Blade research, 8 brands, what's best...

[ThaDJ]

Hi Snjbird,

First i wanna say thanx for the super review's on all the blades you've tested so far, keep up the good work we sure bennefit all your test's here.

What do you think of the Ms Composit Champion Carbon 325 Main Blades on a 450 pro?
http://www.fast-lad.co.uk/store/comp...mm-p-9718.html
Any change that you will test those?
Thanx so far..

Friendly Regards Dennis.... ( from the cold and rainy Netherlands )

[BaconRaygun]

So it has been a few weeks with these TP blades and I'm just loving these things! I'm no 3D pilot but I can certainly tell the difference between these, the stock Aligns and the cheap-o stealth CF blades. More pop, less flex and dam are they snappy... Love the way they look too, that black fade and white tips, pretty pretty...

[snjbird]

Yes I still think the Thunder Power Blades are close to, if not the best blades. I have not flown the MS composite blades on a 450, I flew a set of their larger blades on a friends 600. the ones you listed are like 63.00 USD

[ChrisH]

Originally Posted by snjbird

Yes I still think the Thunder Power Blades are close to, if not the best blades. I have not flown the MS composite blades on a 450, I flew a set of their larger blades on a friends 600. the ones you listed are like 63.00 USD

I think the MS blades would be a lot more popular if they were good. I have flown MS 325mm night blades and they're okay ... But slow on cyclic and not much collective. However, these are night blades and most fly different than comparable "daytime" blades.

[snjbird]

$63.00 is 7 pairs of the 3D pro blades...

I have a box full of 325ish blades, and they all have some merit. Most expensive blades in the box are the Radix @ 45.00 retail, and mid 20s Cosflawed...

But I don't think the Radix are the best for my style of flying, but other would disagree.

The cheapest blades I have are from RC Heli Partz, they were 7.50 and they work OK, good enough for low practice, as I am still flying into the ground on occasion. I figure I can save the "good" blades for a time when I am hitting the ground less

[ChrisH]

Personally I tend to go for the 'expensive' blades on my helis. I find that the cheaper blades flutter most of the time, and load up the head. I got some $30 Cermark 425mm blades for my T500, and they flutter like crazy despite being pretty stiff. Worth it if you are still crashing into the ground, but I'll take my Radix 430 on V-Bar!

[Cullen Colapietro]

SNJbird,

You are doing great work here.

I would like to add my experiences, as limited as they might be. My flying style is smooth to moderate 3D with some big smooth maneuvers mixed in.

When I first got my pro, it was used and had Radix on it. I flew them as long as I could, but the inevitable happened. I had nothing to compare them to and thought the heli flew great.

After crashing I purchased a set of G5's and 2 sets of Stealth blades.
http://www.helidirect.com/sbm325323k...is-p-20028.hdx

Upon rebuild I flew around 40 flights on the stealth blades with NO complaints. They felt quite similar to the Radix blades in my opinion. They were light, quick on cyclic and there was alot of collective available. However, I have never gotten the blades to track perfectly (though I haven't gone to the extent of balancing the blades, just flew them stock)

This weekend I decided to try the G5s to see if they would stay in track, i.e., if my tracking issues were a result of the blade or some bent head piece. I have to say, I was impressed w/ the G5 blades for what they are. The blades were very smooth and predictable in the air and therefore made the heli feel more locked in and "bigger" in a sense. These blades also surprised me in the Autorotation category. It's my thoughts that since the blades are heavier, they take longer to slow down and carry inertia well through the Auto. I had much more hang time on these blades than I imagined I would gain just from switching blades.

Despite the benefits of the G5's, I don't believe I'll keep them on the heli as they DO NOT have the same speed as the Stealth or Radix blades. I like their presence in the air both in feel and their sound, but I would have to go to a larger pinion on my setup to get them to fly the way I like my heli flying and I would loose lots of energy to that compromise.

I will be going back to the Stealth blades as I have 2 pairs, they are very snappy blades and they are just plain CHEAP! I really can't tell much difference between them and the Radix, except in the $18 v.s. $45 price tags.

I hope this helps anyone out there looking at any of these three blades.

P.S. I'm not affiliated w/ helidirect or Stealth blades in any way and hope I'm in the right in posting a link to the blades. It's more for the photo to differentiate between these blades and others out there.

[snjbird]

Originally Posted by ChrisH

Personally I tend to go for the 'expensive' blades on my helis. I find that the cheaper blades flutter most of the time, and load up the head. I got some $30 Cermark 425mm blades for my T500, and they flutter like crazy despite being pretty stiff. Worth it if you are still crashing into the ground, but I'll take my Radix 430 on V-Bar!

I do stick with top name blades on my larger helis, Align Radix, Rotor Tech, Edge, and SAB.

But on the 450 I have found that the "cheap" blades make for a good value, and seem to work very well. Now that being said, not all cheap blades are created equal

[ChrisH]

Originally Posted by snjbird

I do stick with top name blades on my larger helis, Align Radix, Rotor Tech, Edge, and SAB.

But on the 450 I have found that the "cheap" blades make for a good value, and seem to work very well. Now that being said, not all cheap blades are created equal

I agree, but when I had my 450 ... I got spoiled with the TP 337s. After that, I couldn't fly anything else

[alexf1852]

I have purchased many sets of Stealth and Pro 3D blades (430mm). In my opinion, they are not worth it. They are hardly ever straight. They always needs tons of packing tape to balance them. They fly ok if you're just puttering around. But I much prefer the SABs, MS Composites, Edge FBL, G5 Pro etc.

I would take the Cermark Chameleon blades every time over the Stealth and Pro 3D. The Chameleons are stiffer, straight, CG matches, and sometimes only require a tiny bit of tape to balance. The finish quality is not that good (neither are the Stealth and Pro 3D). I don't get the flutter that someone posted about.

And best of all, if you buy them in 3's or 5's, they come out to being only $16 a pair. BTW, these Chameleon blades have FBL characteristics.

[Santini]

I have been using these for some time and they are very good. I run v high headspeed. I just put a pair of the strealths on and my initial impression is they are very good. Weight was off by about .04 approx. My fav blades are the TP, but at less than 1/2 the price, these are mighty close.

[ExtensionChord]

Looking to get my first 450 soon. Getting a trex 450 sport. The question is: 325 or 335 blades? Getting some align woodies. Should I want higher HS with the 325s? Also, from hole to tip the 325 are 315 and 335s are 325..... hmmmmm

[maarset]

At a safe HS the 335 align woodies are very stable blades and makes the 450 easier to fly IMO

[ExtensionChord]

safe HS being 2800rpm roughly? i'm looking to get a 2221-8 motor but idk what pinion would get me that with 3595kv... i'll go find out

[tacomaster]

Originally Posted by maarset

At a safe HS the 335 align woodies are very stable blades and makes the 450 easier to fly IMO

after hovering and some slow ff, woodies suck imo.

[Luvmyhelis]

Originally Posted by ExtensionChord

Looking to get my first 450 soon. Getting a trex 450 sport. The question is: 325 or 335 blades? Getting some align woodies. Should I want higher HS with the 325s? Also, from hole to tip the 325 are 315 and 335s are 325..... hmmmmm

Most 325 blades actually come in at 315mm. The 335's also have some discrepancies. But what you do gain is disc size and that creates a much more stable heli. I used to think the shorter blades would be easier to learn on but in actuality it is the exact opposite. I just ordered in my 335's last week but am seriously thinking about moving up into 350's this summer. These (350s) probably wont work with the stock sport motor and certainly not with the stock tail boom. Just sayin. bigger is better.

[Fierce]

Originally Posted by snjbird

Hey I have been through $3500.00worth of batteries, since I started this deal, that is a fair chunk of change! And I know what works and what does not now because of keeping track of them Now I have just under $600.00 worth of batteries that I can fly all day with and never fire up a nitro, if I want!

This thread is a great help.

Ever think about a thread on all the lipos you've tried and the results. I for one would be very interested. I need to replace my lipos on my 450 sport.

[Growndefekt]

Top work, thanks for posting that reveiw. Deserves sticky status.

The differences are amazing, especially the weights!

[snjbird]

Been flying FBL... I'll post some findings later...

[Cullen Colapietro]

SNJ, when you get the time, do post up results in he FBL arena. Come Tuesday, I'll be putting together a 450 Pro V2 w/ 3Gx and it comes w/ 46g a pair Align 3G blades. I'd like o hear thoughts on other blade options as well for FBL!
As always, continue the god work.