Need new 3d electric heli - popular, under $500

[Doug Sisco]

I've had three Exceed G2's and have been very happy with them except for the following: the main gear and motor are very hard to replace and the heli seems to be available only from xHeli which is perpetually out of stock.

I need some advice on a new bird: one that is more popular (and available from more than one source), easier to fix, and higher-quality. I'd like to use the same 2.5Ghz radio and gyro to save $ if possible. I'd like to stay below $500.

I apologize if this has been covered in another thread; I'm a newbie here.

[duchoaaz]

Seem like you enjoy the hobby and decide to stay. My advices are:

• If you don't have a sim, get one. I prefered the Phoenix Sim.
• If you not already have a good transmitter, get one. I saw you listed 2.5Ghz radio. I never heard of it. Lots of people here have 2.4Ghz either Spektrum or Futaba.
• For a good learning, starter heli, I would get the Align 450 Sport. You will be much more happy with it than your Exceed helis.

The above items may be a little over your budget, but you can get them all for discount price in the classified section.


Good luck and enjoy

[Doug Sisco]

duchoaaz, thanks for the advice but I'm not a beginner; I've been flying for a several years. I just need some suggestions for a new heli. It seems that helis appear and then go off the market pretty quickly. I want to make sure that whatever I buy will stay around for awhile and has many sources for parts.

[dl5973]

you can pick up a great used 325mm or 425mm blade used helis in forums for under or around $500

protos 500 would be nice

[seanh]

I'd go look in the classifieds here. You can find some fantastic deals on anything you want.

For 500 you can get a RTF 500E
https://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=411072

If you keep looking you'll find an older 600E for around your budget. If you don't mind waiting a few weeks, I've got a 600E that needs to be assembled that I'll let you have for a sweet deal. It's not the newer one with bling but is good enough to have a lot of fun with.

[Doug Sisco]

After reading some of the posts here I realize that I've been flying a toy. I've decided to spend a little more and look around for a TREX 450 or 500E. I still want something fairly news so that parts are available as long as possible. Only problem is that many of the FOR SALE posts are already sold and there seems to be no way to exclude these posts.

[Mixmaster Pilot]

Just keep checking everyday, the sales section is pretty busy.

[dankcincy]

Be sure to not but anything that you cant afford to crash. Take a look at the price of the replacment parts and where you can get them at. A nice shiny new 700 is awesome till you put it in and cant afford to put it back together.

[fixed1313]

My suggestion would be a Trex 450 sport and a Dx6 or Dx7. Most hobby shops carry Trex parts. They are relatively cheap to fix, fly well and lots for sale in the classifieds if you keep looking.

As for things selling fast in the classifieds, they do so you should do some homework and know what you want. When you see it jump on it. Happy hunting.

[MXRACERX43]

What part o PA are you from?

[HFMan]

Some will scoff... But don't overlook the Elite Blade 450X. It is FBL, comes with the awesome BeastX FBL controller (in the form of the Spektrum AR7200BX), is BNF and will fly right out of the box if you have a relatively recent Spektrum or JR 2.4Ghz TX. It's a great performer, can do any 3D you can dish out, parts are cheap and plentiful, comes with one LiPo and a charger. Lists for $499, you can get it for $410 from Ampdraw. It's a gas to fly and ultra stable.

[Rodney Kirstine]

+1 for the 450X.

Originally Posted by HFMan

Some will scoff... But don't overlook the Elite Blade 450X. It is FBL, comes with the awesome BeastX FBL controller (in the form of the Spektrum AR7200BX), is BNF and will fly right out of the box if you have a relatively recent Spektrum or JR 2.4Ghz TX. It's a great performer, can do any 3D you can dish out, parts are cheap and plentiful, comes with one LiPo and a charger. Lists for $499, you can get it for $410 from Ampdraw. It's a gas to fly and ultra stable.

[el guapo]

trex 500E fits that criteria


http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_...rce/google_ext

[osyhaz]

If you want something proven on performance and that wont disapear or changes in a huge way for years, try a Trex (I like trex 450 sport). There are Aligns or clones parts everywhere. If you want heli like that with almost no difference in performance even for 3D, and cheaper, you should try Tarot 450 sport that with electronics maybe somewhere between $220.00-$250.00. Try to find an used DX7 that could use dsm2 technology that will allow you to use $6.00 hobbyking receivers. Im sure that after buying this, you will have some money available to buy a charger, lipos and some spares. Cheap parts available on ebay like maingears, mainshafts, spindles, tailshafts, etc... will not gonna make a difference in performance so it is not necesary to buy originals that costs three or four times the clones parts. Theres also $3.65 mainblades for it at hobbypartz. I have few of theese helis and the average crash is about $12.00 if you use a cheap ($1.50) plastic canopy. You can add from $10.00 to $30.00 to that crash cost if you want a kind of fancy canopy.

Good luck!

[SQRT(-2)]

Trex is a great way to go. A 450 Sport or a 500e are both great options. The 450 Pro is great too, just a tad harder to work on and a few dollars more.

http://www.wowhobbies.com/agnkx01507...rcombofor.aspx
http://www.wowhobbies.com/agnkx01701...sp3gfor-1.aspx

Tarot is a good clone.
http://www.hobby-wing.com/tarot-450-...h-2801pro.html

Get batteries from Hobby King. The Turnigy are a good value. They have many at their US warehouse now.

[Doug Sisco]

Thanks to all who responded. I ended-up buying a new TREX 500 and using the radio that came with my Exceed G2. I wanted a new one because I wanted to build it myself so that I can know how to fix it later. I also know that there are sometimes parts that bend or wear that can affect the performance of a used heli. I also realize now that the G2 is really just a toy compared to the Align models, but the Exceed radio is really nice- 2.4Ghz, FHSS, 7 channels, three mixing modes- really a great little radio! The TRex 500 is a monster compared with the G2- very responsive.

[dl5973]

Originally Posted by Doug Sisco

Thanks to all who responded. I ended-up buying a new TREX 500 and using the radio that came with my Exceed G2. I wanted a new one because I wanted to build it myself so that I can know how to fix it later. I also know that there are sometimes parts that bend or wear that can affect the performance of a used heli. I also realize now that the G2 is really just a toy compared to the Align models, but the Exceed radio is really nice- 2.4Ghz, FHSS, 7 channels, three mixing modes- really a great little radio! The TRex 500 is a monster compared with the G2- very responsive.

Trex 500 is a decent and reliable heli

with a used heli you could have pulled it apart and put it back together also but you have made your choice

the next step when money is avaailable is ditch the flybar head and go flybarless.

[seanh]

Congrats on the 500 choice, you'll enjoy it.

Go flybarless only if you WANT to go. Your FB bird is in no way limited with a mechanical flybar. If you go watch some older 3D vids with FB you'll see that they can do everything a FBL can do.

[dl5973]

Originally Posted by seanh

Congrats on the 500 choice, you'll enjoy it.

Go flybarless only if you WANT to go. Your FB bird is in no way limited with a mechanical flybar. If you go watch some older 3D vids with FB you'll see that they can do everything a FBL can do.

Flybarless is more locked in than flybar so there is less corrections required during flight. This makes it easier to fly which leads to confidence.

[seanh]

more locked in is an opinion. Corrections, yes it does the job for you diminishing the fine skills that you develop with in a FB bird.

Like I said, the FB bird is in no way a lesser machine. It is just as capable as a FBL bird. The only real gain is parts count everything else is minimal or an opinion.