Considering a Protos 500

[Ddrueckh]

I am trying to decide between the following three helicopters:

Protos 500
Atom 500
Or going with the larger Gaui X5

Seems like everyone feels they are all great heli's. I know I am in the Protos forum, so please go ahead and tell me why I should get a Protos! One note, I have heard that the plastic frames break when crashing...for those with a CF frame, how well does yours do in a crash. I would be going FBL. Thanks.

Dave

[Thalios]

The Prôtos is the best for the following reasons:

- Is insanely light with lots of power, thus making it a rocket and has super agility
- It's replacement parts are very cheap (comparable to the Blade 450 except for electronics and main blades)
- It's look is in my opinion the best of them all
- It's unique belt drive system is rock solid
- It's sound is like no other. Super quiet mechanically, you only hear the REAL music, the blade sound.
- Did I mention its look?
- Parts are very easy to come by.
- MSH-direct.com has the best service i've ever seen in a heli reseller. I bought a Prôtos in part because of him.
- the heli is very stable, and very docile if you want it to. And at the flip of a switch, becomes wilder than you can imagine.

I have flown both plastic and CF, and could not notice a difference between them flight wise as flybarred, but my CF is now FBL and the plastic is flybarred. That made a HUGE difference.

The X5 and Atom are still nice birds though.

[1157]

I have the plastic frame (FBL) Protos and I love it. I also have A Trex 500 FBL, and the Protos flies so much better. The previous owner (a friend) crashed it and it had minimal damage. I've heard good things about the Atom; however, I have never flown one. You can't go wrong with a Protos.

Stewart

[alexf1852]

Those crash stories you read about the plastic framed Protos are old. The composite used has changed since the original it seems. I've had about 10 crashes in the past two years and none ever shattered my plastic frames. I've had cracks at a point or two in the frame, but the frame never broke into two or more separate pieces. I have two plastic framed Protos and love them both. I have about 2000 flights combined on both Protos. I do have a couple of CF kit upgrades for the day that I run out of plastic frame spares.

For me the three best things about the plastic composite framed Protos are:
the sound
the flight characteristics
low cost parts

You can read about the negatives elsewhere in this forum. The main issues some here have had are related to quality control.

[Ddrueckh]

I am not worried about the extra cost of the CF frame. Is there any reason to stick with the plastic over the CF...other than cost?

[wbefield]

I see you have a Blade 450 in your signature. I moved up from the Blade 450 to the Protos 500 and am very happy.

to answer your question. If you ever plan on stretching your protos, you will have to have the CF version.

[Thalios]

CF looks so much better! hehehe

[clicky]

Originally Posted by Ddrueckh

I am not worried about the extra cost of the CF frame. Is there any reason to stick with the plastic over the CF...other than cost?

Actually - no. If you go with CF you'll be able to stretch it, unlike with plastic frames. So, long term, CF frames are better choice...

Fortunately I didn't have crashes with CF frame so I can't tell how good they are vs plastic...

[Agibbs996]

Hi. I'm also considering a Protos as my LHS is now carrying it. One question. Will the Protos 500 be able to carry a 3300 6S 30/40C battery? I'd like to be able to share batteries with my 600. According to HeliHobby's description, it typically carries LiPos from 4S (~3700mAh) to 6S (~2500mAh).

http://www.helihobby.com/product-p/msh51107.htm

[whisperdancer]

You can put 3300mAh batteries, but it will be a little nose heavy. The 2600mAh balances better.

The Gaui X5 is a bigger and heavier heli. It's a very powerfull heli though, and it flies very nice, but crashes will be more expensive and it's noisier. I think it's ugly in the air, though (maybe I'm used to see the stretched Protos with the lower head, or the Trex 600 new version).

The Atom seems to be a great heli, but parts are also expensive for a 500 class. If you are into bigger blades, you can put the 5.5 stretch kit and run 520mm blades. In the videos I've seen, it goes like a rocket. This would be he main reason I would choose an Atom over the Protos.

As for the Protos, you can also run a stretch kit, but with smaller blades (470mm).
If you want a 500 class heli, the Protos is still the one to beat.

[crickr1]

Originally Posted by Ddrueckh

I am trying to decide between the following three helicopters:

Protos 500
Atom 500
Or going with the larger Gaui X5

Seems like everyone feels they are all great heli's. I know I am in the Protos forum, so please go ahead and tell me why I should get a Protos! One note, I have heard that the plastic frames break when crashing...for those with a CF frame, how well does yours do in a crash. I would be going FBL. Thanks.

Dave

Don't consider a Protos unless you want an awesome heli,that flies great and doesn't need to be upgraded every other week to keep flying well! And if you like to constantly work on stuff and keep tweaking, repairing worn parts, You definitely don't want 1. The only thing a Protos is good for is flying as much as you have time for!

[crickr1]

Originally Posted by Agibbs996

Hi. I'm also considering a Protos as my LHS is now carrying it. One question. Will the Protos 500 be able to carry a 3300 6S 30/40C battery? I'd like to be able to share batteries with my 600. According to HeliHobby's description, it typically carries LiPos from 4S (~3700mAh) to 6S (~2500mAh).

http://www.helihobby.com/product-p/msh51107.htm

The 3300 batts balance well in the stretched version ,
2650 or 3000 in the standard

[whto]

I don't have an atom 500, so I can't comment on it. I do have both x5 and protos with stretched tail and low head block . They are in different classes. Check out the pic below, the x5 is quite a bit larger and heavier than the protos.


Depending on the style of your flying. I'm learning 3D now and the x5 is more stable and easier to fly than the protos. It make the protos flies more like a 450 size heli. With my really lousy soft 3d moves, the protos move around more and I need to make more corrections. The x5 just sits in the air. That doesn't mean it's less agile. It's just more stable. However, if you're only doing upright flying or more like airplane type of flying, the difference will be much less.

In terms of parts cost, I haven't crash my x5 yet so I didn't pay much attention to pricing of parts. The protos parts are for sure in expensive. However, for sure blades, batteries, and motor are more expensive for the x5.

Both helis are very well designed and can fly without upgrade, and both are with high quality that don't require much maintenance. Just charge up the packs and go fly.