Updated Review! KDE Upgrade Plates & K2Heli's Frame Repair kit

[Finless]

UPDATE 11/12/08 KDE's Next product for the 500. Aluminum Battery plate.

Video Link ->KDE Direct's Trex500 Aluminum BATTERY Plate (14 Megs)

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OK here is a little double review for you all.

KDEDirect.com Trex 500 Bottom Plate and
K2Heli.com Trex500 Frame Stiffeners / Repair plate.

Having crashed my Trex500 and broken my frames, Fireup (Kevin K2Heli.com) made me a frame repair plate. This totally saved me from having to replace my frames which is not a fun exersize...

Now had I had KDE Direct's bottom plate I am sure it would have saved my frames around the landing gear area. Alas I crashed before I got the bottom plate. Also my frame broke just below the battery tray as well so Fireup's Frame repair plate was a saver..

Now I got the KDEDirect bottom plate and put it on along with Fireup's frame repair. These should help any more frame damage due to a crash... No guarantee but knowing what I know now after crashing TWICE, I bet they will!

Also Fireup plans to make a rear frame stiffener / repair plate as well! Mine are cracked at the rear above the mid tray and I will need one soon

Personally I would NOT wait for a crash to get these! Fireup's plate will stiffen the frames and prevent breakage above the landing gear area. KDE's plate wont break and save the lower area of your frames. Worth it to me especially if you crash a lot.

Enjoy the review:

Video Link ->KDE Direct's Trex500 Aluminum Bottom Plate and K2heli's Frame stiffener / Repair Plate (18 Megs)

Bob

[Polkchop]

Thanks for another great video finless! I will have to add one of those to my list when I finally order a 500 LOL! I will get one soon enough. You have to pile drive you'r 500 for everyone here on heli-freak to show how well they hold up. Ha keep the vids coming finless,and try to keep them in the air.

Brandon

[WillJames]

I gotta get some frame savers from Kevin, those look like a good idea for my 500.

[rotorhead58d]

Originally Posted by WillJames

I gotta get some frame savers from Kevin, those look like a good idea for my 500.

plus they look extra cool

[BenHeli]

Bob or Kevin, will either one of you guys post the data for crash worthiness just like the TSA? Cool products thought. Price?

[Finless]

Kevin is now going to make a run of the front plates. I think he is thinking $15 to $20 for CF. He has not designed the rear ones yet but we are all bugging him to get busy.

I crashed yesterday! DANG the engine shut off while I was low inverted doing a hurricane. A motor wire broke off the connector. I guess when I change the bottom plate out I stressed a wire and after a few flights it just broke off

I managed to get the heli flipped over but had no head speed and it bounced pretty bad a little nose in. GUARANTEED I would have broken the bottom plate as I ejected the pack. The bottom plate and frame savers saved me for SURE!

All that was damaged was boom and a sightly bent Flybar.

Bob

[MiniCwik]

Nice products for sure!

Where can the bottom plate be purchased from?

My next purchase will be the bottom plate, and frame stiffeners for sure! (Just ordered some parts and can't buy anymore until a month or two).

[Wyldman]

Originally Posted by MiniCwik

Nice products for sure!

Where can the bottom plate be purchased from?

My next purchase will be the bottom plate, and frame stiffeners for sure! (Just ordered some parts and can't buy anymore until a month or two).

http://www.kdedirect.com/

[KDE Direct]

Hey Bob -

Sorry about the crash, but I'm excited to hear the upgrade helped save damage to your gear! The goal of the design is to protect the expensive electronics, frames, and other components, so I'm always glad to hear from flyers. Thanks again for the video, you did an awesome job covering the details and I'll be on the order list for a set of Kevin's upgrades soon!! HeliFreaks unite!

[mapleleafs]

Great new part!!!

68.99 seems an awful lot for a chunk of aluminum. Is it just me, or do other people feel the same??

might machine my own...lets see 15 bucks for the materials, and the rest is free!

[KDE Direct]

Hey Mapleleafs,

The actual price is $64.95 with free domestic and international shipping. I understand you're initial view that the price seems high for aluminum, but if you take in consideration the cost of CNC machining, low versus high grade materials, high-grade anodizing, and the time-commitment of true product design with finite-element analysis, the cost is actually low. I've taken the cost down as far as I could, but quality is the #1 priority with the brand and I don't believe in shortcutting the machining or lowering the grade of materials to make a cheaper part. If you have your own machining facilities, then by all means, you should try making your own part. On the other hand, by the time you add true AL 6061-T6 materials, MIL-spec clear anodize, CNC precision machining to +/- 0.001", and a bunch of parts discarded due to machining mistakes/learning, I believe you'll find the final part will be more expensive and time-consuming than you initially imagined for a short run. I hope you understand where I'm coming from and feel-free to contact me via PM or e-mail if you have other questions, I'd be glad to help out.

[raylepper]

Bob,
Please remind Kevin to post when he does the run of frame parts. Give us a link and we'll bomb him with orders.

[mapleleafs]

Originally Posted by kegerator

Hey Mapleleafs,

The actual price is $64.95 with free domestic and international shipping. I understand you're initial view that the price seems high for aluminum, but if you take in consideration the cost of CNC machining, low versus high grade materials, high-grade anodizing, and the time-commitment of true product design with finite-element analysis, the cost is actually low. I've taken the cost down as far as I could, but quality is the #1 priority with the brand and I don't believe in shortcutting the machining or lowering the grade of materials to make a cheaper part. If you have your own machining facilities, then by all means, you should try making your own part. On the other hand, by the time you add true AL 6061-T6 materials, MIL-spec clear anodize, CNC precision machining to +/- 0.001", and a bunch of parts discarded due to machining mistakes/learning, I believe you'll find the final part will be more expensive and time-consuming than you initially imagined for a short run. I hope you understand where I'm coming from and feel-free to contact me via PM or e-mail if you have other questions, I'd be glad to help out.

i really appreciate that professional response, i am sorry for that comment, but i sometimes think only of the cost of the raw material, and not the extensive machining that is required.

[MiniCwik]

Originally Posted by raylepper

Bob,
Please remind Kevin to post when he does the run of frame parts. Give us a link and we'll bomb him with orders.

+1 to that

[ka7cse]

Just got mine in the mail and it looks very good and is very strong compared to the original!!! Now I can start my build.....

[RyuuChi]

how do these bottom plates compare to the microheli counterparts? is it a sturdier grade of aluminum?

[KDE Direct]

I cannot comment on the MicroHeli bottom frames as I've never owned them (for the 500 or 450), but I know from previous purchases of small parts from MH that the Aluminum used was very soft and easy to strip the threads out when tightening the screws. I chose to make all parts from 6061-T6 to make sure this never occurs and the anodize is strongly bonded across the entire part for an excellent finish.

[Skiddz]

Could have used some frame protection last Saturday.. Pretty much re-kitted my 500 and after two nights of thrashing, I'm finally ready to start head and gyro setup...

Should be flying Saturday morning....

[puma1824]

Just received mine and fit and finish is excellent!

I would like everyone's opinion on how much the added weight (~20g heavier than stock plastic) will / may effect flight, run time etc. OR is the ~20g negligible?

Thanks in advance.

[heli400]

Ok, I just received my KDE bottom plates for both my Trex 600E and my Trex 500E. The parts are nicely machined

I will post back after install!

Hey where are the frame supports? K2Heli.com Trex500 Frame Stiffeners / Repair plate.


Rick