Could the Enerco 500 be the best beginner heli?

[trickybit]

RC Heli has a review of the Walkera Enerco 500 ARF.

It hasn't dented my Protos lust, but I think an argument can be made that it's the best starter heli (like, after coax or FP). It might also be a good choice after a 400 or 450, but that's less clear.

Pros:

• For now, we must assume it will be very competitively priced. Else the deal is off.
• As the review leads, the 500 size is a sweet spot, considering "cost, size, maneuverability, maintenance and performance." For beginners, I'd emphasize stability and general ease of flight (compared to 400/450), battery/charger first-time cost, and park-suitability.
• Floating flybar is much simpler to set up, and tune. (I started a separate thread to ask about the other known pros/cons of that design, but this is a key 'beginner' aspect)
• Floating flybar may provide upgrade differentiation from a T-Rex 500.
• Bell-Hiller mixing adjustments, a key beginner feature in my view, because skills advance so much on your first heli.
• Radio is more than adequate, offers on-paper differentiation over DX6i (viz. 8 ch.)
• Canopy color scheme intended for visibility. Canopy particularly "flexible" (means durable?)
• CF frames considered more crashworthy (see protos threads for debates, but the perception in the market is clear)
• CNC head and grips. This "durability" is why I bought the 450 SE V2, and I'm glad I did. Cost tradeoffs being whatever they may be ($$ vs how often), the CNC means less bench time on average.
• heavy stock blades (these are 'pros' for the beginners, remember, not the 'pros')

Cons:

• Not well represented in the LHS, and beginners should buy from a helpful LHS where available.
• Your experienced friends will pee on you for flying Walkera. But seriously, less knowledge base out there to draw from, and won't build an experienced enthusiast base as quickly as other new helis.

Whaddya think?
Jim

[trickybit]

I thought of another "Con:"

Much less likely to have option to buddy box than heli with more common radio gear.

[Big Fil]

[quote=trickybit;1187561]

• Your experienced friends will pee on you for flying Walkera.

/quote]

You just about made me spit my lunch up on my monitor.

[JaggedEdge]

[ginnz]

wow, the pictures show promise! at first when i read 'Walkera" i thought... PPPFFFTT.... junk.

but the head design looks ok, the tail looks plastic, but what the heck.

if this thing would be priced at around the 400.00 mark(RTF), id say its an option, for someone...

[j bomb]

+1
That's the nicest-looking Walkera heli I've seen.

[DrunkRabbit]

I think, based on the same review that you most likely read, that it will probably be a relatively decent platform for a 500 heli. However, I think that the packaged electronics will drive this RTF into the "keep away" category for beginners.

Crappy electronics can make the best quality airframe fly like crap.

Given Walkera's track record with larger heli kits, I'm still very wary of part quality and build quality. You take a pretty picture of a polished turd, it's still just a turd.

I'll reserve my opinion until I see one flying and get my hands on parts. Until then, I'm cautiously skeptical.

Remember, the review you no doubt are referring to is also in a publication that I have yet to see give a average or below average score on a new heli. In fact, I believe they gave a pretty high rating to the Blade CP.

[AFjetmech]

They also said the idle up and throttle hold switches are reversed on the TX. WTH is up with that? If it isn't available without the obviously crappy transmitter, than I say it's a dud.

[trickybit]

Yeah, I know the Walkera reputation, and about ad-oriented magazine reviews, and I sure didn't list "RC Heli says it flies great!" as a positive.

But I think you kinda proved my point about the impression of Walkera among the cognoscenti.

Cheap electronics hasn't killed the Blade 400, but it would be nice to learn that the stock stuff is adequate (B400 or hopefully a little better). Newbies don't need a Spartan, and shouldn't have to pay for one.

The fact that it's upgradeable (unlike the Innovator) is a plus... for the minority who stick with it and need more heli, upgrades are fun. I think the stock stuff has to work OK for FFF, smooth 8s, loops, and sloppy flips & rolls.

But yes indeedy, if it actually files like a dog that would suck. I'm kind of curious whether a 500 (425mm) with lame servos would be easier to fly than a 450 SE V2 w/ HS65MG, a "standard entry-level setup."

Maybe we need three categories to evaluate stuff: Pro, Con, and...

Not yet known:

• How much it costs
• How well it flies
• Parts availability and cost (servo gears, ....)
• Whether your experienced friends can get over it.

The bottom line on this topic is whether we'll want to recommend this over a T-Rex 450 to a HB FP or CX2 enthusiast who wants the next step. I'm sure we'd all agree that the answer to this question is, "Maybe, but not yet."

I think cheapening flybarless stuff and inexpensive lipos on the slow boat are recent trends that make this heli increasingly attractive in that tradeoff.

Jim

[joegamma1]

What does the tx look like? And as far as the tail looking plastic; the trex500 comes with a plastic tail and static issues.
I've looked at alot of stuff out there but I've always skipped over the Walkera stuff.