

I like nitro or internal combustion engines on larger helis. I have 2 600n and a raptor 50 titan SE. Tuning is not difficult to learn. I am not anti electric, I still fly my 500 and 450s'. I will consider 12s setups once the technology advances to be able to charge a large pack safely in 5 or less mins. Ohh and to add, I just got into Nitro helis 2 months ago.

[seanh]

I don't really fly electric birds...quit after I got into nitro. The mess isn't an issue, just wipe the bird down after you fly. There are plenty of sprays that you can get, either off the shelf or mix yourself, that will clean the bird.

Yes, tuning can be an issue but not too much of one as some may indicate. True, if the temps, humidity, pressure or altitude change so will how the engine runs. But, your only talking a couple clicks here or there. It's not like you're tuning every flight though you may have a change in how the engine is tuned from the morning to late after noon...again, maybe a couple clicks.

For example, here in Houston Texas it can be 80deg F and 80% humidity in the morning and by noon we'll be in the upper 90's at 45-60% humidity. On days like that I tune if I'm in the mood. Performance differences can be noticed but starting out it's doubtful you'll notice.

For me, there is no negative side to nitros but electrics are simply dangerous. The batteries alone can set your house on fire. Though not likely to happen, it's a reality that we have to live with and prep for.