E-flite Blade 400 why so special?

E-flite Blade 400 why so special?
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E-flite Blade 400 why so special? - 10/5/2007 6:08:01 PM

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Can someone explain why the E-flite Blade 400 is almost double in price compared to the Blade Pro....what makes it so special, the controller, the engines, the upgrades??

RE: E-flite Blade 400 why so special? - 10/5/2007 6:24:07 PM

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The 400 is a 450 class heli........ larger than the CP series. The CP series are a 300 class. It is the same size as a TREX 450. Also comes with a Spektrum DX6i TX. Not sure what RX or servos come with it or the gyro as I haven't looked at it closely yet. It looks like it will be a decent (not great) 450 class heli for the money ($400?) I am sure others will chime in here with the specs, bling and shiney parts listings. I just know the basics about it. The TX alone will be a awesome improvement over the stock TX's one gets in any RTF kit.

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RE: E-flite Blade 400 why so special? - 10/5/2007 6:35:17 PM

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Unless the Blade 400 is something real special, I will stick with my T-Rex............

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RE: E-flite Blade 400 why so special? - 10/5/2007 6:56:46 PM

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Good Move. Until this hits the market and is in the "users" hands I would be Leary. After the CP Pro money pit I'm done with Blade's. Good thing about the Pro it may me really appreciate my T Rex.

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RE: E-flite Blade 400 why so special? - 10/5/2007 8:38:50 PM

bilboa

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Comparison of a Blade CP Pro to Blade 400 features:

Size: Blade 400 is much bigger
Tail rotor system: 400 uses belt drive tail with tail servo, BCPP uses cheaper motor driven tail which is much less reliable and with poorer performance.
Main motor: 400 uses brushless motor and ESC, which is much more powerful, and expensive, than the BCPP's brushed main motor and ESC
Radio: 400 comes with a far superior 2.4 Ghz computer radio, with an actual general purpose computer transmitter which can be used with any RC heli or plane, whereas the BCPP comes with a cheapy FM radio which is only useful with a BCPP or very similar heli and has very little programmability.
Gyro: 400 comes with a heading hold gyro, whereas the BCPP comes with a rate gyro built in to the 3-in-1.

Unless it turns out to be really junky or something, it's easily worth the extra money just based on the components it comes with.

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RE: E-flite Blade 400 why so special? - 10/5/2007 10:29:41 PM

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will it be better then the Belt CP, defiantly cost more.

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RE: E-flite Blade 400 why so special? - 10/5/2007 11:04:00 PM

mrasmm

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it comes with the ar6100e receiver, I think it still comes with the s75's (same junk servo's that are on the bcp's, well they aren't entirely junk, but they are quite fragile and sloppy compared to alternatives like the hs55's), it comes with the g110 which is supposed to be an upgrade from the g90, and it comes with brushless stock, as well as the dx6i like arrow was saying, which is a hudge upgrade from the bcp series Tx's.

Personally I think it would be a better deal than the blade series, although if I started getting into that price range I would serioulsy consider a Trex. If they would have come out with this heli last year when I got my first one, I would definately have looked seriously at it just because it was an RTF, and I was a bit intimidated by the kits.

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RE: E-flite Blade 400 why so special? - 10/6/2007 1:18:00 AM

bilboa

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Actually it's supposed to come with a digital version of the S75 servos, supposedly better than the Blade CP Pro servos.

As for comparing to a Belt CP, the base heli kit might not be any better, but the whole RTF package is certainly nicer than any Belt CP RTF package I've seen, especially because it comes with an actual honest-to-god computer radio, with multi-model memory, airplane and heli support, etc.

Basically, I think that for anyone knowledgeable enough to buy something like a Belt CP kit, computer radio, motor, esc, and put it all together, there's nothing special about the Blade 400. What's special about it is it's raised the bar on complete RTF packages. I wouldn't buy one myself because I already own a good radio, but if my brother wanted to get into helis and wanted an RTF, this is what I'd recommend.

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RE: E-flite Blade 400 why so special? - 10/6/2007 2:03:06 AM

mrasmm

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ahh, gotcha =)

yeah, I would say if you don't have a good radio and you are just getting into the sport, this is probably the target market.

here is the product page on it
http://www.e-fliterc.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=EFLH1400

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RE: E-flite Blade 400 why so special? - 10/6/2007 2:33:32 AM

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quote:

ORIGINAL: bilboa

Basically, I think that for anyone knowledgeable enough to buy something like a Belt CP kit, computer radio, motor, esc, and put it all together.....

just FYI, the Belt CP is an RTF but it doesn't have the dx6 type radio, it has the basic esky radio, I believe the same as the king2 comes with. It is brushless, esc, blah blah blah

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RE: E-flite Blade 400 why so special? - 10/6/2007 3:42:20 AM

bilboa

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Well, the Belt CP is available in a number of forms: airframe only; airframe + BL motor + ESC + servos + gyro, but no rx/tx; or complete RTF packages. Compared to the Belt CP RTF kit, the Blade 400 RTF definitely looks superior just for the radio. A radio like that alone would go for around $200. If you're comparing a nicely outfitted Belt CP with a computer radio to a Blade 400, then I'd guess they'd be similar. At least that's what it seems to me, having never seen either in person.

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RE: E-flite Blade 400 why so special? - 11/13/2007 2:42:55 PM

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Anyone know what training gear you buy for the blade 400. Is there a part number? Anyone have a best pre order price for the blade 400?

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RE: E-flite Blade 400 why so special? - 11/13/2007 3:20:37 PM

cx2cp+

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quote:

ORIGINAL: darticus

Anyone know what training gear you buy for the blade 400. Is there a part number? Anyone have a best pre order price for the blade 400?

heh heh heh - nothing like learning to drive in a ferrari - i still haven't had the hbk2 out of ground effect, mainly cause i still mangle the hbfp every time i turn - can you imagine the price of a set of blades, spindle shaft, and a skid or two after a goodly fall? - and all the work to get it back to flying trim !!! - i'll stick with me lil mini til i get it closer to right

i think the pre-order price is set worldwide by eflite? - i have one on order, mainly for the radio, at least until i find the handle on the hbk2

edge

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RE: E-flite Blade 400 why so special? - 11/13/2007 6:46:24 PM

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A programmable radio is a must. IMHO the stock radio was the weak link in the BCP. When I put in HS55's and a DX7, mine became a fine little sport flyer. With the stock radio, it was a squirrel. The real key is having sub-trim, in order to get an accurate eCPPM set up. Programmable throttle/pitch helps, as does expo.

Yeah, it was underpowered, but I wasn't flogging it around too hard. I didn't even mind the motor driven tail so much, I mean it's a pretty clever solution for putting out the product at such a low price point.

The Blade400 looks to be a very nice package for the money. Sure it won't be a Trex, but let's face it one of those setup w/ decent components rapidly approaches the $1K mark.

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RE: E-flite Blade 400 why so special? - 11/13/2007 8:40:03 PM

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quote:

ORIGINAL: darticus

Anyone know what training gear you buy for the blade 400. Is there a part number? Anyone have a best pre order price for the blade 400?

Just make your own out of wooden dowels, CF tubes and such. The first set of gear I made was too weak, so I went to LHS and got a couple of sets of CF tube for the cross pieces. Each piece was 24" ong, so 2 of them make up the cross pieces. The center section I secured first with heavy duty twist ties. I then saturated the ties and joint with water, sook out the excess and applied a liberal coating of Gorilla glue. Now, I have two sets of cross members as I bounght 4 CF rods. At the end of one of the cross-pieces, I put ping pong balls and on tfhe other, I put nerf balls that I drilled out the center of. I secure the balls at the ends with plain old hot helt adhesive from the craft store.

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RE: E-flite Blade 400 why so special? - 11/14/2007 2:35:45 PM

cx2cp+

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i called eflite about something else and asked about the 400 - the 400 is and has been ready, they'r