RE: SNHobbies Flasher 450 V2 Build/Review ($135 Metal Heli)

RE: SNHobbies Flasher 450 V2 Build/Review ($135 Metal Heli)
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RE: SNHobbies Flasher 450 V2 Build/Review ($135 Metal ... - 5/1/2009 5:47 AM

gagt2nv

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Yeah i got the ICE motor in the PE kit. I want to make it as tame as possible so I can learn on it. I am going to be more into scale flight than 3d Did your motor and esc come with connectors? Mine didnt and I dont know what size to use. Also what about the pinions, are they universal? Appreciate all the help and lets keep this thread going.

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RE: SNHobbies Flasher 450 V2 Build/Review ($135 Metal... - 5/1/2009 6:03 AM

L0stS0ul

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You're going to want to use something like this:
http://www.readyheli.com/K10149A_Align_24K_Connectors_p/k10149a-1.htm

You should be able to get these bullet connectors at any hobby shop. 3mm or better for a 450. My motor and speed controller did not come with connectors either. I use Deans for the batteries and the 3mm connectors for the motor leads. You can also directly solder the motor/speed controller leads. Just make sure you have the motor running the right way first

Some people think that not using the connectors give's less resistance. I personally can't tell the difference but I bet the expert pilots can.

No, pinions are not universal. I believe these are the pinions you would want to use on the kit. .05 mod. Readyheli also sells a 12 tooth but they are out of stock on that one right now.
http://www.readyheli.com/Align_HZ020_Motor_Pinions_9t_10t_11t_2_3mm_p/hz020.htm

I would start with the 11 tooth pinion for what you're looking for and see how you like it. I'd guess you're somewhere between the 11 tooth and the 12 tooth. See if the 11 feels right to you and if you want more power move up to the 12 tooth. That's what I would recommend.

Lots of pinion options available here as well:
http://www.helidirect.com/motor-pinions-450-class-pinions-c-1_78_513.hdx

Make sure you buy a pinion set with the proper shaft diameter. 3.17mm is what the ICE motor has.

< Message edited by L0stS0ul -- 5/1/2009 6:10 AM >

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RE: SNHobbies Flasher 450 V2 Build/Review ($135 Metal... - 5/1/2009 11:49 PM

gagt2nv

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what is the .05 MOD you are talking about in your reply? There are two pages of pinions one has shaft diameter or 2.3 the other 3.17. Sorry for all the questions but I dont understand how they make these things so hard to match up.

Mike

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RE: SNHobbies Flasher 450 V2 Build/Review ($135 Metal... - 5/2/2009 1:53 PM

L0stS0ul

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.05 MOD is the type of gear spacing that is used. In order to have a proper mesh between the pinion gear and the main gear they have to have the same gear spacing and gear design. There are different names for this and a common one is the MOD. In the align/flasher gear case it's .05MOD. So you need to have a pinion gear that is .05MOD so that they mesh properly.

Most of the pinions at helidirect will be the correct type but I wanted to make sure you knew to look for the MOD in the description so you get the right one.

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RE: SNHobbies Flasher 450 V2 Build/Review ($135 Metal... - 5/2/2009 11:58 PM

turboyam

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This machine is ,i am sure, the answer from Align to all "cheap Trex copies" out there.
Who else then Align, is able to make a great "copy" of there own design, marketing success, Se-V2 !!!.
They can sell 2 times more helis doing this. They still sell top of line "Align" Trex AND a less expensive identical,
un-named heli.
They probably have them assembled by "beginners" in the very same factory, without all Align Cnc name engravings.
I agree !00% with that practice (my assumption) , if other companies copied them first.
They probably laugh so much

...
I have a Trex 450 se-v2 And just ordered that "Flasher" and will see by myself.
There seams to be too many small details for that "Flasher" to be a copy... It's the real thing and WE benefit from it, pricewise...

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RE: SNHobbies Flasher 450 V2 Build/Review ($135 Metal... - 5/3/2009 4:15 AM

L0stS0ul

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It does seem to be a near identical clone. The only part I've found to not work on it is the anodized tail bushing. The threading for the tail bushings don't match. Other than that I've not found one part that's not been identical that wasn't cosmetic.

They are also doing some upgrades. Currently the latest Flasher SE kit is coming with the Pro style washout base which is a plus I think. Some might not like it since it no longer uses the inner copper bushing but it is the latest design.

Hope you enjoy it.

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RE: SNHobbies Flasher 450 V2 Build/Review ($135 Metal... - 5/3/2009 11:27 PM

turboyam

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Lostsoul, How do you like the EVO batteries? and, is there a " A " on the plastic ball links ? (like on the
Align ones) for instalation on balls...

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RE: SNHobbies Flasher 450 V2 Build/Review ($135 Metal... - 5/4/2009 4:32 AM

L0stS0ul

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I do like the EVO packs. One of my EVO Lite 2100mAh packs has taken an amazing beating. A crash at 80MPH into the dirt in my EDF F-16 ending up almost 50 yards down the football field and it still goes strong. It still has the dirt under the shrink wrap to prove it heh. The plane actually hit at the 50 yard line that's how I know how far it went. Was pretty convenient

. It's also been thru 2 heli crashes and just keeps pounding away. The video for this review was on that pack

I really like those EVO packs.

The ball links for the Flasher do have an A on them but they are reversed from the align links. They are a smidge longer than the align ones and they don't have the mark on the reverse as the align ones do. For the Flasher links the A should go towards the ball which is reverse from the Align links that have the A go away from the ball.

Wanted to be clear about that

< Message edited by L0stS0ul -- 5/4/2009 4:35 AM >

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RE: SNHobbies Flasher 450 V2 Build/Review ($135 Metal... - 5/5/2009 2:13 AM

turboyam

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UUUhhhhh... Then, what do you think the "A" stands for?... Align, maybe...

Thanks for the EVO revue, i have 3 packs on order

...

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RE: SNHobbies Flasher 450 V2 Build/Review ($135 Metal... - 5/9/2009 4:24 AM

L0stS0ul

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I just took delivery of my second SE kit and thought I would do an unboxing video. I realized I had not doe that part justice in the initial review. I had to get a replacement kit because of an unfortunate crash with my first one. Seems that the earlier crash I had when a component failed in flight damaged the anti rotation bracket and it failed in flight pretty much destroying the head. Anyway here's the unboxing video:

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RE: SNHobbies Flasher 450 V2 Build/Review ($135 Metal ... - 5/10/2009 5:33 PM

bikemad

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good article, 10 out of 10, thanks, and keep them coming, how about a 450BA next,

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RE: SNHobbies Flasher 450 V2 Build/Review ($135 Metal ... - 5/10/2009 9:26 PM

turboyam

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quote:

ORIGINAL: bikemad

good article, 10 out of 10, thanks, and keep them coming, how about a 450BA next,

Yep, plus one here

...

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RE: SNHobbies Flasher 450 V2 Build/Review ($135 Metal H... - 5/19/2009 2:58 AM

L0stS0ul

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Sorry, Been on vacation the last week.

What's a 450BA?

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RE: SNHobbies Flasher 450 V2 Build/Review ($135 Metal H... - 5/19/2009 6:04 PM

L0stS0ul

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Do you all mean the CopterX 450 Black Angel? That's the only 450BA I could find. I've wanted a black angel for a while now but I've not found a North America source for it.

< Message edited by L0stS0ul -- 5/19/2009 6:05 PM >

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RE: SNHobbies Flasher 450 V2 Build/Review ($135 Metal H... - 5/25/2009 5:43 PM

CrashMeister

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Hi guys, I am very interested in getting one of these to learn on. I'm thinking of getting the Flasher 450 PE with motor/ESC. I have some questions:

1. Is the MKS-GY293 gyro compatible with the Spektrum DX7 radio ?
2. What servo is recommended for the tail (speed, torque) ?
3. Are Hitech HS-65MG ok for the rest of the heli ?
4. Battery size and weight. I am about to order some Zippy FlightMax batteries. They have:
   2200mah 176g 100x34x27mm $17.00
   2650mah 212g 135x45x16mm $22.50
   Will the 2650mah fit in the heli ? The weight difference is 1.2oz, not a problem, right ?

Other notes:
Pinions - I will get an 11 tooth to start with.

What else will I need to get this thing built ?

Thanks,
Craig.

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RE: SNHobbies Flasher 450 V2 Build/Review ($135 Metal H... - 5/25/2009 6:08 PM

L0stS0ul

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The PE is a good kit. The ICE Motor and the MKS Speed controller are also good. I do recommend an external bec like a park bec or ccbec but there are people that have been successful with the built in one on the speed controller.

Yes the MKS GY293 works with the DX7. I have this gyro and tested it. It seems to be a little better than a telebee. I highly recommend the G401B gyro. It's the one I used in the video and I don't think you can beat it for the price.

http://www.cnchelicopter.com/servlet/the-1403/xmhobbies-digital-gyro-G401B/Detail

I recommend servos with a .10 speed or less. The Hyperion DS12GCP is my current favorite low budget tail servo. I highly recommend this servo with any gyro.

The HS-65's are really good servos for the frame. You need to sand the mounts slightly so that there is no preasure on the case but that's really easy to do.

Either battery will work fine. It really depends on what you're going for. If you are going for 3D I'd go with the 2200 but for more flight time the 2600 will work. An extra ounce is not that much if you're not doing 3D.

I'd not go much over an 11 or 12 tooth on the included motor on the PE. I run a 13 tooth on my SE kit which is around 3k RPM. Thats way to much for a plastic kit.

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RE: SNHobbies Flasher 450 V2 Build/Review ($135 Metal H... - 5/25/2009 10:47 PM

CrashMeister

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Thanks for the quick response.

After much surfing and pondering, I have come up with this list:

SN Hobbies:
Flasher 450 SE with Motor/ESC : $160 shipped.

XMSeller:
G401B Gyro $42 shipped.

A-Main Hobbies:
Align pinion gears 11/13/15 Tooth
Hyperion DS-12-GCP Tail servo (1)
Hitech DS-65MG servos (3)
$146 shipped.

HobbyCity:
Zippy FlightMax 2650 3s1p 20C LiPo packs (2) ($25 ea)
Turnigy Accucell 6 Lipo Charger ($38)
<< a bunch of other stuff for airplanes>>

Still to find: Spektrum receiver. Which one do I need ? Is the AR6100 OK or do I need the 6200 ? Given that I'll be learning, I would guess the 6100 is OK as I won't be flying far away.

What else so I need to get ? Do I need any connectors other than Deans for the ESC and Batteries ?

Your help is much appreciated.

Craig.

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RE: SNHobbies Flasher 450 V2 Build/Review ($135 Metal H... - 5/26/2009 3:57 AM

L0stS0ul

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I use the AR6100 on my 450 size helis and most planes like my EDF Lynx and SE5a. I use the receivers with satellite recievers on my larger planes and helis.

as far as connectors go... if I remember correctly the motor comes with both the male and female bullet connectors for the ESC. My ESC came separate and was not part of the "kit" so I don't know if it will come presoldered or not. Mine did not. I had to solder on the deans connector and bullet connectors. From looking at pictures from people that got the combo it looked like it came pre-soldered. Please let us know how your motor and speed controller come.

< Message edited by L0stS0ul -- 5/26/2009 3:59 AM >

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RE: SNHobbies Flasher 450 V2 Build/Review ($135 Metal H... - 5/27/2009 7:05 PM

L0stS0ul

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Now that the Trex PRO is out there are a bunch of little upgrades for the V2 SE that are popping up so I decided to check and see if these worked on the Flasher.

I've been spoiled a bit with my GAUI Hurricane and RCer Dragonus and have had the pleasure of dealing with lots of fixed linkages on the head that make setup an absolute breeze. The new Trex PRO is also using fixed linkages for the flybar->main grip and washout->flybar cage so I picked up a set of the linkages to try out. The first set I bought are the ones designed for the Trex PRO as no one had the other set. The set for the PRO has 2 long linkages and 4 short linkages. You only use the 2 long ones and 2 short ones. As you can see by the measurements in the pictures the short ones are about the right size while the longer ones are longer than recommended in the manual. I put these linkages on my PE kit. They seem to work quite well.

Today I was at the hobby shop and they had a few sets of the V3 upgrade linkages as they call them. This bag only has 2 short and 2 long. I have read that the linkages in this kit are different sizes and are designed specifically as an upgrade to the V2 SE kit. I will compare the linkages tonight and will report back if they are indeed different.

The second upgrade I got is the Trex Pro washout base. There is a little slop in the Flasher SE and PE versions of the washout base so this was a cheap $8 test. This was not a direct drop in on my Flasher. The flasher washout guide pins on my kit are apparently a little thicker than the ones that are on the Trex PRO. I filed the pins down a bit with my dremmel and cleaned them up with a jewelers file and it works great. If you have some slop in your washout base and would like a nice upgrade I think the PRO base works well.

While I was at the LHS today I also spied the new PRO tail blade grips. These come with the integrated Chinese weights so I picked up a set for $20. I will report back when I have a chance to install them.

Finally, I saw some CF main blades at helidirect for $18 and they got really good reviews so I just could not pass them up. These blades are really nice. Both blades are incredibly well matched with the weight being exactly the same at 17.6g. The CG on both is also identical. I've not had a chance to really fly them yet as I'm working on an electronic issue at the moment on my SE kit (a servo went bad and is causing my receiver to overload) but I can't wait to fly these. I got the new servo today so all this should be installed and ready for a test flight this week. The last pic is the heli with the blades on.

http://www.helidirect.com/high-quality-325mm-symetrical-carbon-fiber-main-blade-trex-p-576.hdx

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RE: SNHobbies Flasher 450 V2 Build/Review ($135 Metal H... - 5/27/2009 11:03 PM

CrashMeister

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Thanks for all the pictures. These are going to be a huge help when my heli arrives, as this will be the first one that I really delve into.

Do you know of any good online tutorials, instructions or 'how it works' that I can look at ?

Thanks,
Craig.

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RE: SNHobbies Flasher 450 V2 Build/Review ($135 Metal H... - 5/27/2009 11:09 PM

L0stS0ul

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Check out the finless videos over on helifreak. Pretty much all you'll need to know about a t-rex or clone works.

Trex SE V1 videos
Trex SE V2 videos

< Message edited by L0stS0ul -- 5/27/2009 11:13 PM >

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RE: SNHobbies Flasher 450 V2 Build/Review ($135 Metal H... - 5/28/2009 4:28 AM

L0stS0ul

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So I got the new items installed tonight.

First up was the new linkages. The V3 linkages are definitely different from the PRO linkages. Right away you can tell that they are not nearly as bulky as the pro linkages. The pro linkages also have an A on the side that goes away from the ball. These linkages simply have align etched in the side that go away from the balls. They are also different dimensions. The short links are a smidge longer than the ones in the pro kit and the long links are shorter than the ones in the pro kit. These linkages almost match the lengths given in the manual but not exactly. The long links are still a bit longer than recommended in the manual. Other than that they were a drop in replacement on my SE kit. I had only installed the short linkages. One turn on the pitch control link and all was the same as before.

The tail hub upgrade was simple. Took maybe 5 minutes with picture taking. Just remove the old one and install. I've never flown with Chinese weights before so I'm really looking forward to seeing if I can feel a difference.

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RE: SNHobbies Flasher 450 V2 Build/Review ($135 Metal H... - 6/8/2009 1:39 AM

turboyam

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Just received my new Flasher 450 v2........
If some of you have both a Align Trex 450 se v2 and a Flasher, just compare the assembly/ settup
books and compare parts numbers.................
I now am sure they ( Flashers) are 100% Align, with no name.
It is now a super sweet very good deal to buy, Align quality at 1/3 the price !!!!!!!!!!!!...

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RE: SNHobbies Flasher 450 V2 Build/Review ($135 Metal H... - 6/9/2009 2:54 AM

CrashMeister

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If you are in any doubt, look at the little dude on page 24 of the manual. He's wearing an 'Align' T-Shirt. I wonder how that slipped through QC.

Mine arrived today. Other than some dings on the canopy, everything looks good. The manual is all pictures and no instructions. Not in a hurry though, as I have a plane to finish and my batteries and charger are backordered. This is going to be an interesting journey.

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RE: SNHobbies Flasher 450 V2 Build/Review ($135 Metal H... - 6/9/2009 5:24 AM

L0stS0ul

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The manual is pretty much word for word exactly the same as a Trex SE V2 manual. Other than changing Trex to Flasher I could find no differences.

Good luck with the build. If you have any questions please ask. I can try to help

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