planefan1

Here we go with a new post,

Hope everyone will join this post, and we all can spread some helpful information. Just got my blade yesterday. Everything looks great. The manual is a little vague, not too much information, but then again, there is not too much to do to get it flying. I flew mine with the stock NiMh battery, and was surprised with the decent power. I did have to adjust my tail rotor. It wanted to pull majorly to the right. I also bought the "upgrade kit" but wont use it till later. I just wanted to have an extra set of blades, and extra motor sitting around. My LHS only has the upgrade in stock, no other parts, blades,etc. I would like to install the heat sinks, but have some questions. Has anyone else installed the upgrade, how do you install the heat sinks, there was no glue or anything included. I know there must be a special glue, to transfer the heat. I also bought the thunder power 11.1v, 1320 Li-poly battery. Have not used it yet.

Lets keep this post going, and we all should learn alot. So far, so good. Looks to be a decent copter for a beginner, as well as a fun sport copter for the pros.

StrangeRanger

Heat sinks just "pop" on. But ya, you should use some thermal paste too. You can get that cheap at Radio Shack or similar store. Use a VERY thin layer of thermal paste spread onto the motor or heat sink and then just pop it on. Make sure there is no label or sticker or what not between the motor/paste/heat sink when you put it on. Be careful of the thermal paste, it gets everywhere and does not come off easily.
j

Jason W M

My Feedback: (6)

As j mentioned, you can simply "pop" the heat sinks in place. It is hovever a very good idea to install heat sink compound to improve the performance of the heat sinks though it is not a neccesity. Heat sink compound can be found a number of places, or your E-flite dealer can get you some of this as well:

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Shop/ByC...rodID=EFLM1913

You can see some additional tips on installing the heat sinks (and Aerobatic Enhancement Kit when youre ready) in the article found here:

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Explore/...ArticleID=1461

Theres also a ton more info on the Blade CP found in the thread here:

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=377569

To help keep this thread going, lets make sure to spell the brand name right in the title though - it should be "E-flite" and not "E-flight"

Jason Merkle
E-flite Product Manager
Horizon Hobby
http://www.horizonhobby.com

dhmorrill

My Feedback: (1)

I got my blade yesterday also and it is my first heli, I made some training gear for it and the most I have gotten it up was about 2 inches and really have not been able to get it into a hover, it wants to move all over the place as I am sure this is normal and I just need to practise and get the hang of it. It was trimmed perfectly out of the box, no adjustment needed except for the gyro, tail rotor kept want to go to the right but I got that fixed. Does anyone have any advise for keeping this thing stable once it lifts off? I didnt think much right stick input should be needed once you get it up to maintain a hover but it is like standing on a round ball and just seems not to want to stay in one spot, is there another adjustment I need to do? any info and help would be greatly appreciated. How long did it take you to be able to hover on your first time, everything I read says it could take hours of practice.

sdsavage

I was very Interested in the purchase of this NEW E-Flite Blade but I am new to this Sport and feel the need to buy a Heli with more durable blades. I hear the Blade comes with Flat Wooden Main Blades, this would not be good for banging in to stuff while training.
Is there any chance I could install Plastic Type Blades on the Blade to practice with.
I just didn't want to have to buy a Mini DragonFly for $250 and later turn around (in due time) to buy the Blade for $220.
Before you you know it I would have enough money in these to Heli's to have bought a ShoGun 400.

Any way to change out to a more durable set of Blades?

Steve

Jason W M

My Feedback: (6)

Steve -

Take a few minutes to look at this link also posted above and read through some of the posts found there:

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=377569

As you will see, the Blade CP is not intended for new heli pilots - this is one reason it uses wooden main blades for performance before durability. Unfortunately, the only models I know with plastic blades are indeed fixed pitch.

While the Blade CP is not intended for new heli pilots that does not mean it is impossible to learn to fly helis on. With the help of an experienced pilot, sim time, etc one could certainly learn to fly successfully with the Blade CP as it is quite durable, inexpensive to fix and will be easy to find parts for just about anywhere. If you do decide to pick up a BCP for your first heli, I would suggest (along with the help of an experienced pilot and/or lots of sim time) a set of training gear:

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Shop/ByC...rodID=EFLH1128

Crashing helis is always a reality when learning to fly whether you have a Shogun, BCP or Dragonfly. Sure, the Dargonfly may have the most durable main blades, but it also has far less room to grow with you as your skills progress (fixed pitch machines are easy to outgrow very quickly). Then again a Shogun costs 2-3 times more, and it may also cost 2-3 times more to fix after a crash. The BCP is a machine that offers a lot of features for the price with the ability to grow with you as you progress, all they way through basic aerobatics and inverted flying. With crash kits available for less than $20 (including a set of main rotor blades, tail rotor blade, flybar and skid set), it is also one of the easiest and most inexpensive helis to repair after a crash:

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Shop/ByC...rodID=EFLH1169

Good luck in any choice of heli you may make!

Invertedflyby

My Feedback: (15)

This Heli Rocks!

I picked mine up from the LHS two hours ago. Here is a link to two vids. They are the only two vids in the list, you will need quicktime or nokia viewer to watch them since they were taken on my phone, sorry for the quality. Keep in mind I haven't flown a heli in a few years and I had flown it for about 30 seconds before I took this video. In one of the videos I hit the coffee table with the tailrotor but it doesn't hurt it and the other video it runs down since I hadn't charged it yet. It's on the charger now

[link=http://webpages.charter.net/bhughes76/]]Videos[/link]

Fly-n-3D

3D right out of the box! I will have to get this. It is amazing! Idon't plan on getting it right now because I am getting a new airplane. Here are some pics.

Jason W M

My Feedback: (6)

Actually Fly-n-3D, the Blade CP is not billed as a 3D capable heli at all.

In its stock form right out of the box it is a smooth and solid sport performer capable of being flown indoors and out with no adjustments or extra work required.

With the optional Aerobatic Enhancement Kit (EFLH1168 which can be found here: http://www.horizonhobby.com/Shop/ByC...rodID=EFLH1168 ) installed along with a 3S 860-1320mAh LiPo pack the Blade CP does become an even more capable machine which has the ability to loop, roll, fly inverted and more, but most of the aggressive 3D flying such as chaos, death spirals, etc is better left for larger models.

That said, the Blade CP is still an excellent machine and the fact that it is readily capable of most basic aerobatics and inverted flying in a RTF offering is truly a step above the rest when compared to many of the other helis in this RTF class (Most of which are actually fixed pitch).

If youre looking for all out 3D performance, larger and more expensive models are where its at. But if youre looking for a smooth, solid and reliable RTF heli with the ability to perform basic aerobatics and inverted flying with little added effort or investment, the Blade CP is certainly one of the best choices out there today.

edge540ts

My Feedback: (1)

I just got mine yesterday. It is the best micro heli I have ever seen or flown in the stock form. My question is what brushless set up will work best, and how would you install a head hold gyro with the 4 in 1 unit and tail motor. I have a himaxx 2015 4100kv with a cc10. Will this work? I am not looking for all out 3d power, just a slight upgrade in power with longer runtimes. As far as the hh gyro, do I need a second speed control? Lets keep up the posts on this heli.
Thanks

bdavison

My Feedback: (1)

Ok, I have and Esky 5005 Carboon CCPM heli. I stopped by the hobby shop this morning and saw the blade sitting there. So I figured what the hay...

I bought the thing and took it home.

I opened up the box, removed all the stuff. Tossed the manual back in the box and shoved the battery on the charger.

While I was waiting for the stock battery, I grabbed a 3cell lipo I had laying around, and took the heli and radio outside. Put in some double A's and turned on the transmitter. I plugged in the lipo, and waited for the gyro to init. Then I gave it a little throttle.

I had a bum tail motor. It didnt work. Oh well, no problem I just went into my little box o parts, soldered another tail motor on there and went back out for another try. Honestly, I dont think this is going to be a problem for most folks. Probably just one bad one from the factory. Its a easy fix anyhow.

The heli flys GREAT!!!!!!. We are having some aweful weather down here...rain and lots of wind.

The heli does surprisingly well in the wind for a light weight electric heli. The heli was trimmed out pretty well right out of the box. Blades were tracking dead on, and collective was responsive. It has TONS of negative pitch, so if you do a loop with it, gentle on the negative or it will zip straight up inverted.

Now the heli comes with flat bottom blades. The blades are monokote covered balsa. Not exactly the best option for 3D flight, but E-flite does tell you to get the "Aerobatic Enhancement kit" for 3D flight. The kit has full symmetrical blades in it.

All in all, Id highly recommend it to anyone with a little skills. Its the perfect "next" heli for folks that have a little stick time on something like the XRB. If youve never flown a heli before you'll need at the least some sim time to get used to before you tackle the "Blade" If your skills are a little new, do yourself a huge favor and get some training skids for it. You'll be glad you did.

You can fly the blade in two different modes. One is similar to how a fixed pitch heli works, Collective and throttle are matched together. Once you get better, flip the idle up switch and go to full collective for the wild stuff. The heli seems very docile for a light micro electric heli. This thing really flys great indoors and outdoors. Im having a blast with mine.

The blade is EXACTLY...and I do mean EXACTLY like the Esky 5005 Carbooon. Its the same helicopter. Im pretty sure that E-flite gets these things from Esky and just puts their label on it.

The box of the "Blade" says "No other electric micro helicopter matches the Blade CP for price and performance"
They are right. For $219 bucks you cant beat it.

I would encourage all you guys to go pick this one up. Its a steal.

If you have any questions about the blade feel free to ask. Ill try to answer them all.

bdavison

My Feedback: (1)

The more I fly this thing, the better it gets.

The stock battery doesnt last very long. About 8-10min. Get a 3cell lipo and it will fly much longer. Take breaks though because the motors will get warm after about 10min or so.

The radio it comes with is a pretty nice radio. Nice sticks and a nice feel. I dont care for the ratchet throttle stick though.

The thing handles the wind pretty good. Its still blowing a gale outside, but the heli doesnt seem to care.

This thing rocks.

Oh and one more thing. The heli doesnt have a low voltage cutoff for lipos, so when it starts slowing down....STOP FLYING. and go recharge the batteries or you risk ruining a lipo.
I think I am going to order a Bell 222 Lexan body and attempt to modify it for the Blade CP. This thing would look sweet with a scale fuselage on it.

billaltman

My Feedback: (7)

Hey Bryan I'll be in town tuesday glad you got your blade . Does Tony have any more? Does he have any of the 3d blades? Anyway it sounds like a great hele for the money. see ya Bill

dribbe

Hi bdavidson,

I apprectiate your feedback on the Blade CP. I hope you get a lot of good use out of it!

A couple of clarification points FWIW:

Horizon does not refer to the Blade as '3D'. We refer to it as aerobatic, and capable of inverted flight.

Horizon/E-Flite does not do any business with E-Sky. We deal factory direct. I am not sure if E-Sky has a factory. I know there primary business has been as a trading company.
The world of micro-heli's in China is complex, and assumptions are likely to be quite inaccurate.

The Blade CP is made to our specifications with different component quality, setups, and quality control standards than other Helis. Of course, we are not at liberty to discuss what factories we use, and if anyone else uses them.

We have been working on the Blade CP for a couple of years... some of the improvements we have made may also end up benefiting other sellers. Large companies are not as quick and nimble as smaller ones, and we need to get it right the first time.

This is not meant to be argumentative or controversial... It is just some plain ole' facts... due to a lot of speculation.

David

bdavison

My Feedback: (1)

Bill,

Tony's gonna hate me...I didnt get it from him. He didnt have them. I got it from the shop in the mall.
I know Im a traitor, but sometimes you just got to do what you got to do.

It was $219 in the store and worth every cent. Its freakin awesome.

Hobby Central in the mall also has the Shogun in stock, along with tons of parts....even seperates like gyros and such. Maybe eventually I'll get one of those, but I cant see how it would be any better than the blade.

Im sure Tony will get some eventually. I dont think he's really interested in selling helis though. He's mainly dealing with the planes. I also got the new shocky built. Just got another Superstar.

I ordered the new radio for the Carbooon heli, so hopefully Ill have two CCPM helis up and running soon. Ill bring the Blade to the gym next time we fly so you can see it. I think you'll like it alot. I know you said you were looking for a good heli. This ones great for the price.

bdavison

My Feedback: (1)

Dribbe


Its all good to me. Regardless of where they come from, Im glad they are alike. It makes it even easier to find stuff for them. Not to mention all the parts between my two helis are interchangeable which is fantastic. You guys hit a home run on this one. Im glad to finally see one of the "big three" to come out with a kick butt heli for the right price. I can tell you guys put alot of thought into the heli before you released it. Nice bright yellow canopy is easy to see, and has that aggressive look to it. The carbon fiber looking stickers were a nice touch. Everything is set-up right from the factory, so you dont have to tinker with linkages and such to get it to fly right. All I had to do was tweak the proportional adjustment on the mixer so that the tail would trim out where I wanted it.

I do have one suggestion. You need to make the line "...unplug both the main and tail motor wires from the 4-in-1 control unit ..." on page 8 of the manual in BOLD SUPER TYPE. If some poor fellow speeding through the manual doesnt catch that before moving to page 9, he's gonna get a nasty surprise if he's not familiar with how CCPM helis work.[X(] Other than that the manual is terrific. I have to admit, I didnt read the thing until after I had flown the heli. I was already familiar with the Esky, so I figured Id skip it and get right to the fun. Im also glad to see you included the AMA safety code in the back.

Also, It would be nice if the charger had a LED in it to show charging status, and perhaps a auto-cutoff at full charge. Just a thought for next time. Also, put some stickers on the outside telling what channel the radio is on. Mine is on 52, but I had to look it up on a chart of freq's to figure out which one I had. If people are flying with other pilots at a local field, they are going to need to know what ch its on for the frequency board. Just a round sticker on the outside of the box would work.

So why did you guys choose not to bill it as a "3D" heli? Its certainly capable.

Has anyone tried coiling the antenna around the tailboom? Would doing this have any negative effects? It seems like it would be a great way to get the antenna out of the way.
Does Horizon/E-flite have any plans to release other stuff for the heli...like lexan fuselage kits. You guys could make a killing off off "hop-up's" for this thing. Id love to see a Bell 222 or Hughes "littlebird" fuselage for it.

I hope Horizon and E-flite continue the good work.

Thanks for the great heli, and Ill recommend it to everyone I know.


Well, Im off to go fly again, under the street lamp outside.

dribbe

Hi,
Thanks for your comments... We will take them under consideration.

It is a good point on the channel designation... I think some people are able to get their sticker off the box, and onto the Tx....

We tried various antenna routings... suprisingly similar results... I think Ron O coils his around a plastic or foam card between the skids. I run mine 'stock'

Regarding the bodies.... I don't think we will have any right away, but it is worth considering. It is difficult to gauge demand for those kinds of things.
Were you able to spot the Carbon Blades on horizonhobby.com?? (They are not in stock yet, and are a little hard to find on the web still.)
We are really pleased with our canopy... It is home grown E-Flite...

Regarding 3D... I guess it means different things to different people... We don't see many people being able to Chaos on tic-tok the BCP, so we thought it was best to keep expectations in check, and make sure we delivered on those we set. I think the set-ups and tuning we did will give a great out of the box experience to our customers, and provide a long lasting heli.

Have Fun,
David

bdavison

My Feedback: (1)

DOH....I missed that sticker...sure enough there is a sticker on the box with the channel designation. Dont know how I missed that before.

Havent seen the carbon fiber blades yet, but I'll check that out. This thing would look awesome with some carbon up top to match the carbon stickers on the canopy.

You guys did real good with the canopy. It looks great. It looks awesome just sitting still, and even better flying.

I havent tried a tic-tok with it yet. Thats pushing my skills a little, but I have looped it (with the stock blades and stock motor none the less). Its a little wild, but completely controllable.
When I originally got it, I was a little concerned about the stock motor, but it works great. You dont need a brushless with this thing. It flys just fine like it is.

As far as the antenna goes, I think I will try the "wrapping around a straw" idea that has been posted around here lately. Im really surprised it works with the antenna wrapped around the skids like that. It works fine, but kinda makes me nervous.

My cat's eyes were practically bugging out of his head when he was watching it fly. I think he thought it was a jumbo sized canary.

Well, my batteries are almost charged, so Im off to go flying.

TripleDeucer

My Feedback: (129)

Here is a shot at our flying field.

TripleDeucer

My Feedback: (129)

Here is another. Sorry no video. Our LHS presold all 5 he got and to all beginers. The one fellows in the photo of the 5 has had the most success because of slight previous experience with heli's. The others are crashed up waiting on parts. Seems to be a nice flying little heli.

TripleDeucer

My Feedback: (129)

Don't know what happened to the photo. Try again.

edge540ts

My Feedback: (1)

I do think that the blade is great on the stovck motor, but I just thought that the brushless may be a little more efficient. Longer runtimes and less battery weight. Any ideas on how to set up a hh gyro. I have to wait till Tuesday for a new main shaft, lhs didn't have many spare parts except crash kit (no main shaft) and the acro upgrade kit, so I bought both. Spoke with a guy at the lhs that claimed that he helped make recomendations for the production of the blade. He said that in all of his test flying, he has never bent the main shaft. I guess I am just really good at crashing. keep the posts coming

bdavison

My Feedback: (1)

Yeah, this heli is super durable. Ive tipped mine in a few times. No damage other than a little monokote is missing from the blade tips.

This heli is terrific. If flys great and is really durable.

As far as a heading hold gyro. You should be able to connect it from the 4-in-1 box to the tail motor I would think.
Id just crank up the gain on the gyro.

polarbare

My Feedback: (1)

Hello,

Have only taken it for a few hops (trying to get it dialed in) - does everyone have the "okay getting close to full throttle but not really coming off the -whoa!" back of the the throttle thing - i.e. pitch is just kinda freaky. makes me a bit nervous (still in the beginning stages with my raptor 50, but wanted something i could tinker with). Checked the other trhead about the esky and the slider sticking going to try that soon. Also, whats the best way to remove ball links on this thing - I'm afraid i'm going to break them or mess up the balls. Thanks!

PMDrive1061

The staff at both local hobby shops were absolutely raving to me about this little chopper...and I don't even know how to fly a chopper! One of the shops ordered so many in anticipation of the rush that Horizon sent them an extra demo model! The shop owner was experimenting with it indoors...right after replacing the blades. Not quite enough room in that shop to fly anything much bigger than a Hirobo Housefly.

Methinks I want one. Question: I learned that radio that the Blade comes with is specifically programmed for it. Could anyone tell me if it can be used with a simulator? Crash kit's $25. Not bad as an occasional purchase, but not too pleasant as a constant one.