Is it a crash without repairs?lol....

[McKrackin]

Getting my confidense back after a long layoff from flying.
Now my helis are going to really get it.lol....

Was doing some tail in/down funnels with the 250 and got going a little too fast for me to control and BOOM....

Little guy went in hard and fast.It actually made a thump on impact.

Went over to gather up the wreckage and guess what...a small chip in the main blade was it.I mean,not even a bent flybar.
One of the paddles was turned a little but wow....

Here is the total damage....I'm still flying with this blade though.No vibes or anything.Nothing bent.

[Doozer]

I've had the same experiences with this heli... it is one tough little bird. The only real knock on it that I can see is that the aluminum bends kind of easy, and it's not very noticeable. You have to look very hard sometimes, and compare it to a "good" part. I guess you can't call that a knock because these things were meant to fly, not crash.

If you find it hard to track after a crash, and the blades are balanced, chances are you've bent a grip or a mixing arm.

But I can testify... you can drill these 250's and the repair bill is generally very small. This is why I believe the Align 250 to be a very good choice for someone who has mastered and is stepping away from the single rotor fixed pitch helis.

[19000rpm]

Nope. That's a "hard landing".

I'm starting to buy into dooz's argument that this would be a good move up from FP. I just don't think many guys have enough confidence to ante up the bucks going from a $79 FP heli to a $300 heli as a first CP. I sure wouldn't have had the guts. ;D

[Doozer]

Apr 12, 2010 6:15:27 GMT -6 19000rpm said:

Nope. That's a "hard landing".

I'm starting to buy into dooz's argument that this would be a good move up from FP. I just don't think many guys have enough confidence to ante up the bucks going from a $79 FP heli to a $300 heli as a first CP. I sure wouldn't have had the guts. ;D

I hear ya 19000, but if I look back at all the money I put into my BeltCP.... I sunk more into it than I would have flying a 250. Plus, I was trying to fly the Belt CP waaaaay too early. I hadn't mastered FFF. Looking back on my progression, by trying to fly a CP before I got the orientations down, I actually hindered progress rather than aid it.

I think if someone masters a HBFP, and is ready to step up, they'll end up saving a ton of money thumpin' a 250 over a Belt CP. The main gear is just about the only important part this heli tends to eat up. A boom tube on occasion (boom supports too). I generally just straighten the boom on the spot if it isn't that bad. Shaft and spindle damage is rare. If you stick with the stock blades while learning you'll be fine with blades too. None of those parts are expensive if you compare to what you spend repairing a 450 crash. In this case, a little extra cash up front will save you a lot down the line. It costs more to repair my Walkera 43B.

Let's talk about batteries too. For the same amount of money you spend on a 35C 2100 mah battery for a 450, @ $20 dollars for a Hyperion 35C 850 mah battery, you can get 2 times as much air time over a RTF 450, at least. Plus the 850 can be charged in about 10 minutes @ 4C. I have yet to taco a 250 battery, but my first Belt CP crash I taco'd the ESKY battery that came with it.

You also need less room to fly it. A lot of public parks where I live will ticket you if you fly on park grounds. Not one park has ever had an issue with me flying my 250 in an open space. I just bring my heli to work in a case... and head to the park for a fly during lunch... or... I fly it in the gym at work. If you remember my first 250 hover video, I hovered it in my living room. It's quiet and small and doesn't attract a lot of attention.

[McKrackin]

I found some damage.
The tail shaft hit the ground hard enough that it drove the left bearing through the tail case and left a perfect circular hole the size of the bearing.

Bearing is gone.

[19000rpm]

Apr 12, 2010 9:08:22 GMT -6 Doozer said:

Apr 12, 2010 6:15:27 GMT -6 19000rpm said:

Nope. That's a "hard landing".

I'm starting to buy into dooz's argument that this would be a good move up from FP. I just don't think many guys have enough confidence to ante up the bucks going from a $79 FP heli to a $300 heli as a first CP. I sure wouldn't have had the guts. ;D

I hear ya 19000, but if I look back at all the money I put into my BeltCP.... I sunk more into it than I would have flying a 250. Plus, I was trying to fly the Belt CP waaaaay too early. I hadn't mastered FFF. Looking back on my progression, by trying to fly a CP before I got the orientations down, I actually hindered progress rather than aid it.

I think if someone masters a HBFP, and is ready to step up, they'll end up saving a ton of money thumpin' a 250 over a Belt CP. The main gear is just about the only important part this heli tends to eat up. A boom tube on occasion (boom supports too). I generally just straighten the boom on the spot if it isn't that bad. Shaft and spindle damage is rare. If you stick with the stock blades while learning you'll be fine with blades too. None of those parts are expensive if you compare to what you spend repairing a 450 crash. In this case, a little extra cash up front will save you a lot down the line. It costs more to repair my Walkera 43B.

Let's talk about batteries too. For the same amount of money you spend on a 35C 2100 mah battery for a 450, @ $20 dollars for a Hyperion 35C 850 mah battery, you can get 2 times as much air time over a RTF 450, at least. Plus the 850 can be charged in about 10 minutes @ 4C. I have yet to taco a 250 battery, but my first Belt CP crash I taco'd the ESKY battery that came with it.

You also need less room to fly it. A lot of public parks where I live will ticket you if you fly on park grounds. Not one park has ever had an issue with me flying my 250 in an open space. I just bring my heli to work in a case... and head to the park for a fly during lunch... or... I fly it in the gym at work. If you remember my first 250 hover video, I hovered it in my living room. It's quiet and small and doesn't attract a lot of attention.

I wouldn't argue with any of that. If we only new before what we learn after.

[Gabe]

Oh man, I couldn't agree more. That stupid Falcon 3D of mine. I spent more time ordering parts and trying to fix it. Even with all my knowledge now, I still can't get the thing to fly right.

Should have bought Align.

Like 19K said, if only I knew then...

[Doozer]

Yep, I'm preachin' to the choir. I'm hoping that some newbie, someday, reads this thread and decides that they are going to take the leap with something a little more crash friendly. Even though it's more expensive up front, I think the 250 is a great starter CP heli. The build is easy and it's just plain hard to break.

However, knowing what I know, and having done what I've done, I think it's less likely that will happen. I've been the newbie thats mesmerized by bling... like a ferret. Funny thing, I watched this guy come into my LHS the other day with an MCX looking to sell it or trade it in. He say's "This is too easy, I want that right there... how much to have it built." He was pointing to Trex 450. I just looked at Byron (the shop owner) and shook my head. I knew, because I'd been there.

[19000rpm]

Apr 13, 2010 10:52:34 GMT -6 Doozer said:

Yep, I'm preachin' to the choir. I'm hoping that some newbie, someday, reads this thread and decides that they are going to take the leap with something a little more crash friendly. Even though it's more expensive up front, I think the 250 is a great starter CP heli. The build is easy and it's just plain hard to break.

However, knowing what I know, and having done what I've done, I think it's less likely that will happen. I've been the newbie thats mesmerized by bling... like a ferret. Funny thing, I watched this guy come into my LHS the other day with an MCX looking to sell it or trade it in. He say's "This is too easy, I want that right there... how much to have it built." He was pointing to Trex 450. I just looked at Byron (the shop owner) and shook my head. I knew, because I'd been there.

I hope some noob takes the advice dooz. I'm not going to hold my breath though. Most people arrogant enough in the beginning to think they can fly these things (like us) is probably also too pig headed to listen to the voice of experience. ;D

That's a strange piece of damage ern. Never seen that before.

[McKrackin]

Here it is...



Look how clean a hole the bearing made on the way through the side cover...

[19000rpm]

Must be too thin in that area or maybe a material defect

It's officially a crash now!

[akent]

If there is enough meat to hold the bearing well, then I'd clean it up really well and use green loctite on the bearing.
It won't go anywhere then.

I'd call up Microheli and try to get a free new part anyway. I hope you can. I agree it sure sounds like a defective part. Heck, nothing else seems to break on those things!!

[McKrackin]

Apr 14, 2010 17:09:44 GMT -6 akent said:

If there is enough meat to hold the bearing well, then I'd clean it up really well and use green loctite on the bearing.
It won't go anywhere then.

The hole is way bigger than the bearings and the bearing for that side is somewhere out in the yard.lol....

[19000rpm]

Apr 14, 2010 21:16:45 GMT -6 McKrackin said:

Apr 14, 2010 17:09:44 GMT -6 akent said:

If there is enough meat to hold the bearing well, then I'd clean it up really well and use green loctite on the bearing.
It won't go anywhere then.

The hole is way bigger than the bearings and the bearing for that side is somewhere out in the yard.lol....

You'll find that bearing for a nano second next time you mow the grass. ;D

[McKrackin]

It's not so much mowing as hunting golf balls and heli parts.lol....