Need some honest opinions

[19trax95]

I am starting to save for a new machine. I currently have a Jr vigor (700 nitro machine) and a blade 180cfx.

I am wanting to get a 700 size machine since I love how stable they are and I am able to fly in wind which is nice. I like the trex 700 and 700n as well as the gaui x7 and nx7.

But, if you were to have the money to buy the kit and all the other parts/electronics, would you go electric or nitro and why. I have no real attachments to either one. I obviously already have the support equipment for nitro, but that's also no a deciding factor.

[jbrandt]

Originally Posted by 19trax95

I am starting to save for a new machine. I currently have a Jr vigor (700 nitro machine) and a blade 180cfx.

I am wanting to get a 700 size machine since I love how stable they are and I am able to fly in wind which is nice. I like the trex 700 and 700n as well as the gaui x7 and nx7.

But, if you were to have the money to buy the kit and all the other parts/electronics, would you go electric or nitro and why. I have no real attachments to either one. I obviously already have the support equipment for nitro, but that's also no a deciding factor.

I personally like electric. I did nitro planks back in the day (90's), but I prefer electrics now. Quiet and clean. If you don't already have a good charger setup, or are unwilling to spend the cash for a good one (several hundred bucks) I'd stick with nitro if I were you.

I like the simplicity of the support equipment for electrics, too. A good charger and a deep cycle battery or two is all you need to fly all day. I still have all the glow starters, starter motors, batteries, fuel, pumps, etc... that go along with the nitros, and for me, for now, it just isn't my style anymore.

[skunkworx]

I'd get a Trex 700N. At the end of the day they just get the job done. Maybe they're a dime a dozen, but parts support is great and it's pretty durable. Nitro is lighter than electric, plus if you're already into nitro then its not too much more effort to get one going and then you're only limited by the amount of fuel you can keep on hand.

[Baedarlboo]

I like both so I have both (2 E700 and 1 N700). It's nice to bring a nitro and a E heli to the field. Also gives you more time in between for charging and cool downs not to mention longer flight times for practicing with a nitro.

[JoshNZ]

All for nitro here! Asides from the longer flight times and stop fuel and go idea, I just like having a running engine in the heli, it adds to the hobby for me.

[Thestructured]

I like electrics because they're quiet and powerful. If you have to drive far to a flying field though, nitro would probably be great since you can just refuel all day and keep going, instead of worrying about a bunch of batteries, trays, and chargers. Nitro is really appealing to me for that reason, but I cannot stand how loud they are, maybe there are some quieter options I don't know about?

I have a trex 700 but if I could do it over I'd get a guai x7, mostro, or other brand that essentially mounts most of the electronics onto a plank that makes access much easier than crowded align frames.

[dominoedge]

All the above are good recommendations, but you should get a Goblin 700 comp if you can make that happen. This is assuming you like the semi-fuse look.

Great heli for the price and flies amazing. Get a good motor and ESC and you'll be very happy.

[19trax95]

Thanks for the info guys. I took a look at prices to build a nitro and electric 700 class machine and I was fairly surprised to see how similar the kits and electronics were until I got to the batteries for the electric.

I guess I haven't ever looked too hard at 6s packs, but a 5000mah 45c glacier pack is $114, and obviously I'd need 2 of them so that's $228 for one pack essentially. Then I'd need a charger since my little b6 would take forever to charge them. So I counted the charger as $300 for a good one.

So I think I will stick woth nitro as the motor I would get is the os 105 and that's $400. So it would be the second most expensive part of the kit besides the actual kit, then third most expensive is the flybarless controller which I priced an ikon unit.

Align has their super combo in the 700n for around $1400 so all I would need for that is the motor and a rx pack, but I've seen mixed reviews of the 3gx controller and the align servos, so that's still something to decide on.

I also really like the look of the goblins and they seem to get great reviews, but they are electric (unless I'm missing something)

So as of now it's between the gaui nx7 and the trex 700n.

[skunkworx]

They really do come out pretty similar in price, all said and done - considering support equipment and all up costs. The tipping point usually comes down to having the stuff or not and them your ability to tune the engine (which most people prefer not to mess these days).

When a nitro is flying right there's nothing that beats it IMO, but when they're having problems they really throw you for a loop and it requires a lot of patience and understanding to get through the tough spots.

[Rodney Kirstine]

I've been flying my N5C and N7 more than my E7 this year. I like not having to charge and carry the large battery packs with me.

[Xrayted]

Originally Posted by 19trax95

Thanks for the info guys. I took a look at prices to build a nitro and electric 700 class machine and I was fairly surprised to see how similar the kits and electronics were until I got to the batteries for the electric.

I guess I haven't ever looked too hard at 6s packs, but a 5000mah 45c glacier pack is $114, and obviously I'd need 2 of them so that's $228 for one pack essentially. Then I'd need a charger since my little b6 would take forever to charge them. So I counted the charger as $300 for a good one.

So I think I will stick woth nitro as the motor I would get is the os 105 and that's $400. So it would be the second most expensive part of the kit besides the actual kit, then third most expensive is the flybarless controller which I priced an ikon unit.

Align has their super combo in the 700n for around $1400 so all I would need for that is the motor and a rx pack, but I've seen mixed reviews of the 3gx controller and the align servos, so that's still something to decide on.

I also really like the look of the goblins and they seem to get great reviews, but they are electric (unless I'm missing something)

So as of now it's between the gaui nx7 and the trex 700n.

It is possible to build a Goblin as a gasser instead of electric or nitro for a third option with long flight times and cheap fuel. All you needs is the conversion kit.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2401253

[19trax95]

The support equipment is what's making nitro the cheaper option at this point. Since I already have 2 cases of fuel plus one gallon, starter, glow igniter, etc.

I have a charger that I use for my little (in comparison to a 700 class helis battery) 3s 2200 packs for my plane and such but it's just a imax b6 so that wouldn't do too well with the large 6s packs unless I want to wait a while when charging haha.

So sab does make a nitro goblin? I'll have to look again because I though I only saw electric kits on heli direct. I am not against a gas machine either. Honestly I never even considered them because I've only seen one fly in person and that was many years ago (I think it was a miniature aircraft gasser) and it seemed like quite the pig in the air, slow and not very agile.

[JoshNZ]

I think they are quite a pig in the air lol. They're getting better I think but from the looking around I've done they're still on a much lower level all together from nitro/electric. Would be cool to fly for half an hour on a dollar of gas though lol

[19trax95]

For the level of flying I'm at now a gas machine would probably be more than good enough haha. But my whole plan is to save up while I practice and get better with my current machine, then when I am able to do more than forward flight, get the new machine and have better parts support and a more capable machine to learn on.

I know currently that even my vigor os way more capable than I can even imagine, but I don't really want to try anything too advanced since if (when) I crash, parts are expensive and sort of hard to come by.

[Xrayted]

Originally Posted by 19trax95

The support equipment is what's making nitro the cheaper option at this point. Since I already have 2 cases of fuel plus one gallon, starter, glow igniter, etc.

I have a charger that I use for my little (in comparison to a 700 class helis battery) 3s 2200 packs for my plane and such but it's just a imax b6 so that wouldn't do too well with the large 6s packs unless I want to wait a while when charging haha.

So sab does make a nitro goblin? I'll have to look again because I though I only saw electric kits on heli direct. I am not against a gas machine either. Honestly I never even considered them because I've only seen one fly in person and that was many years ago (I think it was a miniature aircraft gasser) and it seemed like quite the pig in the air, slow and not very agile.

To answer your question....no SAB does not make nitro models at this time

[Crowbar]

I'm gonna go against the grain here and recommend a 550 electric heli for practicing. The 550mm bladed ones are quite capable, much cheaper to fix and you can run one of the 6S packs you would use in pairs in a 700. The key is to use a lightweight heli so there's just more power and thrust going on and/or more flight time since you can fly at lower headspeeds with a lighter machine.

Add a FBL with rescue mode and save lots of crash costs since you can usually press the button when unsure about how to save it. I just like knowing it's there if I should need it. If you still crash it hard and need a re-kit, you can just put the electronics (except the motor maybe) in a 700.

I'd look into Compass and Logo for the lightweight 550 size.

[19trax95]

That's something I will look into for sure.

What kind of wind can the 550 size machines handle no problem? I'm currently in Northwest Ohio and it seems to always be windy here. I've flown my current heli in upto 15mph winds no problem.

I've heard that flybarless machines can be setup to handle much wind very well though.

[mkovalcson]

FBL systems do handle wind better.

Depending on how you fly, weight can be an asset in windy conditions.

Personally I love my Mikado Logo 550SX, however I don't fly in a lot of wind typically and it is a pretty lightweight heli.

My previous 550 was a Synergy E5 which is noticeably heavier and many have stated it is a good heli for windy conditions.

[john-yates]

If you decide electric over IC then its a very good point with 550's, I have a couple myself and they handle the wind absolutely fine, the FBL unit does make a lot of difference of course as they are a lot lighter than 700's but for me they make great flight practice machines, I always try to perfect any new maneuvers on my 550's before trying on my larger heli's....there is also the consideration that 550's are 1 battery per flight whereas 700's are 2....

[jiminator]

If you decide to go the Trex 700n route try checking at www.aligntrexstore.com. I think they will allow you to buy a kit and drop the parts you don't want, like the FBL system.