Ready to get a 500

[jmtyndall]

Hey guys, I'm ready to try something bigger. After much debate about going 550/600/700 I've decided to just take one step up the ladder and get a 500. I have a Logo 400 kit that swings 425mm blades. But the cost of building it is the same as, or slightly more than building a Trex 500 or a Protos 500.

I have built a couple of Protos 500s for a friend, but haven't really flown them. No experience with the logo or the align. Any opinions? Leave gyros out. Any kit I get will be without gyro and I'll be adding a vbar

[MS60]

I'd set up the logo you already have, or get a used trex 500 EFL pro like the one I'll sell you for 350.00

[geckgo]

If you already have the kit then build it with the parts that you want to use. I've heard some bad things about align ESCs of late. When I built my Atom I tried to keep it on a budget so I put align servos, a robird, and used the stock motor/pinion combo. And a Castle Talon 90 ESC. Still ran a pretty penny for the electronics and the kit was 500+/- with the motor and blades.

Building a 500 kit with better component is going to trump getting an inferior kit. Think about it, in a kit you are really paying for a carbon frame and a tail. The electronics make it go zoom. Either way, I think you will be happy with a 500 size heli, as it's a world of difference from the micros and 450s. When I was in that spot, I wanted to build a good one, and compared to the price of the Vbar, what are you really getting.

You can also shop the for sale forum for the ESC and servos, that's how I got mine and saved a good bit of money though I gave away the align FBL to a friend of mine.

[Ah Clem]

I would look into the Atom.

It is tried and true. Very robust, low parts count, and very resistant to wear and tear.

I have two now (one stock and one stretched).

Great flying machines!

[SumOFparts]

I would sell the logo - and then buy someone's new open box kit -
Trex 500 efl or 550 w/520 blades - stay away from the dfc heads -
that would be 425mm/520mm blades depending on taste.
Parts are gonna be same $ for these - with the 520 blades being $10 or 20 more.
Light and easy to fix - I stuck belted tails on all mine....

One step up from that would be 6HV - compass 600mm blades......light model - hangs in air really well - low parts count - easy to fix.....could even run 6s.

All these are like the piper cubs of the heli training world.....

logo is gonna be expensive to fix - and their frames dont crash so well......

[jmtyndall]

Some interesting points here. The trex would run the combo electronics that come with it. The protos comes with YGE/Scorpion which I was looking at for the Protos. Same cyclic servos and possibly the tail, but I've heard that the Protos should run a full size tail for performance.

Benefits of the Protos and Logo are that they have EFL style heads stock.

I haven't been able to find a good account of what goes on each one. I have seen the protos crashed HARD and it didn't do too bad on the carbon frame. If you don't break the frame then the damage is contained to the head/tail/belt

[SumOFparts]

The ones with the tail belt that goes around the main gear are sometimes little harder to fix - that's one of the complaints about the Warp 360 - that's reason I dont fly my 500x all that often - its the tail belt around the main - my Trex 500 are kinda like the 450x - whole tail block slides out with 4 bolts.....make for fast easy repairs that are inevitable...

One advantage on the protos 500 is it flys way quieter than same in a Rex - if that matters to you.....

[Gladius]

Originally Posted by SumOFparts

my Trex 500 are kinda like the 450x - whole tail block slides out with 4 bolts.....make for fast easy repairs that are inevitable...

I used to hate doing anything with the tail or boom on my Blade 450 because of that stupid belt - you had to take the whole dang thing apart! I'd much rather deal with the occasional stripped gear on a torque tube.

[SumOFparts]

To get to that front TT gear - you still have to pull whole boom/front boom block out to get to it...

Yeah - this is not an easy sport - just couple easier paths here and there - different for those with different skill sets, tools, and of course - patience.....

I stick with the tail belts - cause I tend to dork my booms alot - I just bend back and keep flyin...

Same with dfc heads - dont ever use - the older efl ones with pop off links that take the punch.
Just paint those links bright orange for easy retrieval from the the tundra......
-

[Ron_R]

Why not just build and fly the Logo?

I have a T-Rex 500e and love it, but if I had a Logo kit on hand, I would build it and fly it hands down over any Align product. It came down to cost for me, and the 500e with almost everything needed was under $400.00. It's a FB Heli though, but I don't mind.

Fly the Logo!!!

[ronm3313]

+1 to Why not just build the Logo?

I have a Tarot 500 ESP I converted to DFC FBL. I also had an Align 500e I converted to DFC FBL. I eventually sold the 500e. I didn't need 2.

Now if you're determined NOT to build the Logo 400 then I'd say get a 'true' 500 that swings 500mm blades. My buddy has a Goblin 500 which is closer in size to an Align 600 than the Align 500.

[jmtyndall]

Honestly part of it is because the logo forums are dead, and there is essentially nothing on the logo 400 platform.

I thought about a Goblin, but now you're talking $800 without a fbl unit, esc or batteries. I guess since it swings 500mm blades the cost would be more in line with a 550 than a 500

[geckgo]

I can't wait till the old align naming conventions are done with and we start calling 450s 325s, lol.

The only way I can think of you could go cheaper would be a flybar head kit from align or one of the knock-offs, or buying used. Servos will run you at least 200-300, esc prolly 100, and batts about 60 bucks apiece. This isn't going to change no matter what kit you are building. If you get an old flybar align they are basically giving you the airframe for free That's how I look at it anyways.

[HarryR]

Well, I have a few of those and coming from a Blade 450X ( and the usual succession of Blade helis) this heli is built well, has few parts and really kikks arsenine. When it is repair time, the frames are cheap, you can replace a frame half without having to take the while heli to pieces... just take the complete rotor head off ( 29 seconds), then the servo box ( 4 minutes) and you are halfway done. Once you know how to grab the tiger by the tail ( to tighten the tension on the belt) that becomes easy and predictable to do. It takes a whole lot of different servos. I have JR, Futaba ( mini and full size), Align, SAVOX etc... not on the same heli of course.. They all work. I have all of them loaded with AR7200BX and either stock or YEP ESC. They all work the same way. Just make sure you build the tail correctly and have it smooth and this heli goes up in the sky quietly and stealthy... very stealthy!!

[jmtyndall]

Originally Posted by geckgo

I can't wait till the old align naming conventions are done with and we start calling 450s 325s, lol.

The only way I can think of you could go cheaper would be a flybar head kit from align or one of the knock-offs, or buying used. Servos will run you at least 200-300, esc prolly 100, and batts about 60 bucks apiece. This isn't going to change no matter what kit you are building. If you get an old flybar align they are basically giving you the airframe for free That's how I look at it anyways.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to cheap out here. Im lookng at between $800 and $1000. But I was just questioning if, for that money I want to fly a Logo that nobody else flies, or go Align/Protos since I like my Mini P and Trex450 already.


Harry R, you have a few of which?

[Kap'n Krunch]

Originally Posted by jmtyndall

Hey guys, I'm ready to try something bigger. After much debate about going 550/600/700 I've decided to just take one step up the ladder and get a 500. I have a Logo 400 kit that swings 425mm blades. But the cost of building it is the same as, or slightly more than building a Trex 500 or a Protos 500.

I have built a couple of Protos 500s for a friend, but haven't really flown them. No experience with the logo or the align. Any opinions? Leave gyros out. Any kit I get will be without gyro and I'll be adding a vbar

my opinion is the vbar does not work well with the trex 500 so reconsider on one of them

[geckgo]

Originally Posted by jmtyndall

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to cheap out here. Im lookng at between $800 and $1000. But I was just questioning if, for that money I want to fly a Logo that nobody else flies, or go Align/Protos since I like my Mini P and Trex450 already.


Harry R, you have a few of which?

I have heard a mix of reviews about MSH lately, mainly that they are spendy to repair. If that is a concern it might be worthwhile to go Align, Gaui, or Compass. Of course I'm going to recommend the Atom, how can't I? All of us compass guys are aparently nutz. Or you could look into getting a 600 from TSA, or something from KDS. They seem to be resonably priced kits but I don't know much about them.

[SumOFparts]

Run a want to trade add - there are those out there that would never run a 'Trailer Trash' Trex and might would trade - just ask for a new kit - not some left over beater.............

For some - the logo's are king and wouldn't fly anything else.....never hurts to ask.
And that logo aint hash either - those logo peoples pretty much wrote the book....

-

[Epoweredrc]

Originally Posted by SumOFparts

I would sell the logo - and then buy someone's new open box kit -
Trex 500 efl or 550 w/520 blades - stay away from the dfc heads -
that would be 425mm/520mm blades depending on taste.
Parts are gonna be same $ for these - with the 520 blades being $10 or 20 more.
Light and easy to fix - I stuck belted tails on all mine....

One step up from that would be 6HV - compass 600mm blades......light model - hangs in air really well - low parts count - easy to fix.....could even run 6s.

All these are like the piper cubs of the heli training world.....

logo is gonna be expensive to fix - and their frames dont crash so well......

Why stay away from DFC heads? I am going to build a 500 next and was going to go that route can you even find FBL non DFC heads now days?

[jmtyndall]

You can use the efl head. More expensive. Less chance of boom strike, saves your servos.

Why does the vbar not work well on the Trex?

I worked on an atom once and it seemed cool. Pretty sweet that they stretch to 550 with just a handful of parts, and I have seen some sick flights with them.