MSH PROTOS vs TREX 450, 500

[vikas]

any comments? which one is better for a beginner

[vikas]

protos definately looks stunning. even the basic kit price is very nice..

[stevehonn]

I'd go for the Protos, lighter than the 500, flies better than both and comes with programmable paddles so you can set it up nice and soft to start.

[Sam2b]

I agree on the comments below, however if you are a beginner builder, it is likely you may need some guidance on what to look out for. Some parts' close tolerances require you to custom fit them together. It's a great heli all around.

[rdlohr]

Originally Posted by stevehonn

I'd go for the Protos, lighter than the 500, flies better than both and comes with programmable paddles so you can set it up nice and soft to start.

Interesting comment. I see you don't have a TREX 500 so I am wondering what you based that on. What aspects are better?

Rick

[stevehonn]

Fair enough, I don't own a Trex 500 but there's certainly no doubt that the Protos is considerably lighter than the 500. WIth the weights in the paddles the cyclic is smooth and progressive, take them out and the cyclic is lightening fast. Collective response is also very quick and positive and I can easily pull 12 degrees of pitch without bogging on my 6S setup.

The Protos has a very simple drivetrain that reduces parts count to a minimum plus the all belt drive makes it very quiet. Despite it's light weight it autos reasonably too. I'm using HS82mg servos on cyclic and these cope pretty well imho which makes total cost pretty reasonable.

The down side is that there is more to the build, as Sam2b points out. You do have to custom fit some parts and I know from my experiences building quite a few Align helis that generally building is pretty straight forward.

I Have flown a 500 but only for a short flight and having seen comments that the 500 flys more like a 600 than a 450 is a fair assessment. In contrast the Protos flys more like a 450 on steroids, probably due to it crrying less mass than the 500.

At the end of the day all our views are subjective and everyone that has seen my Protos fly has been impressed, it has quite a wow factor that the 500 doesn't.

[EricW]

I don't own a T-rex 500 either, but have seen it up close a few times.
Although i very much prefer the overall design of the Protos..,
When your a absolute beginner and want to start with a 500 sized i would recommend the T-rex 500, considering structural strength in hover practise.
Even better to start with a rigid 450 when you look at blade costs and spare parts prices Imho.

Eric

[raylepper]

The 450 will be cheapest to repair but the least stable (and hardest to see and maintain orientation at a distance). Tough call. Anything I can do on my 450 is a piece of cake on the 500. I try new things on the 450 (cheaper to fix) and they're easier on the 500 (feels like I learned something).

When metal head and tail parts are available for the Protos I'm getting one.

[Sam2b]

If you are a beginner builder, maybe the Trex500 is more suited for you. If you are experienced in building but are a beginner/intermediate flier, then the Protos is good for you. That is all in my opinion, though.

[Philie]

Did you guys see this?

http://runryder.com/helicopter/t444090p1/

[rdlohr]

WOW! And that was a light crash he says ...

I wouldn't think thats a great heli for a newbie. I crashed my TREX 450 regularly and most always had it flying the next day. I don't think that bad boy will be flying any time soon!

Rick

[Montana_Reefer]

Originally Posted by Philie

Did you guys see this?

http://runryder.com/helicopter/t444090p1/

WOW!
I dumped my 450seV2 on Sunday inverted from about 40' up into dirt not grass and didn't even come close to that kind of damage.

main blades, tail boom, bottom plate, batt tray, belt, main shaft, flybar, and time to repair and paint the canopy again!

[Gscott]

Guess you missed the part about it still being cheaper than the average Trex 500 crash despite the extent of the damage. I also wouldn't classify a heli going in sideways from 50' under power as a light crash but that's just me.

[EricW]

That's why i say to choose something else if you're still frequently tipping over, or hopping around while trying your first hovering and figure eights...
If you plummet it once or twice a year while having a blast flying it sport or 3D..than this is the 500 size heli to get IMHO.

Eric

[centuryman]

i put my trex 500 in inverted and all it needed were blades miangear and mainshaft.

I was looking at a protos befor i bought the trex i can see now that i made the right decesion.

[EricW]

Every crash is different..
Overall cost of most parts of the Protos are lower, it has a very low parts count.
It goes together quick and it's a great performer in the air.
Both Heli's are good as far as i can judge, it's a matter of taste.
Kinda silly to make it a crash contest Imho, when we are talking about objects that should fly and land on their skids in the first place.

Eric

[rdlohr]

Actually for a newbie, crash cost sometimes dwarfs initial cost. Thats why I recommend the 450 over the 500 for newbies. I can't say which 500 is cheaper to crash. That one picture was pretty alarming but I don't know what typical crash costs are. It cost too much to crash my 500 so I am a bit conservative with it.

Rick

[EricW]

Originally Posted by EricW

I don't own a T-rex 500 either, but have seen it up close a few times.
Although i very much prefer the overall design of the Protos..,
When your a absolute beginner and want to start with a 500 sized i would recommend the T-rex 500, considering structural strength in hover practise.
Even better to start with a rigid 450 when you look at blade costs and spare parts prices Imho.

Eric

Originally Posted by EricW

That's why i say to choose something else if you're still frequently tipping over, or hopping around while trying your first hovering and figure eights...
If you plummet it once or twice a year while having a blast flying it sport or 3D..than this is the 500 size heli to get IMHO.

Eric

I agree with you on that as you can see..
But I'm really interested in comments of people who give a honest opinion about the pros and con's of the flight characteristics instead of how it crashes...

Eric

[Montana_Reefer]

Originally Posted by vikas

any comments? which one is better for a beginner

Eric W,
I think the thread starter was pretty specific "for a beginner"

I agree w/ Rick about the parts cost as well as availibility of parts it makes the 450 the way to go on a budjett.

I'm still not understanding where the MSH is cheaper to repair than the Trex500

flybars
http://www.readyheli.com/MSH51008_Fl...p/msh51008.htm $6.99
http://www.readyheli.com/H50010_Flyb...0_p/h50010.htm $4.99

mainshafts
http://www.readyheli.com/MSH51004_Ma...p/msh51004.htm $11.99 does not include the collar that's another $5.99
http://www.readyheli.com/H50086_Main...0_p/h50086.htm $10.99 includes collar

tail booms
http://www.readyheli.com/MSH51025_Boom_p/msh51025.htm $16.99
http://www.readyheli.com/H50040_Tail...0_p/h50040.htm $11.99

that's $14.00 on just those three parts, if you want to say it has less parts so it's cheaper go ahead your only fooling yourself because they are making up for it in price!

[EricW]

Frame prices for instance.
Stronger landing gear, no striping gears...
If this was a thread specifically with the question if the Protos is a good beginners Heli than why is the thread title called "MSH PROTOS vs TREX 450, 500"....
If it will be edited than i agree 100%, otherwise i stay with what i said in my previous post.

Eric