new 500e pro kit arrived with damaged canopy. aarg!

[bryman021]

My anxiously awaited 500e pro super combo arrived yesterday and upon opening it I found that the canopy has a couple of small 2-3 inch cracks in it. Both are on the lower portion of it opposite each other. They are not horrible but just opening the kit it was kinda dissappointing. So I contacted the online vendor and they quickly responded and offered me a gift certificate so I can order a replacement. Problem is the 500e pro is still so new they don't have the canopies available yet. So I have 2 questions that hopefyully I can get some help with.

1. What is the best way to repair small cracks? I have read that some ppl use CA and others recommend getting a fiberglass repair kit. I already found a small FG repair kit at the local harsware store but didn't buy it yet... Should I go that route or is there a better solution?

2. Will the canopies off the 500esp and other 500's fit? I know the new canopy has 4 mounting holes so at the very least some drilling would be in order. Wondering if the style and shape is the same?

Thanks in advance!

[akamullen]

Just checked one of my old ESP canopies on the new pro. it will fit but you will have to drill holes in the canopy for the front mounts. The battery will fit too, but there is a little less room under the esp canopy compared to the new pro. so in a pinch you could make it work.

Hope this helps..

[bryman021]

Originally Posted by akamullen

Just checked one of my old ESP canopies on the new pro. it will fit but you will have to drill holes in the canopy for the front mounts. The battery will fit too, but there is a little less room under the esp canopy compared to the new pro. so in a pinch you could make it work.

Hope this helps..

Hey thanks for checking the fit for me. Depending on how well the repair goes on the stock canopy I might try an esp canopy until the pro ones become available. If I can get the stock one to not crack any further I will try to hold out, but impatience usually gets the best off me. I just can't stand the thought of a brand new heli with a cracked canopy. (Although it may need more than just a canopy depending on how the maiden goes. Knock on wood!)

[fabbietto]

i recive the same kit today 500 pro and the canopy was crack on the bottom , i have already contact the shop .
waiting reply

[bryman021]

Originally Posted by fabbietto

i recive the same kit today 500 pro and the canopy was crack on the bottom , i have already contact the shop .
waiting reply

Yep sucks huh? They way its packed I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of them are cracked. The whole airframe minus blades and tail are crammed inside the canopy. Should have been packaged a little better!

[dankcincy]

I really would contact who you bought it from before you try to repair it.

[bryman021]

Originally Posted by dankcincy

I really would contact who you bought it from before you try to repair it.

I did they are letting me keep the damaged canopy and gave me a gift certificate to get a new canopy. Problem is the 500e pro canopies aren't in stock yet, so fixing the small cracks might be my best option for now and either waiting for the new style canopies to arrive in stock or get a 500esp canopy and drill holes for the extra mounts.

[Brick]

did you ask the vendor if they were going to get/sale replacement parts for the 500 pro kits ? i like that new 500 pro canopy. there are alot of nice looking 500 canopies out there. i'd try to fix the one that came with the kit, and maybe pick a different style from the vendor if they have some ?

[ozflyer]

Originally Posted by bryman021

1. What is the best way to repair small cracks? I have read that some ppl use CA and others recommend getting a fiberglass repair kit. I already found a small FG repair kit at the local harsware store but didn't buy it yet... Should I go that route or is there a better solution?

Thanks in advance!

Mine came broken as well

FG repair kit works really well and can be used to repair greater damage if you do not have a spare canopy.

[daddysam]

I've repaired quite a bit of our model type fiberglass, and covered some planes with it. Are the cracks all the way through the fiberglass or one side? If all the way through, I would get some lightweight fiberglass cloth (.6 oz or 1-2oz) and cut a peice slightly oversize. Then you can either use 5 minute epoxy and paint the area that is cracked with it and lay the cloth down onto the broken area and paint the cloth onto the area until it's wet down completely. Then wait till its fully dry, and use a pieice of 220 (approx) sandpaper to knock off the excess cloth and feather the edges.
You can also use thin CA to attach the cloth. Just tape the edges of the cloth so that the cloth lies over the broken area. Put on a rubber glove or use a plastic baggie over your hand. Drop a few drops of CA onto the cloth over the break, use the hand inside the bag to massage the CA and cloth down onto the fiberglass. It does not take much and it will wet down very quickly. Watch for any runs - they can be messy.
You can use CA "kicker" to speed up the drying process. Then use the 220 sandpaper to feather the edges. Use as is, or prime and paint.
If the break is all the way through you might need to do this to both sides. If the break is only on one side then just do this to the broken side. You can use spot filler (in the tube) to fill the weave of the cloth before priming. Just apply some to fill the weave, let dry, and sand with fine (maybe up to 400) wet dry paper.
You'll only need about a square foot of the fiberglass, and it usually sells by the yard. I have a fair amount on hand so if you PM me your address (es) I can put a small square in an envelope and send it to you (free). I can even include a small square of the 220 and 400 wet dry paper. Let me know.
I got two kits from China that had broken canopies and HK wanted me to prove it happend in transit. I know how annoying it can be. Thankfully my latest Trex 500 arrived in perfect shape and the two canopies I got from Ehirobo (for $0.99 each) were in great shape.
Sam

[Nermo81]

mine was also broken..

[akamullen]

WOW, I had no idea so many kits had problems with this. make sure and let your vedors/retailers know about this problem so they contact there distributors and get this fixed. I will be contacting all three of my distributors and letting them know that others are having issues with cracked canopies. I have sold a few of these kits with no problems YET. hopefully the distributor I order my kits from have not had this bad batch. seems like the kits I have sent out have been the lucky ones..

[bryman021]

Well I guess at least I'm not the only one with bad luck, although none of us should have to pay what these kits cost and have to deal with busted parts before a crash! I want to thank everyone for all the great support and ideas! I actually went and got the fiberglass repair kit today, it was only 10 dollars. I was a little nervous at 1st having never done anything like it before but it was actually really easy going. I just mixed up little batches and tackled one area at a time. I ended up using about 9 pieces of FG cloth about 2"x3" each and used 3 pieces for each spot. It goes on real smooth and even with 3 layers it is very thin prob about 1/16th of an inch thick. But it is super strong! The areas I repaired are super strong now and once I got all the pieces in place I held the canopy the way it would be sitting on the frame to keep the shape correct. I only had to hold it for about 15 mins and it was set.
All the repairs were made on the inside so I didn't have to mess with painting. You almost can't tell it is damaged!
Do you guys think a car type clearcoat would be ok to go over the cracks on the painted side? I think that might help to keep the paint from chipping off. I found a small touch up bottle of clearcoat for 4 bucks. My only worry is that it might react with the coating on it now.

Once I find a way to seal the painted side to keep it from chipping off I will have an almost new canopy. I really like this kit and I can't believe how it makes my 450 sport look so small(I used to think it was big). Can't wait to complete the build and hopefully get a chance to fly it a few times before winter is here.

[fabbietto]

no reply after 3 days from european n°1 dealer . many thanks F.L.P

[ben1989]

my canopy came broken as well about to take a ride to my LHS to get it sorted out....

[richyrich911]

Mine came with cracks in it as well

[bryman021]

I finished building my 500 pro yesterday and took it out for its maiden this morning! I really like it! And even though I had my panties all wadded up over the cracked canopy, all that went away once she was in the air. The fiberglass repair kit did an excellent job at reinforcing the cracks and once its in the air you can't tell anyway. But I still know their there so after looking around I found Fusuno has a canopy available for the pro. They only have one but its a pretty badass design, red/white called "assassin". So I ordered that today and hopefully it arrives without so much as a scuff on the paint! Overall I am happy with the 500e pro, very stable, and sooo much more visible at a distance than my 450 sport.