WingingIt74
03-17-2010, 10:35 PM
E-FLITE BLADE SR
REVIEW
http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=35&pictureid=654
Purchased from:
http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/banners/HobbyZone1.gif (http://www.hobbyzone.com/)
Click Here for the Overview
Whats in the Box:
2441
(1) SR Helicopter
(1) 6-channel HP6DSM 2.4GHz DSM2 transmitter with AA batteries
(1) AC/DC Li-Po balancing charger and transformer
(1) 3S 11.1V 1000mAh Li-Po battery
(1) Bag of zip ties, servo tape, hex wrench, phillip screwdriver and velcro
(1) Foam main blade holder
(1) Owners Manual
What's not in the Box:
Ready To Fly, however, it would be well worth getting a pair of Ball Link Pliers and another hex wrench.
2523
The Build:
Ready To Fly
Preflight:
Charge the Lipo, put the AA batteries in the TX and your good to go.
Walk-Around:
248524862487248824892490
249124922493249424952496
249724982499250025012502
25032504250525062508
FLIGHT REPORT:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-ro1YY1sEg
Impulsive 1st Maiden: (Thursday)
I received it today. I came home to have my window in my house repaired and it was just sitting there waiting for me on my front porch. I just had to fly it, I couldn't resist! I threw my camera on my hat and put a small charge on the Lipo. Out to the garage I went as I was waiting for the window guy to finish fixing my window in the living room. I just did a short hover. It wasn't quite dialed in, but flyable.
2507
2nd Maiden: (Thursday night)
I've got the Lipo fully charged and ready to go. I have also hooked up the HH gyro to CH.5 and turned the proportional pot to full negative. I began tweaking it and I couldn't get the HH gyro to operate like I was wanting. I had set the one up on my BCPP and could get it dialed in, but this one was acting different, which it kept pulsing instead of holding the tail. I did get a few good hovers in, but that pulsing tail was bothering me. I kept playing with it and didn't get any better. Then I did a stupid thing, try to adjust while flying. As you probably guessed with the "stupid" comment, I ways paying attention more to the tail pulsing instead of what the SR was doing and it got away from me. The SR had a bad landing which the known damage is the aluminum tail boom and the main blades. I'll know more when I tear it down. I'm still not sure why the tail was pulsing.
2nd Maiden Damage Total:
Although I thought about not mentioning the crash, I feel that it can be good knowledge in making a purchase decision for the SR. The best thing about the Blade series helicopters (not sure on the B400 as I don't own one yet), they are cheap to fix. Most major crashes will cost less then $30 to fix.
251025132520
$15.19 Main Blades
$2.50 Feathering Shaft
$18.49
The Repair
I thought what the heck, I'll probably need a new tail boom anyway. The worst that could happen is that the tube is cracked and it breaks when it is bent back. So bent it back by hand, no known cracking, and it doesn't look half bad. While at my LHS, I did buy an extra boom, main blades and other spares so I can finish my review.
251125122517
3rd Maiden: (Saturday)
After the fix and being re-trimmed, the SR flew great. Although I'm no expert heli pilot, it did tail in hover very nicely. I'm very impressed on how it handles.
4th Maiden: (Sunday)
Here is where the SR really shines for me. I went to my parents' house and flew in their horse arena. Wow what an impressive heli! I wish this was available when I bought my first heli, a Blade CP, in 2005. It was a dream to hover, even started doing side hovers. I started to get comfortable with the SR... should never get to comfortable. Before I started flying, I told my sons and pinchflat's step sons to stay and play in the corner behind me. Well during my "getting comfortable" they decided to run across the arena towards the entry door. My knee jerk reaction, being a plane pilot, was to throttle up and pull back. That doesn't work too well with helicopters. It ended up behind me in a dive, of which I pulled out and almost recovered. I over compensated and crashed into the wall behind me. This time the damage was a lot less, a bent feathering shaft and a busted tail blade, all of which is less then $10.
2530253125322533
PERFORMANCE:
ROG: 0'
Speed: Quick
Landing: 0'
Pilot Experience: Intermediate/Advanced, next step beyond the mSR and before a Blade CP Series.
REPORT CARD:
:thumbsup: The SR comes neatly and securely packaged.
:thumbsup: The box is very reusable as a flight box.
:thumbsup: Servos are attached with screws
:thumbsup: New 1000mah Lipo pack
:thumbsup: Tail boom is attached with screws
:thumbsup: Brushless 3900kv motor
:thumbsup: Main gear is attached to main shaft with a screw and nut
:thumbsup: Direct drive tail
:thumbsup: Forgiving landing skids, similar to aftermarket super skids for the BCP
:thumbsup: G110 Heading Hold Gyro (Included)
:thumbsup: Throttle Hold Switch
:thumbsup: Dual Rates
:thumbsup: Aluminum Tail Boom, may be able to be bent back into place after a crash.
:thumbs down: Once the velcro is attached to the Lipo, it will no longer fit in the battery hole(s) in the styrofoam cradle from the box.
2509
:thumbs down: Styrofoam cradle, my opinion is it should have been made of EPP instead of cooler foam.
:thumbs down: Should come with two hex wrenches instead of 1, which is needed for changing the feathering shaft.
:boggled: The head is attached to main shaft with a screw and nut. I'm not sure how this will react in a crash. So far, the only damage that I have had happen related to this is that I bent the feathering shaft twice.
2520
"Click Here for the Review Discussion"
REVIEW
http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=35&pictureid=654
Purchased from:
http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/banners/HobbyZone1.gif (http://www.hobbyzone.com/)
Click Here for the Overview
Whats in the Box:
2441
(1) SR Helicopter
(1) 6-channel HP6DSM 2.4GHz DSM2 transmitter with AA batteries
(1) AC/DC Li-Po balancing charger and transformer
(1) 3S 11.1V 1000mAh Li-Po battery
(1) Bag of zip ties, servo tape, hex wrench, phillip screwdriver and velcro
(1) Foam main blade holder
(1) Owners Manual
What's not in the Box:
Ready To Fly, however, it would be well worth getting a pair of Ball Link Pliers and another hex wrench.
2523
The Build:
Ready To Fly
Preflight:
Charge the Lipo, put the AA batteries in the TX and your good to go.
Walk-Around:
248524862487248824892490
249124922493249424952496
249724982499250025012502
25032504250525062508
FLIGHT REPORT:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-ro1YY1sEg
Impulsive 1st Maiden: (Thursday)
I received it today. I came home to have my window in my house repaired and it was just sitting there waiting for me on my front porch. I just had to fly it, I couldn't resist! I threw my camera on my hat and put a small charge on the Lipo. Out to the garage I went as I was waiting for the window guy to finish fixing my window in the living room. I just did a short hover. It wasn't quite dialed in, but flyable.
2507
2nd Maiden: (Thursday night)
I've got the Lipo fully charged and ready to go. I have also hooked up the HH gyro to CH.5 and turned the proportional pot to full negative. I began tweaking it and I couldn't get the HH gyro to operate like I was wanting. I had set the one up on my BCPP and could get it dialed in, but this one was acting different, which it kept pulsing instead of holding the tail. I did get a few good hovers in, but that pulsing tail was bothering me. I kept playing with it and didn't get any better. Then I did a stupid thing, try to adjust while flying. As you probably guessed with the "stupid" comment, I ways paying attention more to the tail pulsing instead of what the SR was doing and it got away from me. The SR had a bad landing which the known damage is the aluminum tail boom and the main blades. I'll know more when I tear it down. I'm still not sure why the tail was pulsing.
2nd Maiden Damage Total:
Although I thought about not mentioning the crash, I feel that it can be good knowledge in making a purchase decision for the SR. The best thing about the Blade series helicopters (not sure on the B400 as I don't own one yet), they are cheap to fix. Most major crashes will cost less then $30 to fix.
251025132520
$15.19 Main Blades
$2.50 Feathering Shaft
$18.49
The Repair
I thought what the heck, I'll probably need a new tail boom anyway. The worst that could happen is that the tube is cracked and it breaks when it is bent back. So bent it back by hand, no known cracking, and it doesn't look half bad. While at my LHS, I did buy an extra boom, main blades and other spares so I can finish my review.
251125122517
3rd Maiden: (Saturday)
After the fix and being re-trimmed, the SR flew great. Although I'm no expert heli pilot, it did tail in hover very nicely. I'm very impressed on how it handles.
4th Maiden: (Sunday)
Here is where the SR really shines for me. I went to my parents' house and flew in their horse arena. Wow what an impressive heli! I wish this was available when I bought my first heli, a Blade CP, in 2005. It was a dream to hover, even started doing side hovers. I started to get comfortable with the SR... should never get to comfortable. Before I started flying, I told my sons and pinchflat's step sons to stay and play in the corner behind me. Well during my "getting comfortable" they decided to run across the arena towards the entry door. My knee jerk reaction, being a plane pilot, was to throttle up and pull back. That doesn't work too well with helicopters. It ended up behind me in a dive, of which I pulled out and almost recovered. I over compensated and crashed into the wall behind me. This time the damage was a lot less, a bent feathering shaft and a busted tail blade, all of which is less then $10.
2530253125322533
PERFORMANCE:
ROG: 0'
Speed: Quick
Landing: 0'
Pilot Experience: Intermediate/Advanced, next step beyond the mSR and before a Blade CP Series.
REPORT CARD:
:thumbsup: The SR comes neatly and securely packaged.
:thumbsup: The box is very reusable as a flight box.
:thumbsup: Servos are attached with screws
:thumbsup: New 1000mah Lipo pack
:thumbsup: Tail boom is attached with screws
:thumbsup: Brushless 3900kv motor
:thumbsup: Main gear is attached to main shaft with a screw and nut
:thumbsup: Direct drive tail
:thumbsup: Forgiving landing skids, similar to aftermarket super skids for the BCP
:thumbsup: G110 Heading Hold Gyro (Included)
:thumbsup: Throttle Hold Switch
:thumbsup: Dual Rates
:thumbsup: Aluminum Tail Boom, may be able to be bent back into place after a crash.
:thumbs down: Once the velcro is attached to the Lipo, it will no longer fit in the battery hole(s) in the styrofoam cradle from the box.
2509
:thumbs down: Styrofoam cradle, my opinion is it should have been made of EPP instead of cooler foam.
:thumbs down: Should come with two hex wrenches instead of 1, which is needed for changing the feathering shaft.
:boggled: The head is attached to main shaft with a screw and nut. I'm not sure how this will react in a crash. So far, the only damage that I have had happen related to this is that I bent the feathering shaft twice.
2520
"Click Here for the Review Discussion"