dkshema
rrMaster
Location: Cedar Rapids, IA
My Posts This: Topic Forum | It's not that I didn't like the way the 400XP flew. It was OK and if you'll read back through my EP400 build thread, I've always commented on how much the feel of the EP400 was like that of its bigger nitro brothers. I've also commented that the EP400/XP isn't as aerobatic as my Trex 450s.
If you search over on the Trex thread here, you'll see that there was a time I would have given the lot away and had nothing more to do with Align. But, I added some of their updated control parts and now find the SA I've had for about a year is a nice, great flying electric heli.
I stretched my EP 400XP to fly 325 mm CF blades about nine months ago. The stretch was a great improvement over those short 286 mm woodies. But -- I found the collective mechanism on the EP400/XP to be lacking. And after putting larger (and heavier) blades on the XP, I found my collective to be imprecise and it appears to be binding up at RPM. I haven't taken a closer look into the problem, maybe this winter would be a good time to do that.
The collective setup of the EP400/XP just isn't nice and clean. It has too many places for slop to develop and for friction and binding to crop up. The lever, the big slider on the MR shaft, the wire running in the slot of the MR shaft just aren't a first class design these days. That system worked well for the Schluter Heliboy 20 years ago...but that heli had a fixed swashplate and the collective mechanism at the head was much better.
You'll also notice that I've commented several times that with the EP400XP and 450V, Kyosho has adopted every single recommendation I made with my original review of the original EP400 over two years ago. The XP version adopted about 80% of those recommendations, the 450V appears to have adopted the remaining 20%, including stretching it to allow it to run 325 mm blades.
With respect to my EP400/XP, it never was as agile or as aerobatic as any of the Trex versions I've owned or flown. Smooth, yes, undeniably. Big helicopter feel, absolutely. Aerobatic, well, not quite. It rolls well, flies inverted well, loops kind of suck. They always have, no matter whether it was an EP400, converted to the XP version, or even a stretched XP version. THAT is why I'd like to see just how well this new 450V version with the totally redone collective and head stacks up. Since the head is a scaled-down Caliber 3/4/5 version, I have confidence that the 450V will finally live up to its full potential. THAT's why I'd like to know how this 450V holds up against the Trex.
The one remaining feature that the 450V could adopt would be to add a set of thrust bearings to the MR grip assembly.
Let's see how long it is before Kyosho adopts THIS recommendation, too.
I'm not a world class FAI flyer, not even a well known or accomplished 3D flyer. But having built and flown helicopters since the introduction of the DuBro Whirlybird 505 some 30+ years ago, I think I know a thing or two about what makes a good heli and what doesn't. I also find it very interesting that EVERY recommendation I've made (and TRIED on my own nickel) with respect to the EP400 has been fully implemented in the 450V.
In those past 30 years, there have been three helicopter kits that I have ended up regretting buying. An American RC Helicopters Revolution 40, a GMP Cobra, and the EP400. They all held promise when I bought them, they simply failed to deliver fully.
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As an aside, I finally shot the clear coat on my Caliber 4 canopy this morning. If it hardens soon, perhaps I can test fly today. Normally it would take a couple of hours to harden, but it's only in the low 60's today and that slows down the curing process.
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* Making the World a Better Place -- One Helicopter at a time! *
Dave |
