mediclavina

Of all the heli brands I've tried, I got the best quality from Hirobo with their SRB Quark. As a beginner flyer, my learning process is on accelerate mode with the help of the Quark. I know soon I will want a CCPM type heli as I gain experience.

If possible, I want to stick with Hirobo brand because of their excellent job with the Quark.
But the Lepton (the only battery-powered-3D-capable Hirobo I know) is too expensive for me. Is there a 400 class or smaller CCPM heli made by Hirobo that I don't know of?
I figure, a smaller heli is usually cheaper especially when it comes to maintenance cost.

nargargle

Unfortunately Hirobo doesn't seem to do cheap but you do get what you pay for.

mrc-hirobo

At current, the only electric helicopter that Hirobo makes that is larger then the SRB Quark is the Lepton EX.

Ots

Stick with the Japonese helis if you can afford it. If your budget won't permit that right now, then a good entry in the 400 size class is the Blade 400. It comes with a decent radio that can hold up to ten different birds and it offers reasonable adjustability. The Blade 400 comes ready to fly. If you want a notch up from this get a Trex 450. But you'll have to buy a radio (buy only 2.4 GHz ones!).

There are lots of different opinions on this subject and some people feel very strongly about their particular preferences. At the "less-than-a-grand" price point for a heli and a radio more money gets better stuff. Just don't buy a cheap heli that comes with a radio ready-to-fly like the Axe CP, Blade CP, etc., as they are more trouble than they are worth.

mydartswinger

I have to agree with Ots on this one. A T-Rex would be an excellent heli that will grow with you. But, as was said before, you need to buy radio gear for a T-Rex, which can be costly if you buy nice stuff that will grow with you. If you don't plan on doing heavy 3D and don't mind doing some upgrades when you do get to a point where you want to get into more advanced aerobatics, the Blade 400 is a nice heli at a reasonable price. I own one myself, and enjoy it. As far as the "cheap" helis, such as the Blade CP/CP Pro and AXE CP, I have had both. It's worth the extra $200-$300 to get a 400 class heli. Both models are unstable. The Blade CP has a weak tail, while the AXE CP likes to roll. As the battery pack reaches the end of it's charge, the tail on both begins to get weak due to voltage drop in the pack. The 400 definitely has the advantage here, and the parts aren't that much more expensive.

Another option, if cost is a major factor in your decision and you don't mind going larger and with nitro, is to search eBay, the RCU marketplace, and other classifieds or other pilots garages (this is how I got my Shuttle ZXX, and after all is said and done, she'll be in the air for under $300 [$100 for the bird, $100 for the repair parts, $80 for an RX which I have scavenged from an airplane that is down for now, then about $30 or so for fuel, the rest of the field gear I have from airplanes and cars]) for a used .30 size nitro heli. If you are new to this, I would recommend getting someone with some experience if you go this route, as you may run into some issues with a crashed heli that the owner just didn't want to fix. For the same or comparable price as a Blade 400, you can get a used .30 class, a decent radio, and flight gear. If you already have a nice radio that has the programming for a heli, that makes the cost that much less. For a major crash, you can look at about $100 for replacement parts (tail boom, blades, flybar, main shaft, feathering shaft, tail gear housing, tail belt (about $25 by itself), and misc hardware). A little less if it's not quite so severe (about $50 for blades, flybar, feathering shaft, and main shaft in a crash kit). Seems like you want to stay electric, but just figured I'd throw this out as an option to consider.

mediclavina

Thanks for all the replies.
I'm now choosing among the following:
- Blade 400
- Axe 400
- HeliPro Black Hawk 450
- used Trex 450SE V2 (RTF)
- used Mini Titan E325 (RTF)

The cold winter helps me control myself from making hasty decisions. I can probably hold out till spring next year. If Hirobo comes up with something new (even a new Quark version) before that time, I'll surely go again with Hirobo (as long as it's significantly cheaper than the Lepton).

Mean while, I'm tempted by the new 200/250 size helis like the GAUI EP200 and Trex 250 which I could try indoors during the winter.[sm=72_72.gif]

mydartswinger

Here's my opinion on the choices you listed.

Blade 400 - Good, stable, starting 400 class heli. Reasonable price if you don't mind doing some upgrades when it's time to step into advanced flight.

AXE 400 - Don't know much about this heli, but my experience with the brand tells me that you might want to wait until it's been on the market for a while. Heli-Max has a tendancy to put out replacement parts a bit after the heli. Even then, the parts are difficult to obtain because everyone that's been waiting for the parts is chomping at the bit to get them, so they go out of stock quickly. After the initial parts release and rush, the problem is nonexistent.

HeliPro Black Hawk 450 - Looks like a good quality heli at a very attractive price. However, the included radio is standard RTF. A radio upgrade would most likely be desired. Never seen one in person, so take this for what it is. That is one persons opinion taken from pictures on Xheli.com.

TRex 450SE - This heli has been the industry standard for 400 class helis that most people compare all other helis in it's class to. I've seen them fly in person, and it looks to be exactly what everyone says it is. That is that it is an excellent heli. Again, I've never actually flown one. Prices when new can be a bit intimidating, but going used as you stated in your last post, would significantly reduce the cost of entry.

Mini Titan E325 - Raptor's baby brother. Most likely a viable option, and a good choice.

Keep in mind that you should look into parts availability at you LHS for these helis. Usually, hobby shops stock parts for both the E-Flite Blade 400 and the T-Rex 450 helis. If you plan on doing any travelling with the heli, you might want to look at the shops at any locations you may travel to. For example, if you get an AXE 400 because your LHS stocks parts for it, but end up moving, visiting, etc... somewhere outside of your immediate area and take your heli with you, you may be out of luck and stuck with mail order and waiting on parts at your destination. I know, that may not be your situation, but it is one that some of us are in all the time. I usually end up on the losing end of this equation with certain brands (I've never had this problem with E-Flite, nor a couple of car brands, mostly sold by Horizon).

Just remember to do your research, take your time, make your decision, and I'm sure that you'll be happy with whatever you decide. You're on the right track.

Happy flying.

mediclavina

Thanks.
My LHS don't stock heli parts and only sells coaxials like the Blade CX2 and MCX. It stopped carrying single-rotor helis because all customers who tried gave up quickly (myself included). That was 2 years ago.

But I made a comeback to this hobby last summer because of the *new hope* this SRB Quark gave me. And the Quark did not disappoint me even on my very first try (just imagine my excitement that day ).

I now order my heli parts online.

mydartswinger

I understand that. When I bought my AXE CP (that I currently do not have, but trying to get back due to sentimental reasons I guess), I was taking some time at home to visit my parents in Texas. The closest hobby shop was a 30 minute drive away, and did not stock parts for it. The only hobby shop that I know of in the area that carries the brand was an hour's drive away, and they didn't always have the right part in stock (partially going back to the Heli-Max parts issue I mentioned in my last post).

Unfortunately for those of us that want to progress in helicopters beyond coaxial birds, hobby shops tend to stock what people in that area are buying. Usually, they aren't buying parts for most CP and bigger helis. This goes back to what you said about people giving it a shot, then giving up (I even did for a few months).

To kind of give you an idea about why this happens:
I have been flying planes now for about 5-6 months, so I'm around quite a few RC pilots on a regular basis. When I or anyone else brings a helicopter, it tends to get a lot of attention from the fixed wing pilots. Some of this is good, some not so good. Some is the people who stand in amazement at what it/the pilot can do, others comment on the complexity of a helicopter and how they don't feel that they could do it, some say they would never try one just because they don't like them but will tolerate them flying, and others that don't like them won't even tolerate them at the field. Today when I was at the flying field, a prospective member brought out a 27% and 33% Extra 260, flying them both very well. When he saw me flying my Blade 400, he told me that there was just to much stick movement to keep it flying than he could do, and respected me for being able to do it. All this was despite the fact that I crashed her within the first 3 seconds of the flight that he saw (tail belt was slipping, I lost tail control, she started pirouetting out of control, and she crashed doing the funky chicken). Yes, helicopters are more difficult to fly than planes, but when you can be totally in control of something that is naturally out of control is worth the extra effort of learning. They're a lot of fun, and once you can advance that far, they are capable of amazing feats of 3D aerobatics that can only be done by an RC helicopter (not even Chuck Aaron and the Red Bull BO-105 can do 3D).

Remember the feeling you got when you first realized you could fly your Quark well? Picture that feeling over ten times when you can keep a 400 class heli airborne without totally loosing control of it for an entire battery pack/tank of fuel. Double that when you can break into forward flight and bring her back down. Quadruple that when you start getting the skids to the sky and bringing her back. The latter I have not done, and the former I have only done on one flight, but the hovering I do every flight (unless something goes wrong like today). That feeling of accomplishment is a great reason to fly helis that most people don't think much about. They just see the difficulty and cost involved, then turn their backs on helis.

Anyway, enough rambling. Again, good luck to you.

Happy flying.

mediclavina

I've decided to get me a GAUI 200 to keep me occupied while waiting for Hirobo to come up with a CP heli smaller than the Lepton.
I promise, I'll take this one slowly. I'll keep in mind my previous (bad) CP experiences and the valuable tips from all you guys who unselfishly share to beginners like me.

fiddlesticks1

HI,
I might be able to help you out with your decision. My name is Greg and I work at MRC and with Hirobo. We want to thank you for trying out the SRB. I have a Quark and know they are a blast to fly. I also have a Lepton sitting right next to me and I will say that it is an amazing machine. I don’t want this to sound like a big commercial for Hirobo but I will say that the price of the lepton is high because of the quality. Hirobo comes out of Japan where as most everyone else is manufactured in china.
Other companies make great products and I will be the first to say it…………. they fly really nice. I even have a t-rex 450se. I enjoy flying it but can tell you it’s different from the Lepton.
The same quality that came with the quark is transferred to the Lepton and all of Hirobo’s product’s.
I should direct you to www.rchover.com and www.heliproz.com you can take a look at what they have. Give them a call to the guys there are really nice and can help you out.
Also before you make any money spending decisions you should go down to your local hobby store and take a close look at the Lepton or anything you have your eye on for that matter. A picture is worth a thousand words but when you have it in your hands you really can tell how you feel.
Thanks,
Greg

mediclavina

The problem is I can't afford a Lepton at the moment (though the total amount I've spent on my previous helis could have bought me one).

I presume, somehow you have insider info on Hirobo products. Do you have any idea if Hirobo will make a CP heli in the near future that is smaller or cheaper than the Lepton?
Hmmm... Have I asked you this same queston before thru your other handle?

mediclavina

I really wish there is a smaller collective-pitch Hirobo. I'm pretty sure I would not have any quality problem with it out-of-the-box. The GAUI 200 I bought came with a lot of problems (I was able to fix all except for the bent tail output shaft). It really disappoints me when a heli I bought comes with defective or broken parts. []

Dave ESPI

Fiddle sticks, any chance of HIROBO making a CCPM version of the quark or something like it ?

Ime debating the lep, but would really adore the size of a 250 from Hirobo that flies as nice as the quark.

fiddlesticks1

I think Hirobo might some type of CP quark but I cant say for sure. I would assume that it would be CP for light aerobatics but would still have the stability of the quark.
Thanks,
Greg

Dave ESPI

Fiddle, thats all I think most of us fliers want anyway !

I personaly like light 3D stuff as the really agressive stuff just tends to end up costing me a fortune when I get the sticks crossed and lose orientation LOL.

Gracefull stable FF barrel rolls and solid inverted hovers would be the shizzle in a Hirobo QUARK-ll 3D.

I'm so hooked on Hirobo now that I'm seriously looking at the Lepton and a good package to fly it as a "Big Brother" to my Quark.

fiddlesticks1

Yes, take a look at the Lepton. Needless to say I have a Lepton and it flys like a small Sceadu!

mediclavina

The Quark CP I've been waiting for is finally coming soon! Thank you, Hirobo!
I know it's not that easy designing good helis like the Quark. But you've just made Quark flyers like me very happy and excited with the new Quark SG.

mydartswinger

Got a link to it?

mediclavina

http://tweetphoto.com/10672647
http://www.modellheli.com/bilder/quark-sg2-1200.jpg

mydartswinger

Cool. Sounds kinda like a similar concept to the TT Innovator Expert, except with foam blades. It'll be cool to see what it's really like once consumers start getting it in their hands.

Dave ESPI

I will have my CP Quark in 2 weeks

HAPPY DANCE !

mediclavina

Great!
Please let us know how it goes.

twoslick2

Is this Quark the same size as the SRB???

fiddlesticks1

The Quark is actually the SRB.

The Quark SG is the same size as the original Quark.

It is a completely redesigned helicopter. None of the parts except the tail fin and the canopy are the same.