Money burning a hole.... 250CFX or ????

[franklin_m]

Ok, I own a mCPX BL, a 300x, a 450x, a Trex450 (FB), and a Trex500 (FB), plus an Audacity P6 yet to be assembled.

I'm able to hover tail in no problem, and do left right figure 8's no problem, but still hold back a bit due to the occasional disorientation. I was thinking about a 250CFX to get the SAFE feature. My thinking is that I'd push myself a little harder if I knew the chance of crash was less.

It has the advantage over the 230S in that the 250 uses the same batteries I already have for the 300x (3S/1350's). It's also a bit bigger than the mCPX BL, which can get squirly in the wind and doesn't have safe.

Any thoughts?
Frank

[toadiscoil]

I share with you my experience.

I started with a 200 SRX and crashed it a lot.

I then purchased a 360 CFX which crashed a few times but taught me a lot mostly about wrenching and how CCPM works, FBL system setup, etc.

Then the 230 S came out and I crashed it on maiden. Months went by while I figured out the issue, piece by piece until I got it.

Then I got a Goblin 380. It had a mild crash on maiden due to a reversed elevator servo.

I don't know if before or after the Goblin I got a second 360 which had a tip over.

I am now assembling my second Goblin 380. I am a lost cause I am hooked on Goblins. But I am selling my Blade 360's.

Now until recently I started flying my Blade 230 S again. I went to a funfly and I had a revelation.

Now I have to say I have spent HOURS on the simulator and I have assembled a routine of FFF, stall turn, stall turn with piros, loops, flips, rolls, inverted pass, tic tock, aileron tic tock and inverted hover. All is very sketchy and cannot repeat the same routine identical, some maneuver always gets out of shape but the VAST majority of the times I finish the flight as I always finish at the 3:30 I have on my timer.

Back to the 230 S. I was so happy because I had hovered the Blade 360, the Goblin 380 (after repair) and the 230 S that I decided to go ahead and try an inverted hover on the 230 S. Needless to say I was a nervous wreck and it did not go well at all. I hit the magic Rescue button, the heli flipped and started climbing. I was amazed how much instant confidence I gained after that simple moment.

Since then I have flown the crap out of my 230 S. I have found out I can do FFF, stall turns, stall turn piros, inverted passes and inverted hover (tic tocks I tried but they are WAY different IRL than on the sim plus the heli is a bit underpowered). So a good amount of what I can do on the sim. All because of Rescue. For me it has been a big confidence booster and has allowed me to unlock the fear of plain tail in hover fearing a crash.

I have used it probably 3 or 4 times, less times as time goes by on the around 20 flights I have put on that thing since that time. Pretty darn good.

I have stripped the AR7200BX out of my Goblin 380 and sold it. I also put my 360's for sale and the gains from the first sale got me some electronics I was missing for the new 380 (the airframe was Father's Day gift) and I decided to buy iKon 2 FBL for the Goblins. Why? Because it has Rescue.

So I wanted to share my story because you sound similar. You have amassed a pretty large and nice fleet and are doing very little with it. Unlock your potential with lots of sim training and when you get good at it there, most of it will transfer from muscle memory to real life. What makes you way better on the sim is being guilt free. Able to crash and instantly get back on the air. Rescue makes this possible as well.

The 230 S is cheap enough, small enough and underpowered enough that it will give you time to think and use Rescue. And it can do a LOT of things despite its limitations and its little tail rotor.

I believe the 250 will also include Rescue and SAFE. Just forget about SAFE and make use of Rescue, and push your limits. Use it a few times during the initial hover of your flight to make yourself aware it is there. Fly high and if something looks bad just push the button.

Hope that helps, I really want you to enjoy such a nice fleet of helis.

Good luck!

[jrman83]

Safe and rescue are the same thing. I think you mean stability and rescue. It only saves you if you use it. I have yet to use it, personally. Although needed it at times.

If you just want the rescue feature take the money and get a decent FBL, like a MSH Brain 2 and place it on one of your other helis. It has a rescue and ASL feature. Or better, get two.

The 250 should be a pretty nice heli if it is anything like the 230. The CF frame will be nice as the poor design part of the 230 is the frame. Some don't like the dd tail. The 230 has been a great learner for me as I am sure the 250 would be to boost someone's confidence.

When are they supposed to ship the first ones?

[Mike680]

Originally Posted by toadiscoil

Back to the 230 S. I was so happy because I had hovered the Blade 360, the Goblin 380 (after repair) and the 230 S that I decided to go ahead and try an inverted hover on the 230 S. Needless to say I was a nervous wreck and it did not go well at all. I hit the magic Rescue button, the heli flipped and started climbing.

That's pretty cool because my 230S doesn't climb when you hit and hold the panic button. And, that's normal. Rescue with collective pitch isn't a feature on the 230S. It just flips it over and drives it towards the ground if you still have negative pitch left in from being inverted.

[toadiscoil]

Hmmm. The way I check it is working and make myself aware it is there is by watching it climb. When I rescued it from inverted it did not want to climb down until I released the button because my collective stick was still on negative. Since learned the lesson to be aware to return collective to mid or positive. So on my experience with it indeed it has collective control after a flip if so needed.

Originally Posted by Mike680

That's pretty cool because my 230S doesn't climb when you hit and hold the panic button. And, that's normal. Rescue with collective pitch isn't a feature on the 230S. It just flips it over and drives it towards the ground if you still have negative pitch left in from being inverted.

[jrman83]

I have been testing the panic for the 230s lately as I get ready to put a MSH Brain 2 on a kit to get used to using and it only levels out for me, nothing else. If you are inverted it may have to give some positive pitch to recover I would guess, but otherwise no. Even the videos that Blade has put up doesn't show any sort of climb only more just a self level.

[Mike680]

Originally Posted by jrman83

I have been testing the panic for the 230s lately as I get ready to put a MSH Brain 2 on a kit to get used to using and it only levels out for me, nothing else. If you are inverted it may have to give some positive pitch to recover I would guess, but otherwise no. Even the videos that Blade has put up doesn't show any sort of climb only more just a self level.

Exactly. Now, you might be able to do some funky mixing with a sequencer to add collective pitch in like people did with the MSH Brain/iKON that only had self-level before the new (free) update with a completely re-built rescue system.

[yakky]

You already have some great choices, I'd just get an FBL controller with bailout. The big detractor for me on blades is the parts costs, they are on par with Oxy for a 300 sized heli and the parts quality is not on par. I'd get a 250 clone for the cheap crash costs, but that's me.

[FeriGGGG]

guys, please notice that the 250 cfx is an expensive HEAVY cow with the SAME tail as on the 230, on 230 its barely enough to hold a simple pitch pump, it will not hold any good on the 250 considering the weight => main rotor loading
...unless you are planing to do tail mods

[yakky]

Originally Posted by FeriGGGG

guys, please notice that the 250 cfx is an expensive HEAVY cow with the SAME tail as on the 230, on 230 its barely enough to hold a simple pitch pump, it will not hold any good on the 250 considering the weight => main rotor loading
...unless you are planing to do tail mods

So what is your recommendation in the same price range? Or are you saying everyone needs to spend double to get a heli that flies ok?

[franklin_m]

Originally Posted by yakky

You already have some great choices, I'd just get an FBL controller with bailout. The big detractor for me on blades is the parts costs, they are on par with Oxy for a 300 sized heli and the parts quality is not on par. I'd get a 250 clone for the cheap crash costs, but that's me.

That's an interesting option I hadn't considered.

[yakky]

Originally Posted by franklin_m

That's an interesting option I hadn't considered.

Check out the CopterX 250 FBL. Its $50-60 depending on sales/coupons. Very well built machine for the price, and even the worst crash is $60. Replacement parts are dirt cheap, an entire new tail is $14.

[FeriGGGG]

Originally Posted by yakky

So what is your recommendation in the same price range? Or are you saying everyone needs to spend double to get a heli that flies ok?

that all depends what the pilots skill level is
for a beginner acro heli pilot the 230s is amazing, but 250cfx would cost way more on crashes

[Mike680]

Originally Posted by FeriGGGG

that all depends what the pilots skill level is
for a beginner acro heli pilot the 230s is amazing, but 250cfx would cost way more on crashes

You don't know that. Nobody outside of Blade knows how it will crash. But, what I can attest to is the fact that the CFX style frames are pretty darned strong. I bet it will hold up better than the cheesy stock 230S plastic frame that cracks in several places from hits that aren't even really that hard. It will be easier to repair, too. Crack a frame side? Just pull that side off and replace it. No need for a full rebuild on a new frame like you have to do with the stock 230S frame. So, other than the CFX frame, what else is left to break in a crash for airframe parts? The head is the exact same as the 230S, so no crash parts cost differences there. Same goes for the entire tail assembly. The only thing that would cost a small amount more is a new set of the longer blades and maybe the mainshaft since it's longer, too. Hardly a wallet busting event. It wouldn't cost "way more" at all.

[yakky]

Originally Posted by Mike680

You don't know that. Nobody outside of Blade knows how it will crash. But, what I can attest to is the fact that the CFX style frames are pretty darned strong. I bet it will hold up better than the cheesy stock 230S plastic frame that cracks in several places from hits that aren't even really that hard. It will be easier to repair, too. Crack a frame side? Just pull that side off and replace it. No need for a full rebuild on a new frame like you have to do with the stock 230S frame. So, other than the CFX frame, what else is left to break in a crash for airframe parts? The head is the exact same as the 230S, so no crash parts cost differences there. Same goes for the entire tail assembly. The only thing that would cost a small amount more is a new set of the longer blades and maybe the mainshaft since it's longer, too. Hardly a wallet busting event. It wouldn't cost "way more" at all.

Good point about the frame, that is going to be a real headache saver.