RE: HeliMax MX400 Problems

RE: HeliMax MX400 Problems
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RE: HeliMax MX400 Problems - 2/1/2006 1:41:35 AM

Posts: 64
Joined: 11/17/2004
From: Wakefield, RI, USA
Status: offline

This is the thread that won't die! It started with someone complaining that the (m)X400 was too fragile and the crash kits cost too much and have too many parts.... Hey, guess what? YOU crashed it!

Regarding Helimax and customer service. I don't see how this is a huge deal. There are plenty of parts suppliers outside of Helimax. Helihobby, Tedani, GrandRC, etc. Parts availablity is not an issue. If you expect any real service from RC hobby manufacturers you are in for a suprise. Your best bet is to support your LHS, get involved with a club and find an experienced pilot that is willing to help you.

RT

(in reply to spicy)

RE: HeliMax MX400 Problems - 2/12/2006 8:46:05 PM

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Joined: 11/28/2004
From: Indianapolis, IN, USA
Status: offline

I like what RT says
It all boils down to this .
I don't matter what chopper-airpalne-car you get they ALL HAVE PROBLEMS and some one will cry about this that and the other > read some other forums to see my point . I have
Evo Flight -Century - Min-Aircraft - Thunder Tiger - Kyosho - Helie-MAx choppres and love them ALL !

_____________________________

If it moves i'll fly it !

(in reply to rwthomas1)

RE: HeliMax MX400 Problems - 2/12/2006 8:48:57 PM

Posts: 8
Joined: 11/28/2004
From: Indianapolis, IN, USA
Status: offline

I like what RT says
It all boils down to this .
I don't matter what chopper-airpalne-car you get they ALL HAVE PROBLEMS and some one will cry about this that and the other > read some other forums to see my point . I have
Evo Flight -Century - Min-Aircraft - Thunder Tiger - Kyosho - Helie-MAx choppres and love them ALL !

_____________________________

If it moves i'll fly it !

(in reply to rwthomas1)

RE: HeliMax MX400 Problems - 2/13/2006 2:28:48 PM

Posts: 21
Joined: 6/18/2005
From: Springfield, MA, USA
Status: offline

Yeah, let the thread die, please, I'm sick of hearing you guy's bullsh*t.

I've moved on a long time ago, and I think if you look at the date before you post, then you'll see that, since I obviously haven't responded once for about 2 months now.

I don't care...and it should be obvious, so please, let it go. And good luck with this money pit of a hobby.

(in reply to Mika Woodward)

RE: HeliMax MX400 Problems - 2/19/2006 6:32:27 AM

aws23

Posts: 41
Joined: 5/27/2003
From: Kansas, IL, USA
Status: offline

Titan, I also have a MX400 and have flown it for several months now with few problems------I really wasn't aware that I owned so much junk----Futaba, HiTec, Arotronic radios, OS and Supertiger engines, Topflite Monocote, Great Planes models, Cool Power fuel,and so on and on and on-----Tower is pretty much the sole distributor of all these products. I would advise anybody to buy a MX400 if thats what they want and I would certainly not discourage any one from a T-Rex. They are so near alike that I can't imagine the MX400 could possibly be so junky. I have neighbor that has a T-Rex and I having flown Helis for 35+ years and he being a beginner, as you can imagine both helis fly the same and both fly quite well. I would very strongly suggest that the MX400 is not junk.

_____________________________

Al

(in reply to spicy)

RE: HeliMax MX400 Problems - 2/19/2006 4:49:22 PM

Posts: 540
Joined: 2/26/2005
From: Phoenix, AZ, USA
Status: offline

only a few parts on the mx-400 are "junk" the rest is not too bad at all. Junk is not really the correct wording. More like a manufacturing quality control or maybe just an engineering issue. Unfortunately it is a pretty big issue. Hopefully on the next version they will fix the big three. The elevator arm joint, the weak head and the tail rotor control rod. if that stuff was as good as the rest of the kit the heli would be pretty darn sweet. two more suggestions, first making the blade grips the same width as the trex so you could use the same blades would be very nice and second would be to start marketing 9 and 10 tooth 3.1mm (1/8) shaft size pinion since the mx-400 has a 138tooth main gear instead of the 150tooth main gear that the trex has.

(in reply to aws23)

RE: HeliMax MX400 Problems - 2/20/2006 2:17:39 AM

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Joined: 1/20/2006
From: Brandon, MS, USA
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Titan,

Your "post" to this thread have been useless. Thanks...

(in reply to spicy)

RE: HeliMax MX400 Problems - 2/20/2006 2:27:33 AM

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From: Brandon, MS, USA
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quote:

ORIGINAL: cptsnoopy

Hopefully on the next version they will fix the big three. The elevator arm joint, the weak head and the tail rotor control rod. if that stuff was as good as the rest of the kit the heli would be pretty darn sweet.

What is the problem with the tail control rod. Did not notice a problem with mine. I wish they would offer a mx400 eccpm version like align does. Did the conversion to mine.

_____________________________

Blade CP - HB CP2
MX400 eccpm, gy240, cc35, astro 803t, futaba

(in reply to cptsnoopy)

RE: HeliMax MX400 Problems - 2/20/2006 2:47:15 AM

aws23

Posts: 41
Joined: 5/27/2003
From: Kansas, IL, USA
Status: offline

cptsnoopy, I agree that these three items are aggravating. I lengthened the tail rotor control rod by doing what I would have done anyway. Soldered on a bit of threaded rod and used a ball link on both ends. I am not a big fan of z-bends on a heli. The elevator arm was an easy fix with a drop of zap. The center hub is fixed only with an aluminum hub. I am using T-Rex 325mm carbon fiber blades on my MX400. I had some spacers that worked perfectly. This has been a common problem over the years. Nobody wants to make things simple. The aluminum frame was a big disappointment to me but I see nothing wrong with it at this point. I have had one ugly nose in full speed crash and all that was out of line was the battery tray, bent main shaft that that I always straighten at least a couple of times before replacing. I was impressed with the frame staying straight. Destroyed the canopy.If you sit this little guy down by any 60 size heli with aluminum frames and in your mind scale everything on the 60 size heli down, including the thickness of the aluminum frames to the size of an MX 400 and the frames would be similar to tin foil. Really, considering their size and weight, they are built somewhat like a Sherman tank. I am using a 12 tooth pinion and it seems to work great.

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Al

(in reply to cptsnoopy)

RE: HeliMax MX400 Problems - 2/20/2006 8:24:27 PM

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Joined: 2/26/2005
From: Phoenix, AZ, USA
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aws23, I agree with all those points. the only problem with a drop of zap on the elevator joint is the "risk" of an accident that renders it useless. This is an issue that will affect some much more than others. The tail control rod can be fixed in many ways, yours sounds good. Mine is still too short but it works. It is just not optimal. The rotor head, hmmm now we have to spend money. That is where just getting a better kit comes in. You spend the money the first time and don't have to wait for parts to arrive, etc. The blade grips being one of a kind can be worked around but I don't see why they went to the larger space. Maybe there was a good reason... All I know is that the x-400 that me and my brother share is flying, it loops, rolls and does anything we can ask of it with our limited skills. I only tipped it over once (less beer would have saved that one) It was from a low hover and I lost orientation and the blades touched the ground. That destroyed most of the rotor head. We had a trex 450x available for parts so we just dropped in the rotor head from that and it is flying great. Now we get the benefit of the stronger head and more options for blades at a better price. So my first post was just a nit picky look at the x-400/mx-400 as it is now. If they actually take the time to work out the little bugs and can sell it at the same price that they are now, the trex would have some very serious competition.

(in reply to aws23)

RE: HeliMax MX400 Problems - 2/21/2006 11:41:24 PM

spicy

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Joined: 9/10/2003
From: St. Charles, MO, USA
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My biggest problem has been how to mount the battery and get the canopy on. Do any of you have any pictures showing how you mount a battery to the very small battery tray?

(in reply to cptsnoopy)

RE: HeliMax MX400 Problems - 2/23/2006 7:09:25 PM

aws23

Posts: 41
Joined: 5/27/2003
From: Kansas, IL, USA
Status: offline

spicy, I cut a small piece of very thin plywood the size of the battery. cut it as long as the battery and narrow enough to fit inside the frame, glued it to inside the the frame where the battery fits and velcroed the battery to that.

_____________________________

Al

(in reply to spicy)

RE: HeliMax MX400 Problems - 2/23/2006 7:39:20 PM

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Joined: 1/15/2006
From: Tampa, FL, USA
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Of coarse the stock models are gonna have some lower quality parts. Thats why they make upgrades.

(in reply to aws23)

RE: HeliMax MX400 Problems - 2/23/2006 11:14:18 PM

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From: Phoenix, AZ, USA
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quote:

ORIGINAL: maxpower097

Of coarse the stock models are gonna have some lower quality parts. Thats why they make upgrades.

I am not aware of an upgrade required for the trex 450xl to make if fly substantially better or survive a low impact accident better. I can understand someone wanting to make upgrades and sell them. It is your choice to go that route.

(in reply to maxpower097)

RE: HeliMax MX400 Problems - 4/14/2006 3:08:45 AM

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Joined: 12/13/2004
From: Independence, OR, USA
Status: offline

All
Will the Trex 450XL metal head and swashplate work on the Helimax MX400 pro-version?
I would like to replace the plastic head on Helimax with a metal head and metal swashplate based on other people's experiences.
If not which would be a good replacement metal head and swashplat?
Thanks
John

(in reply to spicy)

RE: HeliMax MX400 Problems - 5/1/2006 8:47:58 PM

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Joined: 3/1/2006
From: Keene Valley, NY, USA
Status: offline

[font=!QUOT!Times New Roman!QUOT!]
Question:

I have an MX400, my 2nd Heli, 1st mCCPM. I've Mastered the hover and can perform a basic circuit without problem now. During the first couple of winter months I owned this Heli I !QUOT!flew!QUOT! it in my kitchen. Needless to say I managed to run into a few things from time to time. As I broke things I replaced them with aluminum or carbon fiber parts when available.
I have replaced blades with carbon fiber 325mm CF tail boom alum. head components (all) alum., mCCPM swash plate, alum tail case and alum tail rotor assembly. If you don't already have it get the new ARK-240 tail assembly (E-bay).
Here is my problem: I have vibrations I can't get rid of!

I've balanced the blades (several times) all head components are tight but don't bind. I've replaced the main shaft checked all linkages, checked blade tightness. I've replaced tail grip bearings. None of this seems to help. At hover RPM's I have an oscillation of the main frame that seems to be side to side, and an up and down movement of the tail assby.
If I don't land or increase head RPM the tail fin vibrates violently and emits a high-frequency buzz.
If anyone has any suggestions please let me know.

Also with regard to soft start does it only happen when the rotor comes toa a complete stop, or anytime the throttle is brought to base?

(in reply to spicy)