New Align Flybarless Head

[Ah Clem]

"this is a form of progress, try not to stop it"

Agreed.

I have been flying these heads for over a year now (6HV, Atom 500, 7HV-I installed one on my Trex 600E, my Chaos 600E and my Caliber 700, also).

They are a definite improvement over the Align heads.

[CNCjunkie]

Nice! and definitely the next upgrade for my 700E and G.

[brian94066]

doesn't make anyone a better pilot, doesn't fly any different, it's just less parts

now if Compass or SAB or Align makes a dedicated swash for this type of heads, it'd be great, just 2 balls instead of 4, that faces counter clockwise instead of the traditional outward facing balls, the link won't be at an extreme angle when the swash is deflected fully, but it would just rotate on the ball side to side

there are advantages to having lower heads, but I never felt any big difference in characteristics

[Blink 182]

Originally Posted by Ah Clem

"this is a form of progress, try not to stop it"

Agreed.

I have been flying these heads for over a year now (6HV, Atom 500, 7HV-I installed one on my Trex 600E, my Chaos 600E and my Caliber 700, also).

They are a definite improvement over the Align heads.

What advantages have you noticed with the lower head? And what type of flying do you do?

[Ah Clem]

Blink,

I fly mostly smooth aerobatics, with some 3D. Rolling performance is better (flatter), the machine is smoother, and yet much quicker when you hit the cyclic hard.

Its not just the lower profile (which compresses the vertical CG), that head design (Sebastian's design) just handles better). The TracX/Compass head really woke up the cyclic-even on my old Trex 600E with the stock length main shaft.

You are welcome to fly my 6HV sometime, if you want to (we are both in California).

brian94066,

Put a TracX head on one of your Align machines and then report back-you will feel the difference.

If it were not a better design and did not produce better flight characteristics, would Align have bothered to retool to duplicate it?

[brian94066]

Originally Posted by Ah Clem

Blink,

I fly mostly smooth aerobatics, with some 3D. Rolling performance is better (flatter), the machine is smoother, and yet much quicker when you hit the cyclic hard.

Its not just the lower profile (which compresses the vertical CG), that head design (Sebastian's design) just handles better). The TracX/Compass head really woke up the cyclic-even on my old Trex 600E with the stock length main shaft.

You are welcome to fly my 6HV sometime, if you want to (we are both in California).

brian94066,

Put a TracX head on one of your Align machines and then report back-you will feel the difference.

If it were not a better design and did not produce better flight characteristics, would Align have bothered to retool to duplicate it?

i used to own the 6HV, and the only Align machine i own as of now is a trex 450

[Ah Clem]

What are you flyin', Brian?

Looks like Logo from your avatar?

[Airworks]

LOLOL , yet another company with no thought of their own , .....poop! if you guys want the real deal buy a compass head.
its too bad watching companies rip off other companies..LOL, really makes for a world of disrespect...at least from me.

it also goes to show whats good and whats not , so in that respect, all these companies following in the footsteps of compass.


"goes to show where you should be spending your hard earned dollars."

[fenderstrat]

here we go again.when I got into the hobby and was flying a HBK2 everyone said small helis are junk,they are toys,anything smaller than 450 is a waste of time.Then Align came out with the 250 and it was the greatest thing since sliced bread,people were waiting in line to get them.

When Compass introduced this head design people said it wont work,it'll have phasing issues,it'll have dampener issues,the links wont hold up,anything to bash the new design.Now Align has copied it and again its soooo cool,people cant wait to have one.The TRAC-X heads have been available as a retofit for a while.I dont understand the big deal.

if Align put their name on a pile of dog crap stuck 2 blades in it and packaged it in a super combo,people would get in line to pre order.I just dont get it

[Scorny]

^^^^^^ I'm not sure,but whats with all the bashing...??!!
Somebody will start it or invert it,others will copy it,others will improve on it or make it better.
You don't have to buy it,unless they copied it and made it worse,I don't see the problem.
I find it a little mind boggling when folks get attached to something like a company(compass).

[Airworks]

its due to the bashing that came , when the head was first dev.'d , it was bashed up and down , paybacks a B%*^h!

[fenderstrat]

the point is this,when the design was introduced there was a LOT of bashing going on,before anyone (other than factory pilots) had even flown one,bashing for the sake of bashing.Now another company copies the design and all of a sudden its a cool must have upgrade.

I understand there is a ton of copying in this business,but I find it funny that this head sucks when there is one name on it and its great with a different name on it

as far as mind boggling that people get attached to a company,thats about as ironic as it gets,that was my whole point.people wont even CONSIDER a product(this head was available for almost a year or so under 2 different names) unless it has the Align name on it,now thats attached to a company

[Blink 182]

I haven't seen anything negative about the Compass head. To my understanding its been pretty successful on the 6 & 7HV.

[terrabit]

Originally Posted by Ah Clem

"no patent, i don't see what the problem is here"

Just no original thinking...

At least they know a good design when they see one!

I don't agree with this. RC helis are relatively high-tech machines as far as mass production goes. As such they are subject to an evolutionary process. As innovative designs are introduced they are tried and tested. The better ones become standard. Lesser designs go the way of the dinosaur. Evolve or die. These sort of things will always make their way into the public domain eventually.

As far as fender's criticism goes, no offense but, that's just ego trying to make you think that you're ahead of the curve because you think you recognized something good or bad before others did. I've been there. I owe no allegiance to any manufacturer because none are loyal to me. I made that mistake with Mikado. Rolf sure as hell doesn't give a f**k about me. It's mutual.

[pitch black]

Sorry guys,

Anybody have the hole-hole distance for the FBL arms that allow the M3 bolts to go into the grips?

[BakedMopar]

Looks pretty. It looks pretty close in height of the 7HV maybe even a tad lower. I know my 7HV was a good bit shorter than the T700. I dont fly hard enough to notice any difference In head design.

[satchy]

Mate has a 180 flights on his 6HV and no maintaince done hes starting to think dampners need changing other than that its great

who cares who copys who as long as ALIGN make them

everyone copys everyone somewhere down the track

[Andyzboy]

I think it's great to see flybarless heads migrating to this design, there are still improvements to be made in head design and there needs to be competition for that to happen. I don't see it as a copy of anything, just a natural progression.

[Airworks]

lets see some boom strikes already! merry xmas.

[raptor50luvver]

Nobody remembers the original knight 3d was a copy of a lot of the Hirobo design then.