Protos durability/reliability

[Lorbeer]

Hi folks! Been away from rc for quite some time. Don't want to go back straight with a 700 size and would want to "find my 3D thumbs" again with a 500 size first. No 450's because the 500's are the cheapest way to get closer to a big heli feel for someone who might be crashing again in a 3D renaissance.

I want a Protos but was looking at pics and just wondering how it holds up in crashes? No problems with the plastic blade grips? Been told the Protos is more fragile than the usual Atom and T-Rex 500. I don't care actually if it is true. Just have to stock up on more parts.

[jmtyndall]

Even when the grips break. They're cheap. Don't forget that the Trex 500 torque tube system basically self destructs on impact. I've only paid for 1 Protos crash, but it was much less than my Trex 500 crashes

[Lorbeer]

Cool! Plan on getting the MSH aluminum frame and bearing support upgrades. Checking out the Lynx Heli upgrades like the full tail setup, clamps, anti rotation brackets, but worried it will add too much weight and put off the CG bias towards the tail area.

[kavic5150]

I went for just the 3rd bearing block in aluminum and left the other two plastic. Why weigh down your very light bird if you dont want to?

The only time I ever damaged a servo in a crash was when I cracked one of the Fusuno orange GF frame sides. Ended up needing one servo case among other things.

Having said that the Lynx metal tail looks well made, but I havent flown with mine yet.

[Lorbeer]

Good advice. Was thinking the alu frame supports would make the heli more crashworthy, w/o me having to replace plastic frame supports often. But if in your experience it holds up well, then maybe I won't need to. Why did you upgrade only the 3rd bearing support if I may ask?

[jmtyndall]

Rarely do the plastic servo frames break. If they do, you probably also would have bent an Aluminum one

[banditpowdercoat]

I stuffed my Protos in sideways about30mph. This is the damage. Frame fine.

[aterren]

I have had some serious crashes on my 500 and am very happy with its durability.

Your repair parts shopping list should include
- main grip balls (the bend more often than the main grips break)
- main shafts
- Feathering shafts
- booms
- blades
- canopy mounts
- boom supports
- tail rotor pitch pushrod
A bad crash may need servo and 3rd bearing plastic as well as a main gear.

I prefer to leave the main shaft supports plastic to protect the frame.

[deebee]

I Love my Protos, It took me a little while to get used to the grips being the weak point in a crash, but my feathering shaft, main shaft, servos, and sometimes blades typically survive some pretty knarly crashes. No to mention if you put it in skids first there is a chance that they will absorb enough of the impact to prevent damage.
MSH makes gorilla gear and uses the same technology for their skids. A hard landing, might cause a bounce, might flatten the skids until the frame bumps the ground, but you won't snap a strut and destroy your heli over a rough landing.
Not counting blades, crashing my Protos costs the same or less than my CX450 BA in a crash, due to some of the best name brand parts prices, and better durability than the often weak 450's

As far as durability in the air, the Protos is fairly maintenance free, with the possible exception of the OWB and belt system, on certain setups particularly with a 12 or 13 tooth pinion and 470mm blades the pinion can wear and cause the belt to wear giving as little as 50 flights in extreme hard 3d cases, others get around 200 or more moderate sport, mild 3d flights, on the same setup.
Not really a big deal tho, the pinion/OWB setup is $12, and the belt under $10, but maybe a consideration if you fly really hard.
DoubleCH has built a steel pinion that solves this problem and seems to have has good success with it.

[kavic5150]

Originally Posted by Lorbeer

Good advice. Was thinking the alu frame supports would make the heli more crashworthy, w/o me having to replace plastic frame supports often. But if in your experience it holds up well, then maybe I won't need to. Why did you upgrade only the 3rd bearing support if I may ask?

Looks like JMTyndall beat me to it. Those metal servo frames look nice but arent as crash worthy.

[banditpowdercoat]

Originally Posted by kavic5150

Looks like JMTyndall beat me to it. Those metal servo frames look nice but arent as crash worthy.

Acually the reverse. Metal frame survives better. Especially in a inverted crash. Once put my main shaft through my Rx on the lower tray in a inverted landing. Also went through many servo frames. Changed the upper servo frame to metal, and no more breakage. Don't need both, just the upper.

[jmtyndall]

Never seen anyone actually put their mainshaft through the gyro tray. Only heard friend of a friend stories. Anyways, I used to fix twin Protos 500s for a friend that liked to crash. I saw 3 bent metal frames and one plastic one, that was only bad from a stripped screw. And he never drove the mainshaft down into anything

Then again, every crash is different. So maybe he got lucky a lot, or you got unlucky a lot

[babyuh1]

I haven't turned a screw on my P500 in around a hundred flights! And I've crashed it pretty good a couple of times and had very minor damage.
And since I've gone to low head speed flying I've stubbed it into the ground a couple of times and just straightened the blades out and went right back to flying, just like a MCPX!

[DoubleCH]

Originally Posted by banditpowdercoat

Acually the reverse. Metal frame survives better. Especially in a inverted crash. Once put my main shaft through my Rx on the lower tray in a inverted landing. Also went through many servo frames. Changed the upper servo frame to metal, and no more breakage. Don't need both, just the upper.

I concur. I've seen such scenario in-person. It's like a hole-punch thru' the bottom frame plate. If you're lucky the top bearing will go thru the top plastic bearing block and the mainshaft will punch a hole on the bottom frame plate. In more extreme cases you may break other parts as well. With metal to bearing plate you may just bend feathering shaft and or mainshaft.

Yes you just need top one CNC. I keep middle one plastic. Bottom one I also run CNC.

[DoubleCH]

MSH Gorilla gear struts are awesome. They can take a LOT of crash energy without damage. I've seen so severe crash that the struts got ripped out of the mounts on the bottom frame plate and still no damage to the struts.

I have had a power outage failure crash from a 30ft big-air loop while onthe way straight down and the thing looked like it went straight down the hard packed soil at full speed. Luckily it crashed skid first and there was no damage at all!

[DoubleCH]

Forgot to mention I modded my landing gear to run skewer sticks for landing skid pipes. The are super strong with some flexibility to take a lot of crash energy.

I also modded the bottom frame plate to run skewer sticks as fuses when the bottom plate had to take a lot of crash energy. I crashed tested it and it works great.


Also since the skewer sticks run fore-aft they can take a lot of stress on frontal impact to protect the frame. I had another power outage failure nose-dive grin 30ft high. The stock polycarbonate canopy (another awesome piece) took a lot of crash energy the nose actually dented 2 inches but I just undented it.


The front end of the CF frame also took a lot of crash energy but didn't break because of the skewer braces.

[DoubleCH]

Originally Posted by deebee

DoubleCH has built a steel pinion that solves this problem and seems to have has good success with it.

My double-idler mod together with solid steel pinion mod totally solved my longevity problem with the belt drive system. My usual belt and pinion lifespans are 600+ hard flights with lose belt tension.

[DoubleCH]

Originally Posted by jmtyndall

Don't forget that the Trex 500 torque tube system basically self destructs on impact.

Yeah OTOH Protos main great never strip or wear out. CNC tail gear doesn't strip but will wear out eventually like 1000+ flights.

[Lorbeer]

Thanks for the loads of good input guys. I think I get the gist: fly it as is and find out which survives or holds up. Fix it if its broke. Yeah!